Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Brownies:

2 sqs. Unsweetened chocolate

1/4 C Butter

1 C sugar

1 C flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, well beaten

Melt the butter and chocolate in the top of s double boiler. When slightly cool add the rest of the ingredients.

Peanut Butter Filling:

3/4 C Peanut Butter

1/4 C butter, melted

1/4 C powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until it is all mixed together.

Heat oven to 350. Pour brownie batter into a greased 8" pan. Spoon peanut butter mixture on top. Swirl up and down and back and forth with a knife. Bake for  30-35 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. Makes 16.

An old adage to reality....

The old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try again." Well, when the first batch of Yorkshire Pudding failed, I made a second that worked. Why one batch and not the other? The oven temp. I failed to realize my recipe was European, so the temperature was Celsius and here in the US we do Fahrenheit. A quick ask to Siri on my phone told me of my mistake and the right temperature. At this time of year, the end that is, often, I think about the mistakes I made and what I learned from them. From this one, I learned that I should I think through what I read before I act on it. What did you learn this year?

Shout outs are due....

I have been recovering from surgery and tomorrow will be the two week mark. So some gratitude should be given out. First, to my mom who has taken care of me —finishing unpacking after our renovation, cooking dinner and giving me sponge baths, until I was allowed to take a shower. I remember loving sponge baths as a kid, but  not so much as an adult. Second, to my daughter who reminded me everyday that laughter is the best medicine (keep it up). Last but not least, to my extended family and friends, who sent well wishes in the form of cards, food, flowers and healing energy. At two weeks out I am rested, energized and ready for life in my new body thanks to all of you. At this time of year it is important to count our blessings and not the number of presents we get.

New Year, New Me and New Name, for blog that is.....

New Year's is fast approaching; well we need to finish the winter holidays and my birthday first. Even before all of this can happen, I need to finish recovering from medically needed breast reduction surgery that was done to alleviate back and neck pain. With the aid of my mom and daughter, I am recovering well and on my way to a "new" me, that is a "pain-free" me.  Carpal Tunnel Release surgery on both wrists and now this qualify me to describe myself as new and not updated. In this vane, I am reinventing my blog to be more about my life— "a mouthful of busy" as I described it in my journal last night. In fact in that same entry,  I described myself as a solorprenuer, divorced single mom, home owner with a dog. Now you see the busy.

So as of January 1st, 2016 look for my blog under it's new name, A Mouthful of Busy.

Thanks and have a great holiday season,
Mali

In the kitchen on Thursday: Clair's cabbage salad

My friend Clair made this when she came over and cooked dinner.

1 medium head of green cabbage
1/2 medium onion
2 small limes
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Cut cabbage in quarters and remove the core from each cabbage. Slice into strips on the short side and place in a bowl. Slice the 1/2 onion in strips and add to the bowl. Add the juice of the two limes, the honey and the olive oil and toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy.

(Thanks Clair and Sean for an awesome dinner and a great time with good friends.)

Season's Greetings.....

From Life Management Pros and it's founder, Mali List Mayer....

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Tuesday's tip: Mailing packages

The plastic "bag" mailers that some retailers use can be turned inside out to hide the writing and/or logo from the USPS and used again. (I just did it, so I know.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Healthy Latkes

Baked Sweet Potato and Apple Latkes*

Preheat oven to 400. Grate 2 medium sweet potatoes (aka Yams). Peel half a granny smith apple and grate into the potatoes. Add 1/3 C. oat flour and 2 beaten eggs. Mix all the ingredients together. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and grease with olive oil. Shape mixture into large "meatballs" and flatten on cookie sheet. Brush tops with olive oil. Bake for 15-25 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 12. Latkes can be refrigerated overnight.

(There is no picture because I forgot to take one before I served them and they were devoured.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Classic sugar cookies

2 C. flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 C. Butter (1 stick), softened
1 C. Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 C. Milk
1/4 tsp. Vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Cream softened butter and sugar. Mix in the egg. Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Add in the vanilla. Form the dough into a ball and put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/4 inch and cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets 2" apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

(From the Settlement Cookbook originally published in 1903 and last published in 1995.)

Tuesday's Tip: Gift Cards

Don't toss out those unwanted business cards you got at the networking event, recycle them by using the blank side as a gift card. If you want you can glue the printed side to some paper and cut it out to make a fun gift card.

(P.S. For paper, I use glossy spreads in the newspaper or pages of a magazine.)

In the kitchen on Thursday...Easy brunch cake

Orange Poppy Seed Cake

1 Vanilla cake mix
3/4 C. orange juice
1/4 C. poppy seeds
Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased Bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes When cool dust with powdered sugar.

To gift or not to gift, that is what I ponder

I have noticed that gifts I give some family members sit unused and wonder if I should gift them in the future and decided that cooking lessons, dinner and movie was better than feeling hurt over an unused gift.

(On, a side note, many years ago we found gifts still in their boxes in my great uncle's apartment so for his upcoming birthday he is getting his usual grocery store gift card)

Tuesday's Tip: An easy hostess/host gift, for next year's New Year's Eve party....

Fresh herbs and citrus zest can be steeped in small bottles of olive oil for 2-3 weeks to flavor it (I buy small bottles of olive oil for this purpose).

In the kitchen on Thursday: Sugar cookies to go with that Champagne

Easy Sugar Cookies

1 stick butter
2/3 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. ground almonds
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
2 eggs

Pre heat oven to 325. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the milk and eggs and beat well. Add all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. You may want to use an electric mixer (I do). Place by teaspoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown. Make 2-3 dozen.

Wednesday's words about Christmas

"Children, Christmas is not a date, it is a state of mind." —Mary Ellen Chase

(To all my readers: Happy Holidays and may 2014 be a joyous and healthy year for you —Mali List Mayer)

In the kitchen on Thursday: A good gift....Homemade Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce

6 oz. hot peppers (any kind or a mix)
2 oz. garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
3/4 C. distilled white vinegar

Wash and cut the tops of the peppers. Peel the the garlic. Roast both on a cookie sheet on broil for 3-5 minutes until pepper skin begins to blister. Pulse in food processor with salt. Scrape into jar and add vinegar. Let sit for two weeks and then strain out the pepper seeds. Makes a great gift for a spice loving family member or friend.

Tuesday's Tip: Patent Leather like new

To keep patent leather looking shiny and to prevent cracking rub with petroleum jelly and shine with glass cleaner.

From 1003 Household HInts, copyright 1947

Tuesday's Tip: candlestick wax removal made easy

Just rub the inside of the candle stick with oil or a cooking spray and afterwards with a little prodding from a knife, the wax falls out (worked for me).

A mother/daughter day any mother would want

Today my daughter and I spent the day together (she is still on school break) cleaning, organizing, having lunch with daddy and when the museum was closed, walking around, buying a book and running errands, so I am grateful that my 8 year old has a go-with-the-flow attitude when needed.

Tuesday's tip: How to eat a multi course meal

Take my daughter's advice, "I'm going to eat a little of each course so I can taste everything and not get full."