Recipe for Millionaire Brownie Bars......

 

Recipe from: Bake from Scratch, March/April 2026 magazine 

Brownies:

4 oz (113g) 60-70% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped 

6 Tbsp (84g) unsalted butter, cubed

3/4 cup (98g) confectioners sugar

6 Tbsp (84g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (79g) all purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbsp (8g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs, lightly beaten and room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

CARAMEL:

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (195g) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup (110g) heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup (84g) light corn syrup

1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

GANACHE:

6 oz (170g) 60-70% cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (135g) heavy whipping cream

1Tbsp (21g) light corn syrup

1 1/2 Tbsp (21g) unsalted butter, cubed

GARNISH: flaked sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 (F). Line a 9" square baking pan with foil, letting excess extend over sides of pan, spray foil with cooking spray.  

FOR BROWNIE: In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate and butter over simmering water, whisking occasionally until melted and smooth.  (I did this in the microwave) Turn off heat and whisk in confectioners sugar and brown sugar until well combined, 1-2 minutes.  (Mixture won't be completely smooth)  Remove from heat; let cool for 3 minutes.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, kosher salt, and baking powder.  

Gradually add eggs to chocolate mixture, whisking until combined.  Whisk in vanilla.  Fold in flour mixture just until combined.  Spread batter into prepared pan. 

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, or an instant read thermometer inserted in center registers 200 F, 15 to 20 minutes.  Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

FOR THE CARAMEL: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together condensed milk, brown sugar, cream, corn syrup, butter, and kosher salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, until thickened, smooth, and shiny and an instant read thermometer registers 234 F for soft ball stage, about 12 minutes.  Remove from heat, a nd whisk in vanilla.  Pour hot caramel onto cooled brownie, spreading smooth.  Let cool completely. 

FOR GANACHE: In a medium bowl, add chocolate.  In a medium saucepan, heat cream and corn syrup over medium-low heat until steaming.  (Do not boil.)

Pour hot cream mixture onto chocolate; let stand for 2 to 3 minutes.  Starting in center of bowl, slowly stir in small circles with a rubber spatula until well combined.  Stir in butter until melted and combined.  Pour ganache onto cooled caramel, spreading smooth.  Garnish with sea salt, if desired.  Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 30 minutes.  

Using excess foil as handles, remove from pan, and cut into bars.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  

 

As I mentioned, it isn't a difficult recipe, but you do have to let each layer cool completely before pouring on the next layer.  I hope you enjoy it!

Love, 365 

 

Oh, the brownies.........

 

My eldest son has made it to town!  We got together yesterday, early afternoon ~ hung out, gave the kids sandwiches, played some games and had enchiladas I made for dinner.  But before they came I decided I was going to make one of the recipes in my new Baked from Scratch magazine.  These brownies were one, and Romeo immediately drooled over the photo.  It was really not that difficult, you just had to wait for the brownie layer on the bottom to cool before you poured the caramel layer, and let that cool before pouring on the ganache layer.  Then a nice little sprinkle of sea salt on top.  Oh my.....they are decadent and delicious!  It's hard to stay away.....

Today they asked me to go with them to a museum, but I had to ponder and order the flowers we need at church for our Easter service.  I am given carte blanche to design how the flowers are to be arranged on our kouvouklion/epitaphio.  It's kind of a big deal, even though the flowers are only on it for 8 hours.  Once the service is over, the flowers are removed and each parishioner takes 1, or 2 (or even more if there are lots) flowers home.  I had a budget of $1,500.  Given that flowers have gone up quite a bit from last year, I had to really go over what flowers are available and make sure not to go over.  I did better this year, and only spent $1052.  I also bought more from Costco than in the previous 2 years.  Now I have to hope that the flowers are not delayed in transit, because they are due to arrive 3-4 days before the big day.  

