I have a tendency, during periods when I do not have the time to bake or when I just cannot get home often enough to bake, to make ambitious baking plans. I make lists of things I need to buy, lists of what I will bake, things I can prepare in advance (in those recipes with multiple steps). For example, some cookies are best if you make the dough in advance and chill it. Some cookies and (cup)cakes require fillings that are best or easier if you make them ahead of time. I try to organize the whole thing if for no other reason than to build the anticipation (since I do feel a bit like I am in withdrawal if I am not able to bake for any length of time).

Coming up will be some lemon meringue cupcakes, some chocolate cupcakes with cream filling, Samoa cupcakes (something similar to Girl Scout cookies by the same name), (maybe) some maple walnut cupcakes, butterscotch cookies (experimental), eggless cookies (made with almond flour), maple sandwich cookies, lime squares with a pistachio crust… and a few other standbys, Anzac biscuits, Russian tea cakes, pistachio-cranberry-white chocolate biscotti and when I finally have some white chocolate chips again, the much-lauded white chocolate macadamia cookie.

Whether I actually get around to doing all of this … who knows? I have a lot of work to do, not much motivation to give people baked goods and not even a strong motivation to go to the store to get all the ingredients I need.

This weekend I have "zoned out" and not worked, not baked. I watched television shows (last week's installments of The Good Wife, Modern Family, Community, 30 Rock, Justified and the very last episode ever of Friday Night Lights, which made me feel much more melancholy than a tv show should)) and a few movies (Mother and Child, which started off slow and felt disjointed — leaving me feeling very disconnected, but I am not totally sure that was not the intent; I also watched Cairo Time, which I had been meaning to see since I first read about it ages ago. It seems especially interesting now with Egypt in the news. I also like to see Alexander Siddig in something other than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).

Today's soundtrack: Millionyoung – "Gravity Feels". I love the transition in the middle.