Brownie baking

Bonsoir mes belles! Hope your week is off to a terrific start...the worst day is already over, so it’s all downhill from here!

I didn’t intern today, so I got to “sleep in” (until 7…living on the edge here) and enjoy a leisurely morning. Breakfast was a bowl of Nature’s Path SmartBran with blueberries and almond milk:

It was gorgeous out today- mid seventies, clear skies, a slight breeze and barely any humidity. Perfect running weather! I completed 6 miles in a little over 55 minutes. It’s been awhile since I got my run on, so it felt great to be back at it!

When lunchtime rolled around, I was craving something sweet and cold like crazy. A yogurt mess sounded perfect! This bowl contained a container of So Delicious vanilla coconut yogurt, Nature’s Path kamut puffs, two apricots, half a pint of blueberries, and a blob of Naturally Nutty vanilla sunflower seed butter on both the top and bottom for maximum nut-butter blendability:

 

I also had a few ginger chews, which I know Katie will love!

This afternoon I spent some time in the kitchen baking up a storm. I’m headed to a friend’s house to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey tonight, so I baked some of Julie’s red velvet brownies to take with me:

I also got creative inventing a recipe using some Trader Joe’s peanut butter filled pretzels I picked up on Saturday. I’d remembered seeing a recipe on VeggieGirl for vegan blondies, but since my only vegan yogurt left is a passionfruit flavor, I decided to just wing it! They turned out dense, moist and delicious. Here’s the recipe!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies

• 1 c creamy peanut butter (I used PB&Co’s Dark Chocolate Dreams, which explains the brown blondies, but if you use regular PB, they’ll be “blonde”)
• ½ c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 c brown sugar
• ½ c non-dairy milk (I used Almond Breeze unsweetened chocolate)
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 c flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1.5 c Trader Joe’s peanut butter filled pretzels, crushed (about 40 pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 With a fork, thoroughly mix peanut butter, applesauce and sugar. Add all remaining ingredients except pretzels and stir until well blended, being careful to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Stir in 1 cup of peanut butter pretzels before transferring to an 8x8 pan prepared with nonstick spray. Top with remaining pretzels, and bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

As the applesauce and whole wheat flour suggests, these are definitely healthier tasting than an ooey-gooey butter filled bakery confection, but they’re a yummy treat nonetheless! I sampled one heated in the microwave for 20 seconds, and it was super moist and peanut buttery without being cloyingly sweet.

I ate plenty of batter and bites while baking, but I also snacked on two small peaches to balance it out.

Later in the afternoon, I headed to Plato’s Closet to unload some old clothes I don’t wear anymore. I’m kind of bummed that they barely took anything, but I guess that’s what happens when you wait until things are three years out of style to get rid of them! I did manage to make some money though, so I can’t complain.

For dinner, I was craving veggies and seafood! I made a salad beast using romaine, cucumbers, plum tomatoes, carrots onions, and a can of salmon mixed with Cedar’s hummus. An apple and unpictured pita rounded out the meal.

 

For dessert, I had small portions of both brownies. This is where the picking test will come in- normally I can’t resist slivering away at baked goods, but I’m hoping that since I allowed myself to try a serving of each, I’ll be able to stay away! (Last night went well again- I snacked on a bowl of cherries and grapes).

Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday loves!

How often do you clean out your closet? Do you try to sell them to consignment shops, donate them, or throw them away? My mom hates it when I get rid of things, so I can’t weed through my closet nearly as much as I’d like to. We usually take things to the consignment store first, then donate all the leftovers to the Salvation Army.

What’s your favorite kind of brownie? I like mine moist and fudgy…even better if they have peanut butter!