Goodbyes are one of the hardest things to handle, wouldn't you say? In two weeks, I am moving to Richmond. It's a big city and a new start, but it is very far from the people I love. ALL the people I love. As these next two weeks pass, and I know they will pass much to quickly, I am amazed at the amount of lunch and coffee dates I have fit onto my calender. All my friends, I can't thank you enough for making this life of mine so full of kindness and support. I try to remind myself that it doesn't matter how far away we are from each other, my friends are my friends because of WHO we are, not because of proximity. But it is still hard to imagine seeing them only 3 or 4 times a year instead of the usual hundred-plus.
Patti and her mother had uncovered a recipe for Zingerman's Black Magic Brownies and so we attempted to make them - with lots of butter, chocolate, and nuts. Here's the recipe. I just found this version online and saw that it is a little different than the one we used, which would account for our increased baking time and super-thick cake-like end product. If yours turn out too gooey at the end of the 30 minutes, put them back in the oven for a while longer or call your creation "brownie pudding " :) Re-naming recipes that don't turn out how you originally expect them to is always a handy trick. Oh, and remember: 1) chocolate can burn if it cooks too long AND 2) continue cooking even after they come out of the oven. 
Thank you to Patti, Megan, and Katie for trekking it to Ann Arbor so we could all spend an evening together.