This is my third year chairing this event.  It is both fun and stressful.  I like doing it, but maybe someone else wants to do it for next year.  I'll ask.....but I bet the answer is a resounding NO!  Ha ha

As when any visitors from out of town come, I feel compelled to clean like mad.  One day I did 3/4 of the downstairs, and the other quarter the next day.  I feel so old.  Doing all of that was so exhausting.  I used to be able to clean the entire house in one day.  Hey, I even cleaned the refrigerator!   One of the jobs I really hate. I was even polishing the granite, vacuuming, and putting various little things away the morning before they came over.  

Everyone was tired after they left last night, even the pups have been lazy all day.

Well, I'm going to go chill!  I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Love, 365 

 

Finally done with the embroidered jacket!......

 

 

Yay!  Finally done.  I thought about taking it over to my friend, but since I have a haircut on the 10th, I figured I would save the gas and take it then.  It's just I was so excited to finish!   I do have another project waiting in the wings which I plan on starting on Wednesday.  

Tomorrow, koulouria.  733 cookies.  Surprisingly it will not take all day or anthing like that.  We'll have 2 ovens, a large mixer, practically unlimited baking sheets.  Getting the dough ready shouldn't take long.   Hopefully I will have at least 5 or so volunteers to twist the cookies into their distinctive shape.  

 

In early January we trimmed the wisteria, with plans to trim a bit more, but too late!  We have been having record breaking warm weather, and trees are leafing out, and so is the wisteria.  There are buds all over it.  Last year we had a terrible wind storm that ruined all the buds, drying them out until they crumbled like dust.  I certainly hope that doesn't happen this year, because the scent and the beauty of the flowers is so incredible.  Fingers crossed!

And so, I guess I will laze about for the rest of the day, since tomorrow will be so busy.  I hope you get a lazy day this week too.

Love, 365 

 

Lent begins!

 

Traditionally lagana is baked for Clean Monday, but I was putting together sourdough and didn't have time.   My starter hasn't been good this whole winter, but I did finally find a recipe that worked much better ~ and why not?  It has 1/4 more starter in it.  That's like adding another package of dry yeast.  The sourdough came out great!  The lagana, as you can see, did not.  But, I haven't tasted it yet, so there may yet be hope!  Well, besides the big air tumor, haha.  

 

A friend of mine gave me an amaryllis that someone had given her for Christmas ~ she said she kills all plants that are dependent on her for water and care, haha.  The flowers are huge, larger than my palm.  They are beautiful!  The color was really intense the first 4-5 days, but I can see it's fading.  We sure have enjoyed it.

I am done with everything except the middle of the sunflower.  I thought I would do french knots, but I've decided against that, I just haven't taken them out yet.  I am so glad to get this project done.  I think I can finish it in an hour or so this afternoon.  I really need to get my other projects going!  

We are having spring like weather today, and it's supposed to be in the low 70s for the majority of the week.  I still think we're going to have more winter weather, and I hope that includes snow!  We've hardly had any this season.

I hope all of you have a great week!

Love, 365 

From the 50s to the 20s......

 

This photo is from a party my friend held at her beautiful home ~ we all knew each other from work.  Not long that after this party she and her husband found out he had early onset alzheimer's.  We were good friends for a long time, but when I quit working at that job, we just drifted away.  She had so many milestones that took her away from most friends that weren't family.  We spoke once or twice a year, and she would tell me about how at first it was odd, him not working, but not remembering things they had done the day before.  He quit driving soon after the diagnosis.  Eventually she had to hire people to check in on him during the day, then hire someone that could stay with him all day until she got home from work.  They sold the beautiful house and moved to a single story home with a casita (a large bedroom with a full bathroom that is separate from the house) that she didn't like.  I remember thinking that she had become the person who loses one thing after the other, and becomes this sad,  lonely, and tragic figure that just keeps going through the motions ~ because she had to.  It took, as it often does, decades to come to it's awful end, where he didn't know who she was, or recognize their two boys.  

