Ginger-Peanut Chicken-Salad Wraps

It is now Indian Summer in Santa Cruz County. Often our hottest time of year. It was so hot for my daughter's wedding in October last year that my polyester zipper almost melted! We couldn't get it open!  No problem--we sewed me into the dress after breaking the zipper. Finally evening came with cool breezes and tall glasses of iced lemon water. Perhaps it's a hot evening for you tonight? How about something refreshing.... like salad? This tastes like Chinese Chicken Salad in a tortilla. It's got so many vegetables--it's a one dish meal! Common Sense Tip: use a cooked rotisserie chicken from Costco or another store instead of making your own. From "Cooking Light" magazine, I don't know what year. Yield: 8 wraps. 280 calories each...

Note: You can substitute a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (Costco?) instead of cooking your own. That makes it really easy!

Ingredients:

1 t olive oil
24 oz. cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken or saute 4 chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt until done)
1 C chopped seeded peeled cucumber
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T minced peeled ginger
3 T minced peeled fresh ginger
3 T fresh lime juice
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 t ground pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
1/4 C creamy peanut butter
2 T water
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
8 (8-inch) GF tortillas or large iceberg lettuce leaves
4 C chopped romaine lettuce

Directions:

Shred cooked or packaged sliced chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss chicken...cucumber...and bell pepper together in a large bowl; set aside. Place the sugar and the next 6 ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Add peanut butter and water, process till smooth. Scrape sides. Add to bowl with chicken mixture; stir well. Add cilantro and toss. Warm tortillas according to package directions...or just use cold. Spoon 1/2 C chicken mixture into each tortilla and top each with 1/2 C lettuce; roll up like a burrito. If you elect to use lettuce leaves instead of tortillas--carefully roll the lettuce leaf around the chicken mix like a burrito without the extra lettuce topper. Serve with tall glasses of something cold!

Lamb Chops with Cilantro-Mint Sauce

This recipe is so quick and good! It's got that lip-smacking tang that makes you want more and more. Common Sense Tips: Lamb is expensive...so be sure and buy the chops at your local Big Box Store in spring when they're almost reasonable. Also, you won't need more fresh ginger root than a piece the size of your thumb even if you double the recipe. DO double the sauce recipe and freeze some for later! You will want some for another night. My daughter found this--it's by Wolfgang Puck. Yield: 8 chops (serves 4)

Ingredients:

 2 t minced fresh ginger
1/4 C packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 C packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 T honey
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1/2 C canola or other mild vegetable oil
8 rib lamb chops--up to 3/4-inch thick--or regular lamb chops
Fresh mint and cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade combine all of the marinade ingredients and process until completely blended and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.  Place the lamb chops in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour in 1/4 C of the marinade. Turn the lamb in the bag to coat it evenly. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours--turning once or twice. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as a sauce. Grill chops. Place lamb chops on serving plates and crisscross the ends if you used rib chops. Spoon the remaining refrigerated sauce over the top and garnish with mint or cilantro leaves. Scrumptious!

Wedding Mac N' Cheese...

Recently, I helped out at Lindsay Stover's wedding and had the best Macaroni and Cheese I have ever tasted. Pam, the caterer, served a variation of Wolfgang Puck's CUT steakhouse version. She was nice enough to give it to me.

Well, I have to tell 'ya this recipe was a flop the first time I made it. Why? I just didn't have the right cheese combination. I had used a pricey Irish cheddar that was just ...too mild. I needed a fierce cheddar. My daughter (bless her) suggested Cracker Barrel Aged Cheddar in the black packaging.  Hurray! I did add half cup of shredded mozzarella at the end to create a little gooier instead of silky texture.  Yield: 4- 5 servings of Mac N' Cheese. Double or quadruple this recipe to feed more people! Freezes well!

