Cleveland Brownies in a Mug

It is tough - TOUGH - growing up in Cleveland. Now, I'm not saying the streets are mean or there's nothing to do or the food is terrible...none of that is true (mostly). We have a world-class theater district and orchestra, art and natural history museums, fantastic ethnic neighborhoods with amaaaazing food (Slyman's, anyone?) and our beautiful Lake Erie.

But then...oh, THEN...

We have the Cavs.

We have the Indians.

We have the Browns.

Ugh. We've been depressed since 1964. No wonder we're all fat.

To make matters worse, this weekend is the Super Bowl. And the Ravens are representing the AFC for the second time in a dozen years. Goddammit.

I figure the only way to see the Brownies on Super Bowl Sunday is to bake some. If you're like me, though, baking an entire pan of brownies is a dangerous, tempting, delicious proposition. I also don't want to wait around for an hour while they bake. What's a chubby girl to do? The answer, my friends, is MUG BROWNIES!

In less than 5 minutes, you, too, can be enjoying ooey-gooey fudgy brownies. If you need pictures, I'll post some later...chances are pretty good I'll be making one this evening.

What You Need

• A mug. No mixing bowls necessary.
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter (I suppose you could use margarine, but why? Butter is BUTTER.)
• 2 Tbsp. milk (If you don't like/can't have milk, use water.)
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (Or your favorite extract...almond or mint are also yummy!)
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (NOT instant...the real stuff, folks.)
• 4 Tbsp. sugar (Splenda is an option, but it changes the consistency, and really, you're eating a brownie already...just use sugar.)
• 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (I don't recommend wheat flour. I used it once in a pinch...never again.)

Optional Options for Tarting Up Your Brownie

Before:

Mix in a dollop of peanut butter or Nutella.

After:

Add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Note:

Dollop is a ridiculous word.

What You Do

1. Melt the butter. Just nuke it on 50% power for about a minute.
2. Add in the milk and the vanilla extract. Whisk it together. I have a tiny whisk, but a fork would work just as well.
3. Add in the cocoa powder. Whisk it together.
4. Add in the sugar. Whisk it together.
5. Add in the flour. Whisk it together.
6. Nuke that bad boy on high for about 1 minute. If you like more of a cake consistency to your brownies, bump that up to 90 seconds. When I make them for Mr. K & me, his sits for the minute mine is in the microwave, and it thickens up. 
7. Enjoy! It's like a hug in a cup.

- Mrs. K

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I have this weird thing (I know, you're shocked!) with food textures. Certain things just gross me out and I just can't eat them. And, because I'm a special brand of crazy, I'm grossed out not only by things normal people think are gross, like slimy oysters or stretchy/chewy calamari or that disgusting layer of skin that pudding gets while it's chilling in the fridge...BLECH!...but I'm also grossed out by the texture of seemingly normal things like oranges and bananas. I also hate, HATE fake banana flavoring, but that's a whole other story.

Baked Chili and Boston Brown Bread

I don't know about where you live, but we have had the most ridiculously mild winter this year here in the Midwest. The unseasonably warm weather is nice, sure, but eating chili when it's above freezing just seems...wrong. Well, it was below freezing the other day, so I decided to make baked chili and some Boston brown bread. It was a first for both, and I was very pleased with how they both turned out. And, more importantly, so were Mr. K and MIL-K (my mother-in-law). The Boston brown bread is a sweet, dense bread ...almost cakey...and it complements the tang of the chili beautifully.

First up, the Boston Brown Bread:

Wicked awesome.

Easy-Peasy Black Beans 'n' Rice

Sometimes there's just nothing better, especially on a chilly February evening, than homemade comfort food. Even more so when it's super easy, quick, and affordable. This family favorite only takes about 30 minutes to whip up, and costs all of about 7 bucks. Not too shabby.

My apologies in advance for the crappy pictures. There's only so much you can do with an iPhone, folks.