Those who can't dance... bake!

Note: I did consider naming this entry "Bun in the Oven." But that would be completely misleading and inaccurate.

So, I stuck with the truth. I'm sidelined slightly due to a strained foot muscle. Lots of rest, IcyHot, and relaxation. (Tomorrow and Monday are important practice days... but everything else is auxiliary.) And when I can't pursue my favorite hobby, I start baking.

Baking not only occupies my time and cleans out my pantry, but there is something therapeutic about mixing butter, eggs, and flour together with an electric mixer. (Unless I'm making rice krispy treats... just... no...) Maybe it's the smell of home cooked goods that fills my kitchen and living room. It doesn't matter that it's 90 degrees outside; if the mood strikes, I'm baking.

After this weekend, there will be 4 different recipes. Ginger Chocolate chip bars, pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, Rice Krispy treats, and Cranberry (or apricot) and almond scones.

Here is the Ginger Chocolate chip bar recipe. It's my favorite of the bunch. And it's very easy to sub out the sugars for Splenda or Splenda blends. So, the ones I made (and gracing the studio tomorrow with) are low-sugar!

From Real Simple Magazine's December 2008:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line it with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars, using an electric mixer, until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, then cut into 32 bars (8 rows by 4 rows).
   
   To store: The tight seal on a take-out container will keep the bars moist and chewy.
   
   To freeze: Instead of baking the batter, freeze it in the pan for up to 2 months. To bake, follow the recipe instructions, baking from frozen, and use the upper end of the time range.

It's a Dream... I swear...

I can't believe my 3-day weekend is over. I don't really want to go to work tomorrow for fear of more dumb questions about how to get on an airplane and how to book a hotel room at an already full hotel.

I can't believe I totally forgot Mark's birthday is this month. I'm a sorry fan/friend. 9/17 just wasn't ringing any bells.

I can't believe it's still 100+ degrees outside and it's Pumpkin Spice latte season at Starbucks.

I can't believe I didn't really have a vacation with my husband this year.

I can't believe, after years of trying to get on the insulin pump, I'm slowly starting to miss being off of it. I'm wireless again. And actually kind of enjoying it.

I can't believe I was looking up Sacramento dance studios a year ago and kept coming up with excuses NOT to attend the Wednesday night WCS class. (One was valid... my foot was swollen.) Look at me now.

I can't believe we bought bedroom furniture, with cash, in this economy, and still have an emergency fund. (And jobs... and a roof over our head...)

I can't believe I have another wedding to attend in less than 3 months.

I can't believe my father in law is turning 70 on Wednesday.

I can't believe my grandfather is turning EIGHTY this November. EIGHTY! WOW!

I can't believe that 10 years ago, I graduated high school... and I went away to college... and I joined a sorority. And I'm totally skipping all the reunions.

40 Things About Summer

Stolen from Miss Bri. :)

For Facebook followers: You were tagged because you've been a part of some memory of the summer of 2009. This doesn't mean you need to turn this into a chain letter, but Bri had a good idea. So here is a collection of memories and things I've learned during these last 3 months.

Here's to the Summer of 2009:

1) Just dance. It'll be okay. (Da da do.)
2) Sometimes the reason you clash with another person is because the two of you are more alike than you realize. And sometimes it's hard looking in the mirror.
3) Always be prepared with easy-off shoes - you never know when you are going to get asked to dance on a piano, in a bar, in front of a lot of drunk people, to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
4) one, two, three, four, FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Alright, fine, I'm turning around.)
5) There are a lot of movies that should be considered staples in your collection. The Labyrinth can probably be omitted.
6) Know when to say "enough is enough." Pushing yourself to an extreme limit will cause a system overload that will benefit no one.
7) Daily trips to Starbucks can quickly drain the budget. It means less money for cute dance outfits.
8) Pinkberry isn't all its cracked up to be. But the experience made it worth it.
9) I can take a bad photo. You will just never see it posted anywhere.
10) MKIK - you are a brilliant teacher and choreographer. Thank you for taking me out of my comfort zone. I still can't dance like you, but at least I tried. And it was meaty and fun.
11) It is possible to go through 200 text messages in a single weekend.
12) Remember to look up. You never know what you'll see.
13) Very rarely can I say I'm the tallest gal in a group.
14) Disneyland... in July... friends definitely make it better.
15) Utah is just like Lake Tahoe. But drier. And more conservative. Sans casinos.
16) It was a summer of extremes: I will never go skydiving for real, but the indoor option is a pretty good alternative.
17) How do you play "September" for my birthday jam and expect me NOT to want to hustle to it?
18) I don't have an accent. But everyone else does. (Still don't know what a "Beg" is, Becky. Or a Pooty Coach. LOL!)
19) Seeing Nigel Lythgoe stuffing his face at The Grove in LA - priceless.
20) Why is that when you give something up, you miss it? And when it surfaces again, you don't want to have anything to do with it. (See: Graphic design work.)
21) My tango music selection sucks. It's not like West Coast Swing music - which could be just about anything. Including music without a drum beat. (Yeah - I won't be dancing to acoustic guitars any time soon.)
22) When in doubt - add more rhinestones.
24) And if you do add more rhinestones, make sure they are 12 mm or larger!
25) When you said "create a 'hit-by-a-bus' desk manual," I didn't think I'd actually almost get hit by a bus in a cross walk!
26) Someone's bad day can be changed with a smile, a hug, and a good joke.
27) Bota fogo, no... go... uh-oh... a g0-go!
28) Proud member of the Loud Table.
29) Plan ahead like crazy. And then when you arrive, just throw everything out and roll with it.
30) You really can fit 4 people in the back seat of a compact car for 2 hours. Though it's not very comfortable.
31) God Bless The California Pizza Kitchen in Anaheim.
32) Duck tastes just like chicken. But it's not a replacement.
33) Be careful what you post all over Facebook. I often forget how many people are reading/watching/stalking my profile.
34) One can only handle so many Mary Murphy screams and poor critiques.
35) Don't limit yourself. A year ago, I only wanted to learn West Coast Swing and Salsa. I like West Coast, I don't really salsa dance anymore, and picked up Foxtrot, Tango, Waltz and V. Waltz - which were NOT in the plan at all.
36) It's hard to not hear samba rhythms in pop music now.
37) Just breathe. It's only a minute, thirty.
38) I suck at Rock Band... please don't ask me to sing.
39) I need to realign my priorities.
40) Don't look at me... I'm just following.