rachely marie.

One of my nearest and dearest friends returned to work from her maternity leave on Sunday. Bittersweet for her, but I decided to make her something SUPER sweet to welcome her back.

I bring you .. red velvet brownies.

I have been wanting to post about my cooking and baking experiences over the past year or so - you know, when Pinterest took over my life. I spend hours in the kitchen in the evenings and have taught myself a lot of little tricks of the trade along the way. I'm no expert, but I do plan on posting about my fixin's, plus some tips about my version of the recipes. I am my mother's child, so therefore, it is impossible for me to ENTIRELY follow a recipe .. most times.

I was asked to share this recipe, so this shall be the beginning!

Red Velvet Brownies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 oz red food coloring

4 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 X 13 clear glass baking pan.

Beat together the butter(s) and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in food coloring and vanilla, mix until the color is fully incorporated.

Mix flour, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly add in the flour mixture being very careful not to over mix. Do not over mix. The batter will be very thick.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir up the batter with a rubber spatula once or twice just to ensure all of the flour has incorporated from the sides of the bowl and there isn’t anything stuck on the bottom of the bowl. You’ll want one uniformly colored (red) batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. 35 minutes for a thin crust on top and gooey underneath. Set aside to cool, cut into bars and serve.

I took it upon myself to add some cream cheese frosting on top. I should warn you that this takes one already very rich brownie to a new level of richness. But, they are so, so good!

Visit the site where the recipe originally came from!

(The photo is her photo. By the time those visiting the break room got their piece and Kristina scraped the remains from the pan that evening -- there wasn't quite anything left to photograh! I will use photos of my own results from now on.)

Yesterday brought the closing of an extremely well needed, well deserved vacation. It was actually unplanned and just sort of fell into place. Words cannot express how fantastic the break from work has been. It almost makes me want to have a baby for a maternity leave. ONLY kidding. ;)

White water rafting was, of course, the best part of the trip. My past experiences were with guides and in rafts with several other people. It was just Scott and I in a two-man duckie this go 'round. The best part was the anticipation of what was to come. I was the guide, having to yell out to Scott (loudly, I learned .. it's hard to hear over those rapids!) I personally had never been on this river and Scott hadn't been for years and years, so navigating the rapids was a lot of fun. My favorite part was when a giant wave would crash into my face. Sounds crazy, but there is something about a 50 degree wave in your face that makes you feel alive.

Our evening rides down the Blue Ridge Parkway were especially memorable. We left the windows open, yet had our seat heaters on and our heat turned up as high as it would go. I was wrapped in a hoodie and a blanket, but putting the window up was not an option. Again, there is something about the cold mountain air blowing on your face and looking out across the mountains for miles and miles and miles that makes you feel alive.

I still have a few more days before I have to return to work, but it isn't TOO long before our next adventure. Taking this long between vacations again is NOT an option! Plus, there's entirely too much of this world that I am yet to see. Sometimes returning to the places I've already been is just as special.

"I'd be safe and warm, if I was in L.A., California dreaming .. on such a SUMMER'S day! :)"

The end of March and the beginning of April bring two very special birthdays: Scott and Beau's.







Those two love each other.

Scott also loves chocolate. Therefore, when I found this cake .. I knew it was the one.




Disclaimer: Don't skimp on the chocolate. Ever. I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Don't skimp on the chocolate! (The milk chocolate chips were also Ghiradelli.)

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

For the cake:

1 cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting pan
7 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
20 Tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

For the ganache:

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the bundt cake pan and dust with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.

In a bowl, combine the 1 cup cocoa powder and the chocolate. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and blended. Set aside.



Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reduce the speed to low, add the brown sugar and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until blended and no lumps of flour remain. Slowly pour in the chocolate-cocoa mixture and beat until no white streaks are visible. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are about 1 inch higher than the center. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached to it, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cake cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile make the ganache: Combine the chocolate and butter. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing the ganache to drip down the sides. Let the cake stand until the ganache is set, at least 15 minutes.

I also sprinkled milk chocolate chips over the ganache as it was setting. Why not add more chocolate, right?




Happy, happy birthday, Scottie B! (Sorry Beau, puppies can't have chocolate!)

My brother is en route to California as. we. speak. Yes friends, it is true .. Brandon is moving to the West Coast. At a later date, we will discuss the current living situation of his two prized kitties. Slowly, but surely, this household is adapting to two cats who have never seen a dog .. and two dogs who have never interacted with a cat. This would be why God blessed me with an extreme amount of patience for animals and their behavior. Knox and Beau just traded places with each other as guard of the gate. All eyes are on the door of the room in which the kitties lie. Thankfully, 99% of the time (as in, when I'm not on the "kitty side" of the gate), the pups forget they exist.

