For any "bring a dish" type of gathering, brownies are always a good choice.  Chocolate fudgy goodness in a portable package...you can't go wrong!

I will admit, I usually go the mix route when making brownies.  Ghiradelli makes a good mix, so that has been my standard brownie...until now.  The King Arthur Flour baking blog featured these Fudge Brownies the other day, and brownies will never be the same.  My neighbors will be eternally grateful.

Fudge Brownies
adapted from King Arthur Flour website

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup KAF Double Dutch Dark Cocoa (I didn't have this, so I used Hershey Special Dark cocoa)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon KAF espresso powder (I didn't have this either, so I used Starbucks Via Italian Roast instant coffee)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9"x13" pan.

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar. 

Return to heat and cook until hot but not boiling (110 to 120 degrees).

Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla and mix.  The KAF recipe says to beat until smooth, but mine was very thick at this point; almost a paste, so I just mixed as well as I could until it was combined.  Add the hot melted butter/sugar mixture and stir until smooth.  Note in the photo above that those are bubbles, not lumps.  Trust me, it was smoooooth!

Stir in the flour and chocolate chips and mix until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs stuck to it.  Don't overbake; the edges should be set but the center may look a little moist (but not gooey).

Cool in pan on wire rack.  Cool completely before cutting.

Serve with some vanilla ice cream, if you happen to have some around.  I highly recommend it.  Try not to eat the whole pan yourself.

Before you pass over this blog post, thinking "Ha! I could never can tomatoes, or anything else! It's too complicated! Besides, store-bought canned tomatoes are the same, right?" allow me to say this to you:

YOU CAN CAN TOMATOES!
and
TOMATOES YOU CAN YOURSELF ARE SOOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN STORE-BOUGHT!

So now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to it...

Home-Canned Tomatoes
adapted from the UGA's Home Food Preservation website

First of all, you will need some quart jars and lids. Most grocery and discount stores have them. Be sure you get both the LIDS (the flat circle part) and the RINGS. You don't need to sterilize the jars; just wash them well (the dishwasher works great) and keep them clean and dry until you use them. I usually leave them in the dishwasher until I'm ready.

You will also need canning tools like these...jar lifter, magnet lid lifter (not required but very helpful) and a plastic pusher/measurer thingy (also not required but nice to have).

Next, get your tomatoes. If you don't have home-grown tomatoes, go to your local farmer's market and get some.

Wash them well.

Get a big pot of water boiling. Blanch tomatoes for 30-60 seconds, remove and cool. Working over a bowl (so you catch the juices), peel and core the tomatoes. I usually cut the big ones in half or quarters.

Now get your canning pot about half-full of water and boiling. The pot needs to be tall enough so the jars can be covered with at least 1" of water. It also needs to have a lid. On another burner, bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer, and put in your lids and rings.

Now put 1 teaspoon salt (optional) and 2 tablespoons bottled (not fresh) lemon juice into each jar. If you have fresh thyme, you can also put a sprig or two in there if you want.

Fill the jars with tomatoes, using the plastic pusher thingy to pack them in and get some juice. Leave 1/2" headspace in the top of each jar; use the plastic measuring thingy for this as well.

Wipe clean the rims of each jar. Use the magnet lid lifter to put a lid on each jar, and screw a ring on each. Don't screw the rings on too tightly.

Using the jar lifter, carefully place the jars into the canning pot. Add more boiling water as needed so the water level is 1" above the jars. Cover pot and boil for 85 minutes (check the UGA website above to confirm the cooking time for your elevation).

After 85 minutes, remove the jars and place on a towel to cool 12-24 hours. Don't worry if the tomatoes seem to have separated from the liquid. Once the jars are cool, check the seals (if the lids pop up when you push them, it didn't seal). Keep any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use them first. Remove rings, date the jars and store in a cool dry place away from light.

Now, whenever you make chili, spaghetti sauce, or anything that needs tomatoes, you have a little bit of summer in your pantry!

More comfort food...this is super easy and makes your house smell heavenly. JD said it smelled like Christmas. Not bad for a random Sunday in August.

Sunday Pot Roast
adapted from BigOven.com

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pound boneless rump roast
3 onions, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups red wine
2-3 cups beef broth
2 pounds small potatoes
8 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat olive oil in large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat.

Pat roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Brown roast on all sides in pot. Remove and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium; add onions and stir. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.

