Brownie Mix Review: Rising Star Organic Double Chocolate Fudge

My wife thought it would be fun to try different brownie mixes to see which one we liked best. It's really just an excuse to eat brownies.

Here are the products we have in the queue:

• Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate
• Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge
• Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge
• Rising Star Organic Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie mix
• Whole Foods Brand Brownie Mix

Rising Star was first.

Rising Star Organic Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie mix -- 4.5 of 5 stars

Preparation

The recipe called for 2 tablespoons of cold water, but we substituted approximately the same amount of Organic Half-n-Half.

We scrambled the egg in a separate bowl and then added the half-n-half, scrambling some more. Then we slowly poured in the melted butter while mixing so as to avoid cooking the egg or solidifying the butter too much. We used Cabot brand salted butter.

Into a separate larger bowl, we dumped the mix (dry ingredients) and sprinkled some espresso powder on top. Then we mixed in the liquid ingredients. The batter blended very well even though it was very thick. But it smelled a bit unpleasant due to the espresso powder.

We prepared a 7" by 11" glass baking dish by liberally coating it with melted butter and poured the batter into it, leveling it out as directed.

We set the (electric) oven for 350°F, preheated it and then baked for 30 minutes. There was a slight burnt smell, so we saw that the edges were already done, even at only about 25 minutes. When we checked for doneness, we noticed that the oven thermometer indicated 375°F to 400°F, so we reduced the setting to 335°F. As well, a raised portion of the batter was less well-cooked than the rest, so we rotated the dish slightly to move that part closer to the back.

After another 5 minutes at 335°F (plus some more time ramping up to 335°F), the thickness was uniform, and that thin, smooth, glassy layer formed over the entire surface. It passed the doneness test, so we removed it to the cold three-season porch to cool off for about thirty minutes.

We cut it with a plastic knife into 15 square pieces (/ 7.0 3.0)2.33 (/ 11.0 5.0)2.2 of about 2.25 inches. The pieces were easy to remove.

Taste

These were dense, moist, and fudgy, punctuated with soft chunks of intense chocolate. The edges were crisp and buttery but slightly overdone, with a texture marred by aggressiveness. Thus the center-most pieces were actually preferable. The three center pieces were finished off first.

The overall rating of 4.5 stars includes a deduction for less than ideal preparation.

Bake Times Depend on Pan Size and Material

With Thanksgiving less than 6 weeks away,¹ stores are promoting supplies and ingredients for baking. From flour and sugar to roasting pans and serving platters, stores are helping us prepare for a feast even while Halloween candy and decor vie for our attention.

I've always found baking to be tricky. I can improvise when I cook on the stove top, but I need a recipe to make cookies and cakes. And even then the results are underwhelming. Usually the bake time is underestimated. I poke at least a few toothpick holes in the cakes to test for doneness, and I tend to produce slightly raw desserts.

It turns out that bake times vary a lot; the pan size and material have a significant impact. Here's a summary derived from a box of brownie mix:⁴

• Dark pans shorten baking time by 3 minutes.
• Glass or ceramic pans increase baking time by 5 minutes
• The surface area and volume of the batter matter, too. For a given volume…
  • a smaller pan such as 8" by 8" (or 64 sq. in.) might require 30 minutes
  • a larger pan such as 9" x 9" (or 81 sq. in.) might require only 26 minutes.

This defines a significant range; it spans 23 to 35 minutes. And this doesn't account for variations in oven temperature or the temperature of the pan and ingredients.

Equipped with this new information, I'll be moving on to the testing phase. Time to bake brownies!

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¹ In USA, Thankgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November;² in Canada, it's the second Monday of October.³

² The Emacs-lisp expression (holiday-float 11 4 4 "Thanksgiving USA") can be added to the holiday-other-holidays variable, or (diary-float 11 4 4 "Thanksgiving USA") added to your diary file.

