INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Get out a knife and cutting board and unwrap all sticks of butter that your recipe requires. Cut each stick into several ½-inch cubes so that mixing the butter into the dry ingredients is as easy as possible. It’s a good idea to chill your butter cubes for about half an hour so that they don’t start melting. This will prevent the butter from becoming too soft and creating an undesirable consistency once it’s cut in. Using your hands or a fork, toss the butter cubes in with the dry ingredients so that they stick to the butter. This should make the ingredients stick to your hands less once you start smushing. While combining with the dry ingredients, smush and separate the butter cubes continuously with your fingers. Keep an eye on the overall consistency and stop when most of the chunks of butter look like they’re about the size of peas. You can also cut the cubes into smaller chunks with a pastry cutter.

SUMMARY: Cut the butter into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes. Refrigerate the cubes for about 30 minutes. Toss the cubes in the dry ingredients. Smush the butter into pea-sized pieces.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One of the most crucial parts of choreographing a dance is picking out the music. Pick a piece that you love, that makes you feel emotional and that inspires you to want to dance yourself.  Don’t worry about how long the piece is – you can always edit it to be longer or shorter using a program like GarageBand. Take a long walk and listen to the music you have on your iPod or phone. Make sure to pick a song that you like listening to. You’re going to be hearing it a lot. Your audience, in this case, is who you will be teaching the dance to. Your audience is important because it will guide your choreographic  choices, based on the audience's preference and skill levels.  For instance, you wouldn't teach the same dance to a group of experienced ballerinas that you would to an informal senior citizen's dance group. Consider tailoring your dance to a specific group. If you're trying to create a new dance fad, you may want to go on the simple side, as most people's dance skills are amateur. Dances don’t just appear out of nowhere – they are born from a choreographer’s thoughts and points of view. There are many ways to go about getting inspired to create a dance. Here are a few options:  Look at abstract designs and try to create movement that mimics what’s on the paper. Read a book and let a line from the book inspire movement. Try listening to the music you selected over and over and improvising a dance. Pick a mood or emotion and let that inspire the dance. Watch a movie and try to recreate a scene from the movie through movement. Let a story, a relationship or an abstract concept serve as the inspiration for the piece. The age and skill level of your dancers will determine a great deal about the dance. After all, it’s almost impossible to teach a hip hop routine to a bunch of 5-year-olds who have only ever taken ballet.  Think about how old the dancers are and how much dance experience they have. Then pick a style of dance that the dancers will be able to confidently execute. It’s okay to add in moves from different styles of dance. Decide how many people will be performing in the dance. Is it going to be a solo or a duet? Will there be a whole line of people? Decide if you yourself will be dancing or just choreographing. It’s much harder to choreograph an entire dance piece in one go. Instead, try breaking the song into verses or measures and creating sequences of movement for these smaller portions.  If you have a distinct movement, try to bring it back at different intervals throughout the piece. Make sure the movements you’re choreographing aren’t too hard for your dancers to perform. Write your notes down so you don’t forget them! Instead of fruitlessly trying to come up with new movements, assign yourself a simple task, like walking the dog or eating breakfast. Then improvise movements based on that task.  Once you have the movements for your simple task down, try drawing them out or speeding them up so they feel more like dance. Rearrange the moves to create a new, more interesting sequence of movements. Dance, like all art, is subjective. Don’t get caught up in whether your dance looks like every other dance – just create a dance that showcases your point of view as a choreographer.  It’s okay to be inspired by other dances, but don’t steal a dance move for move. Don’t get upset if your dance doesn’t come out exactly how you envisioned – there’s no such thing as a perfect dance.

SUMMARY: Pick a piece of music. Figure out your audience. Find your inspiration. Determine the style of the dance. Choreograph in short spurts. Give yourself a dance prompt. Have fun and be true to yourself.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Soft carpeting and rugs feel warmer than other surfaces and provide more cushioning. Using these surfaces is somewhat similar to laying on a mattress. You will most likely have an easier time falling asleep and experience less stiffness when you wake up. Sleeping on a hard surface is possible if you don’t have any other choice. It isn’t very different from sleeping on carpeting, but take extra time to prepare your bedding. Pick something that will give you a lot of cushioning, such as a quilt or sleeping back. If you don’t have anything thick enough, stack a couple of blankets together. Test your sleeping pad out to make sure it provides plenty of support for your back. In some parts of the world, people sleep on the ground using insulated mats. Tatami mats are great for repeated use, but massage mats, futons, and even yoga mats also work. You only need 1 good pillow. Choose a pillow that feels comfortable when you lay on it. Make sure it’s thin so it doesn’t lift your head too much. If it raises your head too much, it forces your neck and back out of alignment, which you will feel in the morning.  Stacking pillows isn’t recommended since it has the same effect as using a thick pillow. Stack pillows only if doing so makes you feel more comfortable while you sleep. If you ever find yourself without a good pillow, your arm doubles as one. It isn’t the most comfortable position to be in, but it works in a pinch. Once you have your base set up, complete your bed with some top layers. What you need depends on how warm you feel. Floors are often much colder than a mattress, so plan on having at least 1 warm blanket or thick comforter. Don’t underestimate sleeping bags. They are a source of warmth and comfort whether you’re out in the wilderness or at a sleepover. Now is when you bring in the thicker pillows. Identify any spots where you feel uncomfortable against the ground. The most common spots are the knees and hips. Slide the pillow underneath you for extra cushioning. Be careful not to lift your body too much. Slide the edge of the pillow underneath the part you need to cushion. Make sure your body is aligned with your head to protect your spine.

SUMMARY:
Choose a carpeted spot if this is your first time sleeping on the ground. Lay a thick sheet or mat on the ground. Place a thin, soft pillow at the end of the bed. Get a warm blanket to cover yourself at night. Bring a second pillow to cushion your joints from the ground.