Ingredients:

8 oz. elbow macaroni (you can also use small-size penne or cavatappi)
3 T unsalted butter--plus more for greasing the baking dish
3 T all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free blend if you use GF pasta)
1 small bay leaf
1/2 medium white onion (sliced)
3 1/2 C whole milk
1 t sea salt or table salt (add more to adjust to taste after you add the cheese)
1 t. black pepper (I used 1/2 t)
1 oz. Parmesan
10 oz. shredded Cracker Barrel Aged Cheddar (black label)
3 oz. shredded Gruyere 
Optional:  1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (add at the last minute)
1 C Panko breadcrumbs (smashed Saltine cracker crumbs work in a pinch)
Optional: Truffle oil

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot cook elbow or penne macaroni following directions on the package until al dente. While pasta is cooking use a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat to melt the 3 T butter. Stir in the flour until blended --about 1 minute. Add the bay leaf and sliced onion. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Simmer whisking occasionally until the mixture starts to thicken for about 7 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and onion at this point--or you will be SORRY. Bay leaf has a very strong taste! Simmer and whisk for another 7 minutes until mixture is as thick. Sauce should be creamy...not grainy. If it's grainy, throw it all out and do it again!  Whisk it more often on the second try.  Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 C of the aged Cheddar, Gruyere and Parmesan until melted. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. At this point the pasta is probably done. Drain the water by putting it in a colander run cool water through it and set aside.

Put the drained macaroni back into the pot you boiled it in... fold the cheese sauce into it then adds the 1/2 C mozzarella if you decide you want to use it.  It's not good for the mozzarella to completely melt into the sauce like the other cheeses at this point. But if it does...it's OK. Transfer to a 9X12" or 1 qt. greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with Panko or brioche breadcrumbs and remaining cheddar cheese. Drizzle (optional) truffle oil over the top. Bake until the crumbs are golden, and the cheese is bubbly--about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew

I thought I was done blogging...but then I tried this recipe. It was just too darn good not to include in my collection. Adapted from a 2013 Bon Apetit issue it will knock your winter socks off your cold little feet. Double the recipe and freeze some! It can be made with Chorizo if you like a spicy sausage--but personally I prefer a really good Italian. Common Sense Tip: get a good chicken Italian sausage at your local specialty food store (like WholeFoods).  Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 lb. fresh chicken Italian or Chorizo sausage links
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. dried thyme
2 15 oz. cans white kidney beans
2 C low-sodium chicken broth
Salt (kosher or sea-salt is best) and pepper to taste
5 oz. baby spinach (about 10 cups)
Smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook whole. Cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel on a plate to drain. Note: you can use blobs of sausage that is not in links. It's often less expensive.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 T oil in the same skillet. Add onion garlic and thyme. Cook until onion is softened 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook. Crush a few of the beans as you go to help thicken the sauce as you stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted.  Slice sausage and fold it into stew. Add water to thin if needed. Divide stew among bowls and sprinkle with a bit of smoked paprika if desired.

Strategies for Saving Money on Groceries...

Hey there!  This is being written in 2011, most likely halfway through the greatest recession since the Great Depression. Some say it will never get better. Who knows? But, just in case, friends and I have been talking about ways to save money during hard times...we share ideas, so I thought I'd share them with you!

Plan, Plan Plan: Planning meals and shopping for meals for a whole week ahead of time not only helps you avoid spending so much money on gas, its efficient because nothing goes to waste. No oldie-moldy leftovers hanging around looking tired. No more impulse purchases either...er, at least not as many.

It's not that hard--just get out your recipes, your Safeway ads and your calendar and figure out 7 dinners and 7 lunches you want to eat that week. Get a pen and paper and do it in front of the the TV one night a week. I do mine on Friday after work  because unless I'm busy having fun, I shop on Saturday afternoons. In addition, I usually make two freezable entrees on Sunday afternoon if I have time. Then I only have to do lots of dishes two or three times a week.

Take into account what's on your calendar and plan accordingly. If someone has a soft-ball game or a ballet lesson until 5:30 on Wednesday, you may want to defrost a hardy soup or some homemade marinara in order to make something really quick that night. Vegetables are harder--they don't stay fresh! If they aren't fresh, nutrients are lost! Plan for salads and braised or roasted fresh vegies for the first three days of your planned week and save frozen vegies and fresh fruits for the last four days. Many of this blog's vegetable dishes are really easy. If you've gone to the trouble of cooking a main dish--who wants a complex side dish?

