Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... Macarons

 

Chocolate Macarons - NYT - Recipe

"I lean against the window, biting into the delicate macaron. It feels like I'm drinking a lightly sweetened, warm cup of green tea, sprinkled withe a tiny contentment spell, one of mom's specialties."

~ Julie Abe

The Charmed List

The photo above is mine, those gorgeous macarons are not. Well, I mean, I didn't make them, I bought them. Costco, had a sale on them several years ago, and I was hooked! The brand, Le Chic Pâtissier, was reasonably priced, as it was right before Easter, and they make a beautiful addition for Easter afternoon tea, or for a quiet moment when you just have to turn off the noise, and decompress. I have learned to make all kinds of sweets, but I have always been a bit intimidated when it comes to learning about making them myself. But, Sally's Baking Addiction, one of my go-to sites for baking, has a marvelous step by step recipe and guide to follow and it sounds enjoyable. Also, Harry and David, has a recipe for Halloween Macarons that will have me in a sufficiently spooky mood by the time my favorite holiday arrives!

Americas Test Kitchen

The Ultimate Guide To Making Macarons

Just remember, a Macaroon is not a Macaron!

Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... Zucchini And Tomato Tartlets

 

Zucchini and Tomato Tartlets With A Cheddar Crust - NYT - Recipe

"A tomato may be a fruit, but it is a singular fruit.

 A savory fruit.

 A fruit that has ambitions far beyond the ambitions of other fruits."

~ E. Lockhart

Oh my. Have you checked the latest food recall lists? The last thing I read about was. Reds All Natural Breakfast Burrito with Steak Cilantro and Lime. Sigh. Again, so far, my state of California hasn't been affected much regarding recalls, but I am pretty concerned about when that shoe will fall, and we will be right in the center of a doozy of a recall. But, for now, I am doing my best to not become too hypervigilant about this whole situation, but things are fairly spooky. 

Mr. Stripey

Anyway, how about a nice little tomato and zucchini tart, or two, to enjoy on a lovely summer afternoon? I love tomatoes in summer and fall, Heirloom tomatoes like Mr. Stripey in particular. They're all good! In fact our love for fresh tomatoes took on some added enjoyment, when we began our own tomato garden several years ago!  As far as I know tomatoes are not under recall, at least not as of the writing of this post, so why not enjoy some yumminess?

 Just wash, and cook, thoroughly!

The Spruce Eats has a really great guide to different tomato varieties.

Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... Twin Peaks Cherry Pie

 

"They got a cherry pie there that'll kill ya."

~Agent Dale Cooper ( Kyle McLachlan )

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks Cherry Pie - NYT - Recipe

A slice of cherry pie, and "a damn fine cup of coffee", and suddenly you're back at the, RR Diner, in Twin Peaks, Washington! We now know who killed Laura Palmer, and why, so that mystery is over, but what do you suppose is happening there now? Sometimes I wish that ABC, or some other network, would bring back the show, but with the deaths of several creative forces, David Lynch and Peggy Lipton in particular, it means the show would have to change too much, and really, how could Twin Peaks stay the same forever? And I guess that's my point. The town would have moved along as we all did. The Internet and other annoyances would have moved into their strange little world, bringing with it a lot less to imagine. Although I did enjoy the reboot in 2017, but I am glad it was held to a limited run. Anyhoo, I came across this recipe in the New York Times, and I thought I would share it. I am not sure if I will try the recipe right now, or wait until autumn. Autumn is my favorite time to bake, it's the time of year I feel most inspired. So, there is something to look forward to. Autumn is only a couple months away now, and it the perfect time of year to binge Twin Peaks, as I eat this Cherry Pie.

The real life Double RR Diner, is actually, Twede's Diner, located at, 137 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, Washington.

How To Make A Banana Cream Pie

 

"I'm not a lady, I'm a legend."

~Marlena Dietrich

Get more recipes from the Pet company here.

A little Atomic Jazz, While You Bake Your Pie

My Love Of Baking, Especially In Autumn

 

“The measuring and mixing always smoothed out her thinking processes - nothing was as calming as creaming butter - and when the kitchen was warm from the oven overheating and the smell of baking chocolate, she took final stock of where she'd been and where she was going. Everything was fine.”

