Some of you who are read my blog are fellow food bloggers but most of you are not. So many of you probably never heard that this week one of our fellow food bloggers lost her husband suddenly and without warning to a heart attack. She wrote an endearing post about him and how she is working on figuring out a new normal, she has to. As part of her healing process she is making a peanut butter pie. One that she had planned on making for her husband but never got around to, and Jennie is asking us to make a peanut butter pie for the ones you love in your life.

Death is never easy. I often wonder if it’s easier to know your loved one is going to die (meaning it’s been a long time coming) or suddenly? Obviously most people who are doing the dying would like it suddenly and without suffering, but I think those who are doing the mourning and the searching for answers would prefer to get their goodbyes in. I think for closure reasons the goodbye is very important. I think for Jennie her peanut butter pie is her closure.

She will be getting on with her new sense of normal. I respect her for that. She doesn’t seem to be playing the why me. She is focusing on the gifts in which her husband brought to her life and celebrating them. As much as it pains her, she must move on, she knows this. I think death brings to light all the things you have been putting off. Things that you always thought you would have time to accomplish you start to realize that you might just not. Let death be a time to reflect on the things you had hoped/or needed to do in your own life but have not done.

You are probably looking at this and saying, Peabody this isn’t a peanut butter pie. No, it’s not. The peanut butter pie day is this Friday. But if I didn’t write about it now, how would you have time to make the pie? You are also saying what does Red Velvet Brownies have to do with any of this? Nothing. I had a different post in mind for them. But I do find baking therapeutic to both the baker and person receiving the baked goods.

So I invite you to join me in making a peanut butter pie (or some form of it) on Friday. I personally don’t like peanut butter pie, but I like to be supportive and will be making some version of it.

Hug your loved ones. Tell them that you miss them. Don’t put off tomorrow what you really should be doing today…except laundry…because that truly can wait (unless you are naked).

Red Velvet Swirl Brownies

Recipe adapted from Sunny Anderson, host “Cooking for Real”

Red Velvet Layer:
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 TBSP red food coloring
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking pan, and set aside.

Brownie layer: Add melted butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.

Cream cheese layer: Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting.

From Baked Perfection.com