Small Town, USA

Well, hello!


I have been enjoying my summer and as a result, my blog has been neglected.


This weekend, my cousin, Evan, my friend, Hilary, and I went to the Frankfort Hot Dog Festival in Frankfort, IN.  I mean, once you see that advertised, how can you not go check it out?  We drove a short 30 minutes north of Indy, through some corn fields to the quaint town of Frankfort.  If you watch The West Wing, I just want to let you know that we didn't run out of diesel, nor did we switch time zones.  As you can imagine, it wasn't hard to find the Main Street of Frankfort.  The large Johnsonville Grill truck kinda gave it away.

Hilary and Evan at the Johnsonville Grill

We walked around the festival to see what all it had to offer.  I really felt like I was in Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls, anyone?)  The festival was set up around the beautiful county courthouse.

We decided to first sample a Indiana classic, the pork burger.  If you ever come across one, I suggest you stop what you are doing and immediately eat it.  De. Li. Cious.

Pork burgers from the local Firemen.  Yum!

We walked around the festival, again, to make sure we didn't miss any booths and so we could work up our appetite to get a hot dog.  I mean, you can't go to the hot dog festival and not get a hot dog, right?  Right.

Evan and Hilary enjoyed Frankie's Hot-Digitty Dogs.  Duh.

#Merica

I love small towns.  Let's be clear, I don't want to live in one, but I can appreciate an afternoon spent strolling around and enjoying the sites and the people.


What adventures did you have this weekend?


Aubrey

Favorite Brownie Recipe

When I was younger, I didn't know that you could make brownies from scratch.  My mom always made them from a box because it is faster and easier.  When Rob first introduced me to brownies from scratch, I wasn't too excited about the long process; boxes were just easier.  I really hate melting chocolate because even with a double-boiler, I can get impatient and burn it.

My life was forever changed with my good friend Mary introduced me to her brownies.  They have a wonderful crust on top, are very chocolatey, and gooey.  The best part is they do not involve melting chocolate!  I made them last week for my boss' birthday.  He loves peanut butter and chocolate, so I added a layer of Reese's.  Here was the finished product:

Hello, lover...

Mary Winter Brownies:

What you need:

3/4 cup room temperature butter (I use unsalted)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa (I use Hershey's unsweetened)

1/2 bag chocolate chips (dark chocolate is best)

How you make them:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, mix the salt, baking powder, flour and cocoa together.

3. In a different, bigger bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.

4. To this, add the vanilla and eggs, mix well.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients .  I usually do this in 3 parts so I don't make a huge mess.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Pour batter into a greased 9x9 pan.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Double batch bakes for 45-50 minutes)

Variations:  These brownies are really yummy with Heath bar, either on top or mixed in.  In the picture above, I made a double batch without the chocolate chips, put in half the batter, placed 25ish Reese's on top, then poured the rest of the batter on top.  A double batch bakes for 45-50 minutes.  Mine got a little too done on the bottom (in a Pyrex) because I didn't want them to be too gooey, but next time I will take them out a little sooner.

Enjoy :)

Spain 6: Last Spanish Update

#42 Start a day with churros with San Gines

Que delicioso!

Yum!

#68 See the Plaza of Neptune

This is where Atletico de Madrid celebrates all their wins

#24 Enjoy the art at the Prado

I really enjoyed having a personal tour guide!

#17 Eat a calamari sandwich in the Plaza Mayor

Delish

We love crossing things off the list!

#20 Eat patatas bravas in Las Bravas.  Ok, this was at the Plaza Mayor, but Di says these are better than the ones in Las Bravas, so I'll take a half point.

#9 See the Cibeles Fountain

This is where Real Madrid celebrates all their wins!

#4 See the Crystal Palace

#3 See the sculpture of the fallen angel

So dramatic..

#22 See the sunset at Templo de Debod

Gorgeous

So random to have Egyptian ruins, but so pretty

#99 Search for the best mojito in Madrid

We found the best one at this random, 1950's American diner -looking restaurant.

#93 Wander through Plaza 2 de Mayo

#92 Have a botellon in Plaza de Espana

Well, we were in Plaza 2 de Mayo and there weren't very many people around, but we did the most important part of the botellon: buy bad Spanish beer from a random woman selling it from her purse.  Yum.  This was only a half point.

Di and I with our bad beer.

This concludes the list!  There are few that I did, but no pictures.  It was a crazy, fun week and I can't wait to do #101:  Do it all over again.  With friends.

Until next time,

Spain 4

Paella isn't on the list, but how can you not eat some??

Hola Paella!

Adios Paella...

#67: See the Goya frescoes in the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida

Photos weren't allowed.  Clearly, I don't follow rules well!

#64: Try the grilled chicken at Casa Mingo

I literally don't know why you would even try anything else here.  Sorry I'm a terrible tourist and didn't get a picture of the actual chicken and hard cider.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it...

#28: See the Guernica at the Reina Sofia.

Please click here to read about this amazing painting.

#46: Visit the Thyssen

#66: Roar with the lions in front of the Congreso de los Disputados

Once an ADPi, always an ADPi <>

#99: Enjoy the graffiti

#91: Meet an old friend for coffee

I mean, wasn't this whole trip about meeting an old friend??  Di doesn't like coffee, so I had coffee with a new friend, Laura!

Cafe con Leche...yum!

#35: Listen to jazz at Cafe Central

Ok, so we went during the day and there was no jazz.  I counted it as a half point.

#21:  See the Don Quijote and Sancho Panza statue in the Plaza de Espana

#15: Eat a sweet treat at La Mallorquina

Chocolate Napoleon 

#10: Climb to the roof of the Circulo de Bellas Artes

#41: Eat Indian food in Lavapies

Surprisingly lacking in spice, but still delish.

Numbers 28, 46, 66, 99, 91, 35, 21, 15, 10, and 41 were all done in one day. Plus a few sites that weren't on the list...

Until next time,