Miscellany...

These days when I have nothing specific to tell are always the toughest to blog about (probably why I'm a day late anyway). It's great when you have news to share and you just can't wait to jump on the computer and let everyone know, but when things are just trucking along as usual, inspiration just doesn't come as easily. So, yeah, it's business as usual 'round these parts. Work, home, dinner, bed, repeat, etc. Don't get me wrong, a routine is very welcome, and there are good things on the horizon I'll be able to talk about soon enough, but for now? Just not that much goin' on, y'all ;)


So, you get snow day pictures.



(proof! snowflakes on my head!)

And, bonus!, a recipe ;) I made these Chocolate Thumbprint cookies (courtesy of Martha Stewart) last week in a fit of glee at being home before dark (two days a week I open at the bakery and get home at 2pm), and they are in fact, dynamite. Slightly labor intensive because of the rolling in sugar and the filling of the thumbprint, but sincerely worth it. Next time you need to take someone a batch of cookies and want them to know how special they are, these are the cookies for you. So good, I might make them again later this week, and definitely a perfect cookie for Valentine's Day!

I will say that some reviews on the website mention that they find these salty--actually, that is the point, the super dark and fudgy cookie and the rich ganache need something to offset them slightly, and if you use coarse salt like kosher salt in the recipe, you get tiny salt grains. Just like with french salted caramels, chocolate covered pretzles, or World Market's Sea Salt chocolate bar, the salt works perfectly with the sweet. And really, I don't think it's at all overpowering, but if you're concerned, use regular table salt and cut the amount in half (as a matter of fact, if you're using table salt anyway, cut the amount in half--the recipe measurement is specifically for coarse salt, and using the same amount of table salt may be why some people think it's too salty in the first place, they are NOT interchangeable at the same quantity!). I will say that I did not get 90 cookies from the recipe, only about half that. Maybe Martha's are smaller, but I felt like mine were a good two-bite size. The ganache recipe Martha gives involves a vanilla bean as well, and I think that's a costly pain, so I changed the recipe a bit (the version below includes my changes) Also, 'cause I'm crazy like that, I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder instead of regular (resulting in a much darker, fudgier cookie), and to match, used Special Dark chocolate chips to make the ganache. *sigh* All this talking about them has made me miss them even more...

Chocolate Thumbprints

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, plus more for rolling
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, and add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.
2. Roll balls using 2 teaspoons dough for each, and roll each in sugar. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. With the handle of a wooden spoon, press gently in the center of each to create an indentation. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are just set, about 10 minutes. (If indentations lose definition, press centers again.) Let cool slightly on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.
3. Spoon warm ganache into center of each cookie. Let stand until firm, about 15 minutes. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

1. Combine honey, cream, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring until honey dissolves. Keep warm over very low heat.
   
2. Place chocolate in a food processor. Pour cream mixture over chocolate, and let stand for 1 minute. Process until smooth. Add butter, and continue to process, scraping down sides occasionally, until butter is incorporated. Let cool slightly, and then use immediately.

Hope you guys try them and love them as much as Matt and I did! I'll see you back here next week. I'll be sure we have something new to discuss ;)

**Almost forgot, a new cake from this weekend is up at the cake blog, be sure to check it out!**

Take that, Daisy Bee Bees!

Y'all, I just *knew* today was going to be a good day.

After a lovely weekend that included dinner with The Wileys, finally getting all the dregs of Christmas put away, a Sunday afternoon matinee of Slumdog Millionaire, and Friedchickenriceandgravy (my favorite meal I hardly ever have), I had an early morning scheduled today. I had an appointment at my endocrinologist at 8 bloody AM. Early, but considering I clock into work at 6 two days a week now, not ridiculous, even for my day off.

Today was a re-scheduling of my December appointment, since I was working Mondays in December and couldn't make it. A month overdue, today was the day I get my new A1c. I had my fingers crossed that, thanks to my very careful control, my new walking in the park ritual, and all that other jazz, I could at least have a number in the 6 point something range. That was the goal, that was the hope.