Add paprika, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano, thyme and garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add wine and 1 1/2 cups broth. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, carrots, and roast to pan. Add enough broth so the liquid just covers the roast and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Cover pot with foil and then cover tightly with lid. Place in oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, uncover, and carefully turn over roast. Replace foil and lid and put back in oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are very tender.

Remove roast (it may fall apart on you; that's a good sign!). Put on plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Remove potatoes and carrots to deep platter; cover. Bring remaining liquid in pot to a boil; reduce until it is at the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice roast (or cut into chunks if it's falling apart) and put on platter with vegetables. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

Ready for something incredibly rich, decadent, and sinful? Yes, please. Want it to feature one of the universe's best combinations...chocolate and peanut butter? Gimme. Take a look at these...

I am making myself sick on them right now. You need to make these. Trust me. You will thank me later.

Crispy Peanut Butter Bars
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Crust:
1 3/4 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Peanut Butter Layer:
5 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Dark Chocolate Icing:
3 ounces good quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter

Spray an 8" square pan with non-stick spray.

Put the crispy rice cereal in a large bowl.

Put 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Carefully add 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons corn syrup. Be careful not to let the sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan. Gently stir with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, without stirring, until it reaches 235 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in melted butter and baking soda.

Pour over the cereal and mix well until the cereal is evenly coated, then pour into the prepared pan. Use a buttered rubber spatula to press cereal evenly to the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool at room temperature.

In medium bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.

Stir to combine and pour over the cereal in the pan. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

In small bowl, combine the dark chocolate, corn syrup and butter. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted. Stir to combine and pour over peanut butter layer in pan. Tilt pan to evenly cover the peanut butter layer. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Cut into 16 squares. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

I am so excited about a new feature that will soon be added to my blog...my OpenSky Shop!  Any product that I absolutely love (whether a new discovery or a long-time favorite) can be featured and sold from my OpenSky Shop!  My partnership with OpenSky allows me to share products that I love, use and recommend with my readers and provide a safe, easy way to purchase them.  The great thing about OpenSky is that they will work with all kinds of product suppliers, from big nationally-known brands to small mom-and-pop shops to creative artisans with truly unique items.  OpenSky is creating quite the buzz with this latest expansion, and has been featured on ABC's Good Morning America and the Los Angeles Times. 

So how cool is that?  My OpenSky Shop will launch on August 10, so be sure to keep an eye on the Countdown Clock below so you don't miss it!  I plan to include any and all products mentioned in my blog posts, so if you were wondering, "Where can I get one of those great Snuffle-Bumpkin-a-Bobs that Suzy mentioned?" this will be the place.  I am thrilled to be a part of the OpenSky community and can't wait to launch my shop!

In case there is a myth out there in the blogosphere that I am magical in the kitchen and all items produced are perfect culinary delights, allow me to debunk that here and now.

This week, I attempted to make Fried Pickles, with a recipe I found at the wonderful food blog Noble Pig. Deep frying is not a strength of mine, and that weakness was made perfectly clear. Not only did I set off the smoke alarm, but the resulting fried pickes were not good. I sliced them too thick, and the breading was heavy and greasy. Blech.

I will spare you from the image of my failure, and instead refer you to Noble Pig so you can see how they were supposed to turn out. If you are successful in making these, please don't tell me. I'd rather maintain my delusion that only Cathy at Noble Pig can make them.

What are some of your memorable kitchen disasters?

This is another one of those deceptively simple recipes...it looks unassuming and nothing special, but tastes soooo good! I was just trying to find a different way to prepare pork chops, and I stumbled upon this.  Forget bland, tough pork chops...these are tender, juicy and full of flavor. This has become one of JD's new favorites.

Honey Mustard Pork Chops
adapted from Can I Get The Recipe

Marinade:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 pork chops

In a shallow bowl or zip-top bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the pork chops and turn to coat well. Cover bowl or seal bag, and refrigerate overnight.

Take pork chops out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Get your grill (or grill pan) nice and hot. Remove pork chops from marinade; discard marinade.

Cook pork chops 4-5 minutes per side. Rest on warm plate 5 minutes, then serve. These are especially good when served with grilled pineapple.

Just thought I would throw out a list of those items that, without which, life for me would suck. Of course JD supersedes everything on this list, but as long as I have him, these are a bonus!

