Fudgy Brownies and Awards

What better way to celebrate my 2 awards than gooey, fudgy brownies!?! I know it's so easy to pick up a box of brownie mix, but these are great. Perfect for those times you're craving brownies, but don't want to make a grocery store trip to get the mix. We have really enjoyed these and they stay fresh for almost a week if you keep them wrapped well.

BROWNIES

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

2 sticks butter

3 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Mix sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl. Melt butter and add to sugar/cocoa mixture. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add flour and salt; blend until just smooth (don't over mix). Bake 40-50 minutes. You want center to still be a little wet when a toothpick is inserted and pulled out.

AWARDS

Thank you so much Mrs Suzie Homemaker for giving me this passionate blogger award! I really enjoy reading your posts and am proud to be honored by you :)

The Rules:
1. Put the logo in your blog
2. Write five things you are passionate about apart from blogging
3. Tag 5 people on your lists and let them know you tagged them.

5 things that I'm passionate about are:

1. My family- I have a great family. My kids are turkey's and my husband can be a pain, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

2. Cooking- I love to cook as you can all tell. I cook every day and the only thing I don't like about cooking is the dishes!

3. Friends- I have great friends. I'm always willing to help if they need it, and I know they would do the same.

4. Ornaments- If you don't already know, every year I have a blast making and selling handmade personalized salt dough ornaments. I have built up quite a clientele and sold several hundred a few years ago... I can't take as many orders now that I'm trying to keep up with 3 kids. I can't wait until closer to Christmas when I can do a personalized ornament giveaway!

5. Sewing- I love learning to sew. I have made several dresses and costumes for the kids. I'm not the best because I'm still learning, but I enjoy it when I have time.

I would like to award this passionate blogger award to:

Kathy at Three on Food

Brenda at Cre8tive Kitchen

Katie at Katie's Korner

Norah at Norah's Menus and Recipes

Mom at Running Away? I'll help you pack

Kathy from Three on Food awarded me with this second awesome award. Thanks Kathy. I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog! I'm honored :) I'm suppose to share seven things about my personality, then pass the award and meme on to seven other bloggers for them to do the same.

1. Friendly- I would consider myself to be a friendly person. I'm one of those people who talks to everyone. I always talk to the check out people in stores, people in line behind or in front of me, or just people walking down the isles while grocery shopping. I recently was at the ham section in the grocery store picking out a ham steak. A lady was doing the same and went on to tell me how to prepare her favorite ham steak recipes. I guess I'm just an easy to approach and talk to person. Oh, and thank you nice lady for sharing your recipes with me. I can't wait to try your favorite ham steak recipe with the pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar :) She also recommended adding chopped ham to macaroni and cheese. My senior year of high school I was voted friendliest girl in my class.

2. Outgoing- OK, this goes with me not being shy and talking to complete strangers regularly. I'm definitely not shy. Before having kids I worked customer service and loved interacting with people (except for the mean ones). The only thing that ticks me off is people patting me on the head. It's always men who come up and pat me on the head. This has happened to me 3 times now (once 2 weeks ago while grocery shopping) in the past year. I don't know why, but this embarrasses me. What is it about me that is making people want to pat me on the head like I'm an animal in a petting zoo? Maybe it's because I'm short. Oh, well. Short or not, I would consider myself outgoing and not fond of being patted on the head.

3. Good Listener- Some how I've always listened to my share of peoples troubles. If a friend has a problem they usually come to me to tell me what's going on. I always try to give the best advice I can, or just be quiet and listen (sometimes that's best!)

4. Worrier- I'm a HUGE worry-wart. I'm always worrying something is wrong with one of the kids. I have actually been to the emergency room because I was having a panic attack... and I felt really stupid once I knew what was wrong. I wasn't like this until I started having kids. I think it comes from loosing my first child during pregnancy. After our Matthew died I was always in a panic every time one of the kids got sick, thinking the worst would happen again. This is a personality trait I don't enjoy. As if I didn't have enough to worry about, now we have the lovely Swine Flu going on. I'm terrified Chase will get it and not be able to handle it with his asthma.

5. Grouchy- I hate to admit it, but I can be a grouchy mom. I often end up yelling or being grouchy with Brad or the kids when I really don't want to be. I wasn't like this before I had kids... sometimes they bring out the best in us. I'm really trying to not be this way. I would never be grouchy to someone else's kids, so why would I be to my own? I think I need more patience these days!

6. Positive- I always try to be positive about things and look for the best in everything. Sometimes it's hard to do that, especially right now with a yucky economy, but I hope we will all see positive things coming in the near future.

7. Goofy- I always tell everyone the reason I don't drink is because I'm goofy enough already! I've been in situations with friends where I thought they were going to go at it and I'm usually the one to break the ice with something silly to end the tension. I guess you could call that comic relief. I wouldn't call myself a comedian, but I can always do something goofy to make people laugh and feel happy.

I'm excited to learn 7 personality traits from these people:

Coleen from Coleen's Recipes

Mary from My New 30

Lara from Recipe Shoebox

Meg from Megan's Munchies

Melanie from My Kitchen Cafe

Crystal from Mrs Suzie Homemaker

This Stop Willoughby