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 
greatly 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! 
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 
handy 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.
I’m living in Bedrock–Nevadians are all about the decorative front-lawn rocks– like the large red ones the Flintstones have in their front yard. Let me set the scene for you…on Saturday mornings our neighbors rake their rocks instead of mowing their lawns. We have washes (a.k.a. “This used to be a river, but now it’s a bed of rocks”) instead of rivers! It’s at least 92�F every day (usually by around 11AM) and there are frequent dust storms! I feel like I’m in a foreign country. Where are the lush green mountains and cool, deep lakes of my Upstate homeland?!?