Cooking Thursday

Who doesn't like brownies? I've got a recipe for you today that uses a boxed brownie mix, but jazzes it up a bit.  I know you'll like these!

 

French Cream Mint Brownies 1 pkg brownie mix
1/2 c. margarine softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1 drop green food coloring if wanted (I do use this and the filling is a light green, although it doesn't show in the picture)

Frosting:
1/2 c. margarine
6 oz. chocolate chips

Prepare brownie mix for a 9x13 pan as directed on package and bake.
For cream filling, mix together margarine and powdered sugar. Blend in milk, peppermint extract and green food coloring. Spread filling over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until firm.
For frosting, melt butter with chocolate chips and pour evenly over filling layer. Chill approximately 30 minutes. Cut into squares and return to refrigerator until firm. Serve chilled. Chocolate will crack if cut before it is chilled.

Wordy Wednesday

We've given up on shoveling our front walk, getting the driveway done is hard enough!

 

 

Here's the view of the banks on the driveway.  If you look at the roof, you can see that Bob was up there, shoveling off the snow.  There've been too many roofs collapsing to take chances.

 The great lakes are now at 91.5 % ice cover.  They've only been over that amount once.  With the snow we got last week, we are now officially having the second snowiest winter in Michigan history!

Alaina'isms

We had Alaina overnight again this weekend. When I picked her up, Laura had her looking so cute with French braids in her hair. She slept with them in, and there was no saving them when she got up. After I took them out, this is what she looked like:

Look at that sad face!  I bet you'd feel sad with wild hair like that too.

I combed it all back and put it in ponytails, which looked quite adorable, although they don't show up too well in the next picture.

I told her that her hair was pretty, and then started to get ready myself.  My hair wasn't cooperating at all and I told Alaina that Grandma was having a bad hair day.  She responded with "Grandma ponies?"  Somehow, I don't think I would look nearly as cute as she does with ponytails.

 

Bob, Heather and I all have a water bottle that we keep in the refrigerator.  When Alaina is here, I put one in for her too. Whenever she gets a drink from hers, she also gets out the water bottles for whoever is home and brings them to us, so we can have a drink too.

Last time she was here, she had dry lips.  She wanted Bob's lip balm.  After he put some on her, she said "Grandma too?"  So I pretended to put some on.  Then she said "Oliver too?"  Bob said no to that one.  He's not nearly as good at sharing, at least not with the cat.

 

She has reached the age where she likes to do things for herself.  Laura had taken her outside to play in the snow.  When they came in, of course she had to take her coat and mittens off by herself.  Laura saw her struggling to get her coat off, then heard her mumbling "problems, issues" to herself.  When Laura asked if she was having problems, she said yes, and let Laura help her.

Where does she come up with this stuff?

 

It's no wonder we love to have her over and spend time with her!