 
~Jennifer Crusie,

 Maybe This Time

 

I wanna bake. I love baking in autumn. Always. And I got a renewed love for it during the beginning of Covid-19. We were all on lock down, so doing photography was tricky, so I got out the cookbooks, attached myself to baking websites, and binged The Great British Baking Show. That show inspired me so much. I learned to make Pavlova, and scones, and a green tea cake! I even learned to make Christian Dior's Apricot Mousse! It's light and delicious and makes a terrific dessert for after a heavy meal. It's very special. Click the link, and try the recipe! Since I got Covid in late 2021, I have done very little cooking, hubby does it, and he's an amazing cook, he does all his own recipes, but I really miss the creativity of taking ingredients putting them together, and coming up with Nirvana. Its time to get back on the horse! I am looking for something new to try, will it be sweet, or will it be savory?

 

Wait and see! 

 

Pavlova

 

Pastry Swans with Sweet Cream

 

And sometimes I make Dinner 

 

Beef Pot Roast With Sweet Basil Gnocchi

 

Dance Of The Starbucks Sugar Plum Cheese Danish

 

“Dessert without cheese is like a beauty with only one eye”

 
~Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin 

 

 “Spring is the name of the interval between two autumns, and autumn is the name of the interval between two springs.” 

 
~Wasif Ali Wasif,

   Segue of Spiritual Whispers: Baat Se Baat

 

Yum. That right there is a picture of just one more part of Autumn I look forward to with great passion, the return of Starbucks Sugar Plum Cheese Danish. It's a simple pastry, sweet and creamy, and it's paired with a buttery flaky crust. There is just nothing not to like about it. My former Autumn craving was the, Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar, but once I tried this bit of loveliness, there was no going back. I discovered the Cranberry Bliss Bar, years ago, and every year it was my tradition, and delight, to pair it with a peppermint hot chocolate, when we went to either Union Square, in San Francisco, or the Holiday Merry-Go-Round in Tilden Park, in Berkeley. It just helped to make everything even more festive. Alas everything changes, right? We moved, fairly suddenly, to Stockton, and we no longer went to the city, or to Tilden Park. A 79 mile trip requires a lot of planning, so visiting could be dicey in the late Autumn and early Winter.

With our new hometown, came new tradition, Christmas eve colds, flu and most recently... Covid-19. But in-between sneezing disasters, came opportunities for holiday shopping, and errands. And what goes great with those things? Starbucks and pastry. So, one rainy autumn day, just past Halloween, and just prior to Thanksgiving, off I went to Trinity Parkway to shop, but one my way I stopped at my nearest bucks, salivating for a Cranberry Bliss Bar. To my disappointment they had none of those, but they did have the Sugar Plum Cheese danish. Huh? Shrug. I agreed to that, because what the hell? Why not? I love cheese danish, and this one has sugar plum whatever on it to make it even more sweeter than it already is! Why not?

OMG... oh my... something very, very evil began on that day, because I began to sing, JOY TO THE WORLD, A DANISH IS BORN... . I kid you not. A new Autumn tradition was born that day, and with it, visiting the absolutely gorgeous Sandhill Crane of Woodbridge road, later in the day, as they return home to their resting place, and taking this delectable snack with me. My hot cocoa has evolved to Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce, and the two together is nothing short of life affirming! Who doesn't need something like that once in a while? I have always had a sweet tooth, which is probably really bad at my age, but they holidays only come around once a year, and Autumn is sacred, so what's a girl to do?

Everything about the two pastries is perfect, however they are both a bit expensive. Shrug. What isn't expensive anymore? if $4 for a cheese danish seems pricey, I found a recipe hack that could make indulging more often reasonable, and of course, it can be customized as you like. You can find the recipe here. I haven't tried it yet, but I hope to soon. I have a few other treats ahead of it, waiting to be made. Hubby wants some chocolate cinnamon biscotti, and I want to make some Cinnamon pecans. Not to mention baked apples and perhaps even a holiday pavlova. I love this time of year! Autumn is the sweetest time of life.

Again? So Soon? 16 Years!