Speaking of freezing: you should also plan for making double the amount of almost every dish you make--if it's a casserole or soup put half in the freezer for another week. If it's a meat dish that's reheat-able, plan on eating it a couple of nights in a row the week you make it. This way you can get away with cooking entrees only two or three times a week. There have been times where I don't actually cook for 5 days--relying on my freezer. However, I don't let things go for more than 4 weeks in the freezer. I abhor things that taste like they've been frozen.

Shop Sales, Use Coupons: Since man (and woman) cannot live by Costco alone, every week I try to look at my local Safeway's coupon deals when planning meals. I'm not a fanatic. I don't have a big household to feed so I don't buy huge quantities and sock them away. Usually just two or three along with other essentials I need. I also won't drive across town for a bargain unless I have to go there anyway. Remember gas prices? It all adds up! But watching for sales is a great way to direct your meal-planning for the week. Sometimes Safeway beats Costco prices. It just depends. Every other week I skip Safeway and shop at Trader Joes. They have many gourmet items, their regular prices are terrific, and on sale, their low prices are rock-bottom. The computer-saavy among you can also go online to coupons.com for more good deals!

Substitute Less Expensive Products: Sometimes Martha Stewart and a host of other chefs have very expensive and hard-to-find ingredients in their recipes. And sometimes your 7 year old wakes you up in the morning to tell you you need to make 2 dozen cupcakes for her class before noon--and you don't have buttermilk! So try a substitute...

Substitutions:

1. Don't have enough sour cream? Substitute plain full fat Greek Yogurt. If it's non-fat mix in 1T veg. oil.
2. Don't have all-purpose flour? Substitute 1 C plus 2 T cake flour.
3. Don't have enough tomato paste? Substitute a thick catchup.
4. Don't have fresh tomatoes or frozen corn for soup or sauces? Substitute canned.
5. Don't have 1 C buttermilk? Substitute 1 C sweet milk mixed with 1T white or cider vinegar.
6. Don't have or don't want to pay for 1 T fresh herbs for soup or casseroles? Use 1 t dried.
7. Don't have 1 C milk? Substitute powdered milk or evaporated milk mixed with water to taste.
8. Don't have 1 C honey? Substitute 1 C sugar mixed with 1/4 C water
9. Don't have Panko? Smash saltines or oyster crackers or use bread crumbs instead.
10. Don't have 1 egg? Use two egg yolks or borrow one from your neighbor next door.
11. Don't have 1 T flour for thickening sauces? Use 1/2 T cornstarch.
12. Don't have 1 sq. chocolate? Substitute 3T cocoa plus 1T shortening.
13. Don't have 1 t baking powder? Mix 1/4 t baking soda plus 1/2 C buttermilk or 1 1/2 t cream of tartar
14. Don't have 1 C creme fraiche? Use very 1 C fresh sour cream instead.
15. Don't have Lyle's Golden Syrup? Use the same amount of light corn syrup.
16. Don't have or want to buy astoundingly expensive chocolate? Use 1/2 Scharffenberger or other expensive chocolate and 1/2 Bakers or Nestle. I never use Hershey's. Guittard is my favorite!
17. Don't have quite enough butter to fill 1 C? Substitute half with 1/2 C shortening plus 1/4 t. salt. In baking only.
18. Don't have unsalted butter? Substitute regular butter in the recipe but decrease salt added by 1/4 t per 1/2 C regular butter. In other words if the recipe asks for 1 C butter eliminate 1/2 t salt from the recipe.
19. Don't have the right kind of pasta? Substitute any bite-size pasta you have in a pinch.
20. Don't have Mexican or Italian seasoning? Substitute equal measurements scooped from those little packets of Taco or Spaghetti mix on your shelf. Or look up "How to make Mexican or Italian seasoning "online and make your own.
21. Don't have or want to pay for pine nuts? Eliminate them from the recipe or chop macadamia nuts. For some recipes (such as in salads) you can substitute sunflower seeds.
22. Don't have or want to pay for liqueurs? Most liquor stores stock airplane-sized bottles. You will not find them in Safeway.
23. Don't have vegetable oil? Never use olive oil for baking. Never. Yucky! For baking melt Crisco or coconut oil. Coconut oil is much better for you.
24. Need unsweetened coconut? So you don't have a fresh coconut on hand? I AM SHOCKED (just kidding). I actually prefer taking my sugared Angel Flake...plopping it in a colander...running water over it until the sugar is gone and drying it overnight on paper towels. It turns out a lot more moist than flaked unsweetened coconut that you find in health-food stores. 