³ The Emacs-lisp expression (holiday-float 10 1 2 "Canadian Thanksgiving") can be added to the holiday-other-holidays variable, or (diary-float 10 1 2 "Canadian Thanksgiving") added to your diary file.

⁴ Rising Star Organic Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie mix

Dream: Imaginary Goal Line

I'm in a field.  There's a group of older children or young adults.  About half of the group are facing the other half.  It seems they are practicing football with an imaginary ball.  Now, one person is pretending to be the quarterback; she drifts back from the imaginary scrimmage line as if to pass.  The others (aka, the defense) react.  Then she runs to the side, parallel to the scrimmage line; the others react differently.  It seems to be an exercise for the defense.  They read the quarterback's reactions and then carry out their play.

At some point, someone on defense has a real ball, and she throws it to me.  I'm not part of their group or on any team, but I decide to pretend and play along.  I run toward the imaginary goal line.  I will evade the defense, fake them out, confuse them.  I'm committed to this, confident that I can do this.  "All I have to do is just run and don't drop the ball," I tell myself.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260811

I'm still eating ice cream. I don't seem to care about losing weight. I'd prefer to keep it under 200lbs, though.

Waist = 45.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260721

I'm eating a great deal of ice cream. To be specific, I finish a 48oz container in two days, which averages to one and a half pints per day.

Waist = 45.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260713

Batteries have been replaced, so I've included the percent fat. But I didn't measure my waist.

Waist = 44.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Message From the Universe

I told my wife that I keep seeing our daughter's former classmates at the store, but now they're all grown up!

"What do you think it means?" I asked my wife.  "Is the Universe trying to tell me something?"

"Yes, you're old."

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260628

The scale needs new batteries. All I get from it is weight.

Waist = 44.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

Introduction

This dish gets nearly all its flavor from the sauce. When cooking bland ingredients such as boneless and skinless white meat chicken as we do here, I prefer to use a pungent sauce such as black bean sauce. Same goes for tofu.

The organic chicken tenders are simply cuts of chicken breast, which I used to concoct this recipe. Feel free to use any finger-sized pieces of chicken.

Salt is not required for this dish. The black bean sauce provides enough.

The poblano provides a bit of spicy "zing." If you use an ordinary green pepper, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Feel free to add more spice.

Broccoli is a great addition to this dish. The florets soak up the liquid and act like "flavor sponges." If using broccoli, add it with the onions and peppers. Feel free to add liquid if the pan seems dry. Bok choy is another addition to consider, but it cooks quickly so add it with the mushrooms.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. It also will stain your cutting board, knife, fingers, etc. I use Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean my knife.

Black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin. Pre-ground black pepper can harbor mold; using fresh cracked pepper avoids this toxin.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup EVOO Light
• 1.6 lb organic chicken tenders
• 1 onion
• 1 turmeric piece, finger-sized
• 1 poblano (or green bell pepper and pinch of cayenne pepper)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms (such as Woodstock frozen)
• 1/4 tsp ground black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp black bean sauce

Steps

• Pre-heat large cast iron skillet to medium high
• Peel onion, turmeric, garlic
• Dice onion, red pepper (and poblano) to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size
• Finely chop turmeric and garlic
• Set garlic aside
• Coat skillet with EVOO then add the diced / chopped ingredients, except for the garlic
• Saute for about five minutes or until onions start to be translucent
• Push vegetables to edge of pan
• Add more oil and then add chicken to the center of the pan; separate into "fingers"
• Brown chicken on both sides for about two minutes each side
• Add garlic on top of chicken
• Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about ten minutes
• Add mushrooms
• Mix pan ingredients gently, ensuring any raw portion of chicken gets contact with the pan
• Add black pepper and black bean sauce
• Mix pan ingredients again, cutting "fingers" into bite-size pieces, checking for doneness
• Turn off stove, allow juices to soak into chicken as it cools

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260610

Occasionally the Body Composition feature of my bath scale fails to work. When that happens I report a value for the Fat percentage anyway, using a previous value or one that's interpolated. Today is one of those "interpolated" days.

