Do stupid things Faster and with more Energy!

My dog is laying on my feet and I can feel his muscles twitch while he dreams. The baby is sleeping too. The house is quiet and covered in fluff from a giant stuffed bone I gave the dog a couple days ago. When everything is so quiet like this I can almost imagine my life before Ally, but I can never remember what it is I would do without entertaining and feeding a small baby! I can't imagine what life would be like if it was quiet like this all the time. Isn't it funny how you change once you have kids?

As if my life was not crazy enough, I have begun to move forward with plans to open a small business: a little coffee shop in downtown. Going through the paperwork and the motions, I am surprised by the simplicity of it all! So you want to open a business... go right ahead! It is kind of frightening that everyone has such a relaxed attitude about my future possibly unsuccessful (but hopefully successful!) business. I keep waiting for someone to say, "wait a minute! you are very young and it is possible that this may not work so maybe I should stop you! But instead they say "fantastic! let's open it as soon as possible!" Which is also very exciting as it is scary.

Yesterday I put on my nicest pants (which happen to be maternity pants that I had to keep up by folding over the elastic band) and gathered up my business plan and a notebook in a folder to go to a meeting at city hall to discuss my options and the steps I should take. The folder I was holding is red which is a "power color" and that fact was not lost on me. I wanted to look fierce, professional, and like I knew exactly what I was doing! Which could not have been further from the truth. The truth is, I know nothing about business. In my favor I have my knack for learning very quickly on the spot, an innate business common sense and a lot of business owners in my family. But the only thing I actually really know is coffee. Coffee is a passion and obsession of mine and being a barista continues to be my favorite job I ever had. So here I was in a fancy office sitting at the end of a long black table with a bunch of old men and my red folder. "what the hell am I getting into?" I thought.

But the meeting went well and as far as I know I fooled them all, just as I was hoping to. I am now looking for the building that I want to put my business into, and being that the mayor is a long time friend's dad, I feel like I have a lot on my side. So here goes nothing!

When I open this little shop, I have a collection of recipes I would like to use for the baked goods I will sell. One of them is a unique and delicious vegan brownie I have been making for some time now. It is really delicious, you won't even know it is vegan! And they are so easy to make.

Vegan Rose Brownies

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup strongly brewed black rose tea (I use Gypsy's). whatever you use it should smell like flowers when it is brewed
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
optional: 1/3 cup shredded coconut. pulsed in a food processor to be minced

preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Stir in the tea, then the rest of the wet ingredients. Fold in the coconut if you are using it. Bake for 20 minutes

that's all there is to it!