Cooking in Pajamas

2 c. (12 oz) Semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 c. Butter or margarine 4 Eggs, beaten 3/4 c. Sugar 2 tbsp Vanilla extract 1-1/4 c. Flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1 c. Walnut (optional) Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with the butter.  It is best to use a double-boiler but you can also use low heat but make sure you stir constantly to prevent scorching.  Cool the chocolate sauce to room temperature. Preheat oven to 325˚F. Whisk together the sugar and the eggs.  Stir in vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour into the egg mixture.  (I put in 1/8 cup of flour at a time and whisk until blended.) Stir in the chocolate sauce.  Fold in the remaining chocolate chips (and nuts, if using). Bake for 25-30 min, or until the toothpick comes out almost clean. My comments: I was craving brownies two nights ago but I didn't have any cocoa powder which is what I needed for my own brownie recipe. So I found this one on RecipeZaar ; it had good reviews and it will use up the...

1/4 - 1/2 c. Your favourite fruits (bananas, mangoes, blackberries, strawberries, etc.) 2-3 Tbsp Plain yogurt 2 Tbsp Special K cereal Honey Combine the fruits, yogurt and Special K cereal in a bowl. Drizzle some honey on top for taste. Mix and serve immediately. My comments: I love yogurt but a small 100 g of flavoured yogurt contains 15 g of sugar. Although the sugar is supposed to be "natural", from the fruits, 15 g is equivalent to approximately 1.4 Tbsp of sugar and it tastes quite sweet. So I've decided that if I'm going to be eating that much sugar, I might as well get it straight from the source, especially summer time is the best time to stuff ourselves with fresh fruits. I tried this without adding the honey but the plain yogurt was a bit bland for my palette. But I think drizzling a small amount of honey is still better than eating flavoured yogurt because it is definitely less sugary and I can also control the level of sweetness better th...

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) Butter, unsalted 2 Onions, chopped 2 Tbsp Fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1.5 tsp Garlic, minced 4 Carrots, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups) 2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 1/3 cups) 1.5 tsp Lemon peel, grated 4 c. Chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium 2 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice Garnish: 4 Tbsp Sour cream, low fat (but I find the soup tasted better without it) 1 Carrot, peeled and grated Melt the butter in the soup pot and sauté the onions for about 4 min. Add the ginger and garlic, sauté for 2 min. Throw in the chopped carrots, tomato and lemon peel, sauté for 1 min. Add the chicken stock and bring to boil.  Then, reduced heat, partially cover and simmer for 20 min or until carrots are very tender.  Allow the soup to cool a bit. Purée the soup using a blender and return the soup to the pot.  Mix in the fresh squeezed lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  (Add more broth/water if the soup is too thick.) Bef...