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macarons hate me.

15 Jun
Is it something I did?  Is it my baking attitude?  Do I whip you too long or am I too careless in adding ingredients?
Tell me because we’re getting no where like this.
Seriously.  Just be honest.  I can’t stand the constant attempts and trying on my part with such unrewarding, not-so-pretty, and just ‘eh’ results.  
Help me help you become the best cookie you can be.
I failed again, macarons.  I used a hand-held mixer this time to beat the egg whites; I think that helped.  But somewhere after that, I pissed you off.  You spread too much on the silpat and then never baked with the proper macaron ‘feet.’  Where were your feet?
What the heck, macarons.  What did I ever do to you?
‘macaronsbyjane’ on twitter [who I’m just going to go ahead and guess knows something about macarons] randomly tried to help me out with my failure.  She recommends a kitchen scale to weigh my ingredients.  
Okay, macarons.  I’ll carefully weigh your different parts next time.  But if you still don’t turn out for me, this relationship will be revisited.  We might need some time apart and my infatuation for you may drain. But I hope it works out; I feel like we could have something special.  *french cookie/person embrace*

Monday was –

17 May
First of all, Monday felt like Friday.  
Second of all, Monday was just all sorts of emotions.  
Also all sorts of seven dwarf names.
Sleepy: I spent Sunday night with a sleepover at Sara’s.  We watched Modern Family, made two recipes off of Pinterest [lemon puppy chow and jello molded in citrus peels], and feel asleep to our usual movie – Pride and Prejudice.  We didn’t start the movie until well after midnight and we both casually dozed off as the music played in the background.  Sub-consciously, somehow, we both knew when to wake up.  I looked at my phone at 2:17am and then glanced over at the couch.  Sara was awake too and right at the time when Darcy first declares his feelings for Elisabeth.  [Watch the scene here.]  We stayed awake to watch him mutter the feelings he can bear no longer.  He loves her, most ardently.  *sigh*
Sara shakes it.  [the puppy chow]
Sleepy also will work as I then stayed awake until 2am this past morning.  Reading.  Three-quarters done with the second book in The Hunger Games after beginning it yesterday afternoon following class.  [It’s probably best if I just do nothing else and finish the series, right?  Not like I’ll get much done in the meantime.]
Happy: I completed and turned in my last final of my seminary career.  I also went to my final class period of seminary.  Can I get a wooten?!  [Whenever I text ‘woot’ on my phone, it auto-corrects to ‘wooten.’  I think I might just give in and start saying what the iPhone tells me I should say.  Though what is a ‘wooten’?  Any clue?]
Sneezy:  I sneezed.  Twice.
Dopey: I was a little dopey.  Truth is, my brother began his move to Alaska yesterday.  I heard last week that he got a job there and, while I had known he’d been looking, I had no idea he was moving so quickly.  He packed his camper, organized his life, and on the road he was by Monday morning.  Now my older brother moved to Colorado last year but Colorado just doesn’t seem as final or far as Alaska.  Airfare to CO is much more manageable than flying to Anchorage.  So Ben is moving … and I’ll miss him.  Since he became the boyfriend of a U of M student this spring, I actually saw him more than I have in many years past.  Plus, he’s taking his dog, Jetta.  I’ll miss Jetta lots too.
Grumpy: For the sake of the seven dwarfs, I’ll use this emotion but really, it was more frustration.  I had a macaron-making date with Melissa and our first batch, intended to be mint chocolate, failed miserably.  Like couldn’t even be salvaged to snack on.  Like epic fail.  [This did mean, however, that the mint leaves originally reserved for the filling of the mint macarons could now be repurposed for mojitos.  When life gives you mint leaves, make mojitos.]  Our second batch – coconut mango – turned out edible.  [Not necessarily pretty, but edible.]
Bashful and Doc: This is where the seven dwarf comparison fails me.  I’m out.

mac- mac- macarons.

3 May
Starbucks is killing the cakepop and I’m moving on.  The seven stages of grief are still very real in my baking world but I’m looking for a new focus.  It’s time to settle with the past and look to the future.
Macarons.
[Don’t freak out.  I’m not ditching the cakepop.  Calm down, I say!  I will continue to make, share, and if Melissa has her way, she will be managing my etsy store that sells them.  But I’m ready to try something new too.]

Macarons are rising in popularity, one of the newest trends, much like the cupcake has been the trend of the last year.  [Ever watch DC Cupcakes?  I want pink boots and the skill to do the signature swirl.]  The petite dessert has been named as one of the top food trends of 2011 by this unfamiliar [trusted?] source.  I honestly think I’ve never even heard of this French dessert until the past year, and I certainly had never ate one before.  Have you ever ate one before?  They started appearing on Pinterest and there were too many pretty pictures to stand before I was determined to try them myself. 
I bought a macaron cookbook and it consumed me.  Must make macarons.  And it was so.
I did a trial run last night of lemon macarons with a lemon curd filling.  [You know, instead of homework.]  I have promises to make macarons with friends too, in the next few weeks, but to have a trial run under my belt will help facilitate success in later endeavors.  They worked … but I have practice to do.
A macaron is basically ground almonds [note: leave in the food processor longer], powdered sugar, egg whites [note: beat in mixer longer], and caster sugar [note: find some].  I’m not quite sure where to find caster sugar; any ideas, friends?  Apparently it’s a superfine sugar.  Maybe I’ll try to make my own with the trusty food processor.  The recipes require only three tablespoons of this type of sugar, and last night I substituted regular sugar.  I also need to purchase a proper cookie sheet that fits my silpat for ease and functionality.
Once the batter is mixed, it is transferred to the silpat using a pastry bag and tip.  I’ve never used one of those before – you know, the bags people use to decorate cakes with fancy tips.  It felt awesome, like I was on some fancy cooking show or something.  I loved it.  My macarons turned out anything but perfectly round and the right shape but that can be improved, and I’m happy to practice with the pastry bag.  
They’re light and airy, unique and colorful with lots of possibilities and flavors.  [Much like what I love about cakepops, minus the light and airy pieces.]  Macarons, I think we can be friends.    
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