Somewhere deep down in the darkest depths of a previous post, I alluded to my having one of the worst months in the history of my life ever on the planet in this universe. Ever. Don’t worry, I know most readers don’t get past the first paragraph in one of my posts, let alone the penultimate, but I still hate you for not reading.
It’s not really fair to say “worst” without explaining in what way it’s been the worst. Neither family nor friends have fallen ill. I didn’t get arrested, get mugged, get my heart broken (at least, not in recent months), get my house broken into, get into an accident, lose a job (again, not in recent months), or experience any other sort of disastrophic tragedy that would put me into an impossibly hopeless physical, mental, emotional, or financial situation.
When I say “worst,” what I am really referring to is my inability to keep up with this overwhelmingly frenetic pace that my life has reached. While I used to thrive on that kind of fast-lane lifestyle, careening at warp speed with my tailpipes on fire, this is undoubtedly unravelling at such a high speed that only teeny tiny dogs can sense it. My resumé doesn’t lie – every cliché “skill” on there is actually true for me, except for “team player.” (I have never have been a team player, never will be, and neither is anyone else, but I will save my thoughts on “teamwork” for another day.) I am a “multi-tasker.” I can juggle competing priorities. I am a master of time-management. However, never before in my life have I had so many different things going on, not only simultaneously, but all with the same critical-path urgency. I cannot prioritize priorities when everything is priority one.
But the worst part of it is that no matter how deeply I focus, how late I work into the morning, how much caffeine, nicotine, taurine and vitamin unnatural NRG I pump through my veins, I can’t seem to get a damn thing done. Oh, I get things done, but I can’t get them done.
For the 968 things that are going on in my life right now, not a single one of them is anywhere near done. Complete. Finished. Signed, sealed and delivered. I don’t mind having 968 things on my list of things to do. In fact, I love having a ToDo List. However, I have not been able to check off a single thing and it is. Driving. Me. Crazy.
According to my resumé, I am a goal-oriented person. I like objectives. However, more than setting goals, I luuuuurve meeting them. I like to start a project, work feverishly on it, then finish it right before I keel over with exhaustion. Nothing, and I mean nada, gives me more satisfaction than finishing a project (well, there are some things, but let me put it to you this way. I see everything as a “project,” and for certain projects, the emphasis is on “finishing,” ‘k?)
I like to hand over a final deliverable. I like to check something off my list. Yes. I love checking off lists. Here’s a secret though. I like meeting goals so much that sometimes I set very very easy goals just so I can feel complete when I meet them. I like checking off lists so much that I put things on my list that don’t really need to be on a list, but I put them on there anyway, just so I can check them off. “Charge cel phone.” Who writes “charge cel phone” on a to-do list?!?! I do. I even write things on a list that I already did, just so I can see it on my list as checked-off. WTF? Is that cheating? Is it weird? Scratch that. Yes, lunatic, it is weird, but how weird is that? It is very very weird, but I can’t help it.
I think it’s a sickness.
There has to be a name for this ailment, one of many from which I suffer, because I can’t be the only person who suffers from it. There has to have been at least one other person who has complained about it to a doctor, counselor, therapist (*ahem* or blog), which means it is documented, which means it would have obscure-German-doctor’s-last-name’s Syndrome, which means it is official, because if at least two people have it and it is documented, then it is a very real disease. However, searching through WebMD, there was nothing under “makeslistcompulsivelyorelsefeelsincomplete.” That must mean it’s something experienced by only me, in my head, not anyone else and that would make me…
A basket case.
Because I have not been able to check off anything from my list of 968 things in the last few months, I am a basket case.
deliverables
I baked.
Strangely enough, I didn’t bake because it relaxes me. Some people find baking a serenely pleasurable activity. For me, baking is quite the opposite, really. Patience with scientific meausurements and precise timing is actually stressful to me. I am not a very good baker. I am not even a good baker. When it comes right down to the honest truth that no one would ever say to my face after I’ve baked something and they’ve eaten it because they just aren’t that rude, I suck at baking. It’s not false modesty. I really do suck at baking.
However, neither butcher nor baker, I am an obsessive list maker, and I needed to do something that I could legitimately put on a ToDo List, then check off as complete. I needed to feel like I was getting something done, and done. Baking is a project that can be planned, executed, and completed within the span of about 45 minutes. Brownies are deliverables.
And really, no matter how much I suck at baking, I can’t really screw up brownies.
I feel so much better now.
But I still have 968 things to do.
Mini Snickers Brownies recipe
The following statements do not comprise a recipe, merely some guidelines on how to go about approaching this project. I used a recipe for brownies that is most likely very similar to a recipe that you have for brownies, unless your recipe has nuts, cream cheese, or some other foreign ingredient that really, should never adulterate a brownie, or your recipe is found on the back of a box. Whatever the case, your recipe for a basic brownie is perfect.
Dole out the brownie batter in a greased mini muffin tin. The mini muffin tin is key because it very greatly reduces the overall baking time which means 1) the Snickers you add to the top won't melt into ugh
blivion, and 2) you finish the "project" sooner.
Just throw a 1" slice of a Snickers bar on top.
You will have to bake these by "feeling," relying only on your sixth sense to indicate when the brownies are "done." You can't really go horribly wrong with brownies, since they are exceedingly moist if underdone, and with the Snickers, are still okay if slightly overdone.
In either case, at least they're done.
