Brownies

Wherever I go I am always on the lookout for brownies. Even if I am not in the mood for dessert at a restaurant, I will still look at the dessert menu to see if there are brownies on it - and then proceed to ask questions about them - to see if I should get them anyways or make note to come back later specifically to get try them.

I have eaten ALOT of brownies, and there are only a few that I think are worth mentioning.

#1 - boxed brownies, made at home. I have tried recipe after recipe and I always come back to this one.

the rest, in no particular order:
-two bite brownies from the grocery store
-starbucks espresso brownies
-brownies from the cafe infront of the candy store in tobermory - get them warmed up. (its worth the drive)

some runners up
-Leah's in-laws family homemade 'mint brownies'
-'skor brownies' from Nougat Bakery in kitchener
-brownies from LPK's Culinary Groove where my sister-in-law works as a baker.

saying all this, since its zuchinni season, I found a new recipe to try which is zuchinni brownies, I don't have high hopes, but it does seem like a new way to eat my millionth zuchinni this month!
Turns out they are more moist cake-ish, they didn't go to waste but probably won't make them again.

Also I tried a frozen brownie snickers ice cream sandwich this weekend - and it was great!

If you think there are some brownies out there that I need to try - let me know - and I am willing to travel!

-Lauren

Sew Chic

A few weeks ago I finished my very first dress. I was pretty impressed with myself... not too bad for my first big sewing project :)

I used Vogue pattern V8379, and here are the results...

- Leah

DIY up-cycled headboard

Projects. It seems that a lot of projects get started in our house, and before you are finished - a new one is started. This often means that it takes along time to finish things due to excitement/focus/motivation.....

About 6 years ago I thought it would be cool to turn an old door into a headboard. I was living in an old house at the time and found a door in the attic. For awhile I had the door leaning behind my bed as I tried out the idea. Then I spent some evenings scraping the varnish from the door. This was done on my tiny little balcony, in half hour increments over the summer of 2006. I never quite finished sanding it down to the bare wood before I moved in May 2007. I then moved in December 2009 and again in February 2011.....each time the door/headboard moved with me and was stored in the garage.

In July, as I was trying to make sure everything was 'unpacked' and put away from our move a few months earlier, I decided enough was enough and that I would finish my headboard project.

I have spent many hours looking at various DIY woodworking blogs, and have grown to love ana-white.com and she has definitely been motivation for finishing this project. She makes fantastic furniture, and shares the plans on her website.

I don't have a 'before' picture, well I might but unsure where that would be 6 years later...... and to be honest, the project isn't completely finished, its just leaning behind the bed. I still need to attach it to the frame.

I chose the dimensions based on the size of the door, not the size of the bed. Now the question is - do I centre it with a little extra headboard on each side? or centre the bed on the vertical portion of insets, and have it off set as in the photo?


-Lauren