Almost Wordless Wednesday

Sunrise Looking West 

Sunrise Looking East

Brownie Heaven!

I have seen the following recipe on two different blogs, Picky Palate and Kevin and Amanda and I've tried the recipe both ways. Although both are out-of-this world wonderful, I prefer the one from Picky Palate.

The best thing about this recipe is that each cook can decide for herself (or himself, as the case may be) what special ingredients they want to include. Kind of a "make your own signature" dessert, if you know what I mean.

The list of ingredients is fairly simple: one brownie mix, oil, eggs, chocolate chips, hot fudge topping and ice cream. It kind of screams wonderful right there, doesn't it?

How you make this your own recipe is by choosing your favorite brownie mix, hot fudge topping(I used dark chocolate - OH. MY. GOODNESS!), semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (heck, I'm thinking peanut butter chips or mint chocolate chips would work depending on your favorite ice cream), and your choice of ice cream (I used chocolate fudge brownie ice cream this time but I used cookies 'n cream ice cream another time.)

First you stir the brownie mix together with 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of canola or vegetable oil. Mix it by hand but be warned that it is a VERY thick batter.

To that mixture, add a heaping 1/2 cup of your favorite ice cream (I just measured 3/4 cup ice cream. After all, wouldn't that be a heaping 1/2 cup???), 1/4 cup hot fudge topping and 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips.

It will take some muscle to mix it altogether but you'll get it done.

Spread the brownie mix into an 8x8 inch baking dish* that has been coated very well with non-stick cooking spray. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F. oven for 45-50 minutes or until the brownies test done using the toothpick method.

*If you prefer thinner brownies I'm sure it would be perfectly fine to spread the mixture in a sprayed 9 x 13 inch pan but the baking time would need adjusting.

Cool, cut into bars and enjoy!

Note: Amanda spread half the mixture in her pan, added a layer of whole Oreo cookies, then spread the remaining half of the brownie mixture over the Oreos before she baked them. The first time I tried the recipe I did it that way. They were delicious but I just prefer the brownies without the added Oreos. Go figure!

Ice Cream Sundae Brownies

1 box brownie mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup of your favorite ice cream
1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup hot fudge topping (chilled)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix the brownie mix, 2 eggs and oil until combined. Add ice cream, hot fudge topping and chocolate chips. Mix in until evenly distributed. Spread in an 8x8 inch baking dish that has been generously sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake brownies for 45-50 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.

Cool completely, cut into bars and serve.

Dalton Defender Days 2010

Please note that the following photographs were taken during  Friday evening's 6pm reenactment of the Dalton gang's raid on Coffeyville, Kansas. Regretfully there are unwanted shadows on several of the photos.

According to history, the Dalton gang devised a plan to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas on the same day and at the same time. The date was October 5, 1892.

It was a day like any other day. The people of the town were going about their business.

The Dalton gang rode into town a little before 9a.m. 

Bob and Emmett Dalton entered the First National Bank 

while Grat Dalton, Bill Power and Dick Broadwell entered the C. M. Condon & Co. Bank.

One of the townspeople alerted others that the gang was in town.

Those who were on the streets ran for cover.

Several men secured guns from two hardware stores to defend the town. A shoot out ensued.

The gun battle lasted less than fifteen minutes after the robbers had entered the banks. When it was all over eight men were dead (four of the defenders and four of the Dalton gang) and three were wounded.

Lucius Baldwin, Charles Brown, Marshal C.T. Connelly, and George Cubine were the four defenders who died that day defending their town.

The bodies of Bill Power, Bob Dalton,Grat Dalton and Dick Broadwell were laid out on the street for all to see.


Emmett Dalton survived the raid even after receiving a total of 23 gunshot wounds. He was tried and given a life sentence in prison at Lansing, Kansas but was pardoned after fourteen years. Upon his release from prison, he moved to California and became a real estate agent, author and actor. He died at the age of sixty-six.

Bob Dalton, Grat Dalton and Bill Powers are buried in the same plot Coffeyville's Elmwood Cemetery. Two of the defenders, Charles Brown & George Cubine, are buried nearby.

Interestingly enough, Frank Dalton, the brother of the gang members, was killed in 1887 in the line of duty as a U.S. Deputy Marshall.

October 1st Sunset With a Bit of Fog

This weekend is the Dalton Defenders celebration in Coffeyville, Kansas. Last year - and I can't believe a year has already passed! - I posted the story of of the Dalton's Raid on Coffeyville back on October 5, 1892. You can read that post here.

Tonight (Friday) AD and I drove into Coffeyville to see the reenactment. The reenactment will be put on again two more times tomorrow. Of course I had my camera with me and took lots of photos. I had actually planned to post some of those tonight but as we were returning home and driving down our road there was just a bit of fog in places and I snapped photos.

I thought I'd share some of them with you.

The house in the background belongs to one of our neighbors.

This is a perfect photo for October, at least in my opinion. It looks kind of creepy to me, like something out of a ghost story.

That's it for tonight. I'll post some of the re-enactment photos in the next day or two.

If you're in Oklahoma, get out and enjoy some of the beautiful Fall weather this weekend! If you're not in Oklahoma, I sure hope your weather is as glorious as ours!