sea salt fudge brownies

After this long weekend, I've been left very sleepy. Last night I went to bed at a reasonable time[9:00, I'm a grandma I know] but woke up feeling more tired than I did on the night I went to bed at 12:00! It's crazy how that works. I think it's from DST and my lovely but tiring girls weekend. Besides the tiredness, I'm filled with overjoy and excitement. New things are occuring in my life and I'll be so excited when I can finally share about what it is I'm doing! As for now, I'll stick with what I can share and that's baking and wedding!

I've finally narrowed down my dress options[I think] and we're working on getting the save-the-dates done. We're about 5 1/2 months away from the wedding so we have to get a move on! I'm beginning to narrow down food options, confirm my colors, confirm the wedding party, and conclude ideas on flowers. I probably haven't even scratched the surface but I'm beginning to feel accomplished with my decisions! :)

Now for baking, last night I got a baking urge and decided on doing brownies. I'm not personally a brownie fan but a co-worker has been asking for some and my roommate loves them so I thought it was the perfect opportunity! I didn't make too many changes to this specific brownie recipe like I usually do just because I'm not experienced in the brownie-baking world. I'm always worried they'll turn out really cakey and not have enough of the gooey factor. The final product: This recipe is great and it has been a BIG hit with everyone! You should try it!

What you'll need:

1 1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup of 60% cacao chips

 (that's what I used, you use what you have on hand)

1/4 cup + 2tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened

3 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

A preheated 350 degree oven

9 inch pan with greased foil lined in it

1. In a saucepan, on LOW heat melt the cacao chips and sticks of butter.
2. After melted, remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, flour, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Pour in a 9 inch pan that has been covered in foil and greased. After you pour the batter in, sprinkle the salt over the batter and swirl it in with a toothpick or whatever device you choose to use.
4. After you swirl in the sea salt, sprinkle just a little on top and leave it. Put it in a preheated 350 degree oven for appx 35 minutes.
5. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Don't forget, if you have any insight on my cookie question...feel free to give me any advice you can!:)

Masks

"Many of us grown ups wear masks everyday. Depending on the occasion or circumstance we throw on a mask to fit our need. We have become afraid of letting people see the real us. We are afraid of letting someone see our shortcomings out of the fear that they will not like or love us. At work we may throw on a mask of authority and power in order to seem in control. At home we may throw on a mask of contentment, a mask of everything is okay, out of fear our spouse may not love someone with problems. At church we throw on a mask of self-righteousness and pride, a mask of "I have this God stuff in my life together, so don't ask me how I am doing. I don't need any help; I don't want any fellowship with you people that are down and out. I am okay." Maybe we even have a mask of rationalization that we put on in compromising situations, a mask that shows the boys on the golf course "I am really just like you; this church stuff is just for Sundays."

On and on we go, shuffling our masks on and off from situation to situation, until one day our masks fail us. No matter how good you are at this game, eventually cracks develop from all the wear and tear of changing masks. As the cracks develop people start seeing the real you in-between the cracks. Some may even reach out to help, but that mask of pride, which has now become a prison of pride, will not allow anyone inside. All the masks will become prisons of guilt, resentment, self-centeredness and on and on. The prisons can become solitary confinement, locking out even God. In addition you lose your identity. You lose the core you, the real you.

If you find yourself in a prison built in your mind, built by your actions, built by losing the real you somewhere behind these masks. I urge you to pour your heart out to God and cast the masks upon Him. It's time to find the core you and to let others inside to help you. Let a pastor or Christian friend inside your walls to help you up.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV) If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

It takes along time to build these prisons out of masks, so remember it will take time to tear them down. But I can guarantee that you will never get out, if you don't start today." You can find this here.

I randomly started thinking this morning about a devotion I heard while I was in high school, about "Masks." I remember my youth pastor asked us the different masks we wore and asked why and when we put them on. It sounded a bit odd that a personality was referred to as a mask, but it's true. Masks are popular these days, and maybe for some, every day.

Church.

Home.

Friends.

Work.

Family.

School.

Sports.

Etc.


Why do you wear them? Is it to model a life of perfection or do you do it to please a certain someone?

Take off your mask, and be the person God created you to be. Show the world you individualism, your personal strengths, and even your weaknessess.

Let your weakness be your strength.

Thankful and Random

Today, I have a thankful heart. (along with some completely random thoughts)

Last night as I was driving home, I was thinking of all the great people in my life. The times where I was weak or cold hearted, the times I where all I could see was darkness, the times where I didn't think I could go anymore. The times I lost all faith, or the times I was purely joyful. The times I was up or the times I was down. I'm thankful for the people who remained the same, encouraging and prayerful. The friends who forgive and the friends who forget. The people in my life who challenge me and don't just tell me what I want to hear.
So today I'm thinking about the growth I've experienced through those hard time and good times. The growth that I've been able to acheive because of those positive and uplifting people in my life..

I'm thankful for the people who didn't stick me with guilt or grief due to my lackings or selfishness. Instead, they showed me how to live in selflessness. I'm thankful for the people who stuck by and prayed for me. I'm thankful for the friends that allow me to pray for them. I'm thankful for the people who relieve me of expectations and standards.

I'm thankful for opportunities. Every situation I come across provides me with an opportunity. Go this way, or go that way. Choose this or choose that.

Seek each moment, each grief, each moment as an opportunity. Do not just seek opportunity from your own life, but from others as well. If one is hurting or in pain, what is it God is trying to teach you through them? If you are angry or bitter at another, what is God teaching you about their life? If someone is living selfishly, how can you learn from them? Take each moment and pray. God is teaching you. But in order to learn you but listen. In order to become better, you must seek change. God cannot change you if your heart is not open.

Have a learning heart.