"If you chase anything in life, chase the things that get you excited about living. Chase the things that give you hope happiness and a glimpse of a better life. Chase the things that make you want to be a better person. Chase the things that inspire you think, create and live joyfully. Chase the things that reinforce in your soul that you can make a difference. Chase the things that make you want to transform your soul from selfish to selfless. When you chase that kind of storm, you are chasing rainbows."

~Shannon L. Alder

16 years. That's how old this blog is! 16 years! Wow, that's a long time to stick with a project on the Internet. Sometimes I wonder why I do it? I know, I know, to display my photographs. Yes, true, I do love posting them, and the feedback has always meant a lot to me. I became a much better, amateur photographer, because of that help, but is there anything more? This type of blogging, after all, died a quiet death a long time ago, with the invention of platforms like Twitter. Even social media sites like Facebook allow for mostly conversation and spreading fake news, but not so much long-form rants, raves and other generalized opinion spouting.

But here I am. My last blog post reached 9 folks apparently, but I have every confidence that in the Fall, when I begin the leaf project, things will pick up. But is it still worth my time to devote so much verbiage to this blog, or should I rely on Twitter for that? Twitter does help me clear the daily spider webs Trump spins, but some days it seems like more than I can deal with. Especially when my Fibromyalgia is acting up. Oh well, I think I contemplate this every year, and every year I shrug and move on, not giving it another thought, until yet another anniversary comes around. I suppose I am living in a HELL cycle. LOL. Anyway, isn't life one big HELL cycle? At least I enjoy mine! Mostly. 

Moving on, lets discuss what I've been up to that last 6 months or so. Baking! I have done a lot of baking! It has been good for me to get into the kitchen and try out new recipes that I never had taken the time to try. Cookies. Cake. Fudge. Turnovers. Pie crusts. You name it, I've given it a go! One of my absolute favorite recipes is for Focaccia. Yummy. I like making Focaccia bread, which is a lot like the one I grew up eating on special occasions. Lucca's made it, and I loved it. Very simple. Pizza sauce, on pillow soft bread, brushed with olive oil, then topped with cheeses, fresh herbs, and a little garlic. Yum. I took photos of all of my creations, and I have them below, and to my surprise they turned out kinda nice. One of the nicest comments I got for those photos, was someone calling them porn! I laughed and then owned the fact that this is as close to porn worthy as I will ever be at this point in life! That's life! Right?

 Anyway, enough chatting, onto the porn, but first, the quote I chose for this post says it all. Whatever I do, I need to commit to it fully, and if I find I can't, for whatever reason, it's better to end things on a positive note and move on. This blog should inspire me, and luckily I can say, it still does. As frustrated as I am right at this moment, autumn is coming, and I will be okay when I see the first of the leaves, and drink in the amazing air of my favorite mountain counties. Life right now is all about staying focused, with my eyes on the prize. Baking helps that goal, so baking I do.

1. Chocolate Chip Brownie
2. Cinnamon Roll
3. Lemon Snowball Cookie
4. Maple Roll
5. Cheese Focaccia Pizza Bread
6. Chocolate Mint Fudge
7. Christian Dior's Apricot Mousse 
8. Banana Fritters

And that is what I have been up to. I will be posting more often as we move closer to the first day of autumn. Look for me on Tuesday and Thursdays. I have another fun thing to share, about what I've been up to, but you will have to comeback on Tuesday to find out what it is!

( evil laugh )

~Mood: Happy
~Me

14 Years And 1 Day

Morning: Slept

Afternoon: Slept

Evening: Ate grass. Decided grass is boring.

Scratched. Hard to reach itchy bits.

Slept.

~Jackie French

Diary Of A Mad Wombat 

As of today, my blog is 14 years, and one day old. I missed posting on my anniversary, yesterday, because, well, I guess for the same reason that I have done very little blogging this year in general... Donald John Trump! It's stupid, I know, but I have let him drain my creativity to a certain degree. I am having to admit the truth to myself, that the depression I have fought so deeply has returned and he is a part of it. There are more things going on, but I don't want to touch on that right now. In fact, I don't want to dwell on him either. I just want to acknowledge that I still love my blog, and I am trying to get back into the swing of things, because autumn will begin soon, and I don't intend to miss that for any reason!

