recipe: double chocolate brownies.

These are the best brownies ever.  Fact.  Not only do they have two kind of chocolate, they also have chewy centres and crispy tops.  To me, all those things combined equal brownie perfection!  They take a teensy bit longer than some other brownie recipes, but they are 100% worth it.

If it's warm enough for an afternoon in the park where you are then these would be a perfect treat to pack.  Or, if you live where I do and you are currently spending your evenings staring out your window willing the snow banks to melt then these are the perfect reward for having to put up with winter for six months.  Whatever situation you happen to be in.  I totally wish I was having a picnic right now.

double chocolate brownies.  adapted from martha stewart.  because martha is the best.

3/4 C. butter
12 oz. coarsely chopped semisweet baking chocolate.
1/2 C. cocoa powder.
1 1/2 C. flour.
1/2 tsp. baking powder.
1 1/2 C. sugar.  (i like really rich chocolately brownies, if you aren't so much into dark chocolate ,add 2 cups of sugar)
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract.

makes one 9"x13" pan.  this recipe can easily be halved.

In a double boiler melt the baking chocolate and butter, once melted sift in the cocoa powder and mix to combine.  Sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside.  In a mixer beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale and frothy, approximately 5 minutes.  Add chocolate mixture and mix until combined.  Add flour mixture and mix until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.  Grease and flour your baking pan (or line it with parchment) and pour your batter, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out with a few moist crumbs..(think less cooked than a cake, but you don't want the toothpick coming out with liquid batter stuck to it)  let cool, cut into squares and keep willing the snow to melt..

Have a wonderful day!  xo, T.

d.i.y. painted wood bead necklace.

You know what spring means?  It means not having to wear a million layers of clothing!  Which  means I can finally wear necklaces without having them getting completely tangled up in knit scarves and I no longer have to choose between being warm and wearing pretty things!

In anticipation of this warmer weather (it snowed yesterday in Winnipeg guys!) I have been in a definite necklace making mood.  I love wooden beads because you can make so many pretty things out of them, and all you need is paint - and if you're me, glitter!

I wanted something that was kind of neutral, but still fun, I've been really into grays and gold lately.  I love how it turned out, and of course the little bit of glitter makes it even better!

What you need:
_wooden beads in whatever size you like.
_ribbon
_a little bit of chain (optional - if you use it you also need pliers.)
_paint
_clear coat spray paint
_glitter and white glue (optional)

what you do:
_1: paint all of your beads. I find it easiest to use a small brush and paint one half  of all the beads and then go back and paint the other half.  I did two coats.
_2: if you feel like adding some sparkle this is your chance.  I mixed two shades of Martha Stewart glitter together (yellow barite + Florentine gold).
_3:paint your bead with white glue and roll through your glitter. tap off excess and let dry.  touch up any spots that got missed.
_4: I only wanted a little bit of sparkle so I glittered three of my gold beads, but do as many as makes you happy!
_5: lay out all your beads on newspaper and spray with your clear coat.  This adds a shine to your beads and locks in the glitter to keep it from flaking off.  Spray one side, let dry, turn over and spray the other side. Apply two coats.
_6:make sure your beads are completely dry before threading them onto a ribbon.  I find it easiest to thread if I wrap a bit of masking tape around the end of the ribbon (kind of like a shoelace!)
_7:  if you want , add a length of chain to your necklace after threading the beads onto the ribbon, tying it securely and trimming the ends. Note:  leave a bit more length than what I've shown, otherwise you run the risk of it unraveling and beads cascading everywhere!
You can either join the two ends of chain with a clasp or jump ring and call it a day, or if you're like me and just happen to have a scrap of chain lying around you can tie more ribbon onto the other end to make your necklace longer.

And that's it, you're done!  And now you have something else pretty to add to your spring wardrobe.  Have fun experimenting with different paint techniques and glitter, I think a polka dot one would be sweet too!

Have a lovely weekend!   Also like the straight hair?! xo, T.

And again, the prettiest pictures are by the lovely Mackenzie loewen!