baking in the dark

The flickering bulbs in our kitchen finally burnt out, and they just happened to do so during a very busy week. Which meant it stayed dark for 4 days or so. I made dinner a bit earlier while there was still natural light coming in the back window, and I brought in a floorlamp from another room.



Even in the dimly lit kitchen I baked brownies. And not just any brownies, but my first try at baking them from scratch. I was inspired by the recipe on the side of my container of unsweeted cocoa. I realized I had all the ingredients so I just went for it.

It wasn't too bad working by the tiny light above the kitchen sink and what was streaming in from the window in the dining room. I did have to take some of the photos in the dining room however.

Here's the recipe for these simple + delicious brownies.
Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8x2 in pan. In a medium saucepan melt butter (in microwave melt in 1-qt. containter). Remove melted butter from heat, add cocoa, and stir until well blended. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt. Do not overbeat. Spread in prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes. 

I baked them in a well oiled {olive oil spray} muffin tin. For regular cakes + brownies I usually bake for just 15-20 minutes in the tins but these needed the full 30 minutes.

While they were still hot I sprinkled some mini-chocolate chips on top. These were also delicious with our leftover homemade peanut butter creme frosting.

enjoy!

rainy lake weekend

This past weekend we spent a couple days at the lake with Ben's family. It was the first time that all of his parents, siblings + significant others had gathered all at the same time. 

Despite the cool weather Ben went wake-boarding on the glassy water late Friday morning just after we arrived. 

Malakai was a bit scared when the boat would get up to speed. He was very clingy, but got better with each ride.

There was a unique outdoor shower. It was oddly refreshing to take a hot shower in the cool rain. 

We saw more of the toddler in Malakai as he wandered around everywhere. He's so curious about everything. He kept walking up to the campfire and blowing on it. I honestly have no idea where he got this from, but it was hilarious.

Just before we headed out on Saturday night, since Ben had to be at church bright and early on Sunday, I was determined to have a s'more. There was a pause in the rain so we all headed out. Of course the rain started back up as soon as I started toasting my marshmallow and by the time I was finished everyone else had run back inside and it was pouring down rain harder than it had all weekend.

{So I stood outside in the rain with my s'more- a true Oregonian}

Now that our lake weekend has come + gone I'm really ready for the fall weather. I'm embracing the chill by baking goodies, having tea in the afternoon, and cuddling up under soft blankets at the end of the day.

EcoMom gift card winner

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Shannon!

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these are a few of my favorite reads

You may have noticed that I don't have a "blog roll" on my page. I do have some buttons for those who have created some on the lower right, some are giveaway sites, some are Etsy shops, and others are blogs that I read. I don't want to overcrowd my main page, so I thought I'd post about the blogs I read on a regular basis. This isn't an exhaustive list and it's not in any order of importance, just highlighting some talented bloggers.

Most of the blogs I read I've discovered through other bloggers featuring them or just casually mentioning them, so I thought I'd share the love with you in case you haven't heard of any of these gems. I consider all of these a MUST read!

Breaking Through
Lyryn has a beautiful testimony of forgiveness + God's grace. She also recently become a mama of two- her boys are incredibly adorable.

Finding My Feet
Raechel is incredibly creative. She makes cute little outfits + things. She also chronicles the day to day with her sweet little ones, Oliver + Hazel.

Party Perfect
Sarah features all sorts of party ideas. I first discovered her blog when I began the planning process for Malakai's Pirate-themed 1st birthday party. I found a lot of inspiration and love looking through all the ideas and lovely photos on her website.

Pacing the Panic Room
Most people in the blogging world know about Ryan Marshall and his wonderful family over at PTPR. He recently launched a kid's album called Do Fun Stuff to benefit SMS research, a genetic disorder that his step-son was diagnosed with fairly recently. I first discovered this blog like most who currently read there, through the Maternity series he did of his wife Cole when she was pregnant with their daughter Tessa, who is just a month older than my Malakai.

The Outdoor Wife
I've linked to Nish here before. She was the inspiration behind Thankful on a Thursday, which I participate in every week. She's a fellow Oregon girl and I love seeing my home state through here eyes. She's a great writer and is also mama to a sweet little guy.

The Mommy Makeover
I first "met" Marge through The Bump message boards. We were "labor buddies" which meant we were on watch for when the other went into labor to notify the rest of the ladies on the boards. We've stayed connected through emails, blogs, + facebook. We've been sending each other's sons birthday gifts and are hopeful to meet in person some day soon. She started this blog back in March with nearly daily updates on her mission to improve her lifestyle. It's authentic + motivational.

Happy reading,

Thankful on a Thursday

Sometimes when I sit down to reflect on what I'm thankful for I hit wall. It's not that I don't have anything to be thankful for, that's obviously far from true. I think it's that I don't want to write the same things every week. At first I wanted to come up with a unique thing every time I posted another 10 items, but then I think I got lazy and forgot to see if I had already shared how thankful I was for coconut mochas.

Anyway, what I've realized is that while it's great to think of new things and stretch myself to see the good all around me, it's okay to be thankful for the same things each week too. In fact, being thankful for many of those things on a regular basis means that they're still a part of my life, they haven't been taken away {except those coconut mochas, darn budget} and when I look back I can see where I've repeated things in my list and know that those moments are what blessed me the most.

So I'm still thankful for:

291. God's strength.

292. my adorable son.

293. and incredibly handsome husband.

294. our little house

295. and guests that are willing to overlook that pile of boxes in the corner + lack of decor the walls.

296. the chill in the air that opens up a whole new section of my wardrobe.

297. fresh hot coffee.

298. my family.

{Happy Birthday to my lovely "sistore" Amanda!}

299. being able to email with Kai's pediatrician about our concerns, this saves us so. much. money.

300.  a long weekend with family at the lake that starts tomorrow.

This is my 30th week sharing in Thankful on a Thursday. Please visit The Outdoor Wife who started it all for more information and inspiration.

Happy {early} weekend,