Best Ever Brownie Icing

I was on my own today with the kids while Jeff was out of town at a meeting. I knew it would be a long day, so I prepared by going to bed at approximately 9:30 p.m. last night. After a good night's sleep, I was up in time to send off the hubby and then get things going with Asylum 2's Power Legs.

After my workout, I volunteered at school for a couple of hours then headed home to make these.

This icing recipe, friends, is how you take a box of ordinary brownie mix, and make it something extraordinary. It was handed down to me from my grandmother who got it from my great Aunt Evelyn. Anytime a recipe comes from Grandma, you know it's going to be good. And unhealthy. There isn't one redeeming quality in this recipe. So save it for a time when you're going to give most of it away!

Here's the ensemble.

First take your butter and melt it in a medium saucepan.

Next stir in the sugar and evaporated milk.

Bring the butter/sugar/milk mixture to a boil. Boil it for 3 minutes, stirring often or it will scorch. Boil a half minute more if it's humid. I live in the south. It's always humid. As a general rule, I boil it a whole extra minute.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add your vanilla and chocolate chips.

Stir until everything is melted together.

Pour the icing over warm cake or brownies.

Now it's time to lick the spoon. And the bowl.

Seriously. Ordinary to extraordinary.

Besides licking the bowl after I made Grandma's icing, I did eat a few other things. I had my Shakeology for breakfast. Lunch included quesadillas on a tomato basil tortilla with my favorite salsa and some grapes.

Dinner was a hodgepodge. When Jeff is out of town, that generally translates to a no-cooking night for me. I had a veggie burger on a whole wheat sandwich thin and some leftover cauliflower poppers.

After dinner, I played a little Just Dance with the kids. Apparently, the Running Man is my signature move. And I destroyed them all.

We concluded the night with studying, reading and prayers. Not necessarily in that order.

All in all, not a bad day. Although I much prefer to have my helpmate here with me!

Grandma's Chocolate Icing

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla

~Combine melted butter, sugar and milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes (1/2 - 1 minute more if humid) and stir almost continuously. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Pour over warm cake or brownies. Let cool for several hours so the icing will "set up." It should be a fudge-like consistency.