Here is the conversation between my husband (who is sick himself and home with a 2-year-old who was sick but apparently is feeling much better) and I just a few minutes ago:
Phone at my desk rings.
Me: Hello?
Hubby: (in his most "I am not feeling good" voice possible): Can you cancel you dentist appt. after work today and just come home?
Me: I can try to reschedule. Why? What's wrong?
Hubby: I'm just not feeling good, and I am SOOOOOO tired. Oh, and our son is eating trash.
Me: What?! He is eating trash?
Needless to say the appt. was re-scheduled.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Pastry Chefs We Are Not
Leave it to Thelma to come up with the idea to make French macaroons. I mean besides Martha herself, who makes these? It took a little coaxing, but she got me to agree to a girl’s night of baking. And who knew these little treats were so DELICIOUS; I am still craving them a week later. Should you ever decide to be ambitious and attempt to make French macaroons, please learn from our mistakes...
Mistake #1: Not Having the Proper Equipment
YOU WILL NEED AN ACTUAL, FOR-REAL SIFTER . . . you know, the one with the squeeze handle or crank. Don't think you can "make do" with a colander/strainer thing as a sifter. Believe us, You. Will. Regret. It. After making two batches, sifting each one three times, we decided we did not have the patience to be pastry chefs. In fact, I vowed during one of the sifting cycles (while Thelma was desperately calling neighbors to find a good sifter) to never make French macaroons again, but I quickly reneged on that as soon as I tasted them.
Also, if you don’t have the right pastry bag tip, the chocolate macaroons will turn out looking like dog poo (see exhibit 1).
Mistake #2: Mismanagement of Time
Don't attempt this little endeavor when you are on a time schedule. Poor Thelma had to finish baking and cleaning her kitchen without me (which she claims took 2 hours!). We had no idea how long making these jewels would take (in part due to the fact we didn't have a real sifter) and I had to get home to relieve my sitters.
Mistake #3: Being Overzealous
We were so excited about making these delectable desserts that we wanted to try several different flavors. We planned on making a butter cream, a chocolate butter cream, Italian cream, and chocolate ganache filling but only were able to finish the first three (see mistake #2). You should chose one flavor and go with it. In our opinion, the Italian cream filling on chocolate macaroons are TO DIE FOR! That's all you need, we promise.
Mistake #4: Misinterpretation of the Recipe
When using Martha's recipe (which we did), know that when it says it will make 35 cookies, its means 35 actual cookies. Somehow we interpreted this to mean we'd get 70 cookies and then have 35 once they where sandwiched together. My husbands exact words were " You two worked that long and that hard to make three cookies?" Okay, granted we got more than three cookies, it wasn't much more.
We really do plan on doing this again, but next time we will be more prepared. Isn't it true you learn as you go?
Mistake #1: Not Having the Proper Equipment
YOU WILL NEED AN ACTUAL, FOR-REAL SIFTER . . . you know, the one with the squeeze handle or crank. Don't think you can "make do" with a colander/strainer thing as a sifter. Believe us, You. Will. Regret. It. After making two batches, sifting each one three times, we decided we did not have the patience to be pastry chefs. In fact, I vowed during one of the sifting cycles (while Thelma was desperately calling neighbors to find a good sifter) to never make French macaroons again, but I quickly reneged on that as soon as I tasted them.
Also, if you don’t have the right pastry bag tip, the chocolate macaroons will turn out looking like dog poo (see exhibit 1).
Mistake #2: Mismanagement of Time
Don't attempt this little endeavor when you are on a time schedule. Poor Thelma had to finish baking and cleaning her kitchen without me (which she claims took 2 hours!). We had no idea how long making these jewels would take (in part due to the fact we didn't have a real sifter) and I had to get home to relieve my sitters.
Mistake #3: Being Overzealous
We were so excited about making these delectable desserts that we wanted to try several different flavors. We planned on making a butter cream, a chocolate butter cream, Italian cream, and chocolate ganache filling but only were able to finish the first three (see mistake #2). You should chose one flavor and go with it. In our opinion, the Italian cream filling on chocolate macaroons are TO DIE FOR! That's all you need, we promise.
Mistake #4: Misinterpretation of the Recipe
When using Martha's recipe (which we did), know that when it says it will make 35 cookies, its means 35 actual cookies. Somehow we interpreted this to mean we'd get 70 cookies and then have 35 once they where sandwiched together. My husbands exact words were " You two worked that long and that hard to make three cookies?" Okay, granted we got more than three cookies, it wasn't much more.
We really do plan on doing this again, but next time we will be more prepared. Isn't it true you learn as you go?
Yes, we know, they aren't as pretty as some of the pics you've seen on the web but they sure were tasty!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Adventures in Victoria's Secret
We love Victoria's Secret; laughter always finds us there. You know you are with a true girlfriend when you go lingerie shopping together. Put yourself in our shoes and join us on one particularly hysterical adventure. You might want to grab an extra pair of panties because if you were truly there with us, you probably would have peed in your pants for sure. We both almost did.
Those of you who have either had a baby or have had someone close to you have one know just how much your body changes during pregnancy not to mention childbirth. So much so it takes a LLLOOONNNGGG time for you to get back into your pre-kid body--if you ever do. Needless to say, you aren't going to be there in six weeks, but that is when the doc more than likely gives you the go ahead to, well, you know. So, six weeks after having my first child, my hubby and I planned the perfect date night, which included dinner, a glass--or two, or three--of wine (If you have been there, you know you need that little bit of liquid courage) and giving our new bundle to grandparents overnight for the first time. Are you catching my drift? Even though I in no way, shape, or form, looked like I wanted to look, I still wanted to have that little extra VA VA VOOM for our special night. So, I called up Thelma, and we went lingerie shopping.
