Well, gals do you want to hear a funny story from your fearless leader?  First of all, after my disappointment of not babysitting my grand nephew Logan who is four years old, I decided to watch a  movie to get my mind off of the let down.  

It is now 11:30 pm and there lay all the nonperishable ingredients for the bars I am supposed to bake for the church for a funeral tomorrow morning still on my launch pad.  I am sure glad I did this last night during my before bedtime routine.  Logan and I were going to do it together when he came to stay.  Now it just seemed like work.

Next, there was a knock at my door. Instead, Procrastination and Perfectionism decided they needed to be babysat! They came in and sat on my lap while I was in my recliner. I would take a short break and then tell them they had to leave.  I had to make and bake the bars.  My dog Fred wasn’t much help either.  He had my warm body beside him with Perfectionism and Procrastination on my lap!  

So, which P had the greatest hold on me?  It turned out to be Perfectionism!  Why?  Because I haven’t baked anything from scratch in YEARS!!!   I have made 2 box mixes of brownies in the last year.  That is it!

They only memories of baking that I recall was that it never seemed to turn out and never looks like the picture.  I decided to hyper focus on this project.  It had to be Perfect!  I started pouring ingredients in the bowl when I remembered I forgot to run a sink full of hot soapy water. I had only got the habit of this when I cook.  All I ever remember is after you pour the finished recipe in the pan and put it in the oven, your kitchen was a total disaster.  Would this be the night that I break my standing record of shining my sink every night since December 25, 2010?  I am sweating by now because I just about forgot that step.

I am putting the dry ingredients in a bowl and then whisk the eggs in another bowel.  Next I would as they said in the cookbook to whisk the ingredients together.  It was like thick paste!  There was no way I could whisk!  I finally got the ingredients mixed together and in the the pan.  I remembered I had to sprinkle some chocolate chips on top so I checked on the amount.  While I was looking at the recipe I decided to do a quick check to make sure I had all the ingredients in.  Sure enough I forgot to put the cup of oil in!  I already had the batter in the pan and would just put the oil on top and then mix it in.  It was like oil and vinegar!  Finally I got it mixed up the best I could so I could sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  I wasn’t sure to laugh or cry.  I calculated it would probably take at the most fifteen minutes to but it together and wash my dishes as I went.  Then allow another thirty minutes for the bars to bake.  I did the toothpick test.  It needed another five minutes so I set the timer again.  Now it was done.  I took it out of the oven to cool.  I took a picture of it and I will let you be the judge of it.  I have never made it before or eaten it before.  The only thing I feel I do have going for me is I got the recipe out of a church cookbook!  Will God be on my side?  I certainly hope so and while I am at it I am going to talk to him about procrastination and perfectionism.  I sure hope he has a good reason for them to be in our lives.  I guess you can say that I did a Dance Till I FLY! on this one!  Time for bed as it has to be at the church by 9:30 am.  Lucky for me the church is just across the street!  I think I will laugh about it now and you seasoned bakers, I hope you get a laugh from one who hasn’t baked from scratch in years!  I mean how hard could it be?  To tell you the truth there would not have been anything to it if I had not let Procrastination and Perfectionism into my house this afternoon!
Dance Till You FLY!
Marilyn