Talk about hazardous working conditions! It sure makes it hard for me to get my work done with this staring me in the face each time I begin to type. I discovered this stupid warning label on the keyboard of my computer at work. I keep forgetting to consult the back of it to see exactly what dire danger I am in.
Best Brownie Recipe Ever
I wouldn’t exactly call it stress, but I have to be on top of my game all week long with my new job. Come Saturday, I’m pretty much useless, but there is cleaning and laundry to be done. I finished all of that and decided to tackle something a little de-stressing. I am not a cook/baker by any means, but there was no chocolate in the house and my son has been begging me to make him brownies for a couple of weeks now. Today presented the perfect opportunity, so we whipped up a batch of Mrs. Betty’s Brownies….only the very best brownie recipe ever-ever-ever!
Mrs. Betty goes to my church and she always brings these brownies whenever we have church functions requiring food. I always make sure I grab a brownie before they are gone because they go very, very quickly! Mrs. Betty is also the mother to a very, very dear friend of mine, “M”. “M” and I went through the youth group years together and had a blast. She is also so pretty it should be illegal!!
Mrs. Betty shared this recipe in our church’s centennial cookbook, and I am so glad she did. The cookbook is just chocked full of fabulous recipes by the ladies and men of my church (some of them gone on to meet the Lord) that I hold very dear to my heart. I’ll try to share a few recipes as we make them.
Mrs. Betty’s Brownies
2/3 c. butter or margarine
2 c. chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. plain flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Combine butter, sugar, and water in a pan. Bring to a boil and add chocolate chips and vanilla. Reduce heat and stir until chips melt. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients and eggs. Pour in the chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour into buttered 13 x 9 pan and bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until done.
* My tips….don’t even attempt to mix this by hand. And….my brownies were done in about 35-40 minutes, so oven temps will vary. Enjoy!
Fun Family Snacks With Hormel
Your summer may be winding down, as well as your summer travels, but if you have children on traveling sports teams or just like to take short weekend getaways, or even if your family just has a busy schedule, meals and snacks can often become unhealthy when on-the-go. How do you make sure your family maintains a healthy diet when you’re away from home? If you’re looking for new ways to keep everyone in the family going strong during busy times, here are some ideas:
Pack snacks and lunches at home to bring along when you know you’ll be away from home for a long period of time. This way, you know what goes into each meal or snack. By creating familiar items like roll-ups and snack mixes, your family won’t miss unhealthy fast food choices. One fun snack recently shared with me as part of the Hormel Extended Family Blogger program is Mixed Up Munchies. Since I’m already absolutely crazy for their pepperoni slices (especially the mini ones), this snack was just perfect!
Try Cranberry and Orange Chicken Wraps for an easy lunch in the car. These seemingly ordinary wraps pack a punch with refreshing citrus flavors.
Consider stocking up on fun games including Sudoku, crosswords and other puzzles for longer trips in the car. These attention-keeping games will keep the whole family entertained while sharpening their minds as you head back into the school year.
Check out sales at your local bookstore for great bargains on picture books, summer guides and other inexpensive goodies.
What are your favorite Hormel Foods products? Have you tried any new Hormel Foods products recently? Are there any Hormel Foods products that you use on a regular basis?
Delta Sunrise
Yesterday’s commute was a foggy one. Combined with a pastel-colored sky at sunrise, it made for a beautiful start to my Friday morning.
Happy Weekend!
Lesson Plans=Life Plans
I’ve been waiting to share this bit of information until I was settled in and the contract had been signed. I have gone back to work full time and I am the proud new librarian of a great little elementary school here in the Mississippi Delta. I’m excited to be back doing part of my “life’s work” and so far, things are going really well. My library is pretty great looking as far as school libraries go. It has beautiful new furniture and a fabulous selection of books. I’ve been busy learning my new routine, new classes, new lesson planning software, and just a whole new way of life in general.
The 4:30 A.M. wake-ups aren’t even as bad as I thought they would be. It takes me a good 35-40 minutes to drive to my job, but the beautiful sunrises I get to watch each morning more than make up for it. Of course, I miss taking E.B. to school and picking him up as well in the afternoons, but my parents, God bless them, have taken that on and I am very fortunate to be able to leave him each day in very capable hands that I trust. Being able to go to work with an eased mind is priceless when it comes to your child. I’m also learning to go to bed a whole lot earlier in the evenings. That has probably been the most difficult part.
Taking this job on is adding much more responsibility to my days, but there is no better job in the world to me than introducing children to books and actually getting paid to do it. It’s not a cake walk by any means, but when you love books as much as I do, this is literally my dream job.
To say that life is hectic and that almost every moment is scheduled is an understatement now. Just this week I’ve managed to forget a birthday party E.B. was supposed to attend. I had the dates mixed up. I felt awful. I know these things will happen occasionally, but I’m a planner and when I slip up, I’m hard on myself. Which is why I’ve felt bad neglecting my blog. If only there were more hours in the day!
