I Met My Multi-Tasking Match!

I like to think of myself as a pretty good multi-tasker. Like many of you, I can make dinner, do the laundry, help the kids with homework, let the dog out to do her business, and take a phone call or two all at the same time. What I realized this week is that baking cookies can not be part of my multi-tasking mix. This became apparent while making 6 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange. I had a lot of work to do. I figured my signature 7 layer bars (o.k. it's just the recipe from the Eagle condensed milk can) would be a snap to whip up. I was making layer #1--the graham cracker crust and had my butter melting (on the simmer setting) and then decided I would do a little Facebooking (is that a verb?). While doing that I started a chat session with my sister (I didn't even realize you could do that on Facebook) and the next thing you know, my butter was burning. I knew in the back of my mind I should go check on it, but I kept thinking one more minute won't hurt. The smoke finally got to me, so I ran through the dark cloud forming in my kitchen to find my 1/2 cup of butter blackening my nice saute pan. O.k. I thought, I must pay more attention. My next stick of butter was ready to go. A simmer setting, an eye on the pan and I'd be back on track. I'd get those bars made come hell or high water. Things were going smoothly. Two pans of bars were out of the oven cooling off. I was in the homestretch. I decided to make one more pan so my bars would not be too skimpy. I started again with layer #1 and my graham cracker crust waited to be patted into my 9 x 13 pan. But then my son asked if he could make Jello. He needed hot water and what did I do? I turned the flame on underneath my ready to go graham cracker crust instead of the tea kettle and burnt it to an inedible crisp. Darn it! (not my thoughts exactly), time to start over again! Thankfully the third time was a charm. My last batch of bars made it in and out of the oven without one black patch! I was done! 6 dozen bars cooled on my counter, 3 hours, two sticks of butter in the trash and one headache later! And in case you are wondering, the 7 layer bars were a hit!