Her family is very supportive and loving.  I have this photo and a few others to remember her by, and most likely, it's how she wants me to remember our friendship.  Sadly, her husband passed away 2 years ago, after 23 years of gradual decline.  I've been tempted to contact her, even though it's been a long time since I've heard from her, but I hesitate until I talk myself out of it.  

I did work for two weeks to fill in at the dental practice I retired from.  It was just the right amount of time ~ just about the time it started to feel annoying to get up and get going, it was over!  I did discover that the girl who was on vacation was hired about 6-9 weeks ago.  She didn't tell them that she had this trip planned when they interviewed her......the practice manager said she wouldn't have hired her knowing she would be taking 2 weeks off in less than 2 months!  Apparently she doesn't have any dental experience.  Well, except her own past dental visits.  Apparently there is a serious shortage of people that want to work the front office these days.  There was a brief discussion that went something like: what if she doesn't come back?"  Thankfully she did come back ~ or I think she did because I didn't hear anything.  Thankfully!

I am catching up on all the projects I had planned.  I started painting the bedroom today.  I didn't do too much, but I got started, and that will encourage me to keep going until it's done!  

Like so many people in the US, we had a bitter cold front that dropped our temperatures dramatically.  We has a couple of inches of snow, but some places had a dozen inches.  It was a huge front that swept across from New Mexico all the way up to the Northeast.  Luckily we will back into the low 50s by this weekend.  The dogs are really itchy to go on a walk!  

Well, gotta go!  Have a wonderful week.

Love, 365 

 

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go........

 

I have the match between Kokkinakis and Korda on, and wow, it's pretty exciting!  It was a bit disappointing that he didn't win the match, but it was great to watch!

As an update on the month long icky feelings I had, I am back on track to feeling good.  It turns out one of the medications I am taking was changed to a larger dosage.  I feel kinda stupid that it took me so long to figure it out.  

The dental office I retired from has called me again asking if I wanted to work for a couple of weeks to fill in for someone who's on vacation. This was 2 weeks ago, and I figured I could always use a few extra bucks, so said yes.  I am not buying anything to wear, there is no point when it's only 2 weeks.  I hate the pants I usually wear, and I have decided that at the end of this 2 weeks I'm throwing them out.  Luckily I can wear a nice pair of jeans with a button down shirt instead of dress pants.

I put the Christmas decorations away last week....we usually leave it up until after Theophany.  Then the boxes hung out in my office until today, when I re-organized it and put it away.  I really need to get rid of more of the decorations I have.  I did buy a new tree after Christmas, and got a steal on it at 1/3 the original price.  A big plus is that it weighs less than 15 pounds, so I can manhandle it to the upper shelf in the closet without help.  

I'm also painting our bedroom, it's been a long time and we're ready for a fresh coat.  I probably won't finish until I'm done with working though.  The last thing I will want to do after coming home from an 8 to 5 job is paint.  Nope!

Honestly, we have so many projects we want to do.  There's no rush, really, but it drives me crazy.  I just want to get them done!

Well, I need to make my lunch for tomorrow, and chill out a little bit.  Have a great week!

Love, 365 

Happy New Year!.......

 

As you can see, Zoe was not impressed with the New Years celebrations.  Oh, not that we did anything, but you could hear the fireworks from the partiers nearby. 

I do not know what is going on with me, but I have been feeling sick more than I have been feeling well.  I had to pull over and throw up on my way home on New Years Eve.  There's nothing I hate more.  I even have special bags I use, which Romeo saw on Amazon.  But basically it's just all gross.  The next day I was very tired and still feeling a little nauseous.  Today I feel fine.  This is how it goes.  Sometimes I feel sick in the morning and fine in the afternoon.  Other times I'll feel fine for a week.  I think I complained about this before, so sorry about moaning about it.  So really, this has been going on for a month.  I have a Dr visit on Monday, so we'll see what she says.

 We have had the most strange weather!  We had 7 or 8 days in December that broke records.  Today was 54 f.  We have had one day of a dusting of snow and that's it.  I have never experienced such temps since we moved here in 1995.  In Texas these temperatures are not at all uncommon.