Just wanted to give my readers a heads up if postings become sporadic here. I’ve invested five years into blogging and the blogging community as a whole and I don’t think I could give that up quite yet. I wouldn’t want to.
So. Working. Very busy. Extremely grateful.
Miss you.
Kroger Cart Buster Savings Event (And Giveaway!)
It’s Cart Buster Saving’s time again at Kroger! This is a sale I always look forward to, because I know that on top of Kroger’s great prices, I’ll be able to save even more on the brands I shop for. Combined with coupons, this sale is definitely one you don’t want to miss!
From July 31st through August 17th, save on tons of brands across more than 100 categories from General Mills, PepsiCo, Unilever, Heinz, Mars, Wrigley and Kimberly Clark. Look for some of your favorite participating products like, Honey Nut Cheerios, Yoplait , Pillsbury Pepsi, Doritos, Gatorade, Smart Ones, Ore-Ida, Cottonelle, Viva, Breyer’s Ice Cream, Axe , Snickers, Pedigree and Orbit. Also look for big savings storewide at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes Kroger, Ralphs, King Scoopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, Pay Less Supermarkets and Scott’s food & Pharmacy.
Be sure and follow Kroger on Facebook and also on Twitter to stay in the know about their great sales and savings events.
GIVEAWAY:
MyBlogSpark has generously provided one $25 Kroger gift card (good at any Kroger family of stores) for one lucky blog reader of mine!
TO ENTER:
Please leave a comment on this post telling me why you love shopping at Kroger or the Kroger Family Brand of Stores.
Deadline to enter is Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 11 PM Central. U.S. Only.
BONUS ENTRIES:
After you have answered the question above, you can also earn up to 6 bonus entries by doing the following (but please leave a seperate comment for each):
1. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked in a reader by clicking here. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so).
2. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked by email and confirm the subscription. This option is in the sidebar. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so)
3. Tweet this contest and leave a comment on this post with your link on Twitter. (You can hit the Retweet button at the top of this post to make it easier.)
4. Click here to follow me on Twitter and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.
5. Click here to become a fan of Mommy Cracked on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.
6. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. Just hit “Join” under “Followers” at the bottom of my blog.
That’s it! Good luck!
The Kroger gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.
Affresh Dishwasher/Disposal Cleaner
Last month, I shared with you how I was using Affresh Dishwasher/Disposal Cleaner in our garbage disposal and dishwasher. Now, a month later, I have to say that I am really impressed with this product and can’t wait to share the results with you.
Affresh made cleaning these appliances so easy because all I had to do was pop in a tab, run the dishwasher once, and pour a little water down the disposal. For a whole month, I’m positive I had the best-smelling kitchen ever. I can’t imagine any other product making cleaning any easier.
(Affresh tabs in my dishwasher, ready to go!)
Each time I reached into the dishwasher (whether loading or unloading), I could smell how fresh it was. The garbage disposal never once had an odor. I am super pleased with how clean my appliances smelled and how easy it is to use Affresh. This is one product that will become a staple in my home cleaning supplies. It basically does all of the work for you. Who doesn’t love that?
Affresh Dishwasher/Disposal Cleaner works hard to eliminate odors that can build up in your dishwasher and garbage disposal and keep these hard-working appliances performing the way they should. Affresh Dishwasher/Disposal Cleaner is safe for septic tanks, dishwashers, disposals, and plumbing and is the #1 recommended cleaner by KitchenAid, Amana, Whirlpool, and Maytag brands. Affresh Dishwasher/Disposal Cleaner retails for $5.99 for a package of 6 tablets and can be purchased at Sears, Best Buy, Kroger’s, Food Lion, and www.affresh.com.
I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Affresh. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
Hormel Reader Giveaway (Ends 8/7/11)
One of the fun things about being a Hormel Extended Family Blogger is giving away great prize packs provided by Hormel. You can read about my Hormel Grocery Shopping 101 Challenge here. As a thank you to my readers, Hormel had provided a prize pack for one lucky winner!
HORMEL READER SAMPLE PACK INCLUDES:
* A reusable Hormel Foods grocery bag
* Hormel Chili with Beans
* Chi-Chi’s Salsa
* Hormel Turkey Pepperoni Packs
* Hormel Always Tender Coupon
TO ENTER:
Leave a comment on this post telling me your how you make mealtime easier when summer schedules get hectic.
Giveaway will close on Sunday, August 8, 2011 at 11 PM Central. U.S. ONLY.
BONUS ENTRIES:
After you have answered the question above, you can also earn up to 6 bonus entries by doing the following (but please leave a seperate comment for each):
1. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked in a reader by clicking here. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so).
2. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked by email and confirm the subscription. This option is in the sidebar. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so)
3. Tweet this contest and leave a comment on this post with your link on Twitter. (You can hit the Retweet button at the top of this post to make it easier.)
4. Click here to follow me on Twitter and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.
5. Click here to become a fan of Mommy Cracked on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.
6. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. Just hit “Join” under “Followers” at the bottom of my blog.
That’s it! Good luck!
*Prize pack provided by Hormel.