So, you're wondering what happened to the rest of "Auntie Ita?" It's coming, it's coming, but in the meantime we've had flurries. Yes, I know that sounds improbable, given that this is Florida and all, but I wouldn't lie---we have had flurries! Flurries of sewing, shopping--God bless the internet!--and flurries of baking. Not to mention the flurries of anxiety at having left everything to what feels like the last minute....... wasn't it only yesterday that we served up the turkey??
Every year I promise myself I'll start, at a leisurely pace, in January and by December I'll have beautiful gifts made for everyone. I hate buying stuff "Made in China!" And besides, Auntie Ita coached me well in the joys of handmade gifts. She dropped the ball on teaching me how to pace myself though!
So there I was, this past week, stitching like a mad woman to make Mug Rugs, having belatedly had the brainwave that they are what I would make for everyone at the office. Have you heard of them? I found them here as I wandered hither and yon on the "quilternet." Not just a coaster, yet not quite a place mat, the first one I made was fairly small, a cute little mini quilt! Flushed with success, I made another. It was slightly larger, but, guys use bigger mugs I reasoned, so it was all good. I managed to curb my enthusiasm for the next few, but then my designs got more involved and...... well, I haven't yet made one big enough to use as a tablecloth, but it's only a matter of time! I probably got a little carried away but what's not to love? You can design, execute and finish in a couple of hours....heady stuff for a dyed-in-the-wool procrastinator like me!
And then the flurry of baking. Ah yes. I was making a cake last night for today's lunch-time party at the office so I thought "Why not be super efficient and make a batch of Peanut Butter Kiss cookies while I'm at it. " I measured out the dry cake ingredients in one bowl, and the wet cake ingredients in another, and set them together at one end of the counter. Likewise for the cookie ingredients but at the opposite end of the counter......Well, you can see where this is going!. In spite of painstaking efforts at order and organization I managed to goof. Manfully helped I was by the Bean, who, at a critical moment in the proceedings, came swanning through from the garage, blathering about orchids he was mounting on pieces of wood, and expecting me to be fascinated by it all. So there I am, listening and doing my best "fascinated" imitation, meanwhile picking up the dry cookie ingredients bowl from one end of the counter, carrying it to the other end and efficiently dumping the contents into the bowl of wet cake ingredients, all without spilling anything on the counter.
Sooo efficient!
Except, it slowly dawned on me, as I added the chopped nuts with a flourish,
WRONG BOWL!
Under normal circumstances I behave like a lady. Under normal circumstances I do not curse.
These were not normal circumstances.
When I calmed down, which took a while, I scraped the sludge-like batter into the pan and grumpily shoved it into the oven. After all, there were two sticks of butter in there. If nothing else, I could chalk it up as a science experiment.
It wasn't quite as dense as a block of cement, but it was close! I propped my eyelids open with toothpicks and continued baking into the wee hours of the morning.
This evening there has been a flurry of wrapping for a Christmas box for California Girl whose livestock logistics do not permit a trip home for Christmas. The baking flurry continued as I wanted to make those Peanut Butter Kiss cookies. There's just enough room in the box to squeeze some in before sealing it up. But the devil was standing behind me as I took the first batch out of the oven. He made my hand slip. Up flew the cookies into the air, then gravity kicked in and they crashed to the floor. This time I think I actually invented some new cuss words---very loudly invented some new cuss words!
I think it's time to hang up my apron. The last thing I need is to precipitate a flurry of psychotic episodes and have to spend Christmas on the psych ward!!
Every year I promise myself I'll start, at a leisurely pace, in January and by December I'll have beautiful gifts made for everyone. I hate buying stuff "Made in China!" And besides, Auntie Ita coached me well in the joys of handmade gifts. She dropped the ball on teaching me how to pace myself though!
So there I was, this past week, stitching like a mad woman to make Mug Rugs, having belatedly had the brainwave that they are what I would make for everyone at the office. Have you heard of them? I found them here as I wandered hither and yon on the "quilternet." Not just a coaster, yet not quite a place mat, the first one I made was fairly small, a cute little mini quilt! Flushed with success, I made another. It was slightly larger, but, guys use bigger mugs I reasoned, so it was all good. I managed to curb my enthusiasm for the next few, but then my designs got more involved and...... well, I haven't yet made one big enough to use as a tablecloth, but it's only a matter of time! I probably got a little carried away but what's not to love? You can design, execute and finish in a couple of hours....heady stuff for a dyed-in-the-wool procrastinator like me!
