Easiest Ever Brownies

My daughter told me that I'm way behind on my blog. I think she and I are the only ones reading it and we talk often so I haven't worried to much about it. But, for posterity, I wanted to put a recipe on my blog for all the world to see. So here is a recipe for the easiest, fudgiest, richest, most delicious brownies I've ever tasted. The thing is they can be so personal too. Because the ingredients are somewhat already prepared for you, you can choose the flavors you want to use. After you read the recipe I'll give you some ideas for variations; if you can't handle the chocolate...

Fudgy Brownies

1 small box instant chocolate pudding

2 cups cold milk

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 bag chocolate chips

(nuts, coconut, chopped candy bars, caramel, toffee chips – any add-ins you like)

In mixer bowl combine pudding mix and milk, blend 1 minute. Add dry cake mix and when moistened stir in chocolate chips. (Here is where you stir in any extras you want)

Spread into a 9x13 baking pan, which has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes until set. It may still be just a little itty bit jiggly in the center, because you want to watch the edges so they don't get overdone.

These are wonderful right out of the oven, maybe with a scoop of ice cream... but they are also delicious when cooled. They stay very moist and are almost fudge-like. Once they are cooled you can frost them if you wish, but they are quite good just by themselves.

Here are some ideas to change it up a bit...

German Chocolate: Use the chocolate pudding, with a German chocolate cake mix, and milk chocolate chips. Add in some coconut and pecans before baking. And/or use a coconut-pecan frosting on top.

Dark Chocolate: Use the Chocolate Fudge pudding mix, a Dark Chocolate cake mix or something very rich, and use Dark Chocolate Chips. Try using chocolate milk just to go over the edge with it.

Holiday Spice: Use a French Vanilla pudding (or Pumpkin Spice if it's in season), a Spice cake mix and White Chocolate Chips. And perhaps some chopped pecans or walnuts, and maybe even some finely grated carrot for a carrot cake taste. A cream cheese frosting would put these over the top.

Lemon: Use a Lemon or Vanilla pudding, Lemon cake mix, again with the White Chocolate Chips. This should be simple enough, but some powdered sugar sifted on the cooled bars would be extra special.

Black Forrest: Use the chocolate pudding and cake mix and chips as the recipe states, but add in some cherries, maybe maraschino or dried. Or you could just serve the original recipe of brownies with some canned cherry pie filling on top.

Peanut Butter Cup: Follow the recipe above but swirl in some peanut butter before baking and you could even chop some peanut butter cups and add those in at the add in stage with the chocolate chips.

Mocha: Dissolve some instant coffee granules in the milk before mixing.

Like I said...the possibilities are endless!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

I'll bet this is a very popular heading for a blog. But I didn't want to use day three or OK, what do I do next. I wanted something much more clever since I don't actually know what to do next with my day three blog. But since I'm finding that coming up with a new blog fairly often is putting pressure on me to come up with something original of my own, and, since I have already confessed I have a problem with that, I decided to share a few of my favorite things...things I enjoy looking at online. So, it might not seem very original to give you other peoples websites to look at, but hey, I'll think you'll enjoy it all the same.

I'm going to build up here...first, this is a simple website and I don't know how I came across it -that happens all the time. This is Tuesdays with Torri. It's very bloggish. You sign up and on Tuesdays you get an email with a new recipe. They are normally very interesting. This week looks pretty good, Halloween vegetarian chili. My daughter is a vegetarian. She has been doing very well with that, given she really has never liked vegetables much. But she's learning. I think she's doing great at keeping away from that "freshman 15", as they call those extra pounds that freshmen in college seem to put on. She has actually come a long way in her veggie distaste, and she feels she is saving animals at the same time. I salute her; with a fried chicken leg behind my back. The recipes on this site are not really down home cooking, but they aren't too foo-foo either. I made the Marianna's olive poppers for a family gathering...they were a hit. I think kids would love to make these, especially if they like little green olives and cheesy crackers things. But I will warn you, the sodium level is beyond belief. You can feel your blood pressure rising just by reading the recipe. So now you know their good! I encourage you to check out this site. You might want to sign up and get your very own email on Tuesdays.

Next, is a website I have found indispensable in my personal Bible study. Sometimes you just got questions. You know, questions about the Bible, God, religion, angels, prayer, cults and other things that just sort of come up in your mind and you want a simple quick answer. Well this site is a good source for that. I'm not saying they are probably right about every question, but so far the site has proven to be very sound. They give the source of their answers and the authors of the books they reference are people I like to read and I trust. Some I even listen to on the radio. John MacArthur and Chuck Swindoll just to name a couple. And you can sign up on this site too and receive an email each week featuring a new question. This week was about racism and the Bible.

Well, I have one more. And since I am building up, I was perplexed as to which one I would end with as the "best". Then I realized this isn't really about best. This is only a few of the sites I like to look at and they aren't necessarily in order of best. But I just discovered this site, (And it is in conjunction with that cute little pumpkin pin that Jane gave me; you silly girl, see what you did?) But I think most people I know would like this site. Man or Woman. You may have already heard of it. Probably so. It seems to be very popular. But I just discovered it so I am going to share it with you. I especially enjoy the recipes on this site. They are real down home. And the photos and the directions and comments she gives can really make your mouth water; either from hunger or from laughing hard. You know, I think it is a blog, but to me, it is a full blown website. She puts in a lot of time on the computer...look who's talking. This girl -or should I say this Pioneer Woman, she is clever and witty, but not so deep. That's one thing that makes it so interesting to read. Plus she is an amazing photographer. She is from Oklahoma and a wife to a cowboy she calls her Marlboro Man. (I doubt he smokes) She is also a home school mom to her 4 punks, as she lovingly refers to her children. She gives some really good tips for home schooling besides cooking and photography. I suggest you check it out when you have some time to sit and browse.

Thanks for sitting and browsing on my blog. This has been fun...