Reason # 935,426 Why I love my Wife

First, I must confess I was going to exaggerate in the title. It was going to be "One of the Million reasons that I Love my Wife." But I thought I should keep this post factual. So I changed it to 935,426 because I'm pretty sure that's where the count is at now. Whew, I'm glad that's cleared up.

Though my wife has many fine qualities and has, over the years, done an amazing amount of fine things for me, I will be focusing today on reason number 935,426. To put it in a nutshell, she bakes for me. When I say bake, I mean chocolate chip cookies, cakes, pies, cobblers, and the delectable item we'll be discussing today; Brownies.

I erroneously refer to them as Fudgies while knowing full well they are not. It's just that they are so rich and moist, so chocolaty, and oh so tasty that simply calling them Brownies is a culinary understatement of a very high magnitude. For the Chocolate novice or Brownie newbie; let me educate you about what makes for superior Brownies.

Have you ever purchased those gooey, greasy and nut filled little fudgies in the Convenience store? How about the Brownies available sometime in the Bakery section of your local grocery store? If you have then let me tell you this...You have been eating counterfeits. While either of the above mentioned might temporarily alleviate a minor "Chocolate Jones", the unpleasant aftertastes and sometimes unpleasant or unfulfilling textures do not hold up to my wife's Brownies.

Great Brownies are possessed of a moist but never greasy texture. They will crumble slightly, but when the crumbs are crushed they stick to your fork, finger or whatever. Good Brownies, properly stored, will stay moist and fresh for up to two weeks, though few have made it that long in our house. Superior Brownies have a dark rich color with the crust being slightly lighter.

Brownies with a crust overdone and too thick become little chocolate bricks in a matter of days and are not to be considered as quality work. Of course taste is the crux of the matter isn't it? How does one describe that rich, luxuriant chocolate taste; not too sweet, but definitely not bitter. Only a poet could do it justice I suppose.

Brownies may be eaten with a milk chaser, with ice cream or with whipped cream if you are feeling particularly decadent. However you have them, warm from the oven is preferable to later. There are few things on this earth more satisfying and comforting than the combined smell, textures and taste of warm Brownies with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. One would almost have to go back into the womb to find more powerful feelings of satisfaction and safety.

OK, maybe I jumped the shark a little on the hyperbole there, but you get what I mean, don't you?

The ironic thing about my love for Vicki's Brownies is that for the early years of our marriage I shunned sweets of all kinds. It wasn't until I was in my late 40s, after quitting smoking, that I rekindled my childhood love of all things chocolate.

Now I've found that chocolate goes well with Wine; who woulda thunk it? But I digress...

So my fellow husbands; there you have it. The 935,426th reason I love my wife. Might seem like a small thing to you, or it might seem like a big deal to some wives whose busy lives prohibit them from doing the same for their spouses. Either way, it's just another tasty reason why I love my wife.

The Daily Husband