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A Life From Scratch.

A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

‘I need a moment’ brownies

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The other night I was sitting on my kitchen counter playing around with my ipad, attempting to diligently listen to M discuss the government health exchange program and all the while slowly enjoying a really good glass of cabernet and one of the above pictured brownies. All of a sudden I stopped. What on earth was I doing? This is not a brownie you should multi task with – it’s too good for that. So I put the ipad down and asked M for just a moment. I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m insane. In my mind it made perfect sense.

I discovered this recipe from my mom and sister. I fell in love, quickly. The brownie has a super chewy, rich, and fudgey consistency that goes equally well with a glass of chilled milk or red wine. So. Good. Also, it makes a ton so you can selfishly hoard them on a pretty cake stand in your kitchen and eat them one by one in peace and quiet (what I wanted to do), or you can make a more health conscious decision and pass them out (what I ended up doing). These came everywhere with us this past weekend – soccer, the neighbors, dinner parties. Plenty to go around.

Ina did well with this recipe although hers called for more coffee. She puts it in to enhance the flavor of chocolate which I definitely believe in – go Ina. I think she just had way too much – they turned into chocolate coffee peanut butter brownies for me. So, I took it down a notch and ended up with perfectly enhanced brownies.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lbs unsalted butter
  2. 1 lbs plus 12 ounces chocolate chips, divided (I used a combo of bittersweet and semi sweet)
  3. 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  4. 6 room temperature eggs
  5. 1 1/2 TBS coffee granules
  6. 2 TBS vanilla
  7. 2 1/4 cups sugar
  8. 1 1/4 cups flour, divided
  9. 1 TBS baking powder
  10. 1 tsp salt
  11. 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
Instructions
  1. (Disclaimer: this looks like a lot of steps. It's not hard it's just full of bowls, that's all)
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 12 X 18 sheet pan.
  3. Put butter, 1 lbs of chocolate chips, and 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in a heat proof bowl and slowly melt over a simmering pot of water on the stove. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
  4. In a large separate bowl mix (do not beat) together eggs, coffee granules, vanilla and sugar. Slowly pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and combine.
  5. In another bowl sift together 1 cup of flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into the large bowl filled with the chocolate/egg mixture. You still with me?
  6. Combine remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup of flour in a small bowl - the last bowl, I promise! Stir the floured chips into the brownie batter. Pour batter into prepared sheet pan. With a knife, swirl peanut butter throughout the batter. L's favorite part.
  7. Last step, here we go. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes pull out the tray and slam it against the rack of the oven. My favorite part. This gets out the extra 'air' in the batter. Bake for an additional 10 - 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. I've gotten ahead of myself and cut these brownies a bit too soon. Ok, actually....immediately out of the oven. It was not a pretty sight. If you want perfectly shaped brownies give these time to set. The ones pictured were cut after 4 hours. If you are at the point of no return and you must have one immediately, cut away. I've been there.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Now, to find some peace and quiet.
Courtney

‘It’s 6:10 and I haven’t even thought about dinner’

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That happens, right? If you need a ‘go to’ recipe for a crazy night during the week, see above.

These have been an easy favorite in our home for quite awhile now. I think at one point we were eating them weekly. Along with the wingless buffalo chicken pizza, I suppose our meals were getting a bit predictable. Hey, if plates are continuously being cleaned that’s a good sign, right?

What’s great about this recipe is that it can be as involved you want it to be. Have you been gone from your home for the last 9 hours, in and out of swim lessons, preschool, Target, the cleaners, the office, getting that horrid cough checked out at the pediatrician that was getting you very judgmental looks while in Target, working on homework, taking conference calls from your car, answering emails, all the while raising your kids? See option #1. Has it been a more laid back lazy day for you? Go for option #2. But I promise you that you can’t fail either way. And plates will be cleaned.

Homemade Chicken Tostadas
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Ingredients
  1. 2 roasted chicken breasts
  2. Option #1: Walk into store. Purchase 2 rotisserie chicken breasts. Go home.
  3. Option #2: Roast the chicken breasts yourself. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub two bone in chicken breasts with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes.
  4. 2 TBS olive oil
  5. handful of cilantro, chopped
  6. juice of 2 limes
  7. salt & pepper
  8. 8 tostadas/tortillas, corn or flour - your choice
  9. Option #1: Walk into store. Purchase package of tosdata shells. Go home.
  10. Option #2: Make your own. Heat vegetable oil in deep pan on stove until hot. Fry tortillas in oil until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  11. vegetable oil (if frying tortillas)
  12. refried beans
  13. shredded mexican cheese
  14. your choice of toppings: tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, sour cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler to high.
  2. Take your chicken (option #1 or #2 - no one is judging) and shred with a fork. Place in bowl and mix in olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, salt & pepper.
  3. To assemble tostadas, spread a layer of refried beans on your tostada shells. Put a large handful of the flavored chicken on top of each one and sprinkle with cheese. Into the hot oven they go - just for a minute or two to warm them up and get the cheese melted.
  4. Top with whatever you prefer.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Dinner in a snap, Ole!
Courtney

