Monday, March 31, 2008

Happily Ever After

Sorrows remembered sweeten present joy.
Robert Polock: Course of Time, Bk. I

Joys are our wings, sorrows our spurs.
Jean Paul Richter

Romance fiction demands a promise of happily ever after before the writer ends the story. Every fairy tale ends with the promise of a happy ever after. But, in all of these stories, obstacles arise that must be overcome and resolutions to differences must be found.

Real life is full of obstacles, sorrows, differences, and grim news--things that detour us from obtaining the happiness we seek. But overcoming the pot holes of life leads to happiness.

Keep positive. Remember past woes, but don't let unhappy memories spoil today.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Brownies In A Jar

These ingrediant jars make great gifts. This one is from the Hershey website and calls for a combination of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips. I should think you could substitute any flavor chip combination as long as you use the one and a half cups called for.

So find a clean 1 quart class canister or jar and layer (tapping the jar gently on the counter to settle each layer before adding the next layer) the ingredients in the following order: 1-1/2 cups sugar; 1/3 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa; a combined 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt; 1 cup of whatever chips you choose, ending with 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate mini chips.

Cover and attach baking directions.

Baking directions: Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour an 8x8x2 inch baking pan. Combine 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted and cooled butter and 2 slightly beaten eggs. Gently stir in jar contents. Spread in pan. Bake 35 minutes. Cool in pan then cut into 16 bars.