Waist = 44.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Sitting on a Gold Mine

CNN reported that villagers ventured into a nearby mine hoping to find gold. But they became trapped when the mine flooded. After being stuck for days, some intrepid rescuers got them out. And best of all, they did find gold!¹

"I hope they learned a lesson," my wife said.

"Yes, it's that someone will rescue you if you do something stupid." I went on to wonder aloud, "Are there any mines in our town that I can look for gold in?"

"You bet there is. I'm sitting on one."

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¹https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/30/asia/laos-cave-rescue-intl

Chile con Carne

Introduction

This chili recipe is meant to make a hearty (heavy) dish. Hence we do not drain the fat. And like most chilies, stews and soups, it tastes better the next day -- the zing from the tomato mellows.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory,¹ so I use it in every savory recipe that involves frying. Turmeric also will stain your cutting board, knife, fingers, etc. I use Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean my knife.

Black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin.² But pre-ground black pepper can harbor mold; use fresh cracked pepper to avoid this toxin. Likewise, I use fresh chili powders, or I omit chili powder altogether and rely on the chiles themselves for flavor.

I prefer low salt (or no salt ingredients). But if you don't have no salt diced tomatoes, just use what you have and cut back on the added salt.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, yellow or sweet
• 1 Pinky-size piece of turmeric root (optional)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 Poblano chile or 1 can green chiles
• 4 - 5 cloves garlic
• 1 lb. ground beef, 80% or 85% lean
• 1 can (14 to 16 oz.) diced tomatoes (no salt, if possible)
• 1 can (14 to 16 oz.) beans (black or pinto) and liquid
• 2 to 4 oz. EVOO (for frying in large pan)
• 1 tsp or more of chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black peppercorns

Steps

• pre-heat large cast iron skillet to medium high
• Peel onion, turmeric, garlic
• Dice onion, red pepper (and pablano) to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size
• Finely chop turmeric and garlic
• Set garlic aside
• Coat skillet with EVOO then add the diced / chopped ingredients, except for the garlic
• Saute for about five minutes or until onions start to be translucent
• Push vegetables to edge of pan
• Add meat to the center of the pan and break into marble-sized clumps
• Brown the meat, then incorporate garlic for about a minute
• Add diced tomatoes and beans
• Saute in order to thicken sauce, about 10 minutes
• Add salt, black pepper, chili powder. Adjust to taste
• Serve hot, topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc

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¹ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/expert-qa/turmeric-benefits
² https://www.globalsavors.com/blog/spices/black-pepper/how-much-black-pepper-to-take-with-curcumin

2026-06-24 Updated to add "Set garlic aside"

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260510

Just another weigh-in

Waist = 44.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260430

For after-dinner snacking, I'm crunching on baby carrots instead of chips, and grapes instead of candy. The grapes provide sweetness as well as a delightful "pop" sensation. Sometimes I'll add in a high quality aged cheese such as Gouda. Midnight Moon, an aged goat milk cheese made in Holland, has been my favorite so far.

Waist = 44.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260426

Just another weigh-in...

Waist = 45.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260414

Just another weigh-in...

Waist = 45.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260408

I resumed the 300mg dose of bupropion, which I had reduced to 150mg on February 19 to see if doing so would reduce my sugar cravings and overeating. It didn't.

As well, I stopped the 10mg dose of rosuvastatin earlier this week in order to allow for relief of muscle problems. I did this because I have muscle pain, exercise fatigue and weakness. I had these symptoms many years ago, but they went away when I stopped whatever statin I was on at the time on the advice of an ND (Naturopathic Doctor). Meanwhile, I plan to try Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) because one known side effect of statins is that they deplete this fat-soluble vitamin-like cofactor.¹

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¹ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12554813/

Waist = 45.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Dream: Leftover Pizza Toss

WL¹ shows up at my home unannounced, a surprise visit.  He walks toward the backyard.  I ask out of politeness if he'd like a tour of the house, dreading a yes answer.  He declines and says that he's just here to get rid of the pizza they had at work.