My whole point in babbling on about brothers moving far, far away and animal chaos is this: Last Saturday, I cooked dinner for my family, a "going away dinner", of sorts.

I enjoy a good meal out. I have my favorite places and at those favorite places, I have my staple items. Don't dare stray from the staple items, as you will surely be disappointed. At Carrabba's, Chicken Bryan is my absolute favorite. Add a side of fettucini alfredo and I'm SET. I came across the recipe for this deliciousness a while back. My first attempt at recreating this meal was a huge success. This was equally true when I made this for my family. Leftovers were swooned over in the break room at work and for your viewing pleasure, as promised, here is the recipe.


Chicken Bryan

4 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
2 ounces of goat cheese (a log of cheese works best)
Lemon butter sauce (see recipe following)
10-12 pieces of sliced sundried tomatoes
1 Tablespoon chopped basil

*Please note that if not necessary, I never follow exact measurements. Frequently, I just use however much I feel like using at the time. I am my mother's child.*

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dab with olive oil. Grill chicken. Place one slice of goat cheese on top of chicken and continue to cook until warm. Add sundried tomatoes and basil to lemon butter sauce and saute over medium-low heat. Heat gently until hot, but do not overheat or the sauce will break. (Slow and steady wins the race.) When the goat cheese is warm, place the chicken on a plate and spoon sauce over the top.

Both times I have made this, I baked the chicken in a pan dribbled with olive oil, rather than grilling it. 350 for about 30 usually does the trick. I baked 6 chicken breasts the second go 'round, so it took a tad bit longer. Flip 'em halfway through. Just keep a close eye on them, overcooked chicken is one of my least favorite things. (This would be the reason I do not eat chicken leftovers.)

One slice of goat cheese is hardly enough in the world of Rachel, but, I'll let you be the judge of that. :) My portions of sundried tomatoes and basil were in no way measured, either.


Lemon Butter Sauce

1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped yellow onion
2 Tablespoons white wine
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Salt
Pinch of white pepper
1 stick (1/4 pound) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Place butter, garlic and onion in a pot over medium-high heat and saute until garlic and onion are soft and transparent. Do not let garlic and onion burn. Add white wine, lemon juice, salt and white pepper, bring to a boil, then set heat to medium and let it reduce. After liquids have reduced and you have about 1/4 of what you started with, reduce heat to low and gradually add cold butter, beating with a wire whisk to allow butter to blend and melt into a creamy sauce.

Holy butter, right? (Just wait until the next recipe I share!) I would eat garlic with my cereal if the flavors appropriately mixed. Therefore, the amount of garlic I used for this recipe is probably double what is called for here. You should try that, too. Garlic is good for the heart. (Maybe? Ha!) I squished a lemon for its juice and used sea salt. Whether using white pepper or just going with good ol' black pepper makes a difference, I'm not sure. I went for the white pepper.

I broiled the goat cheese, again, to avoid overcooking the chicken and spooned the lemon butter sauce on each chicken breast individually.



Contrary to most of the year, the strawberries were delish last week. When I asked Brandon what his favorite dessert was (I just had a feeling Flintstone push pops didn't hit the spot anymore), he responded with strawberry shortcake. I whipped that up after dinner and the tartness of the strawberries, the sweetness of the heavy whipped cream and the warm shortcake made for a quiet house as we all enjoyed every bite.

I couldn't let Brandon get on the road without something to snack on. These cookies are absolutely delicious and I urge you to bake a batch.

Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a mixer, cream sugars, butter and shortening together until well mixed and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, and mix well. Stir flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture and mix until well combined. Stir in white chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased or a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set when you touch the tops. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet. Cool on a wire rack.

The best tip I learned when finding this recipe was to chill cookie dough before baking. The cookies tend to spread less and I'm a fan of thick cookies.

My tip would be this: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes and then cool the cookies for another 10 minutes on the cookie sheet. The cookies will come out looking as if they need more time, but bake just a touch more from the warm pan. This makes them very soft.

Add nuts, if you please. I don't do nuts in cookies. By the way, this will give you roughly 3 dozen cookies.

I almost forgot: Don't skimp on the chocolate. Go Ghirardelli. You won't regret it.

Oh, and B .. you may have hit the road, Jack, but you BETTER come back!

“From time to time, people tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a dog”, or, “that’s a lot of money for just a dog”. They don’t understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for “just a dog”. Some of my proudest moments have come about with “just a dog”. Many hours have passed and my only company was “just a dog”, but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a dog” and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “just a dog” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it’s “just a dog”, then you will probably understand phrases like “just a friend”, “just a sunrise”, or “just a promise”. “Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. “Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person. Because of “just a dog” I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it’s not “just a dog” but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. “Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it’s not “just a dog” but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being “just a human.” So the next time you hear the phrase “just a dog”, just smile, because they “just don’t understand”.” - Richard Biby

I truly hope all of you, at least once in your lifetime, feel the pure joy of "just a dog".

