Inside the White House and Outside the Box: Melting Frosting

I've learned that one of my talents is thinking outside the box. Ever since I was a child, I've thought up inventions and new ways of doing things, and sometimes I've seen my ideas being marketed by someone else who thought them up well after I did. As a side note, I am currently in the process of patenting an idea, but I am stuck at the part of doing a patent search. Anyone know a good and not-too-pricey patent attorney?

Back to this post. I've also learned that some of the things we do around our house are "different". This series of posts, which I plan to revisit sporadically, will give you insight to the way we do things. Maybe you'll see an idea you like, or maybe you'll just get a good laugh. Either way, I hope you enjoy the series.

Yesterday I made brownies from a Ghirardelli mix that included a fudge frosting. (For the record, it was good but not great.) The frosting was more the runny type than the whipped type. It's one of those you put on the warm brownies and it gets melty and smooth before it cools.

This morning, #2 asked if she could take three of the remaining brownies to school as special Valentines. Unfortunately, one of my kids hadn't been able to resist the chocolate goodness, and there were three dragged finger prints in the frosting. That certainly wouldn't be appealing. How could I smooth the frosting quickly without making a mess of it? My answer: a hairdryer! In only a minute, I was able to just melt the damaged portions of frosting and make them look nice. I don't know if you'll come across this exact problem, but keep your hair dryer in mind next time you need a concentrated heat source for something.