Expense-saving note: I almost never buy fresh herbs to add to soups or casseroles, substituting the dried ones--about 1 t for each T. Do buy fresh herbs when making sauces/marinades composed primarily of herbs. Like Pesto or Mint/Ginger Marinade. Or anything with parsley or sage--they have a unique taste when fresh.

Buy in bulk-- Freeze a lot. Big box stores, like Costco, are fantastic for this. Get ye to a Costco for thy meat! Buy a huge flat of meat or poultry every week. Then do three things: grill some, make some into a stew, casserole or soup to extend the meat, and freeze some for another week. I alternate between buying Foster Farms chicken breasts or thighs, buying boneless pork chops, and tri-tip steaks.  If I cook some each week,  there's some leftover for other weeks. That way we have variety for less. Here are some things I put in my freezer:

1) Buy a rotisserie chicken. Costco's famous roasted chickens are still inexpensive and taste great! Simply use what you want to eat for dinner, then use the rest of the carcass for a soup base or make an all-purpose stock to use in sauces, rice pilaf and what not. Here's how you make homemade stock from a rotisserie chicken....

After you have eaten the Costco chicken, put the carcass in a large (at least 4 qt.) pot 3/4 full of water and let it boil for 30-40 minutes. Take the pot off of stove and cool. Put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove the fat from the top of the pot with a spatula or slotted spoon.  Next, remove chicken bones and take off any peices of chicken you want to use for soup. Refrigerate chicken meat pieces in a plastic bag to use later for soup or chicken salad sandwiches.

Return pot to stove at a high heat.  Add a couple of peeled garlic cloves, a stalk of celery, a peeled carrot, 1/2 t peppercorns and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cool. Strain. Freeze homemade stock in containers or add what's left of the chicken bits plus your favorite soup ingredients to make chicken  soup. Note: most of the time you will need more chicken meat to make soup--so you may want to have a couple of boneless breasts on hand to add to the pot if soup is your goal.

2) Buy a whole Turkey and Roast It.

Everybody knows that this is possibly the cheapest way to make a whole lot of good food. First, buy an 18 lb. frozen turkey and defrost it for a few days in the fridge. If you have more than 8 people coming, always opt to buy two smaller turkeys than one 23 lb. hulk. (Is it just me, or  have you ever asked yourself how that big a turkey managed to stand up on two tiny little legs?)  Apparently the smaller ones will taste better, and cook faster.  I usually buy frozen turkeys at Raley's or Safeway. The only fresh turkeys I like are usually about $50. and available at boutique markets. I really can't say I like Trader Joes's fresh turkeys at all--you get what you pay for in fresh turkeys. So here is what to do with a frozen one...

Take the defrosted turkey, put it in your sink and  wash it off. Get to know your turkey. Pat it on the back and say "Hi there, fellah!" Remove it to a clean surface and, reaching in through the opening where the neck used to be, take out the giblet bag. Put it in a plastic container and refrigerate if you want to use this nasty little bag for giblet gravy later.  Now, starting above the bird's cavity--separate the skin from the meat with your hand and shove large pats of butter under the skin. Yes, separating the skin from the bird with your hand feels strange, but it works well for a moist turkey!!!

Poke the turkey 6 or 7 times in different places with a fork. Put it in a large roasting pan. Season the outside with salt and pepper, or Lawry's Seasoning Salt. Cut up an orange into quarters, peel a fresh garlic clove or two and put them into the empty turkey cavity. This subtly flavors the meat. It's very French to do this. Oui oui!