Apparently, I have low expectations. This is good.

My A1c was actually 5.7. FIVE POINT SEVEN, y'all. This puts me BELOW normal diabetic range. This means my official diagnosis and all my medical records now read "Type II diabetes, CONTROLLED". You guys have no idea the happy dance I was doing inside. You have no idea the implications of this for me, for Matt, for everything. I'm positively overjoyed.

And, as I walked out to my car, it began to snow.

It's still early, but it's shaping up to be a heck of a day.

Confessions of a Late Bloomer...

No, not that kind, actually.

You see, I'm a little late on a bit of landscaping. A couple of months, actually. After our rousing success tilling up and mulching the beds around the house, Matt and I celebrated by buying several huge containers of bulbs--crocus, daffodils, and tulips--to fill up the vacant beds so that come spring, we'd have something pretty to look at until we could start filling in with permanent landscaping plants.

And, then I got fired. And then I got hired. And then it was Thanksgiving, and Christmas. And, well, since then, nearly every day I've had free has been a rain drenched adventure. I'm not just making excuses, I swear, Knoxville is approximately 3-4 inches *ahead* on scheduled rainfall for the year. Now, I'm told by a few experts (read:my mother and aunt who are also guilty of not getting their bulbs in on time) that I can still plant these suckers, and considering how mild November and December had been, the cold garage I've been storing them in hasn't been that much different than our semi-soggy ground around the house. They'll come up, just, well, maybe a bit off schedule. Like, say, Daffodils in late March instead of late February, and Tulips all the way to May. I can't say this bothers me too much, this late blooming schedule--maybe I don't get the satisfaction of pretty yellow flowers in February (I'll plant pansies and get over it), but I also don't risk as much getting nipped when March turns ugly (like I *know* you will, March, do you hear me!?) and I get to have them longer into the season. The only trick here is, um, I pretty much have to plant them TODAY. You've heard of making hay while the sun shines? Well, today it's sunny, and a high of 50, and I'm off work--that pretty much translates to a mandate to plant bulbs. And now, since I've put this story on the internet for all to read and hold me accountable for, I've pretty much forced myself into it. Today's the day. I'm going to bundle up, get out my trusty little shovel and a bag full of bulbs, and get to planting.


In other, slightly less demanding news, I did use some time this weekend (while it poured rain, naturally) to get the cake blog up and running. It's full of cakes and basically up to date, and although I guarantee some tweaking with layout and colors and such to come, I think it's good enough to go ahead and link to. So yes, now feel free to check out Cortney Bakes Cakes . I don't believe there's much there any of you haven't seen before, but it will be nice to have to point potential clients to, a sort of online cake resume ;)

Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you, I'm off to throw in a load of laundry and wait for it to warm up outside a bit. I've got bulbs to plant!

A day late (and a dollar short?)...

...on the weekly update, but yesterday was a busy day.

Matt and I are gutting the Christmas Decoration Collection, along with most of the garage, and yesterday it was just all. too. much. But today, back at work and with a few spare moments to myself, I'm here and ready to blog.

There are a couple of exciting things in the works (though KatieKate has me beat on big news, congrats Mulders!) that have me all happy today. On the hobby-that-one-day-may-help-pay-bills front, I've finally got all the materials I need to get my crafty mojo working, and as soon as I have dabbled some more and have viable pictures, I'll let you guys in on it all. But suffice it to say I'm very excited and hope this new little venture blossoms appropriately. Etsy look out!

