While I was making these salted caramel brownies
yesterday for my lovely neighbours that keep my driveway shoveled this was delivered…
This isn't for Valentines Day (which we don't celebrate).
Or even for our "when first we met" anniversary which is on the 16th of this month (which we do celebrate).
This is because Mr. has been in Australia for 2 weeks on business and is now in Malaysia while I'm stuck here buried up to my neck in snow.
So now in my office I have a little hint of Spring sitting by my monitor.
Funny how the printable graphic I made and framed last week works so well with it.
I really love the flowers but it was what he wrote that touched my heart. So nice that after 23 years together he can still surprise me.
He will be home in time to celebrate our "when we first met" anniversary and we have planned to take a dance workshop on Blues. I'm getting excited.
Look at these two dancing the Blues…they are sexier than Dirty Dancing and they are "doing it" in their kitchen/living room!
A side note about those brownies should you decide to make them.
I tried to make the caramel and it totally did not turn out. Get another recipe for the caramel. One that adds a bit of water to the sugar and tells you what temperature it needs to reach. This recipe was lame suggesting that it take 5 minutes.
Granted when I tried to make the caramel I substituted brown sugar, which was all I had, but of course you can't tell when the sugar is caramelizing, duh! Instead it'll just create a massive smoke bomb in your kitchen and you will be flailing around desperately fanning a tea-towel in the air by your smoke alarm for what seems like hours while your pug looks on in dismay wondering why Mommy has gone mad again and in the meantime that sugar will be turning into crystallized impossible-to-remove-gunk in your pot which once removed from the stove will never ever completely harden up even when frozen.
I had to put the brownie batter in the fridge, call it a night, and go and buy Kraft caramels at the store the next day.
Guess what? When you put brownie mix in the fridge overnight it turns into one solid hard mass.
So I stuck it in the oven for a couple of minutes which did help loosen it up but I also promptly burnt myself on the hot bowl while trying to stir it.
Yes it was a bit of a farce in the kitchen yesterday.
Hard to believe I'm a trained chef.
My neighbours will never know the lengths I went to in order to make those dang brownies.
I am going to try to remake this recipe and I will make my own damn caramel! I will not be beaten by some tiny grains of sugar.
I hope the neighbours like salted caramel.
Another note on the recipe: do not bake them for 30 minutes. Check them at 20 minutes and don't leave in longer than 25. They should be sticky and gooey on the inside. Not like cake. Mine were overdone.
That recipe was lame.
Don't you just hate it when a recipe looks so great but then is poorly written or just outright incorrect?
This started out as a post about the lovely flowers I received and has now turned into a rant about poorly written recipes.
Ah well…
Have a great weekend!
Mmmm, salted chocolate caramel *anything* is delicious. What a sweet man you married, that’s the best. And oh my, that blues dancing is hot! xox
Ahh, how sweet of your husband, such pretty flowers. Bet you can’t wait to get dancing with him! The brownies sound and look delicious, even if they were problematic to make. Yes, I agree; I do hate it when you follow a recipe faithfully and it just doesn’t work out at all! xxx
I have almost the exact bear, but the heart reads, “Shit bitch, you is fine”
That totally cracks me up!
Ahh..your hubby is so sweet! I love to cook but never enjoyed baking. It really is a science to bake to make things go right. These brownies look divine what a bummer that they created such a headache.
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Yummy and beautiful post! We also don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day because our wedding anniversary is on the 24th. It’s a lot easier to have a nice meal at a restaurant on that day.
Wow, that’s dancing the way it’s supposed to be… It that even legal? I hope your dance lessons turn out like this too.
How great to be surprised after 23 years. I would expect no less from your dream man, literally, and vice versa.
Despite your disappointments with the recipe, if those brownies were in my home there would have been a real danger of them not making it out the door.
That is dancing, oh yes! Happy ‘when you first met’ anniversary too! I would totally be all over those brownies, we would need to be alone! haha! x x x
I hope you love the dancing!! I actually teach Blues dancing here in North Carolina. I. love. it.
It’s a nice balance to swing and lindy dancing too. Can’t wait to hear all about it! Have a wonderful time!! 🙂
-Jamie
What a lovely man you’ve got, still surprising you after 23 years. It must be vile to be stuck at home in the snow while he’s in exotic climes.
Those salted caramel brownies sound fab, I’m not a sweet tooth so they sound delicious. xxx
I am about to lick the screen–those brownies look fabulous. I need to make them for my hubster!
How fun that you two will be taking a dance class. I have always wanted to do that!
I have tried so many salted caramel brownie recipes and have not liked any of them. Please let me know if you find a recipe that actually works. It is a surprisingly delicate process.
Jenni
You seem to have found a great guy and a sweet marriage! Lovely!
What a sweet surprise from your lovely husband. Doesn’t that make your heart overflow? Big hugs for him.
And the dancing is indeed very, very sexy.
Greetje
Believe me, I had to do my share of taste testing ; )
So cool you teach this Jamie!
Vile is the word, one of of them that I have used to describe it ; 0
It is. I will keep you informed since I will be trying to do this again…
How terrific that Mr is so romantic and thoughtful !!
How fabulous he will take the Blues dance workshop with you.