Set the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Push a meat thermometer into the middle of the thigh, being careful to not touch the bone. then roast the whole thing for about an hour, until it gets up to about 175 degrees on the thermometer. Create a tent for the turkey with two pieces of foil that form an"A-frame" and are secured at the sides of the pan. Roast the whole thing for about an hour, until it reaches 175 degrees on the thermometer.  At this point, remove the foil tent and let it roast until golden brown, basting occasionally, about 30 more minutes.  I used to let my turkeys go up to the poultry setting on the thermometer. Not a good idea. Take it out of the oven at least five degrees before it gets there. The reason for this is that turkeys keep cooking for a while even after you remove them oven. Then you get a DRY turkey... ewwww.  At this point take the whole thing out of the oven and let it "rest" for 20 minutes or so before carving. Carve ALL of the meat off, serve what you need, and put the remainder in plastic freezer bags the fridge or freezer within a couple of hours to use at a later date. Then you can:

a) Make soup (see Turkey Soup in Being Erma's November 2010 posts) with the carcass
b) Make turkey sandwiches with leftover stuffing from "Gaga's Turkey Dressing" (December 2011)
c) Make "Sour Cream Turkey with Tarragon"(December 2011)
d) Make a Turkey Stir Fry (using vegies and Trader Joe's bottled stir-fry sauce mixed with water)

3) Buy a 3 1/2-4 lb flat of Tri-Tip steak at Costco. Marinate a couple of strips in McCormick's (or your favorite) meat marinade. Save the rest and put it in the freezer to :
a) Chop into pieces and make into stir-fry
b) Cut into chunks and make into a stew in the crock pot or stew pot.
c) Cut into pieces after having been cooked, marinate in McCormick's Burrito marinade--or make your own, chop into 1/4 inch pieces and sautee in a skillet until browned. Use meat for Burritos or Tacos (which is pretty inexpensive).
d) Cut tri-tip into 3/4" chunks, saute and add a stroganoff sauce you make yourself (See "Easy Stroganoff" on BeingErma.blogspot.com).

4) Buy a Pork Loin the Size of Your Leg. Costco has 'em. Using your big Chef knife--cut half of the loin into 1" thick pork chops. You should get at least 6. Wrap what you are not using in the near future with plastic wrap then foil. Later you can use what you didn't cut into pork chops for: pork stew meat...pork fajitas or tacos...pork kabobs...stuffed pork loin...ground pork...etc. etc. etc.               

5) Buy ground beef or turkey in large quantities at Safeway. I do not like the ground beef that is currently at Costco. To me--it tastes funny! Make ground beef  into hamburgers, lasagna, meatloaf, a multitude of mexican foods and old-fashioned casseroles. Then-- freeze them in containers. I highly recommend NOT making too many pasta casseroles and dishes, because they are easy to get sick of. However, having home-made spaghetti sauce on hand in the freezer is aways a great idea.

6) Buying Marinara Sauce: If you are making large quantities of  homemade marinara, tomatoes and plain tomato sauce are extremely inexpensive at Costco. Those are what I use to make "Sebastiani Spaghetti Sauce" and "San Francisco Cioppino" on "BeingErma.blogspot.com". You can also get the best and least expensive ready-made marinara at Trader Joe's. I like all of them--especially the Vodka Sauce.

7) Buy Boneless Chicken Breasts. Costco's Foster Farms brand still gives you a lot for the price. Thighs are very reasonable. And I often buy the chicken tenders. Make Chicken Cacciatore with these, adding home-made marinara sauce. There are bunches of great, inexpensive recipes for chicken that has been cooked and de-boned on "Being Erma.blogspot.com".  One of them is "Judy's Citrus-Garlic Chicken" posted April, 2011.

8) Buy Canned Tuna--it's more expensive than it used to be. But it beats almost everything else for price, except tofu. Just make a bechamel (white) sauce, throw in the tuna, add some warmed up frozen peas and serve on a bed of rice. Not that great for cholesterol, but absolutely delish if you're broke!

