A little bit about Lisette.....

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air.

When I am not working you will most likely find me spending time outdoors, volunteering with my church and exploring this beautiful planet with my family. 

This is my place to share my passion for life and to encourage you to take time to find the extraordinary in your life.

The best brownie you might ever eat

I will be the first to admit I am not a fabulous chef. I can follow recipes and produce items which resemble their intended results, but I am not adept at throwing together whatever I may have in my refrigerator to produce a scrumptious meal. I believe such skills are a sign of a true chef. That being said, here is one such recipe I followed with the additional of a chopped up chocolate bar at the end (I have made this recipe twice and used a Hershey's milk chocolate bar the first time and this time I added a Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate bar) Also, I opted not to put in the nuts. I have to admit this is one of the best brownies I have ever eaten because it is chocolately, dense, moist and yet not doughy.



  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil; butter foil. Set aside.
  2. Place butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir frequently, until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted.
  3. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth; whisk in eggs. Gently whisk in flour just until smooth (do not overmix). Fold in nuts, if using.
  4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (they should form a ball when rolled between your fingers), 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
  5. Use foil to lift brownie cake from pan; peel off and discard. Cut into 16 squares.
Recipe taken from Everyday Food, May 2005

Rising Above

Going back to your roots Part II