L’s ‘Growing Pain’ Smoothie

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Growing Pains Smoothie

It has been a few longer nights in our home. L has been up with bad growing pains. Poor kid is programmed to have them – my dad and I had them really bad. We also have quite a ‘tall’ gene in our family as L’s grandad is 6’7! That is a lot of (painful) growing to do.

I think it was the 5th time down the stairs last night when I didn’t even bother going back to bed. I grabbed the ipad and plopped down in my living room that I never ever sit in and began to research. When in doubt, I turn to food. There must be something I can feed this little guy to help him from the inside out. After browsing a few pediatric sites what I had thought was confirmed – load him up on potassium and calcium. I knew exactly what I’d serve him in the morning. I felt better with a plan: a smoothie full of bananas and yogurt. Zzzz.

In the hazy early hours as I was making my much needed second cup of tea I hear L from the couch:

‘Mom, I really want to be tall but I don’t want it to hurt’
‘Ah, see that’s just the thing – sometimes you have to hurt to grow.’
‘Why?’
‘Good question. Apparently it makes things better if you hurt first.
‘Why?’
‘Because you learn to appreciate things more.’
‘Oh.’
‘Just think, you’ll be so tall and you’ll know how hard your body worked to do that.’
‘I don’t need to know that.’

Back to square one, apparently.

I was extremely happy watching L sip this away while he zoned out to ‘Despicable Me.’ I’m hoping it gets all the way down to his pinky toe bone. Oh – and about the recipe. A great smoothie is all about a great consistency and packing in as many nutrients as possible. I think I’ve figured it out over the years. Make it if you’re still ‘growing’ – I am.

L's 'Growing Pain' Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 1 banana
  2. 1 mango
  3. 1/2 cup good yogurt
  4. 5 large ice cubes
  5. 1/2 cup juice - orange or pineapple
  6. big drizzle of honey
Instructions
  1. Blend together. Yum.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Do I honestly think this will end the growing pains? No. But, at least I tried.
Courtney

The oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mystery: solved.

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If you bake as much as I do, you should have an amazing classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe up your sleeve. I have variations of it mastered but continued to fall short on the classic combination of chocolate plus oats. I tried recipe after recipe and continued to be disappointed. Some were bad, some were good, yet none were great. For some reason getting that perfect balance of texture and taste didn’t come easily to me on this one. I was stumped.

A request had been made several times for a post to be done with my oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. I’d love to, if I had one! This motivated me even more to get my butt in gear and figure this out. I’m obsessed with baking – why isn’t this working for me?

So I began experimenting, again. Was I being too picky? No. I should be obsessive about recipes that I post. It’s needs to be perfect. A few more failed attempts and countless hours of reading baking blogs and recipes from across the nation landed me in the state of Pennsylvania. A restaurant named ‘Frog’ was a hot spot in the 1970’s and they boasted that their oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe ‘sells cookies the way that McDonalds sells burgers. They fly out the door.’ I was intrigued. I’ve always noticed long lines at McDonalds.

I have to say, their recipe backs up their statement. Well done. I am extremely content with this recipe. In baking, sometimes it’s a matter of a 1/2 tsp there or 1/2 a cup there. This recipe has it balanced very well. Finally, a new classic to add to the repertoire.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 4
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Ingredients
  1. 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  2. 1 cup brown sugar
  3. 1 cup white sugar
  4. 2 large eggs, room temperature
  5. 2 TBS milk
  6. 2 tsp vanilla
  7. 2 cups flour
  8. 1 tsp baking soda
  9. 1 tsp baking powder
  10. 1 tsp salt
  11. 2 & 1/2 cups rolled oats
  12. 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Blend together butter and sugars. Add in eggs, one at a time. Add in milk and mix, then vanilla and mix. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda & powder, and salt) in a separate bowl and then slowly add to the mixer. Mix until just combined. Hand mix in the oats and chocolate chips.
  3. Drop 1 inch balls of dough on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

I feel complete,
Courtney

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