Ryan and I walked to the highest public point in Austin tonight. We sat together and watched the sun set over Lady Bird Lake, breathing in the quiet (and somewhat cool!) evening air.
We stood together and let the birds fly above us, the boats jet below us, and the wind sweep away any trace of sweat.
Human beings need these moments of stillness. I need these moments of stillness.
At nights, I divide my time between baking, blogging, writing and working. Occasionally, I'll pop myself a bowl of popcorn and watch half of an episode of Top Chef. In the mornings, I stand at my kitchen counter, and I write, talk, and plan out the hours ahead. From morning to evening, I busy myself...partly as an obligation to the god of productivity and partly as a means of distraction from the pain that I see around me.
But standing with Ryan tonight was like a balm on a wound....a wound that I didn't even realize needed healing. We fill our lives with so many things, and these tasks and duties cloud our minds and our spirits. They prevent us from taking those deep breaths of the air around us, from standing in quiet admiration of this beautiful world.
I don't mean to be sappy, but when I began writing this post tonight, I knew there was nothing else that could fill this empty box. I hope that all of you can find some moments of stillness this weekend. Just be with yourself, the world around you, and the ones you love.
And please eat tasty treats like these.
We stood together and let the birds fly above us, the boats jet below us, and the wind sweep away any trace of sweat.
Human beings need these moments of stillness. I need these moments of stillness.
At nights, I divide my time between baking, blogging, writing and working. Occasionally, I'll pop myself a bowl of popcorn and watch half of an episode of Top Chef. In the mornings, I stand at my kitchen counter, and I write, talk, and plan out the hours ahead. From morning to evening, I busy myself...partly as an obligation to the god of productivity and partly as a means of distraction from the pain that I see around me.
But standing with Ryan tonight was like a balm on a wound....a wound that I didn't even realize needed healing. We fill our lives with so many things, and these tasks and duties cloud our minds and our spirits. They prevent us from taking those deep breaths of the air around us, from standing in quiet admiration of this beautiful world.
I don't mean to be sappy, but when I began writing this post tonight, I knew there was nothing else that could fill this empty box. I hope that all of you can find some moments of stillness this weekend. Just be with yourself, the world around you, and the ones you love.
And please eat tasty treats like these.
These petite tarts are a delight to make and to share. If you don't have mini-muffin tarts, feel free to use regular muffins tins.
Any type of jam or jelly will work. I couldn't help but use more of Abby's addictive Strawberry Rum Jam....I wish I had a whole cabinet full of her delicious blends!
I had hoped to bring these treats to my MFA Fiction Workshop on Tuesday night, but when I was halfway to class, sitting in unbearable Austin traffic, I realized I had left them sitting on my kitchen counter.
A sad day for me and my writer friends, but a happy day for Ryan and his coworkers. He brought the batch into work the next morning and assured me that they were readily devoured.
Over the weekend, I will be baking, writing and hopefully enjoying some delicious food with my sweet husband. I hope that you all have a wonderful Friday night and a relaxing and refreshing weekend.
Any type of jam or jelly will work. I couldn't help but use more of Abby's addictive Strawberry Rum Jam....I wish I had a whole cabinet full of her delicious blends!
I had hoped to bring these treats to my MFA Fiction Workshop on Tuesday night, but when I was halfway to class, sitting in unbearable Austin traffic, I realized I had left them sitting on my kitchen counter.
A sad day for me and my writer friends, but a happy day for Ryan and his coworkers. He brought the batch into work the next morning and assured me that they were readily devoured.
Over the weekend, I will be baking, writing and hopefully enjoying some delicious food with my sweet husband. I hope that you all have a wonderful Friday night and a relaxing and refreshing weekend.
Strawberry Swirl Tarts
One disc of refrigerated pastry dough
1/2 cup of jam or preserves
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1/2 TBSP almond milk or cream
1. Allow dough to warm for several minutes before dividing into 12-15 bite-sized balls. Using your thumb, press each ball into a mini-muffin tin, working the dough up along the sides, until small pie shells are formed. Refrigerate your filled muffin pan for 15-20 minutes while your oven preheats to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a spoon, dollop a portion of jam into each muffin tin, being sure not to fill the cups too high. Bake in your preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until crust is just lightly browned.
3. Remove tarts from muffin pan and allow to cool on a wired rack. Meanwhile, mix together your powdered sugar and almond milk until a smooth, pourable consistency is reached. Spoon mixture into a plastic bag, cut off the very tip of one corner, and swirl over the surface of your cooled tarts.
Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores
PS...I just received word that I advanced to the next round of Project Food Blog. Thanks to everyone for your votes...I'll need your support in the round to come!
One disc of refrigerated pastry dough
1/2 cup of jam or preserves
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1/2 TBSP almond milk or cream
1. Allow dough to warm for several minutes before dividing into 12-15 bite-sized balls. Using your thumb, press each ball into a mini-muffin tin, working the dough up along the sides, until small pie shells are formed. Refrigerate your filled muffin pan for 15-20 minutes while your oven preheats to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a spoon, dollop a portion of jam into each muffin tin, being sure not to fill the cups too high. Bake in your preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until crust is just lightly browned.
3. Remove tarts from muffin pan and allow to cool on a wired rack. Meanwhile, mix together your powdered sugar and almond milk until a smooth, pourable consistency is reached. Spoon mixture into a plastic bag, cut off the very tip of one corner, and swirl over the surface of your cooled tarts.
Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores
PS...I just received word that I advanced to the next round of Project Food Blog. Thanks to everyone for your votes...I'll need your support in the round to come!
RSS Feed
