Livin' the Dream in Lima

It's that time of year guys... Valentine's Day is just 2 weeks away! That means it's time to whip up some baked goods for your loved ones. Or you know, just for yourself, especially if your Business Man's not that much of a 'sweets' person.  These brownies are ultra-decadent, stuffed with Dove cherry dark chocolates, and layered with a shortbread crust. And yes, there might be almost an entire pound of butter in one 9x9-inch pan. Watch out Paula, someone's on your heels with butter usage!  But no worries, these are perfectly rich and fudgy so that you only need a small sliver. And then another small sliver. And another after that. So that really you have eaten 2.5 brownies but no one will ever know. ;-) Chocolate layer in the center... oh yea. The Dove cherry dark chocolates are actually a special product for Valentine's Day. I had intended to use some Hershey Raspberry White Creme kisses in these brownies, but after trips to Ray's, Me...

Who says a brownie can't be part of a Christmas cookie collection? These are perfect for the winter season - rich and chocolatey with just a hint of peppermint. They're topped with chopped Hershey Candy Cane Kisses, way better than crushed candy canes or peppermints.  (No sharp edges!)  And a little story... I don't typically bake brownies from scratch. I have before, and the results are always sub-par. As in, they aren't as good box brownies. Somehow Betty Crocker wins every time. But these... are better  than box brownies. Yes, it's true. Not cakey at all, rich and fudgy. I think part of that is because there are four entire Hershey milk chocolate bars stuffed into the center.  I think you should make these sometime before Christmas. And perhaps grab a pint of peppermint ice cream to go with them.  Peppermint Brownies Servings/Yield 20-24 brownies 8-oz.   unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 1½   cups   unsalt...

My goodness. What a week/weekend. Combine the first week of school + an (out-of-town) BFF's wedding + making 1000 chocolate-covered pretzel favors for said wedding = one happy, but exhausted Sara! I almost need a weekend from my weekend. Heh. Just kidding. I had grand plans of doing a huge recap of the fabulous wedding... but am waiting on a few more pics to come my way. So here's a recipe instead. I made these to celebrate the first day of school. I am very excited to have people to bake for again! (Not that I can't bake for just my Business Man & myself... but we don't plow through it too quickly. Unless it's cinnamon rolls.) I've had these Peanut Butter Fudge Pretzel Brownies bookmarked from How Sweet It Is ever since Jessica posted the recipe. Salty pretzels + sweet chocolate + peanut butter? Only like the best combination ever. (Ever heard of a Take 5 bar? My absolute favorite candy bar.) I doubled the recipe to fit a 9x13-inch pan si...

The sun came out today! This left me smiling from ear to ear all day. Ironically, though the sun was shining strong, we had Snow Day #3 of the week. (I guess the roads were really icy this morning. They actually were pretty bad when I headed to the gym around 10am.) Fingers crossed we'll be back at school tomorrow, because now we're at the point where we will be adding days to our school year in June! Anyways, I've pretty much exhausted myself of ways to entertain myself outside the baking world. I've watched TV, read blogs, read books, organized closets, dusted, changed sheets, and even cleaned the bathroom. I haven't touched a lick of schoolwork, but that's beside the point. I finally broke down and got busy in the kitchen today, preparing a special treat for my Business Man. I discovered a recipe for Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies while browsing the interwebs this morning. Now, most recipes that I find on the internet, I usually file away on my...