Slow Learner

For those of you who have seen the movie "28 Days" with Sandra Bullock, you will remember a scene in the film where the group going through rehab is required to approach a horse and get it to lift its leg off the ground. One after another they make the attempt, failing each time. Finally, the owner of the horse says, "Folks, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result." (That might not be an exact quote but just go with it). While I laughed at the movie, I never was able to put myself in their shoes. After all, I'd like to think of myself as having at least average intelligence.

As it turns out, I too learn at a little slower pace sometimes. To demonstrate this I shall call your attention to exhibit A:

Go ahead and say it - I know you want to. "It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno." Don't worry, I say it every time I see it at the store. Marvelous marketing on their part if they can get me to say that. Kind of embarrassing, but that is not the point of this post so let's move past the marketing...

So Jari and I always make our own pizza from scratch, mostly because it tastes way better than any delivery I have ever tasted. However, seeing how I am on my lonesome in San Antonio, TX I thought I would "splurge" a little and get one of these pizzas. At the very least I would finally be able to say for myself that Digiorno's is "as good" as delivery pizza. Anyway - I digress. Back to the point - I bought the pizza, put it in the freezer, and waited until Friday night when I would make this glorious treat. Friday night came and I pulled the pizza out, read the box for heating instructions, then set it down to turn my attention to the oven... That is when it hit me - I don't have an oven! I have two small stovetop burners to my name, but no oven! Words cannot even begin to describe my disappointment: First, there would be no pizza; Second, I knew (somewhere in the back of my mind) that I did not have a stove when I bought the thing so I felt a little "special."

So what happened to the pizza? I gave it to a friend of mine who gave me a ride to church. He lives here in town in a home that has a stove so I figured he'd get some use out of it.

A few hours later, I suddenly had the urge to eat something sweet, particularly with lots of chocolate. The answer? Brownies!!! So I rolled into the kitchen and pulled out my boxed brownie mix. A classmate of mine told me that her friend blends up a can of black beans (liquid included) and adds that to the brownie mix instead of the oil and egg and the brownies turn out delicious. That sounded fun so I found a can of black beans and started mashing the beans (I don't have a blender) and then it hits me...

I don't have an oven! Folks, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result... I guess I am just a slow learner.

Now I sit at the computer with a box of brownie mix, a desire to eat them, and no oven. So my plea now goes out to the world: Does anyone know of a way to make brownies on the stove? Can I put them in a frying pan and cook them on low? If you have any ideas please let me know.

And in the event you are wondering about the beans, I am going to add water, cilantro, onion, red pepper flakes, a touch of salt, and eat it as a soup tomorrow for dinner:)