I made a try at making french onion soup, and it turned out pretty good!  The only thing I wish I had done differently was buy wine for it, but I didn't have any and ended up using a substitute.  It was ok, but next time I buy the wine!  I don't drink wine, it give me terrible headaches, so I never have any on hand.

I made a resolution to try new recipes at least once a month.  We will see how long it lasts!  Haha

I hope 2026 is kind to us all, with plenty of laughter and love. 

365
 

Oops, forgot to wish you all a Merry Christmas.....

 

Have a great New Year too!  

I am super busy, so will come back with a better post later.  

Love to you all

365 

Not in the clear..........

 

You guessed it!  Last week I came down with this awful cold.  The sneezy, coughing, blowing your nose every couple of minutes type.  I had to take medications in the evening so that I could sleep.    I keep hoping each day it'll be over, but ugh ~ it keep hanging on.

All of my holiday shopping is done!  Yay!  We had a "giving tree" at church, and I picked a little 9 year old girl this year.  One of the things she put down was coloring books.  Here I am at Walmart, and I am shocked at how much coloring books are these days.  Granted, they were thicker and fancier than the ones I got when I was a kid.  But $9?  Sheesh.  

I made toffee!  I had seen a video on how to do it, along with a recipe and it looked so easy.  So I made it on Monday.  I knew something was wrong when all I could smell was burnt sugar.  I tossed that one in the bin and looked up another recipe.  It was even easier, and it came out great.  I need to get on with my cookies, but today is bread day, so I'll just embroider.  

 I am doing this one for a friend of mine who loves sunflowers.  I really should have been almost done, but with the holidays and the illness, and some days feeling really lazy, I haven't made a lot of progress.  Luckily she is cool with however long it takes me.  In exchange I'll have a couple of free haircuts, so win win!

Well, I better get to work on it!  Have a great week everyone!

Love, 365 

 

Winter is coming!......

 

I suppose otters don't feel the cold so much.  However, being totally adorable takes you a long way....

I was sick the Monday before Thanksgiving with what is charmingly called the "two bucket virus" or norovirus.  I'll let you figure out why you would need two buckets.  That was no fun for 8 hours.  The next day was a wash, as you need another 24 hours to rehydrate.  Somehow I managed to fix the sides for Thanksgiving, but kept having episodes of dizziness.  I was glad it was all over ~ which is sad because normally I love Thanksgiving!

Then on Friday night, Romeo and I had a terrible fight.  

I've never been so glad to see a week behind me.

Tomorrow I am in charge of the Christmas decorations at church.  All the stuff is in the basement, which isn't scary except for the stairs!  I don't know who constructed them, but they should be flogged.  They are too short and too steep.  

 Wednesday we bake tsoureki for the Christmas bake sale.  Then I'm done for the week, hurrah.  

I have my shopping done, which is super easy since the only shopping I have to do is for the Grandkids.  We don't get anything for each other ~ what do we need?  

I still have plenty of projects I have lined up, so I guess I'll go work on one of those.  I hope you have a great week!

Love, 365 

Another gorgeous fall day here......

 

Another beautiful sunset ~ the real thing was so much better, but this isn't too bad.

Where does the day go?  I was doing the "this and that" cleaning routine ~ where you have a plan to wash dishes, and while you do that you plan to remove the rest of the fruiting plants from the garden, then you cover up the lawn chairs, and so on......   I felt a bit like a ping pong ball :-). 

At the end of the day I realized that there were things that I meant to do but didn't.  

Son #2 called and we "talked turkey" for at least 45 minutes.  He is roasting two turkeys for a big dinner at his older brother's house on Thanksgiving.  I wish we could be there.

This evening, while doing our Saturday night censing of the house, we set the smoke alarm off.  I laughed  ~ things they don't tell you about censing your house.  Haha.  

Have a great weekend!

Love, 365