So, let's take a look at what I've photographed lately...

On August 18th, the Stockton Ports, which is the farm league team associated with the Oakland A's, had a fireworks display after one of their games, and as luck would have it, our front porch is almost a front row seat for the fun. Apparently, we are facing the waterfront district at just the right angle.

They aren't perfect shots by any stretch, but I will check the schedule and have the tripod ready for the next round in September! A little more practice is in order.

The Solar Eclipse Of 2017

Again, not perfect shots, but I was happy with the outcome. I didn't have the right lens for my conventional digital camera, the NIKON, but my smart phone, a Samsung 7, did pretty well with bouncing of the eclipse off the pool. This last photo was at the maximum 75% in Northern California.

And finally...

 I engaged in a little retail therapy the other day. I saw this chenille throw at Pier 1 and couldn't resist it. It matches the autumn theme I have in the living room, and it reminded me of the autumn leaves that I love so much! I also found this pretty candle...

It's Spice Cake scented, and it smells amazing! Well, as amazing as a candle can smell! LOL. I am such a sucker for anything autumn, the colors give me a wonderful sense of well being! And the spicy scent inspired me to bake some pumpkin muffins. I am really excited to get back into photography this Fall, and I think this will be a really good year!

And just between you and me, and pretty much everybody else, it seems like Donald Trump's misdeeds will be catching up with him soon. With any luck, by the end of the year he will be gone to the pokey, or at least unseated as our president. My fingers are crossed!

I am working on defeating the depression. In addition to the pain in the ass that is Trump, we have other problems going on that will need some resolve one way or the other. Alan and I are still going strong, but money is tight and we are working on refinancing and maybe pulling some equity from the house. I will share more about that later, but for now I just want to plan for some autumn fun, like baking and photographing the beauty in the world. I just need to concentrate on the things that chases away the darkness. 

So stay tuned!

 There is a lot more to come!

 I will probably post a couple more times before I am officially back with my autumn leaf portraits for 2017!

Mood: Happy/Encouraged
Me :)

 

It's Autumn, So Let The Baking Begin!

"The measuring and mixing always smoothed out her thinking processes... nothing was as calming as creaming butter, and when the kitchen was warm from the oven overheating and the smell of baking chocolate, she took final stock of where she'd been and where she was going. Everything was fine."

~Jennifer Crusie

Maybe This Time

It's autumn, and there is a definite chill in the air, so what better time for baking? I love cooking in autumn, especially the sugary treats like one of Alan's favorite cookies... Snickerdoodles! I put tons of cinnamon sugar on them, like everyone I suppose, but in my opinion there isn't enough cinnamon in the world. I LOVE cinnamon! Not only is it good for lowing your blood glucose numbers, but it keeps ants away from your home! Cinnamon is truly a gift. I adore cooking with it, and I have about 5 cinnamon brooms hanging on the walls of the new place to make it smell nice! I got them at Trader Joe's here in Stockton. The are amazing, they smell like cinnamon red hots. They are the perfect touch for decorating for the holidays! But back to baking. I think I will be doing more baking this year, then in previous years. It was good therapy to make the cookies. It has me in the mood for all the great treats enjoyed this time of year, and not just the sweet treats, I am looking forward to making quiches and savory bread puddings as well. And soon, Chicken in Puff Pastry! I haven't made that in several years. Creatively speaking, I am doing a lot better, and that can't help but bring me out of the homesickness I am feeling. Every day I am feeling a little more like I am home.

 Leaf Of The Day

November 6th, 2015

Mood: Content

~Me :)

Who Wants A Cookie?

From For Ellipsis

"A balanced diet, is a cookie in each hand."

-Unknown

It's pouring rain. It's cold. So, what lifts my spirits? BAKING! Who wants a Banana Snowball cookie? Go ahead... grab one... or two... even three! Rainy days are my favorite time to cook. I am at my most creative in the fall and winter months. Yikes, only a little over a week left of winter. Sigh. I already miss the short, cool days. How about you, will you miss winter? Share your thoughts with me over a cookie!

:)

-Carly