Do you name your car? I never did until my current car, her name is ice skate, in case you were wondering. Why ice skate you ask? Well she's got all wheel drive (since it's snowy half the year here). And the first time I drove her in the snow she did a fun little maneuver where I found myself traveling down the road sideways, thankfully I pulled out of it... but yeah she was riding more like an ice skate than an all wheel drive car... I soon figured out the issue, it wasn't ice skates fault, it was her shoes... she had high heels on and needed her winter boots. So a set of snow tires later and she's been doing just fine ever since :)

Ice skate is getting a little old, she'll be 10 at the end of the year, and I plan on driving her for as long as possible... although as the mechanic bills add up... it gets a little frustrating. She went in for and oil change last week and with a list of a few weird issues I'd been having... new brakes/rotors & a battery later I was all set ... until the check engine light went off 2 days later... I was not too pleased. The guys took care of her and cut me some slack on the labor/diagnostic charges, so I had to thank them in someway... you guessed it, baked goods!

When I dropped these off at the garage Brad and Wally were all smiles, thanks again guys!! I hope they enjoyed them... little did they know they contained some whole wheat flour and the recipe came from cooking light... although if you look at the ingredient list... they really aren't that light, 1 1/3 cups of sugar?? I followed the recipe except for a few things... Kahlua anyone?? They came out super chewy and moist with an amazingly crisp thin layer on top... mmmmm


Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies (with Kahlua!)
recipe by Cooking Light, slightly adapted by me

• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules (I used 1/4 strong brewed senseo coffee)
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (plus 2 Tbs dark chocolate chips)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat 1/3 AP flour)
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I only had 1/4 cup in the house... hence the addition of extra chocolate chips above)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used less)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• glug or 2 Kahlua :) (my addition)
• 1/4 cup toffee chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine coffee granules and 1/4 cup hot water, stirring until the coffee granules dissolve.

Combine butter and semisweet chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute or until butter melts; stir until chocolate is smooth.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine coffee mixture, butter mixture, vanilla extract, (Kahlua if using) and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with toffee chips. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes (mine took about 35 minutes). Cool on a wire rack.

PS: this leaves your house smelling so amazingly intoxicating... YUM!!!

So I'm officially moved into my new townhouse! (pictures to come) After way too many trips back and forth between east ave and our new place... we are done!! Wooohooo! We spent the last two weeks hauling loads of stuff and are almost all the way unpacked. I decided to take last night off from unpacking to break in the new kitchen! I was perusing a new blog I just discovered Megan's Munchies, she's obsessed with pumpkin... a woman after my own heart! Since the autumn weather is slipping in, (how did it go from 80's to 50's in a week???) I've been craving autumn style foods. There were a ton of things I wanted to make from her blog but I decided on the pumpkin choclate chip brownies and man were they good!

Super fast to whip up and amazingly moist and chocked full of spicy flavors! mmmmmm Maybe I'll go have another slice now :D



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin
1/3 cup brown sugar blend (such as SPLENDA)
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.COMBINE pumpkin, sugar blend, egg, egg whites and oil in large mixer bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, salt and nutmeg. Beat on low speed until batter is smooth. Stir in morsels. Spread evenly into prepared pan.BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares.

I used a loaf pan since I couldn't find a square 8" or 9" wooops. Still tasty though!

Chow!