“End-of-Summer Vibes and School-Year Prep”

Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. Nothing says “End of Summer” like Tennessee’s Tax-Free Weekend. With a new school year on the horizon, I wish you all happy shopping!

Happy Birthday to all of you who turned a year older this past week. And Happy Anniversary to you and your loved one for reaching another milestone year together.

Quote of the Week: “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” B.B. King

Movie of the Week: With the release of another installment of the “Freaky Friday” franchise, I want to draw us to the 2003 version of this movie. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter with a strained relationship. Funny mishaps and emotional revelations abound in this family movie.

Joke of the Week: Why do magicians do so well in school? Because they are good at trick questions.

Recipe of the Week: I found this recipe for brownies on The Sprouting Homestead page. Check them out for other good stuff…no pun intended.

What you’ll need:

For the dry ingredients-

3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

Sift all the dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Additional needs:

½ cup melted butter or oil

2 large eggs

1tsp vanilla

To make an 8x8 pan of brownies, take 1 ¾ cups of brownie mix and place it in a mixing bowl. Using a whisk, add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Pour into the greased/slightly floured baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least 20 minutes. Use the tilt test to see if the brownies are done, then add two-minute increments until they reach the desired consistency. Let it cool, then enjoy!

Shout Out of the Week: This week, I want to give a shout-out to all retail workers assisting customers during this Tax-Free Weekend. You help the happy, mad, and totally unreasonable customers to the best of your ability. I appreciate you more than you know!

Have a great weekend. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!