Hannah

“First, you have to mother yourself, and that means forgiving yourself, along with the mother who couldn’t raise you and then the woman who did.”
― Jennifer Givhan, River Woman, River Demon

“Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies ¾ cup chunky peanut butter 4 tablespoons butter, melted ½ cup confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ⅔ cup vegetable oil ½ cup boiling water 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9×13 baking pan. Mix together the peanut butter, butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. Set aside. Combine cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add ⅓ cup of the vegetable oil and mix together thoroughly. Add boiling water and stir until mixture thickens. Add the rest of the vegetable oil, eggs and sugar and stir until smooth. Mix in flour, vanilla and salt until thoroughly blended. Pour brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Drizzle peanut butter mixture over brownie batter. Using a knife, cut through the topping and batter to create a marbled effect. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until brownies are set in the middle and peanut-butter-swirl topping begins to puff slightly. Allow to cool in pan before cutting.”
― Bailey Cates, Brownies and Broomsticks

“What will I be doing years from now? I don’t have the same kind of burning desire like I used to when all I wanted was to escape to Tokyo, and I don’t feel excited any more about achieving a goal. That all fizzled away, like froth.”
― Michiko Aoyama, What You Are Looking for is in the Library

“First I stirred up some simple brownies using the old trick of adding boiling water to the batter to make them extra moist. Then came the best part: chunky peanut butter mixed with soft butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and dolloped on top of the brownie batter. I drew a knife through the combination to create a chunky marbled effect and popped the pan into a hot oven.”
― Bailey Cates, Brownies and Broomsticks