To be a mom, you need to have superhuman powers. How else can you manage to get it all done in the mere 24 hours a day we’re given? To be a mom who blogs… you need to be something supernatural. Or at least have something supernatural under your belt, to help you get through the impossible stuff.
Impossible may be a bit extreme. But there are times when we go through adjustments in our lives and it takes a little more effort than usual to get through the day-to-day stuff. Like right now.
A good friend has committed herself to daily movement. Call it exercise….call it crazy…but she’s up to over 190 days now, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day doing some box jumps and whatever other crazy Crossfit WOD she’s doing. (I still don’t get the Crossfit aspect of it–and don’t even get me started on Paleo–but it makes her very happy, so who am I to argue?) I knew eventually I wanted to make changes in my own life, inspired by her dedication, but timing was an issue for a while. You can divide up the pie only so many ways before something else suffers.
And then you eventually cut the pieces differently anyway and hope it all falls into place.
Last Tuesday I re-joined the gym. I had been making excuses for a while, due to the lack of light when I’m not at work. I don’t exactly relish the thought of traipsing around the neighborhood in the wee hours alone when I can’t even see my hand in front of my face. It was time.
Time for the gym, while taken from my normal sleeping hours, means less time for other pursuits. Like baking. Because that’s the first thing to falter. Who wants to make something rich and indulgent when you’re trying to accomplish the complete opposite for your body? Add Thanksgiving in the middle and it’s a bit of a conundrum. But one worth facing, because it’s well overdue.
So here I am, rising before the butt-crack of dawn to get my daily movement done before the day truly begins. That’s a little something supernatural for me. I am not a morning person. I doubt I ever will be. But I will keep doing it. It’s worth it.
And when I crash mid-afternoon, desperate for a nap but with no bed in sight, I will bite into one of these Supernatural Brownies and have my supernatural powers restored. Or at least guarantee another trip to the gym in the morning. Whichever works. We have to get our strength somewhere. 7 days of daily movement down, a lifetime to go…
Supernatural Brownies
Ingredients
- 16 Tablespoons 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into thirds
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup raw turbinado sugar
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 13"x9" pan with parchment paper, then set aside.
- In a large microwaveable bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Heat at 50% power in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, sugars, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the egg mixture into the melted chocolate/butter, stirring constantly, until well incorporated.
- Stir in the flour, mixing only until just incorporated.
- Spread into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes, or until there is a nice shiny crust on the top.
- Cool completely before cutting.
Good luck with the gym, I’ve been walking every morning but avoiding all the yummy food now is impossible! And when the weather gets cold its even harder, all that comfort food 🙂
I’m not even trying to avoid the tasty stuff right now. Rhyme and reason. 🙂 Baby steps… I figure moving every day and eating it is better than not moving and still eating it. 😉
Exactly what I tell myself when I don’t want to get up and get moving!
Nice recipe. I love a simple brownie recipe which is easy for the kids 🙂
I also like the below brownie recipe.
http://www.wascene.com/food-drink/perfect-chocolate-brownie-recipe/
Thanks for sharing,
Kelly
That looks like a good one! Can never have enough versions of brownies to make!