when you realize you're where you want to be

I didn't get much done yesterday in terms of a conventional to-do list, but I went to sleep feeling the most accomplished I have in a long time.

The day's main event started at 2 p.m. & ended at around 9 p.m, when Joe & I put our dinner dishes in the sink. The sink was crowded & completely surrounded by clean dishes. Our sponge had been destroyed earlier in the day, when I scrubbed out four bowls of melted chocolate, chocolate ganache & cocoa powder.

Our friend Lauren had come over, & we'd set ourselves to baking. All day. Perfect. We each have a huge heart for everything that happens in the kitchen, & we were excited to share the goodies we were each making.

Much of our work involved melting, letting things set & waiting. This means that, while eating chocolate ganache with a spoon, we were able to watch multiple episodes of MXC (just watch). Joe was happy: he got to lick spoons, drink lots of tea with condensed milk (DELICIOUS) & watch amazing Japanese television with American voice-overs.

Yesterday, I made a promise: I will never take my kitchen equipment for granted again.

We don't have a mixer. Actually, I don't even have mixing bowls–or a spatula. I don't know how I missed these facts when I invited Lauren over, but at least she was able to bring a spatula. I mixed my cookies by hand, first taking ten minutes to "whip" the butter with a fork. While mixing it in a brownie pan.

But it felt really great–like I was really starting to understand the ingredients & what it takes to work with them or change their properties. It was like a chemistry experiment, & it was really fun.

More importantly (for those reading that know me or will see me any time soon), it all turned out well & I'm ready to share. I ate too much ganache yesterday that I don't want to see it again for a loooong time.

So here's what we made:

From top left, clockwise:
Punitions, a traditional sablé French cookie (simple recipe & five ingredients)
Mom's fudge recipe (sharing: fudge–yes, recipe–no)
Lauren's cappuccino cookies
Lauren's cracker toffee

This cracker toffee is genius. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Then like it with crackers–like saltines or rectangular butter crackers. Make a caramel sauce (butter & brown sugar). Pour over crackers. Bake. Dump chocolate chunks on top. Bake until the chocolate melts & covers it. (Obviously, I'm missing the specifics that make this recipe work well. I don't have it yet, & I don't know if she'd want me to share it.)

This was all easy enough. I've made a fair amount of cookies in my day, & the fudge was doing all the work on its own in the fridge. Most of the day was dedicated to truffles.

I don't have pictures of them, because they look so much better on Smitten Kitchen's web site, where I found the recipe.

Then, it was time to make dinner. Joe went off on a beer-buying adventure (as we've found a place close to us that will match your beer choice to any food you're making). He came home with two organic beers in huge bottles, & we set to drinking them–until one exploded on the uncorking & poured all over. I let Joe drink most of that one.

What Joe loves most with beer–well, what Joe loves most in his belly–is pizza. Now that I've found yest & an oven, we're going to be making a lot of them. First one last night: broccoli, peppers, goat cheese & garlic. Today for lunch (to use the other half of the dough): crème fraiche (a popular topping here & thicker than our sour cream), avocado, tomato.

We also need to figure out what we'll be eating for the holidays, because tonight we pack for our day of dogsitting!

While eating pizza last night, I was exhausted. I was starting to stress about the other things that I didn't get accomplished yesterday. Then I realized–I didn't care. Not really. I'd had a day with a friend, with a great husband, with lots of chocolate. I'd gotten my hands going on four different recipes. I was starting new family traditions. I successfully made two French recipes. I was completely contented.

I need to take note of that feeling more often.

Off to conquer the world again, in the French style.