So, there we were standing in Victoria's Secret. I had no clue what size or style might fit and look good--oh, okay, I would have settled for halfway decent--on me at this point. Like I said earlier everything seemed to have shifted around--and not for the better. We grabbed so many things, the sales ladies had to think we were going to stuff our purses full while we were in the dressing room. I have no idea exactly how many "outfits" I tried on, but it was getting to the point we were so tired we were delirious. (You know that point you reach when EVERYTHING is hilarious?) Like I said, my body was totally different than it had been pre-baby, and some of the things I put on looked down right awful--to the amusement of us both. So, there we were in the dressing room together already laughing out loud so loudly that we had to be causing a scene, and I had one more outfit to put on. It was one of those that looks so good on the hanger that you pray it looks just as good on you. Well, I don't know what happened--I think it was the material and the fact that it was skin tight and WAY too clingy--but I got it on and knew IMMEDIATELY it wasn't going to work, but, when I tried to take it off, it wouldn't budge. The harder I tried, the worse I made things. By the time I looked to Thelma for help, I had the thing all twisted up, backwards, and inside out. And to top it off, the thing was so tight I couldn't breathe. Thelma and I might have been able to get it off if we weren't laughing so hard. We got it as far has my chest and then it got stuck again. There I was with the bottom half of my chest sticking out and my panties--that was it. You could only be in this predicament and not be embarrassed in the presence of your best friend. By this time we both needed to go bolting for the nearest toilet, but obviously we couldn't. We finally just had to stop trying to get the lingerie off and just stand there and laugh until every one of our stomach muscles ached. You can imagine what people on the other side of the dressing room door had to be thinking. Finally--and I don't know how--we pulled it together long enough to get the thing off.
In the end I did find a cute little number. You'd think after that major escapade we'd never set foot in Victoria's Secret together again. Not so. Just a few months ago we went bra shopping together. We got fitted for the right size bra, which we'd recommend. You know how they say the majority of women are wearing the wrong size bra? We both fit into that majority, and me...I was wearing bras TWO sizes too small. Talk about uncomfy. So, grab your girlfriends and head to the nearest Victoria Secret. You too can create some fun memories.
Those of you who have either had a baby or have had someone close to you have one know just how much your body changes during pregnancy not to mention childbirth. So much so it takes a LLLOOONNNGGG time for you to get back into your pre-kid body--if you ever do. Needless to say, you aren't going to be there in six weeks, but that is when the doc more than likely gives you the go ahead to, well, you know. So, six weeks after having my first child, my hubby and I planned the perfect date night, which included dinner, a glass--or two, or three--of wine (If you have been there, you know you need that little bit of liquid courage) and giving our new bundle to grandparents overnight for the first time. Are you catching my drift? Even though I in no way, shape, or form, looked like I wanted to look, I still wanted to have that little extra VA VA VOOM for our special night. So, I called up Thelma, and we went lingerie shopping.
So, there we were standing in Victoria's Secret. I had no clue what size or style might fit and look good--oh, okay, I would have settled for halfway decent--on me at this point. Like I said earlier everything seemed to have shifted around--and not for the better. We grabbed so many things, the sales ladies had to think we were going to stuff our purses full while we were in the dressing room. I have no idea exactly how many "outfits" I tried on, but it was getting to the point we were so tired we were delirious. (You know that point you reach when EVERYTHING is hilarious?) Like I said, my body was totally different than it had been pre-baby, and some of the things I put on looked down right awful--to the amusement of us both. So, there we were in the dressing room together already laughing out loud so loudly that we had to be causing a scene, and I had one more outfit to put on. It was one of those that looks so good on the hanger that you pray it looks just as good on you. Well, I don't know what happened--I think it was the material and the fact that it was skin tight and WAY too clingy--but I got it on and knew IMMEDIATELY it wasn't going to work, but, when I tried to take it off, it wouldn't budge. The harder I tried, the worse I made things. By the time I looked to Thelma for help, I had the thing all twisted up, backwards, and inside out. And to top it off, the thing was so tight I couldn't breathe. Thelma and I might have been able to get it off if we weren't laughing so hard. We got it as far has my chest and then it got stuck again. There I was with the bottom half of my chest sticking out and my panties--that was it. You could only be in this predicament and not be embarrassed in the presence of your best friend. By this time we both needed to go bolting for the nearest toilet, but obviously we couldn't. We finally just had to stop trying to get the lingerie off and just stand there and laugh until every one of our stomach muscles ached. You can imagine what people on the other side of the dressing room door had to be thinking. Finally--and I don't know how--we pulled it together long enough to get the thing off.
In the end I did find a cute little number. You'd think after that major escapade we'd never set foot in Victoria's Secret together again. Not so. Just a few months ago we went bra shopping together. We got fitted for the right size bra, which we'd recommend. You know how they say the majority of women are wearing the wrong size bra? We both fit into that majority, and me...I was wearing bras TWO sizes too small. Talk about uncomfy. So, grab your girlfriends and head to the nearest Victoria Secret. You too can create some fun memories.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Macaroons
Hi!
Thelma here. Louise and I are planning on making some French Macaroons next weekend so if any of you have a good recipe, please send it our way. (Maybe we'll send you some if they turn out) ;D
Thelma here. Louise and I are planning on making some French Macaroons next weekend so if any of you have a good recipe, please send it our way. (Maybe we'll send you some if they turn out) ;D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
