Here is a cheater muffin recipe to add some sparkle to "boxed" muffin mix. The box I had in the pantry was the Krusteaz Fat Free Cranberry Orange muffins. They are good on their own but I wanted to make them a bit more appealing to the kids. And I know the fat free baked goods seem to lack that crusty outside we all like. When I mixed the muffins I added 2 Tablespoons of Extra Light Olive Oil and some freshly grated orange peel. Olive oil is great to bake with and much better for us.

When the muffins came out of the oven I tried  a trick I learned when I  worked at a Scottsdale gourmet  market/restaurant called  C. Steele & Co.. Carol had the best muffins for breakfast. On top of the Lemon Poppy Seed the bakers would brush some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle a little sugar on top. Taking that lesson I squeezed some orange juice to brush on top and sprinkled  some sugar for a little muffin "bling". Very tasty. Now I just have to get the kids to wake up and eat them before I do:))  Bon Appetit. Or maybe as we are heading to Peru this week I should say  ¡Buen Apetito!

All - American Cheeseburger Soup by Lorraine Wallace

This was so good on a cold rainy afternoon. It is from a book Mike told me about titled "mr. sunday's soups". Mr Sunday being Chris Wallace,  the Fox News anchor and Mike Wallace's son. His wife, Lorraine, cooked these on Sunday afternoons waiting for Chris to come home from the studio. They live in Middleburg, VA where I went to school and she rides horses so she must be nice.

The soups have all been excellent and creative but this was not something I would have looked at twice except it was really icky outside and it sounded very comforting. Everyone LOVED it.  I'm going to cheat since I never took typing and it's kind of long. Thank you for your support:)

Yummy Passover Brownies

Okay, this took about an hour  to get started because I haven't been back since I first posted months ago and I couldn't remember the account information to log on. I really don't like having all the different e-mails and passwords necessary for all the different accounts to access online. I know the Internet is an amazing tool but it can also be one of the most frustrating. 


I'm hoping to be able to blog from our trip in a couple of weeks like I did from Ireland. It won't be as humorous, of course, but informative all the same. Or maybe it will. So stay tuned :)


The whole reason for today's blog is to share my Passover Brownie recipe. I haven't made them in a while but Brent's Deli would be jealous they are so good. I got it originally from a friend in Phoenix. I haven't seen her in a while. Maria, I hope you are well.

Passover Brownies

2 eggs well beaten

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cake meal

1 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

(does any one know how to make a "degree" sign on the computer? I'm sure there's a way if I knew how to type)

Beat eggs and sugar until light and lemon colored. Add Vanilla. Blend in cocoa, oil, and salt. Gradually mix in cake meal, chocolate chips, and nuts. Pour into greased  9x9  pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Now here's the tricky part. Don't over- bake them. The top should look like regular brownies, kind of cracked. This recipe can be doubled and should be because they will go quickly!

ENJOY! 

And have a wonderful, not too long Seder! 

p.s. 1/2 cup chopped nuts are optional but it wouldn't let me add them  to the end of the recipe for some reason.