Chocolate

The Symbolic Significance of Boxed Brownies

There�s no doubt about it: recent advances in technology have jumpstarted a Brownie Revolution. Science and technology have changed American culture moist.jpggreatly in the past few years and brought brownies to the forefront of the dessert scene. From kids to accredited chefs, Americans country-wide are creating and consuming brownie varietals more quickly than ever before.

And why are we baking and creating so quickly? Because of the world-changing inventions which allow us to travel, communicate, and live at a faster pace than ever possible. The internet, cell phones, and jets that travel at the speed of light inspire us to go everywhere we ever imagined, do all of the things we�ve always wanted and become athletic, nutrition savvy, god-like beings! In the process of achieving these lofty goals we speed up our every activity and no longer have time to spend hours slaving over the hot oven.

And so arrives the Brownie Revolution: a mind-boggling explosion of fast, easy and satisfying alternatives for the busy, health-conscious American of the 21st century. Moms and Dads pursuing professional careers �don�t have time to bake� and embrace boxed brownies and Easy Brownie recipes in which there are two steps�mix the ingredients right in the baking tin and cook�waalah! Only one dish to wash! Hundreds of companies are now producing dozens of kinds of boxed brownies, which are available in all local supermarkets. Most of these boxes feature three-step illustrated instructions�just in case you don�t have time to actually read a recipe. Or for those living extremely hectic lifestyles there�s the No-Bake Brownie: don�t worry; you won�t have to go anywhere near the oven! And, if you�re really caught up in the frenzy of the century, just order pre-made brownies online!

Even the busy 21st centurion takes time to think about healthy food options, and modern science has invented hundreds of options for the health conscious brownie lover. The now famous No-Pudge Brownies that �taste just like the real thing, but with no fat and only one-third the calories!� What an ingenious invention! mixed_brownies.jpg

There are vegetarian and even vegan brownie recipes available– nutrition-inspired recipes like Carrot-Tofu Brownies, Twelve-grain Brownies and Zucchini Brownies. And for those avoiding sweets all together we have savory brownies filled with ricotta or spiced with black pepper. You can even get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables by sampling brownies filled with fresh or dried fruits and vegetables.

I think this new creative interest in the food industry is great because it�s satisfying cravings and providing Americans all over the country with an outlet for their culinary creativity. Parents can whip up a quick box of brownies even after a hectic day of work because the pre-made mix takes only minutes to put together. Kids too young to read can even throw a batch together thanks to the walnut_brownies.jpghandy illustrated instructions.

The box of brownies is a simple thing–it costs only a few dollars and takes but a few minutes to throw together–it’s the symbolic significance of those brownies that makes them meaningful and popular. Boxed brownies give pleasure to everyone who touches them! Children love them because of their fudgy chocolate goodness and their easy assembly; parents love them because they can have a full-time career and still have time to bake special homemade goodies that only the professional housewife used to have time to make. Through boxed brownies people everywhere are fulfilling their dreams of being the best they can be–working and providing delightful treats for their families at the same time!

Fudgy, chewy, nutty, fruity, frosted, cake-like, layered, chunky, crunchy�the hybrid specimens are endless. Add nuts, caramel, peanut butter, toffee, cookies, candy bars, pineapple, cream cheese, liquor, coffee, extracts, grains�if it makes you happy or brings you closer to nutritional Nirvana, it must be a Good Thing.

Don’t have enough time for from-scratch brownies, but want more than the average box has to offer? Check out Chocolate From The Cake Mix Doctor for hundreds of easy-to-make, better-than-the-box, chocolatey recipes.

Celebrate Good Times, Come on!

Hey all–my computer is waiting for a part to be sent in the mail, thus the lack of entries lately! Thanks for all of the birthday greetings! My good friend/housemate/classmate Jen and I actually have the exact same birthday–isn’t that hilarious?!? We hosted a major bash at The Seven-Five-One (our house) on 9 Jan Oh 4. Joe and a bunch of girls from school came over for an elegant evening of food and wine–complete with a birthday hat scavenger hunt, balloons and festive streamers. We consumed 10 bottles of wine and some other random carbonated beverages, and it was a fantastic birthday all-in-all!

Dave and I had a fantastic week in San Francisco over the New Year Holiday!! Mad pics coming soon. We visited XOX Truffles, drove down Lombard St. and ate at about 20 different great restaurants! In other news, I’ve changed plans again about what-to-do-when-I-graduate (surprise, surprise: this happens about every 2 days). The ultimate goal for now is to find a fabulous, high-paying job at a world class hotel in the SF and an extremely hot, low-rent apartment in North Beach; as it doesn’t really make sense to move all the way back across the country after living here for less than a year. There’s still a ton left to explore here on the West Coast, so whether I end up in San Fran or some other coastal town, I’ll definitely be here in Cali for at least another year. So if you haven’t visited yet, you’ve got some more time!

2 of 2
12