9) Buy Bacon--it's frequently on sale, two packages for the price of one, at Safeway. I never fry just two pieces. I fry a whole package then freeze whatever I don't use. Less dishes that way. Another, more healthy way to buy bacon flavor is to get the Hormel Real Bacon Bits or a huge bag of the Kirkland Real Bacon Bits at Costco. They're less fat, freezable, and taste wonderful when mixed into scrambled eggs, salads, baked beans, etc.. On Turkey Bacon: yes it's better for you. But I don't like it.

Ga-Ga's Turkey Dressing

Dressing, or stuffing, is a touchy business. Everyone has their own version of perfection. This year, a lot of people are going for a sausage and cranberry stuffing, which sounds very good indeed. But not for the people in my family that don't eat anything but poultry and fish! Hence, I go for a stuffing that's all veg and bread. My grandmother (GaGa) used to make this. She got the recipe from an Italian gardener that worked alongside of her in her huge kitchen garden. If you want it to taste like a traditional dressing, use pre-seasoned dried breadcrumbs. If you want to experience something very subtle and different, use un-seasoned dried crumbs. Both ways taste wonderful. Basil...that's the difference and the key.

In a soup kettle, sauté in butter or turkey fat:

2 yellow or white onions, chopped to about 1/3-inch chunks
3 C celery with leaves

Add:

One bag or box dried bread cubes (I use "Mrs. Cubbison's" from Safeway) or a cubed loaf of stale bread
1 1/2 t. Accent or MSG (yah, but she used it--what can I do?)
1 1/2 t. Beau Monde (it's a spice)
2 heaping dried T Sweet Basil or 4 T fresh Basil
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t garlic powder or salt
salt and pepper to taste
a very large handful of chopped parsley
chopped giblets (optional-- personally, I prefer to not have them lurking in my dressing)

Toss the above with 1/2 C melted butter and 1 C turkey or chicken broth (I used Swansons if I don't have any home-made in the freezer). You will most likely need to use more broth than what GaGa specified. Make sure the combination is wet, but not soggy. Remember, it's better to have too little moisture than too much. You can always add more broth, but you can't take it away. Throw the stuffing into a buttered crock-pot or a large, buttered casserole with a top. Turn the crock pot on until it's done, but not burned! About, 4 hours? If you use a good old casserole, put it in the oven at about 250 degrees until done, then keep it warm on a low temperature or warming tray.

Cwickie Cocoa Brownies with Divine Fudge Frosting

Brownies are my favorite way to eat chocolate. Home-made brownies. Hot, fudge brownies with vanilla ice cream. I can taste preservatives in a brownie mix brownie a mile away. Blech! These are so much better ...The " My Favorite Brownies" that are also posted on my bog are gourmet and perfect, but if you want a quick no-fail brownie--these are the best! No muss, no fuss and you almost always have the ingredients. I Served them last night at church and there were none left!

Note: If you want these to taste ultra-good, use unsalted butter. If you don't have unsalted butter (I usually don't) use salted butter and decrease the salt to 1/4 t. Almost as good. If you use a 9X 13" pan, double the recipe. These brownies are much better thicker than thinner. Grease the pan with lots of shortening or oil or vegetarian "butter" as they have a tendency to stick. Don't use butter to grease your pan, it burns too easily.

Ingredients:

1 C walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 C sifted flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Nestle or Droste-- the others are too bitter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8X8" square pan. Brown walnuts on a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes only. Or skip this step entirely. You can even opt to not use walnuts if you wish. Up to you. Beat first 3 ingredients with a mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla. Then mix in remaining ingredients. Bake 30-45 minutes depending on your oven and how fudgy you like them. Other Options: Add chocolate chips to the batter or frost to make them extra-delectable.

Smith Fudge Frosting: (from my husband's family)

 After brownies are cool. Bring 1 C salted butter,12 T milk and 2 C sugar to a gentle boil in a 2-qt. saucepan with a sturdy bottom over medium-low heat boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 C chocolate chips until melted. Then place saucepan contents into a 2-qt. bowl over a larger bowl of ice water and beat until thick and creamy. Immediately spread on brownies.