Sweet Illusions

Remember the delish mint brownies at BYU creameries and sugar n spice in the Cougar Eat? In the last alumni email they had a link to the recipe! Sweet! Now I don't have to go all the way to Provo for my fix. Here it is:

MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

MINT ICING

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

-Ryan Adams-

Have You Ever

As a student of advertising at BYU, I was well aware that something was brewing that was going to change the face of the LDS church to the media. To change the whole system: the ads were to take a stand, make bold claims, open the doors for research to be done, and for members to share. Campaign ideas came and went. Story boards were reviewed. Concepts were softened. Professers sought student's opinions; students sought professor's opinions. Meetings with church leadership were a thing of frequency, as were the highly-anticipated updates of their response in classes like Media Planning, and Account Planning. Regardless of how much each was involved, we all felt very much like a part of the process. I think it's because we all felt like there was so much at stake. And I think it's safe to say that we can all feel good about the final product.



I think one of the coolest things about these ads is that it really is the voice of converts and investigators. The questions they ask or asked before coming to know the church. The TV ads are not scripted. They are not actors. They are converts talking genuinely about their experiences. Cool.
-Brandi Carlile-

Heaven Forbid

There are a few things I still can't quite understand. One of them is BYU Alternative Commencement. For those who haven't followed the controversy, basically some students at BYU decided to protest against the selection of this year's commencement speaker, Vice President Dick Cheney, by creating an alternative commencement. A lot of their arguments swirled around ideas against Cheney's policies, and protesters argued that Cheney doesn't fit into the ideologies of the University. Ok. Fine. Say/think/believe what you will. I could go off about how we should respect the office of the Vice President. Or how it's a commencement speech, not a political debate (until BYU students made it one). Or maybe how the $23,000+ raised in order to hold the Alternative Commencement should be used to support causes that students don't feel Cheney supports instead of feeding the egos of a select few of the BYU student body (as of 3:25 pm, day of commencement, only 108 students were committed to attend the Alternative Commencement according to the facebook group created about it) by producing the event. Or how they have just been in Provo too long and need to find a worthwhile cause. But the thing I really don't understand is the selection of a speaker for the Alternative Commencement: Ralph Nader. If these people are so anti-Cheney, why invite a speaker who only took votes from Gore and actually helped Bush (and therefore Cheney) get elected? I'm lost on that one.

P.S. Did I really graduate a year ago?

-The Fray-

Dead Duck

What can I say? Even though I have some odd appreciation for University of Oregon, I'm true blue, through and through. I thought that U of O would bring a challenge to the Cougars, but by the third quarter I was bored with yesterday's Las Vegas Bowl game. One of the only things that kept me entertained was mentally exploring the possible reasons that Oregon chose such hideous uniforms. I have nothing against the green and yellow - I think it can look pretty sharp. But what's with the helmets that looked like radioactive baby spew? Honestly. I thought that Brady Leaf looked pretty stupid with his ungathered sleeves too. But why waste time criticizing the uniforms when we could really be tearing up their football game? I think my favorite part was when the commentator said, "This is becoming an old fashioned butt kickin'"

Go Cougs!

-Badly Drawn Boy-