olychick, that's kind of confusing, I know. It's actually a recipe I got from Carol/Readinglady, and it's definitely worth the trouble. Measure the fruit and add a cup to the cooking pot. Add a cup of sugar, stir to dissolve, then add more fruit, stir, add more sugar, stir, keep alternating until it's all in the pot. That way the sugar will dissolve and not clump up or stay grainy. Happy Canning! Annie

Joanna, you may want to ask the butcher about those bones... Years ago my Mother would buy soup bones from a local butcher who bought whole animals from the local stock yards... On one visit to the butchers shop she noticed a sign for Free dog bones and asked for a few pounds of beef dog bones... The man behind the counter told her they were NOT for human consumption for various reasons, most weren't properly refrigerated, they were all dumped in one container ( beef, pork, lamb, veal... ) some had fallen on the floor or fished out of the trash... Granted most stores today wouldn't take the chance of selling contaminated bones but... Better safe than sorry, ask if they ARE fit for human consumption. Rita

A-ha!!! I knew I'd posted to Annie's birthday thread!! And then, this morning, I opened it up and my post was nowhere to be found. I'm just now realizing that there were TWO Annie threads. Well, I've posted on both of them so you get double wishes from me! LOL

Sorry I'm so late, sooz, I was weeding the strawberries and moving baby chicks to their new/bigger home. Then I planted 100 asparagus crowns. It's spring you know. (grin) I've topped the brownies with chocolate chips, but not in an effort to keep them from sticking to the wrapping. Maybe the M&M's would work, if you put them on thickly enough, but I've not tried it and I'm not optimistic, as the ganache gets pretty soft and sticky at room temperature. I've also frozen brownies by themselves, but never frosted. I've also frozen the frosting for later use, so I'm only guessing that those components would be fine, although I think the ganache might separate or even bloom. I've used a 9x13, but I'm happier with a 9 inch pan, just because I like my brownies thick. The thinner brownies in the 9x13 can get especially crunchy in the corners, if they are overbaked at all. By the time you add the peanut butter layer and the frosting/ganache layer, it makes a reasonable sized brownie in the 9x13, but I still prefer the texture of the thicker brownie baked in a smaller pan. It must be in the air, I made a gluten free banana/chocolate brownies with peanut butter frosting today, as Amanda was here with Dave and the kids for dinner. They were pretty good, even gluten free! Have fun and good luck, I hope you have a great and successful bake sale. Annie