On the hobby-turned-job-that-is-*currently*-helping-pay-bills front, I got some exciting news at work today, and it looks like I will indeed be training next week as the 'second' decorator at the bakery. I'll still be pulling front of house duties for a while, still scooping cookie dough and ringing up sales, but discussion of ramping up the cake portion of our business in the future all sounded perfectly dreamy. There was even talk of an up-front decorators "nook" to replace the tiny decorators space we currently have in back, with windows so everyone who comes in can watch in awe as Dorothy and I create our tasty masterpieces. It's still all very tentative, so I'm not going to get my knickers in a bunch just yet, but the prospects are rosy.

Finally, I've got the bones of a blog devoted to my cakes up and running, and hopefully will have that fleshed out in a week or two. Thanks to you all, my bloggy buddies, for the suggestion! When I decided to take cake decorating classes I never would have dreamed that a few short tumultuous years later I'd be looking to make it my profession, but I have to admit that I'm thrilled with all the new prospects my little "hobby" has presented me with. Keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll be back to keep you posted ;)

A shiny clean slate...

I usually love New Years. The ending of it all appeals to my reflective side, and the prospect of new beginnings plays beautifully to the cautious optimist in me. This year finds me in new territory, though, in a strange world where I have no earthly idea what lies ahead, and none of my usual standby comforts to reassure me. I'll admit, y'all, that was freaking me out a bit last night as Matt and I quietly welcomed in 2009. In the light of day, after a lovely walk, and some quiet time in the kitchen, I'm feeling more and more like my old self. The me that's ready to roll with whatever 2009 is going to throw my way, safety nets be damned. Feels good, y'all. It feels good.

So, with that in mind, I've been mulling over some goals. Resolutions never interested me, they seem custom made to be broken, but having goals? That's something I can deal with. So without further ado...

Goals for 2009 (in no particular order):

1) Clean up my language.
You guys. You have no idea how bad I am at this. Sincerely, I may write happy family friendly entries here in Blogland, but in real life I would not want your kiddos spending the afternoon in my company, lest they pickup some colorful new phrases. Somehow I've let my occasionally-foul mouth overtake my otherwise broad vocabulary, and it's bumming me out. My mother (and everyone's mother) is right, it's impossible to sound like an educated lady with a dirty mouth. Now please don't get me wrong, I love a good cussin'. But to lessen the impact of such wonderfully effective words by overuse? Well, y'all, that's just a damn shame.

2) Be a more, ahem, gentle driver.
Something about being behind the wheel makes me a tad...aggressive. Whether I'm running behind or not, I have a tendency to drive like I'm twenty minutes late. I'm annoyed by all my fellow motorists. I'm impatient at lights. And I have to be in a really generous karmic mood to let someone in line if I think it's their own dumb fault they wound up in the wrong lane in the first place. But lately I've been wondering...why? Why be in such a rush, and why not be more generous? It seems correctable, and good for my soul as well as my blood pressure. So, even if you're being a jerk out on the highway, I'm going to try my darnedest not to be a jerk back, to take my time, and in general mellow out behind the wheel. Please understand this is a genetic disorder I have (thanks, DAD), and it's going to take some serious effort on my part to correct ;)

3) Make the best use of my time.
With my old job, I had a lot of free time around the house. A LOT. Things that needed to get done always got done, but at the leisurely pace I deemed fit. Now with trotting off to work each day, my time at the house has suddenly become very valuable, and I'm not particularly good at multi-tasking outside of work. So my goal is to make the time I do have really count. Multiple irons in the fire, that sort of thing.

And finally...4) Find my niche.
It's there, I know it is. And I've almost got it. I've almost figured it out. There's some baking/painting/cake decorating crafting trinity out there just waiting for me, and I'm going to find it, and I'm going to get great at it, and I'm going to make it my future, some how. And I'm giving myself a whole year to do it. I think that's fair.

I'm looking forward to routine again. Now that the dust has settled, I'm looking forward to remodeling my life. To make my every day be exactly the day I chose, to make lemonade from every lemon I'm handed. To be happier, healthier, and wiser. I'm making this a promise to myself. My promise to you is that I'll be back here every Monday to write about it. We'll talk then...