One of my most recent projects involves my pups. I've been wanting to do this for a while and finally made it happen. After having a friend share this quote with me, I thought it'd be the perfect time to share this project with you.

I used Model Magic, my countertop (a rolling pin has been added to my "I need this for my kitchen and random crafts" list) and an upside down glass (used like a cookie cutter, for the circle shape) to make the prints. Oh, and multiple attempts at trying to smoosh paws into the clay. **It would be highly useful if your pup doesn't mind you playing with his/her paws prior to attempting this craft!** I THOUGHT Beau didn't mind me touching his paws, but you would've thought I was trying to chop his paw off with how he was reacting. Oh, the drama! Truly, as long as you have patience, you can get it done. And patience? I've got A LOT of it, thankfully.

I happened upon the two mini shadow boxes on the clearance rack and I simply used scrapbook paper for the background. The prints were secured to the paper using adhesive squares. The letters were also something I happened upon, they are also adhesive.

Ta-da! There you have it. Now, if I could just figure out where I'm going to hang them.

You should try it, too. I'm thrilled that I now have such a nice keepsake of the pups I love so much.

Let's face it -- a good portion of us are obsessed with Pinterest. There are different kinds of us so-called "pinners". We've got those who only browse. (It's about time you learned how it all works though, kids.) The only-on-occasion pinners. (It's okay, we're all obsessed, we won't judge you if you pin something more than once a week .. pin away.) The I-pin-everything-in-sight pinners. (I may or may not fall into this category .. ha!) And the I-pin-everything-in-sight, but I'll-never-once-make-or-use-anything-I-pin pinners. Whichever you are, it is no care of mine. Enjoy the site as you please! (Anyone needing an invite, feel free to let me know!)

I made these Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies recently.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
1 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 – 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

The chopped chocolate is by far, what makes this recipe.

Melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.



In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and food coloring.

Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.

Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth.

(At this time, if you'd also be a doll and run out and buy me a Kitchenaid mixer, I'd be thrilled.)

Drop cheesecake mixture in dollops onto prepared brownie batter.

Gently swirl the two batters with a butter knife.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set.

A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled.

I, personally, REALLY enjoyed them chilled. I also cut them into very small pieces, as they are extremely rich. (And so incredibly scrumptious!)

I'm on the hunt for a Red Velvet Cheesecake recipe, resembling the absolutely ridiculous goodness from The Cheesecake Factory. I've found plenty of recipes, but none use chopped chocolate, they all use cocoa powder. If you happen upon one, please, please let me know!

Thanks a million and enjoy these heavenly little treats!

Let me let you in on a little secret: I have to be in the mood to blog, otherwise it's not happening. Let's just say, that mood has been nowhere to be found lately. Rather than me finding it therapeutic to blog, I find it therapeutic to craft. And boy, have I been crafting.

But, that's not what this post is about. Don't you worry your pretty little head. I've got plenty of that coming in subsequent posts. Crafting AND baking. Just you wait.

Let's chat about Valentine's Day for a minute. I respect all religions. I respect any celebration of any sort of holiday you want to celebrate, as long as it doesn't involve hate. And Valentine's Day? It involves love. It actually has quite an interesting history and the tradition goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. Just like Christmas, the holiday has been consumed by commercial advertisement and lost meaning to some. But, I encourage you to celebrate the holiday in YOUR own way. Throw away the negativity. Just be positive and have fun.

In this house, we celebrate Valentine's Day. My parents were married on this day back in 1981. I need to scan a picture of them from that day to share with you .. I'll put it on my to-do list.

I woke up to this:

Both flowers are bulbs, so they can be re-potted and will come back next year, too. (That was for all the "flowers-just-die-and-are-a-waste-of-money" non-Valentiners.) Yes, I just made that word up.

Then, we went here, as a total surprise to me:

Marineland!




Disregard my reflection! When she was right up to the glass, it was hard to avoid!









Recognize this, all of you Jax natives? I'm pretty sure I've got the same picture of me doing this back in 1991. :)

Typical.

You have no idea how much we enjoyed this. (This is a picture of a picture, hence the quality.)

Her name is Pebbles. And she's over 40 years old .. isn't that amazing?! At least, I thought so. :)

Sun, plus wind = crazy hair and squinty eyes.

It was a great day and a great surprise. We both love animals and jump at any opportunity to spend time with them and learn more about them.

Happy Monday!