Missing Sodus
By Melissa White
mgoodcooke@yahoo.com  

Keep thinking of beautiful warm places. They will help you get through all of this awful cold and snow. People kept saying we would pay dearly for all of the nice weather we had and it seems we are. The Super Bowl is coming so there's another way to think about something else. Whether we are having our own little party for our families or having company over, it's fun to plan for.

The Super Bowl is all about the teams, but it's also all about the munchies. Have you chosen your team?

Blue Cheese Dip for your wings: In a blender container combine one 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream; 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing; 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (2 ounces); 1 clove garlic, minced; and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white vinegar. Cover and blend until smooth. Store dip, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If desired, top dip with additional crumbled blue cheese before serving.

If before you are about to watch the game and your kids want to do something on the computer, check out my Granny Goodstory web page at

http://mgoodcooke.bravehost.com

There are stories for the kids, a chocolate chip cookie recipe, craft ideas and lots of pictures. If you have wanted to start a website, brave host is a good one if you need really easy. (I still can't beleive I was able to do it, and it's free!)

Five-Way Fudge Brownies

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 recipe Chocolate Glaze (see recipe below) (optional)

Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Grease a 9x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan melt butter or margarine and chocolate over low heat. Stir in granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, beat lightly by hand just until combined. Stir in flour.

2. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Spread Chocolate Glaze over the cooled brownies, if desired. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

3. Chocolate Glaze: In a saucepan cook and stir 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, 2 tablespoons unsweeteened cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons milk until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.

4. Caramel-Nut Brownies: Prepare Five-Way Fudge Brownies as directed, except stir 1/2 cup chopped pecans into the batter before spreading in the prepared pan. Sprinkle batter with 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces. Bake as directed. In a small saucepan combine one 6-1/4- ounce package vanilla caramels and 2 tablespoons milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Drizzle the caramel atop brownies. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

5. Peanut Butter Brownies: Prepare Five-Way Fudge Brownies as directed. For frosting, in a medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 cup peanut butter until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in about 1/2 cup additional sifted powdered sugar until the frosting is easy to spread. Spread frosting atop brownies and sprinkle with 1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

6. Chocolate Chunk Brownies: Prepare Five-Way Fudge Brownies as directed, except stir in one 2.2-ounce bar milk chocolate, coarsely chopped, and 2 ounces white baking bar, coarsely chopped, into the batter.

7. Creme de Menthe Brownies: Prepare Five-Way Fudge Brownies as directed, except omit vanilla and stir 1/4 teaspoon mint extract into batter. Bake as directed. For frosting, in a medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 cup butter or margarine until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sifted powdered sugar. Beat in 2 tablespoons creme de menthe. Gradually beat in about 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar until the frosting is easy to spread. Spread atop brownies. In a small heavy saucepan melt 1 ounce semisweet chocolate over low heat. Drizzle atop brownies. Let chocolate set, then cut into bars.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare any of the brownie variations as directed, except line the pan with foil, extending foil over the edges of the pan. Grease the foil instead of the pan. Continue as directed; bake and cool completely. Do not frost. Using the edges of the foil, lift the uncut brownies out of the pan and place in a freezer container or bag and freeze up to 1 month. Before serving, thaw for 1 hour. Frost and cut as directed.

The Sodus Free Library had some special visitors the other day. That icy weather kept some of Debbie Neal's Pre-K families from their field trip to the Library, but the children who came had a good time playing with the puzzles, reading the books, and listening to stories while their Moms had a tour of the library.

If you belong to a group who would like a tour, call or stop by the Library; we'd love to show you around.

It might be icy outside, but inside, the library is quite tropical. The Snowcap poinsettia's white bracts appeared with no special care, and the hibiscus seems to be happy in its new home at the Library.

Oprah Winfrey has chosen a new book to share with her audience: Sidney Poitier's The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography. Stop by the Library soon to borrow our copy of the book so that you can be part of 'the biggest book club in the world.'

Yes! It's almost time for the Fourth Annual Valentine Chocolate Sale. The Friends of the Sodus Free Library are busily signing people up, both for making goodies and to work at the sale. If you'd like to do either, please call or stop by the Library and add your name to the list. The sale will be held on Thursday, February 8, from noon to 8 p.m., and on Friday, February 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our Koffee Korner will also be open for coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, along with a single-serving Valentine treat. Mark your calendars now! That is definitely one you do not want to miss.

February 5 - Preschool Story Hour, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

February 5 - Rock Painting Class 3, 10 a.m.-noon

February 8 - 4th Annual Valentine Chocolate Sale, noon-8 p.m.

February 9 - 4th Annual Valentine Chocolate Sale, noon-8 p.m.

What you may want to do is quit fighting with the idea of winter, get all bundled up and go sledding. When we lived in Sodus, we went over by the school. (Kristen Leschhorn... I'm sorry you know I spell it differently every time I type it. Good thing we have been friends for so many years.) Kristen said she had been out sledding. Her sled has a steering wheel and I think she mentioned brakes. (I would need a helmet and a driver to keep me from banging into a tree.) Kids are just much more resilient and can bounce back. And the energy! Who but a kid could go up and down a hill so many times and still be excited to do it again? So, while you can take my advice and go sledding, I will not be doing that. Brushing off the car is exhausting.

If you are thinking about starting a book club for the kids, teens or younger it would be best to set up a date for the first meeting to decide on a book everyone will enjoy. And let people know what you are going to be doing. It would be fun to get some inexpensive note cards to mail out or have the kids give to their friends. Ask Carol at the Sodus Library if you can sit as a group in a special room.

Have a great week and enjoy each other's company whatever you chose to do. Watch some shows on the travel channel about going to warm tropical places. Spring is coming. For now, celebrate the Super Bowl hang up some streamers and curly ribbon, make football-shaped cookies and frost them with chocolate frosting . Have some snacks and a special dinner and have fun!

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