On Holiday!

A whole 10 days in California! This is the place from which I came!... The northern region... to be slightly less vague. I have a new favorite store in Santa Cruz, Stripe, and I make it a point of visiting every time I am here. This time I got a couple of choice pieces for Holiday herself a little tea tray, and a hanging bottle that whispered to me as I passed her b(u)y... I could definitely spend hours and fortunes in this shop... Lucky for me my rule as of right now is, "only for the salon" and lucky for our budget the salon is tiny, so my boundaries are set for me.

I almost forgot...

This one is for you!

Macarons before noon...

This morning I did it, I just woke up and went for it!... I MADE MACARONS!!!! For the first time ever... Remember how I was so scared? Well I pretty much nailed it! Crispy little outsides, chewy center, with the formation of the pied and all--for those who don't know what a "pied" is, it is the little frill or pooch at the foot of the macaron, and well with out this small detail, according to the french (who know everything), it isn't any more of a macaron then it's coconut impostor. Which as a beginner cookie snob, I think it is my job to inform you that the coconut thing? NOT a macaron, for the record...

And don't even get me started on the sea salt butter cream filling! Ok well, since I am already started... The butter cream was really good, and buttery but just kinda sweet and a bit boring for me and so I thought, "you know what it needs? subtle yet bold flakes of sea salt!" and OMG!!! I was right!... And so I proceeded to eat a dozen of these them... Almost.

No macarons yet... But we did put up the tree?

I havent worked up the cookie courage ... Really I have not made the time... But hopefully this week will be the week. I can make them for gifts... That is if they do not turn out to be little turdy looking things... That is my fear, you know? That I will totally blow it, and this is why I procrastinate. Also I got the wrong almond meal, I got the TJ's kind that still had the skin on when they milled the almonds, so it is a speckley and I think I was supposed to get the blanched meal, or probably I was supposed to blanch the nuts myself and then ground them by mortis and pestle myself too, you know if I were a real baker. But I am not, so maybe I should just order them daily from Pix? Believe me that option is not off the table, but then neither are buttery little lavender short breads either, because I know that is something that I can make. Anyway there is a lot of talk about cookies and such but still no place to serve all of you good little girls and boys your treats. Soon you lovelies, hopefully we will be in our home come January (double crossed fingers and toes). There is movement behind this certain, I promise, we are almost there!

I may heart macarons, but I love my clients!

I do! I love love love them, it is so much fun to go into peoples homes, make them beautiful, hear their stories... And get paid for it all! I think it is the best! And I think you guys are the best!!! Thank You!

I heart macarons

I went to Powell's and I bought a book... I was looking for something special and I do believe I found it! Oh and then I went to pix for some inspiration... Unfortunately I have eaten all of the inspiration but I do still have the book.

Tonight we are going to trim the tree and I think I may attempt a batch of these puffy little charmers then, instead of the traditional forgiving sugar cookie... That may be a bit ambitious because I am kind of a control freak when it comes to ornament placement and it may be too much preasure... Doesn't that sound fun and Holiday spirited? Controlled decorating and anxious baking? I know, it's not, but my tree always look spectacular!!! And so goes the give and the take.

I am thinking we'll have to call a final decision closer to the decorating, see how the popcorn stringing goes and then we can decide about taking on the macarons.

I want this!

My new mission is to make macarons in the tiny oven aboard Holiday. I know that it is ambitious... But I can't think of anything else better in the world than sweet little Parisian puffed pastries made inside my little trailer!!!! And so now I need this book! Laduree` Fabricant dedouceurs ( Sweet Delights ) Laduree` makes clames to being the originator of these magic little sandwiches... and so I need to have this book!