We had company this weekend, so I made a 9x13 pan of brownies...for them, of course. Each time I pass by the pan, or walk through the front door, or go to the bathroom, I'm reminded that I don't want to be a wasteful person. I want to do my part to save planet earth. So when I enter the kitchen and see that jagged edge of a brownie, I simply must shave that off with a knife and eat it. People want their brownies to be even...straight on the edges. If they're not, people may pass them right by and they would go to waste. That's not good for people or for planet earth. Waste is not good. There is a corner in the pan of brownies that is a bit too done and crunchy. I pass by and think, "No one will want that piece." I carefully remove it with a butter knife that has been left in the pan...just in case. I go back to my housecleaning and then remember that there were a lot of messy crumbs in the bottom of the brownie pan. I return to the kitchen and do my best to clean up the mess in the pan, removing every last crumb and eating them so that nothing is wasted and the remaining brownies will be enticing to those for whom they have been prepared.
Only a few brownies remain in the pan. They are perfecty square on the edges. No crumbs clutter the pan. All the crunchy corners are shaved off so that only soft, chewy brownie bites beckon to passersby.
I've been cleaning house all evening. I think I deserve a treat. And I really don't want people to feel obligated to eat those brownies and end up raising their blood sugar or feeling guilty about over-indulging. I should go finish off the brownies and wash the pan. That's really best for everyone--the planet, our visiting family members, the universe at large. Here's to saving the planet.