Happy fall, friends!
I asked around OU's campus on what I should do for my next cooking adventure. I hounded strangers, friends, professors, etc. inquiring what they would want to eat or at least like to read about.
Here's some of the interesting things they had to say:
So, with all their helpful advice, I decided on Sunday that I would make cherry brownies. I was determined to make a delicious, savory dessert that would make that show "Ace of Cakes" run away and scream in utter defeat....well, if Duff the lead baker in "Ace of Cakes" made brownies, too.
My whole brownie idea was to make them from scratch, but seeing as how I've never made anything before this blog, well, I'd settle for a date with my good ol' girl Betty.
Betty Crocker knows what she is doing. She has everything you need in simple, clear directions right on the back of the box. Some vegetable oil, water, eggs and you're all set.
I know this sounds juvenile, right? I almost feel like a 5-year-old who is attempting to play with her first Easy Bake Oven, which I suppose, isn't far off from the truth.
Anyway, the simple baking instructions were fine. My friend Mike and I handled the steps like pro's and cracking the eggs was the highlight of the evening. After about twenty minutes, the chocolatey aroma filled the cramped apartment and the timer finally went off, alerting us that the goods were ready!
The aftermath of the brownies were pretty good for my first attempt. A little hard once cooled off, but nonetheless not the worst brownie. And while the convenience of brownies in a box is seemingly easy and delicious, next time, I'd opt for the homemade.
I also have disappointing news to report:
My friends have all surprisingly contracted H1N1 and/or some odd illnesses. Thus, no dinner party on Thursday. Sad to say the least, but this means we can prepare for an bigger, even better dinner party! One fit for a king! With that said, I need everyone's help to make a list of dishes to serve my guests. Should we have a theme? Oh my!
So, until next time...readers, help me make a successful dinner party! In the words of Harvey Milk, "I recruit you!"
Those cherry brownies look delish! I do have some suggestions for your dinner. I am the queen of dips, all of my roommates can attest to that. So as i might not be the best to recommend a sidedish, I can recommend an appy. Buffalo chicken dip, quacamole (mexican theme=fiesta!?), spinach dip in a pumpernickel bread bowl, etc. I could go on and on. Hope this helps, does anything sound good??
ReplyDelete-Jaclyn
Aimee --
ReplyDeleteI adore Betty brownies! I wish I could do homeade, but honestly, I just don't have the time! I recently made the boxed Ghirardelli brownies, though, and I highly recommend them.
In terms of a dinner party, I have the most fun making pizza from scratch! Once you get a good dough recipe, the rest is so simple. You can make them really big, too, if you're feeding lots of folks! I like to put tomatoes and fresh basil on mine.
Best of luck!
Jen