Truly decadent

Some of us are bringing desserts into the office tomorrow for a co-worker's birthday. Yes, my kitchen is typically closed on Mother's Day, but I do love to bake with Jack, so we made these brownies together. We also had the calorie-free benefit of the chocolate smell wafting through our condo.

They are purely sinful; I halved the recipe:

Outrageous brownies
From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients

·        1 pound unsalted butter

·        1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

·        6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

·        6 extra-large eggs

·        3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

·        2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

·        2 1/4 cups sugar

·        1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

·        1 tablespoon baking powder

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        3 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Messy perfection

It's Mother's Day, and motherhood has kicked my booty this year.

I have a three-year-old who likes to act like a three-year-old, testing limits and harnessing the power of the word "no!" I have both a preschooler and an infant, who both need and want my attention. I have the scars of an emergency c-section from that day in January.  I have not slept through the night for all of 2011.

So, darn it, I really earned today. I prayed for a sunny day, and it was a delightfully sunny day. Jeremy treated me to breakfast in bed, and I enjoyed and reveled in my laziness. He brought me a croissant from Floriole, a strong cup of French roast coffee, and yogurt with granola and berries. Jossie was my little bedfellow, nursing here and there, and blessedly falling asleep on my chest at one point as I watched Food Network. This being my second time around, I know these sweet baby cuddles won't last for long, so I soaked them in.

Jack couldn't stand me being lazy in bed - he brought in toy after toy and played at the end of the bed, asking me repeatedly when I was getting up.

Motherhood has taught me I'm not in control of my life. I may think I'm a control freak, a planner, a lover of to do lists, but I'm not in charge. Even a morning "alone" in bed means toys strewn across my room, spit-up stains on my pajama top, and a few spills of coffee here and there.

And that's just fine.

Because I have him.

And her.

  

And even though being a mommy is a lot of work, it's worth it. The smiles, the sloppy kisses, the true love. I hope I've made my own mom as proud as my kids have made me.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, mother-in-law, sisters, aunts, cousins and friends!

Anniversary dinner

Six years, two kids, one condo, a few trips to various wine regions, and three job changes between us, Jeremy and I celebrated our wedding anniversary today. We tried Jane's Restaurant for brunch with the kiddos, and Jack ate his body weight in pancakes, eggs and bacon. Kid-friendly, creative offerings, cloth napkins, and a nice atmosphere - it was right up our alley.

Tonight, we had dinner at home. With two small ones, we wanted a nice - but easy - dinner. My mom had made this meal when we visited at Easter and loved it.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients

·        1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons

·        3/4 pound linguine

·        3 tablespoons unsalted butter

·        2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil

·        1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

·        1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined

·        1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·        1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

·        1/2 lemon, zest grated

·        1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

·        1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

·        1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions

Boil water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. 

Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

It perfectly paired with some vintage champagne. Two babes sweetly asleep in their beds, and lemon yogurt cake for dessert.