C is for Cookie

I mentioned last week that I was going to work on my holiday treat box, and this is my first experiment: Sugar Cookies

This little blue guy was the first round, I have never really worked with royal icing before so it was a trial and error getting the right consistancy. Round two went much smoother:
Final Cookies:
As you can see, the ends of the cookies sort of curled up in baking. I think that is partly because the recipe said to roll the dough 3/16" thickness, which is really thin. I would like to try another recipe, just to see, but I am overall very please with this experiment and can now move forward to my next treat experiment. I am planning to make truffles (I did those last year so I don't need to fiddle with those), I am also going to make caramels, for those people who can't eat chocolate, marshmallows-because I have been wanting to make those for a long time now, and Parisian Macaroons like the ones from La Duree. I just can't decide which one to try next.

It's going to be a good Fall

My compost is looking good. It was about a year ago exactly that I started composting and I think this batch is done. I can definitely say that turning and watering are the keys to faster composting. Also having a proper ratio of brown (carbon) to green (nitrogen) is vital. We produce more waaaay more green as we compost all of our kitchen scraps and have a ton of espresso grounds so it's been a challenge to come up with brown. I think I am going to look into getting a bale of straw. Also NO dairy and NO oil. They say that cutting up your compostable into smaller bits also aids in composting, but that's just too much work for me. Tomorrow I am going to a demonstration garden here in town to buy another compost bin and hopefully some native plants.

I need help with my lavender! Again! This one is still alive and I don't want to die like the other one. I have done some research and I found a site where someone said "If your lavender has a bare hole in the middle it's time to divide." As you can see, I definitely have a hole, but I am afraid to touch it. I have gotten conflicting answers. Divide it! Cut it back! Don't touch it!

What do I do?
It hit me yesterday that the Holiday Season is JUST AROUND THE CORNER and I had better get into gear if I want to get anything done. First up: Stockings. Last time I was home visiting my parents my mom showed me her scroll saw and we cut some ice skate blades out of some scrap plywood. Last year, Anthropologie had the cutest skate stockings and I decided I had to make one. Mom, of course, made hers almost immediately. I, of course, have obviously waited until almost the last minute as I usually do. If I get them done at all. Yesterday I drew up a pattern and a plan. I am going to go to the Goodwill and see if I can find some wool to cut up, or an old leather jacket or something. I'll head to Joann's as a last resort if I can't find anything.

I also have decided on a list of treats to include in this years treat box. More info will be given as I finalize, but I have to say that I have gotten a TON of inspiration from one of my new favorite blogs found via NotMartha : PhatDuck.

Which segues nicely into my next topic.....

This month marks the first of a new venture I am undertaking. I have been selected to be an assistant at the cooking school here in town. I am pretty darned excited. We are something like little sous chefs that come in and chop veggies and make pastry dough and make sure when the Chef needs a spoon they get a spoon. I am leaving the house to interact with other humans! Wish me luck.

This is the Romanesco Cauliflower (or Broccoli) we got in our CSA share this week. I am going to make Cream of Romanesco Soup with a Roasted Beet Puree to drizzle on top. See? I am already starting to get fancy.

A parting shot of Lulu's newest favorite napping spot. Usually the gigantic box of yarn lives in the closet, but I just don't have the heart to move it off of the floor just yet.

Banana Slug