Hope everyone's having a great weekend! It's snowy and beautiful here, albeit a bit cold.
This past week my family moved my grandmother into an assisted living facility. This was something she had been refusing for some time, but she became very ill over the week of Christmas and realized that she should not be on her own. Her acceptance and willingness of this change in her life has made everything much easier on not only her, but our family as a whole.
That being said, it's still a major life change and could easily trigger some negative emotions. For that reason I decided to bake her some brownies and visit her today (and she was in very high spirits). The brownies were actually her idea. Before she moved she handed me a box of brownie mix and a can of pumpkin with a newspaper article attached to it. She said she had seen the recipe in the article and wanted someone to make the brownies so she could taste one. Being the kind of person I am, I'm always up for a new recipe and a reason to bake.
Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that this is the easiest recipe ever. You just take a box of brownie mix and a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree. Mix them together, and bake according to the directions on the brownie box.
The bad news is the brownies kinda suck.
Maybe I'm being too harsh. I'm not really a brownie kind of gal to begin with. But all three people who have tasted these brownies so far (my grandmother, my father, and myself) have no interest in eating more of them. As my grandmother so wisely stated, "If you're going to get fat, you want to get fat on something that tastes good." So I guess you can call this one recipe you don't need to try.
Then again, it's quite possible that kids would love these; they're very moist and chewy, and it's something they could make on their own (with help with the oven, of course). And really, you wouldn't be out much to try them. So here's my recommendation: great for kids to make, but don't expect much.
Glad you tried them and gladder that you let us know the results. See, I'd be tempted to bake them just to see what they tasted like. I like pumpkin and the combo sounds like it might be good. Now I know. Don't bother.
ReplyDeleteI've seen similar recipes with--wait for it--a can of black beans. Just drain and rinse them, add them back to the can with enough water to fill it to the top, and stir into the brownie mix. I've never tried it. Someday maybe?
ReplyDeleteTiffany, that just sounds disgusting.
ReplyDeleteThe brownies and beans does sound disgusting, but the pumpkin and brownie mix sounds like it would be good. Thanks to letting me know to skip this one.
ReplyDeleteLast summer we moved my mom out of her long-time home to an assisted living facility. It was very stressful and I know what your family went through. The good part is knowing she's well cared for and safe at her new home.
Margot, you're absolutely right. I know my dad will sleep better knowing she's got support around her 24/7 and she's not relying on him for all the day-to-day things. And she's even making friends! She really seemed happy when I went to see her, and I'm so glad because she's had a very hard time since my grandfather passed away. It's good to see her smiling and interacting with people again.
ReplyDeleteSuch a hard thing for everyone.
ReplyDeleteUntil fairly recently, I didn't know brownies were made from mixes. :<) I love brownies and make them frequently. Hey, maybe I should do that right now!
The one recipe I have made is a can of pumpkin mixed with a spice cake mix and one egg. Even though they look kind of lumpy, my family actually likes this pumpkin muffin recipe just as much as another one I have that is much more time consuming.
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