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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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!!