Homemade Goodies

My friend Annie is quite the cook/baker and she has inspired me to make more things from scratch. So last night an hour before the guests showed up I thought, "what can I make for dessert?" In an effort to use what I already have, I remembered Annie and her good old fashioned homemade ways. I called her for the brownie recipe she made for us in Sun River and gave it a try. Yum, Yum- I love homemade treats. Plus it feels good to make something with the stuff I already have. I have been thinking about the time before boxed mixes and how everyone cooked/baked from scratch and how dependant I have become on mixes and pre-made stuff. I am eager to pick-up some of the old fashion skills our society has tossed aside in pursuit of instant gratification. Take sewing for instance- I think I would enjoy the process of picking out fabric and patterns and putting the peices all together. In my book that would be time and creative energey well spent.

Annie's Brownies:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat and no-one noticed:)
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
(Per Jason's request, I added 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and they were great- I think next time I would decrease the butter a bit because of the added oil in the chocolate chips...)
Pre-heat oven to 350
Mix all ingredients and put in a 9 inch pan
Bake for 20-25 (or until you start smelling them)