Brownies

I've been making brownies almost every Sunday evening for about 10 years. It started my 2nd year of college at BYU. We only ever ate one meal on Sunday - growing up too - so I needed a snack in the evening. As a child, we always had milkshakes and popcorn for Sunday "dinner", but when I became a "lactard" at 19, I had to nix that tradition. And since one college-aged girl can't - or shouldn't - eat an entire pan of brownies alone, my Sunday brownies quickly became a social event. In fact, my Sunday brownies are a part of "our story."

Back to the brownies: it's a tradition. After "courting" Ryan with my chocolatey gooey-ness, the college tradition stuck. It's been years, and except for some rare occasions (like the 3-months we were doing Biggest Loser), I have made brownies each and every Sunday night of our marriage.

And I got to say that I've never eaten a better brownie than my own. Prideful? Probably, but they're good - dang good.

But I'm not alone in my judgments. Here are some questions my admirers have asked over the years...

- What do you do special? I follow the directions on the back of the box.
- Which box? Whatever's on sale.
- How long do you cook them? Until the toothpick comes out clean.
- How many chocolate chips do you add? One bag, or half a bag, or whatever.
- So why are they so much better than when I make them? I guess you just need a decade of weekly practice.

And that's the honest truth. I don't know why everyone else can't figure it out. It's just a box mix. But - I'm trying to be careful not to offend my loyal readers - I've never had a better brownie: anywhere, ever.

Mmm, and we still have one row left from this week's batch. I feel sad for you.