(in no particular order)

1.  philosophy purity made simple cleanser

Without fail, I must start my day with this. It's one of the best facial cleansers I have ever found...it's tingly and refreshing, and leaves your skin impeccably clean, but not stripped or dry.

2.  Justin cowboy boots

My favorite footwear. So comfortable...perfectly casual and fun. It's funny, because I never wore these when we lived in Texas, but now I am rarely without them. I love that I can wear them nearly everywhere, including when riding with JD on the Harley.

3.  Purple Uni-ball Vision Pen

These have been my favorite work pens for years. I hate ballpoints, so I'm a fan of the rollerball style, plus this has the best shade of purple. No one at work can steal my pens, because no one else uses purple!

4.  Dove Dark Chocolate Promises

Smooth, creamy, rich dark chocolate in a perfect bite-size. What's not to like? Plus I love the "Promises" message inside each one.

5.  Bosch Universal Mixer

Without this, I couldn't make all these goodies!  Heavy-duty, durable, and the best for making bread.

6.  HP Mini 311 Laptop

I'm always within arm's reach of email, my favorite food blogs, Facebook and YouTube. How did I live without this before?

7.  Chloe Narcisse

My favorite and only perfume. I've been wearing it for years, and I still get compliments on it...even from total strangers!

8.  Wusthof Chef Knife

No kitchen is complete without one.

9.  Crown Royal

I may occasionally stray into the lands of other drinks (margaritas, gin and tonic, wine), but I always come back to the classic Crown & 7.  Yum!

10.  NFL Football

There is no other sport.  Baseball is boring, plus it is way too linear.  Basketball is also boring, plus you only need to watch the last three minutes to get anything out of the game. Soccer is exhausting just to watch. Golf is only fun on the final day of the tournament, and then only if Tiger is winning. With football, you get strategy, brute strength, passion, and unpredictability. And guys in tight pants.

What are some of the things you can't live without?

Remember back when we were on our crazy 2010 Road Trip?  I discovered (and loved) a spicy martini that our friend in Colorado Springs made for me.  I submitted that post to the Diva's Beach Eats Thirsty Thursday Challenge and got some great comments and feedback.

I also got an email from Eric at a company called Dirty Sue, which makes premium olive juice to use in dirty martinis.  He thought that between my Mile High Martini post and the name of my blog, I deserved a care package of Dirty Sue!  I, of course, agreed.

This is a great product!  Instead of straining olive juice out of your olive jar (which is always messy and you end up with dry olives), this is a premium olive juice for use especially for martinis.  Check out their website for more info on the story behind Dirty Sue and some of their products.  Eric was kind enough to send me a cute insulated drink koozie ("My Other Drink is a Dirty Sue Martini") and other goodies in addition to the juice itself.  Check out their logo!

It's taken me over a month (you never realize how crazy it can get after returning from a 2-week vacation!) but I'm finally posting about it!  Not that it's taken me this long to "sample" the product...this is really the first opportunity I have had to properly photograph and document the yummy Dirty Sue Martini.

Dirty Sue Martini
3 ounces gin
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce Dirty Sue olive juice

Pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.  Shake vigorously.  Strain into martini glass and garnish with an olive.

Enjoy!

Until now, I had never made or even eaten a pineapple upside-down cake.  JD has always talked about how much he loved them, so I had to give it a try.  The result?  Very moist, yet light cake, with juicy pineapple in every bite.  Very yummy, but honestly, I don't know what the fuss is about.  I'm just glad it turned out pretty...I was worried about some big mess when it came to turning out the cake.  And JD declared it a hit, so that is a success for me!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
adapted from a recipe at allrecipes.com

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 fresh pineapple, sliced into rings (or canned pineapple rings)
maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt the butter and brush a 9 inch cast iron skillet with a little of the butter.

Combine 5 tablespoons of the melted butter with the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice.  Pour into cast iron skillet. 

Arrange the pineapple slices into a nice pattern over the brown sugar mixture.  Place a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple slice.

In a small bowl, comine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Separate the eggs.  Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Beat two of the egg yolks until lemon yellow.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice, vanilla, and remaining melted butter.

Add the flour mixture and combine.  Gently fold in the egg whites.  Pour batter over pineapple rings in skillet.

Bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and set in the middle.  Mine was a little runny in the center, so watch for this!

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Cover with serving plate and carefully invert cake so that pineapple slices are on top.  Let cool, slice, and serve.