And then the flurry of baking. Ah yes. I was making a cake last night for today's lunch-time party at the office so I thought "Why not be super efficient and make a batch of Peanut Butter Kiss cookies while I'm at it. " I measured out the dry cake ingredients in one bowl, and the wet cake ingredients in another, and set them together at one end of the counter. Likewise for the cookie ingredients but at the opposite end of the counter......Well, you can see where this is going!. In spite of painstaking efforts at order and organization I managed to goof. Manfully helped I was by the Bean, who, at a critical moment in the proceedings, came swanning through from the garage, blathering about orchids he was mounting on pieces of wood, and expecting me to be fascinated by it all. So there I am, listening and doing my best "fascinated" imitation, meanwhile picking up the dry cookie ingredients bowl from one end of the counter, carrying it to the other end and efficiently dumping the contents into the bowl of wet cake ingredients, all without spilling anything on the counter.
Sooo efficient!
Except, it slowly dawned on me, as I added the chopped nuts with a flourish,
WRONG BOWL!
Under normal circumstances I behave like a lady. Under normal circumstances I do not curse.
These were not normal circumstances.
When I calmed down, which took a while, I scraped the sludge-like batter into the pan and grumpily shoved it into the oven. After all, there were two sticks of butter in there. If nothing else, I could chalk it up as a science experiment.
It wasn't quite as dense as a block of cement, but it was close! I propped my eyelids open with toothpicks and continued baking into the wee hours of the morning.
This evening there has been a flurry of wrapping for a Christmas box for California Girl whose livestock logistics do not permit a trip home for Christmas. The baking flurry continued as I wanted to make those Peanut Butter Kiss cookies. There's just enough room in the box to squeeze some in before sealing it up. But the devil was standing behind me as I took the first batch out of the oven. He made my hand slip. Up flew the cookies into the air, then gravity kicked in and they crashed to the floor. This time I think I actually invented some new cuss words---very loudly invented some new cuss words!
I think it's time to hang up my apron. The last thing I need is to precipitate a flurry of psychotic episodes and have to spend Christmas on the psych ward!!
14 comments:
Oh! Baking disasters. So depressing. No-one is allowed to speak to me when I'm doing cooking multi-tasking, like for a birthday party. You have to concentrate SO HARD!
you cussed ! i ought to stop reading now .
actually , i should have stopped reading when you were talking about whipping up handsewn treasures for your colleagues ....
i'm now feeling totally inadequate .
But Molly -- dont' give up -- don't you know...third time's the charm??? I hate it when stuff like that happens. I have a bunch of similar stuff to do tomorrow and I'm hoping just reading your post hasn't cursed me. You know how that sometimes happens. You read something somewhere and then it becomes your life. Pretty please, will you show us those mug rugs???
Ah, baking! Such an unforgiving art. But so worth it when it turns out well.
Oh dear, I can relate so well to your sad story! Can you send the cuss words under plain brown wrapper as am about to embark on cookie making very soon and might need to let rip. Love the Katy books, but always surprised how Americans don't seem to have heard of Susan Coolidge.
Did you write this about me? 'Cause it sure sounds familiar. :) blessings, marlene
oh dear ....
now when I have organised my mess I will send you the link for
super quick Christmas Coasters.
......... for next year, you could start makeing them in a couple of days during the holidays and have them all ready for 2012.
Time to take a break. Soak in a hot tub. Get some sleep. Then, re-enter the baking blizzard! Good luck.
A flurry of misfortunes too, methinks. Give up for now and start again. ONE THING AT A TIME. People of mature years can't be expected to do more than that.
Isabelle is festooning and you are cursflurrying ... i dunno ... what is the World coming to?!?
Everyone has bad days in the kitchen. I should tell you about setting fire to the Christmas cake... :)
Baking disasters - how well I know them. Yours made me laugh (not the desired effect I know).
Merry Christmas for down under. Seafood and copious quantities of white wine coming up but definitely no baking.
xxx
hahahahaha - snort.
You can make the stickiest situation sound like fun. Well, not fun maybe. Funny, rather.
I need some new cuss words. Please advise :)
Oh, poor Molly. We always have disasters when we're stressed and pushed for time. But about those newly invented cuss words -- could you please share them? I can always use new ones when the ones I know just aren't quite bad enough.
Have a beautiful Christmas, even if it's a bit less organized than you hoped. Life is messy, and sometimes that is when it's most enjoyable.
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