** a year ago today, they called me waverly for my pumpkin cheesecake **
tags :: food : and drink : baking : recipes : reviews : los angeles
Cyndi says
Yum. (Not much of a comment, huh? But that's my response upon seeing that picture!)
Kristen says
Ohhh... yummy! Those look really good, especially when you are needing a chocolate fix. Delicious!
sarah says
cyndi: don't worry. sometimes "yum" is just enough, especially when your mouth is filled with brownies ;)
kristen: TOTALLY chocolatey!
Craig says
And I thought you liked your brownies plain and chocolaty.
Marit says
Love the snickers brownies; will put them on my list of things to do. I so understand what you mean with making lists and including items you have done/are doing just to tick them off. Not sure if it's a syndrome, but it's sooo satisfying. Also, if I don't write it I will forget it in all my absentmindedness, even if I did it. I guess that would be a separate or sub-version of a syndrome. Note to self: don't walk into the glass door.
Your blog makes such good reading!
Mary says
LOL! I've never heard anyone describe brownies as deliverables. I can just see the SOARs on a resume now.
Situation: Hunger
Objective: To decrease hunger
Accomplishment: Designed "project brownie" and implemented ahead of schedule
Results: Decreased hunger by 68%
2nd-favorite says
I put Make a daily task list on each of my daily task lists. That can't be cheating because it is the first item, so when I write it, it isn't done yet. Right?
Besides, just making lists is nothing. What you have to do is create them as an Excel file. Then you can assign time durations and rate their importance and calculate your productivity at the end of the day/week/ whatever. Shit, did I just reveal too much?
Anonymous says
Poor thing. I'm an obsessive list maker as well. I think it can really help you get a lot of things done, particularly when you're juggling multiple deliverables. But, a list entirely of P1s? That's my worst nightmare.
- Chubbypanda
Anonymous says
Sarah,
The dude that commented on his excel spreadsheets is crazEE. He walks around muttering about his productivity. Be warned.
Anyhoo, your brownies look dericious!
Anonymous says
hey, delicious!
i wanna taste your brownie.
deke babamoto
Deke Babamoto says
Oh, delish, here's my address for the brownies---deke babamoto, 150 S. Glenoaks Blvd., #9262, Burbank, CA 91502
hermz says
I shall consider brownies as deliverables when they are delivered to me.
Deke Babamoto says
nothing in my POB yet, but i know "delisa" is gonna come thru w/the brownies.
deke babamoto
GT says
Those brownies actually look really good. Did they taste good?
marias23 says
Hey there! I totally understand what you mean when you write about working in a frenetic pace but never seeming to get things "done". I'm at that stage too and it can get frustrating at times, but you'll be fine!
Anyhoo, those snickers brownies look to die for! I'm thinking about making and sending some for my sis for her birthday :)
jean says
hello!I just realized I have the same blog name as yours but in spanish..mi vida deliciosa...maybe theres more blogs out there but in russian or arabic with the same name...lets wait and see
Coleen says
ONLY 968 things going on in your life right now? You've got it made! All joking aside, 968 things is what life is all about. If you had them all done (or even half of them done) you would be at the end of your life cycle....bummer. So keep making lists (we all do it) and on a good day you can check a thing or two off of those lists. If you don't check even a single thing off of your list in any given day, don't freak out...there's always (hopefully) tomorrow.
Josie says
a) These look delicious and will be added to my need-to-bake list (ha...haha... list...) immediately
b) Don't worry, there's two of us. My favorite thing to add to to-do lists is "make to-do list." it's great :) Or split tasks into tiny sections to be done (ex: read paper description, decide on paper topic, start paper outline, finish paper outline, write into paragraph to paper etc etc...) I also totally know what you mean by deliverables: brownies = relatively cheap, relatively easy thing to make in an hour that a) you can cross off a list and b) people will praise you for :)
(ok, so this neurotic medstudent may have totally identified with you as you wrote and had a "wait, did I write this?" moment...)
Here's hoping you get to cross some stuff off your list :)
Josie
Zoe says
After reading this post I am wondering if your life has been blissfully sheltered or if you are simply the most pathetic and shallow person ever.
Pitiable for all the wrong reasons.
Jeesh.
Anonymous says
Zoe's parents didn't love her enough...:)
Sarah J. Gim says
Zoe:
Can you refer me to the parts of this post that indicate either 1) being sheltered or 2) pathetic and shallow? I'm just curious because though BOTH are indeed true about me, neither comes across to me upon re-reading my post. Self-centered, no doubt, since this post is entirely about me (but then again, this is a personal blog), but not sure I see the "sheltered" or "shallow" parts.
Thanks.
Jenn@slim-shoppin says
OMG, TOTALLY ignore Zoe's comment!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Didn't anyone ever teach her, if you don't have anything nice, then don't say anything at all??
I can't stand when people want to put other people down.
I loved your cupcakes, my kids will think I am the best mom ever after making these! I enjoyed reading your post!
junie says
Thank you for the great idea! Just adding a slice of Snickers added so much to the brownies and my family loved them! What a wonderful way to jazz up box brownies!
Sarah J. Gim says
Jenn: thank you:)
junie: so easy, right? it's not even fair.
Laura says
These look great. You're also a great writer.
Kittie says
Came to you via TasteSpotting for a somewhat belated response to this post. First of all, great way to take brownies to that next level... Second... OMG I can't believe I've found someone else who lists things they've already done... *just to check them off* :D It gives me the warm fuzzies ;)
clea walford says
the brownies look absolutely delicious!
Rita Reyes says
Thanks for the great blog! I love it.
Rita
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