He flings the pizza toward the far end of the backyard.  It's a small, whole pizza, and it flies like a Frisbee.  But wind from the West gets under it, so it tilts and then circles around.  It's acting almost like a boomerang, but it loses momentum, falls to the ground and breaks into a couple of pieces.

I suddenly realize it would've been neat to get a video.  I wish I'd known he would do that so I could video record it and maybe have him toss it into the pond.

I pick up the pieces and walk toward the pond.  I have the cellphone in my left hand and the pizza pieces in my right.  It's hard for me to start the video, so I throw it first and then start the recording.  However, te pieces fall to the ground before the recording starts.

---

WL is the recruiter my employer retained several years ago and who died a couple of years ago.  He once commented on a photo of my wife (admiring my wife's legs) while visiting my office one day, prompting me to reposition the photo and angle it away from the entrance. He'd bring in birthday cake every month and pizza occasionally.  I was always polite to him and thanked him several times for his effort, yet I preferred to avoid him.

In this dream, I'm no longer employed at the company.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260404

I've been trying three things in order to increase fitness and reduce weight.

1. Earlier bedtime. During my period of decline, I'd been reading and working on the computer late at night, which is when I'm motivated to consume sweets or crunchy snacks. Since I can't eat while I'm asleep, I can easily reduce my intake by going to bed at 9:30pm instead of 12:30am, for example. This is easier to do during Daylight Saving Time than during Standard Time because the day ends one hour earlier compared to sunset.
2. More activity. I'm more committed to exercising. I do push-ups and crunches indoors, and I force myself to walk more because I park far away from the stores I shop at.
3. Mindset / Intensified effort. This is similar to increased activity, but it takes place while carrying out ordinary tasks. My method is based on a study I read about in a book by Ellen Langer in which two cohorts of hotel maids were monitored for fitness. Only one cohort was told that the job was exercise and would improve their fitness. Compared to the control group "...the informed group ... showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index."¹ But in my case, I know "the trick," I know what's going on, so I actually do treat my activity as exercise by moving faster and adding intensity to my muscle contractions.

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¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17425538/

Waist = 45.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Ordering Out

My wife is so weird in some ways.

For example, she ordered Chinese food, and I’ve just picked it up.  Normally, when food arrives, the bag is ripped open, and people descend upon it.  Then they start to scarf their meals like a pack of hungry wild dogs.

Not my wife.  She continues doing whatever she was doing before the food arrived.  It’s a lot like how a cat will feign disinterest in dinner and then sneak in later to gulp down the food.

I can’t abide this behavior.  So I’ve decided to leave her alone and write this blog post about it.  Let’s see how long it takes for her to start her meal. 

Is this difference in behavior a male/female thing?  Is it because she’s from New England and I’m from New York, where we open a box of pizza, take a piece, fold it in half, and rip out a huge bite while walking away, causing painful burns on the roof of our mouths in the process?

I came home with the food at least 15 minutes ago.  She asked just now, “Do you want to eat with me in the living room?”  “Okay, sure.”   Then she walked in the opposite direction of the kitchen.

Now she’s back in my office with a fistful of papers that need to be filed.  She’s talking about hiring a new helper.

[tick, tick, tick…] Now, finally, I hear her in the kitchen, more than twenty minutes after I’ve set the Chinese food onto the table.  But still there’s no indication that food is on her mind.

It’s as if the food is a visit to the dentist, or a tax return to be filed.  Why is she avoiding it?

I’m shaking my head in total confusion.

[much time passes]

She finally sits down.  Then she abruptly gets up, “I forgot a plate for the cat.”

She sits down again.  Then, once again, she abruptly gets up, “I forgot my drink.”

She sits.  She fidgets a bit, then uses the remote to switch channels.  Commercial.  Switch.  Commercial.  Switch.  Commercial.  All this time she’s still not eating.

Finally she started to eat more than 30 minutes after I came home with the food.