March 2026 Slice of Life, No. 12
I post my slice today with a nod to Diane Anderson who wrote a slice about a recipe and connections. As I read her slice, I thought about people who are connected to my brownie recipe. I thought about the teacher who shared it with me, and I thought about the people I’ve baked it for, and those I’ve shared the recipe with.
It was almost midnight on a rainy, cold night when my plane touched down in a strange city. My original travel plans had me arriving around 6:00 PM, but as can happen with delays and rerouting, I arrived my destination much later.
A lady, a teacher whom I did not know, met me, collected my luggage, and whisked me from the airport to the suburbs. She was my hostess for the next three days while I presented a professional development workshop at her school. We drove up to a charming 1930’s brick bungalow.
I will never, NEVER forget the wonderful aroma of her house as we entered.
Chocolate.
She showed me my bedroom and bathroom, and as soon as I settled in, she offered me a brownie that she had baked earlier, the source of the chocolate aroma. The hour being late and I being travel weary, I asked, “Can I have it tomorrow?
She graciously said, “Sure.” But then she added, “I made them for when you arrived.”
[Well, Reader, who can refuse that? A teacher, after a full, busy day at school, not only had made ready her home to host me, but had also baked me a pan of brownies.]
She cut me a piece, placed it on an exquisite china plate — one that might have been her grandmother’s, and poured me a glass of cold milk. I sat down at her tiny kitchen table and enjoyed the BEST brownie I had ever eaten.
[Reader, you need to know that until that day, I never cared much for brownies.]
Three days later, at the end of the workshop, she dropped me at the airport. In my carry-on bag was a priceless 3 x 5 index card on which I’d hand-copied the Hershey brownie recipe.
I bake those brownies. Frequently. Indeed, they are the most frequently baked dessert in our home. They are without question a family favorite, now crossing three generations.They have graced our tables at birthdays, holidays, church potlucks, engagement parties, wedding showers and rehearsal dinners, baby showers, picnics, and backyard barbecues — often events at which brownies would seem out of place.
We call it a “family recipe.” A family tradition. One that I’ve passed to the next generation.
I’ve never seen that teacher again. Sadly, I don’t remember her name. But I vividly remember her cozy kitchen, the wonderful aroma that filled her cute bungalow, and the indulgence of a brownie after midnight.
a recipe from an Ohio teacher
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I can smell that brownie now! What a wonderful descriptive slice. Everything about it is warm and inviting!
What a wonderful slice from a slice! The memories are so clear in your writing, and I can almost smell the chocolate.
Smelling the chocolate of home-baked brownies is one of the rewards of baking them.
Now I want brownies. Love hearing about this act of kindness.
I am really wanting some after writing about them. We need to hear more about acts of kindness, to clean the smudges from our lens of the world to see more of it.
Oh, what a treat! A treat to read and I’m sure a treat to gobble up. ❤️
I read your comment and the “gobble up” and now I’m wanting to bake a batch…
I am always on the lookout for good recipes and these look delicious. It is wonderful when someone goes out of their way to make us feel comfortable.
I guarantee you’ll enjoy these brownies. Little acts of kindness. They are transforming, making both the giver and the receiver richer.
Your post today reminds me of a framed set of recipe cards that a friend had hung on her wall in the handwriting of many ancestors, including three generations of women back. It inspired me to do the same, but I took it and put it in the attic when we painted a wall, and now I want to go get it back down and hang it back up. There is something powerful, maybe ancestral presence, in the handwriting of those departed. And those still here.
What a great idea. I should collect some recipes and make some for my granddaughters… with my handwriting, their mom’s and theirs. Wouldn’t that be a fun gift. I have an old apple pie recipe in the form of a decoupage plaque with tiny crocheted blue flowers decorating it hanging in my breakfast nook. Got it at a craft show years ago. I wish it was one in my mom or grandma’s handwriting.
You can see how loved the recipe is, looking at that recipe card!
A good brownie is never out of place!
My grandkids have helped me make the brownies through the years and many of those smudges and bent corners are from their little fingers–another reason to treasure the card.
I love brownies – I can’t wait to try this recipe! What a wonderful memory (origin story?) for this treasured family recipe. I can tell that the memory is still strong from the small details you include.
Yes, the “origin story” it is a strong memory. And now there are lots of family memories connected with that recipe and brownies.
Thank you for sharing this recipe and the lovely story that goes with it. I see how the card shows how often it has been used. Now I’m hungry for a brownie!!
The card has been handled by my grandkids as they have helped me make the brownies. It’s usually the first baking project they assist me with. So some of those smudges are from their little fingers.