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Ann Street Decadent Brownie Recipe from Beaufort, N.C. for the Ultimate Chocolate Lover

Sitting at my desk, I go through blog posts from my early days of hosting a website.  I stumbled upon a fabulous Brownie recipe from St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Beaufort, NC.  I originally published the recipe in 2011 and felt it would be great to repost for 2025.  The brownies are great to take to summer picnics. 

Delicious Brownies from Beaufort, NC



North Carolina's historic Ann Street is one of my favorite streets in Beaufort.  It runs parallel to Front Street which is located on the waterfront.  Ann Street is home to most of the churches in the town and is the most stately residential street in the historic town with rows of beautiful trees.  St. Paul's Episcopal Church hosts a great luncheon during the town's Old Homes and Garden Tour in June.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church used to host a  luncheon during the town's Old Homes and Garden Tour in June.  On one of my past trips to Beaufort, I purchased the church's cookbook, "Let Us Keep the Feast in Historic Beaufort."  It is a favorite cookbook of mine, and yes, it drives my husband nuts, but I still keep a lot of vintage cookbooks. 
 

Ann Street Decadent Brownies

Brownies
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup Mazola oil
6 tablespoons of cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk

Frosting
5 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons water
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix butter and oil; add cocoa and water
Mix dry ingredients and butter mixture, will be thick.
Stir until blended, add eggs and buttermilk and stir until smooth.
Pour into ungreased 9 X13-inch pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Last 5 minutes of baking, mix frosting ingredients together and spread on hot brownies once out of oven, sprinkle with nuts if you like.

Yield: 32 to 40 small squares.

If you are thinking of planning a trip to Beaufort and Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina, then visit http://www.crystalcoastnc.org/




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5 Easy Salads to Serve for Dinner

Raleigh, NC, USA
The older I get, the more I appreciate dinner salads. Here are a few that work well as the main entree. 




Five Salads Great for Dinner



1. Cucumber-Feta Salad with  Chickpeas and Basil

I made Jessica Seinfeld's Cucumber-Feta Salad with Chickpeas and Basil as a side dish the other night for my family and served it with baked chicken. However, chickpeas are a protein source (about 14.5 grams of protein per cup), and they could be served as a main meal. This salad is made in a snap and would be a great accompaniment to almost any meat.

2. Steak Salad with Snap Peas

I like this Steak Salad with Snap Peas recipe from Martha Stewart because the ingredients are simple. My kids love steak, snap peas, and raw carrots, but give them a cooked carrot, and they will not eat one bite. Salads like this make it easy for moms to prepare a whole meal that can serve everyone, even if deconstructed to suit everyone's tastes.

3. Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Getting a rotisserie chicken at your local market is a quick and easy solution for dinner. If you are like me and want more veggies in a meal. I think this Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad, again from Martha Stewart, is a chicken dinner winner. The cashews and red cabbage give it the perfect crunch in every bite. I also do Rotisserie chicken on Caesar Salad for qu

4. The Antipasti Pasta Salad
My children constantly eat pasta. It is their preferred carb. They also grab salami from the fridge for a snack. This Antipasti Pasta Salad made me realize it's okay to put salami, pasta, and mozzarella on a plate and call it dinner in warmer weather. But, as an adult, I need a little more pizazz for dinner, so this salad is perfect. If you prepare this salad, add more olive oil and a few splashes of reserved pasta water. I personally may omit the pasta for Zucchini Noodles.

 5. The Fajita Steak Salad 

This Fajita Steak Salad is another twist for a Mexican night in your house. It's quick and easy, and if the kids say no to a salad, just put their ingredients in a flour or corn tortilla. Add black beans, corn, and avocado to this salad. Use a bottled ranch or blue cheese dressing to make things really simple. I'm a big fan of the Little Black Dressing Company,. Jarred salsa would work well, too. Or use both for even more flavor. Another nice thing about this salad as a main meal is that each salad can be customized according to likes. Treat it like a salad bar, and let everyone make their own.
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The Secret to Longevity and Healthy Hearts: A Minestrone Recipe for Soup Nights

United States
The older I get, the more I adore a pot of soup. I love a soup where you can throw many healthy vegetables into a pot, walk away, and let it simmer. As I sit in my Raleigh home in mid-February, snow is swirling in the air, and I wish I had the forethought to buy ingredients for Minestrone soup. I originally posted this recipe on the HinesSightBlog 2012 for February, which is Heart Healthy Awareness Month with the American Heart Association. 

Made with many vegetables, greens, beans, and pasta, minestrone can provide super nutrients that slow aging and promote heart health. The great thing about Italian minestrone is that you can adapt the soup to the seasons and what is bountiful in the produce aisles.  The variations in this soup can be different from household to household. Why, you ask? Minestrone originated in Italy as a "leftover or "poor man's soup," meaning you use what you have on hand and turn it into a nice one-pot meal. 

You'll be hard-pressed to find two identical recipes when you search the internet.  Eating Well Magazine has well over 10 minestrone recipe variations on its site. Even Hollywood actor  and Italian cooking influencer Stanley Tucci recently wrote on his Instagram account that "Minestrone is the Secret to a Healthy Life," he said several times in his video that it's even better when cooked in a beautiful pot.  I don't know if that is true, but I love the Le Creuset pot I've had for almost 25 years. 





Heart Healthy Minestrone

Ingredients

      2 teaspoons olive oil
      1/2 cup chopped onion
      1/2 teaspoon dried basil
      1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
      2 garlic cloves, minced
      1 1/4 cups cubed peeled acorn or butternut squash (about 1 medium) (optional)
      3/4 cup diced zucchini  (left this vegetable out)
      1/2 cup chopped carrot
      1/2 cup diced fennel
      1 cup water
      1 (14-ounce) fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
      5 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
      1/4 cup uncooked ditalini (very short tube-shaped pasta). I used penne pasta
      2 1/2 cups chopped Swiss chard, Kale, or Spinach.  (I used spinach)
      1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned Great Northern Beans (I used a whole can of white kidney beans)
      1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
       2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese (I used parmesan cheese)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, basil, oregano, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add squash and the following 3 ingredients (through fennel); sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, broth, and tomato paste; boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in pasta; cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chard; cook 3 minutes. Add beans; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in pepper. Serve with cheese.








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