anecdotes and apple cores
Strawberry Cream Biscuits 02/09/2012
My grandparents were archivists. They took and kept hundreds of hours of video footage--back in the day when home video cameras were an anomaly.
Born in the 1930s and 40s, Lucy and Larry fell in love before they turned twenty. And just a few months ago, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. After my family ( sister, mom, aunt, cousins, and of course, the star couple) ate cake, we watched them dance across the TV screen. We saw them laugh, we watched them hang lights for Christmas. I saw my mother, only seven or eight years old, peek around a corner in her house, wearing a wide grin that I now recognize in my younger sister. In one of the later clips, I enter into the recorded catalog. My Grammy presides over her domain--the kitchen--as she gently instructs my 3-year-old self to carefully cut into a patted round of biscuit dough. With focus, I take the biscuit cutter and press the sharp metal into the dough, shaking my head from side-to-side until I pull a round disc up and place it on a baking sheet. My Grammy smiles, her voice is warm like a bowl of creamy soup, and I smile with satisfaction after the last one is laid to rest. 25 Comments Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Muffins 02/06/2012
 I've slept more this week than I have in a long time. At least 8 hours each night with a few 2-hour naps when a long afternoon seemed like too much.
The words and thoughts and prayers you sent are like balms on a tender wound. Thank you. Ryan and I are okay. We're trying to do the things we love. For Ryan? He's been swimming and reading and making things like a beautiful pretzel necklace. I'm lucky to have this guy. No doubt about that. For me? I'm writing and walking and sipping on 3 dollar cups of coffee. And I'm baking, of course. I baked these whole wheat brown sugar muffins on Saturday, and the aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar made my house feel safe and warm. Isn't it amazing what a muffin pan can do? Sorrow 01/31/2012
 I walked through the city with a heavy heart today. Sipping on a cup of steamed soymilk, I noticed the expressions of the people that walked past me. A smile, a nod, a giggle from a 5-year-old girl. None of those people knew what their expressed kindness meant to me. None of those people were aware I had just lost someone in my life... yet again. Many of you already know that my brother-in-law, Mike Brown, passed away on Monday afternoon. After learning his wife (my sister) and his youngest son did not survive a car accident that he barely walked away from last March, life became unbearably hard. Mike took his own life on Monday afternoon. Two years after we lost Ryan's dad to suicide.  I'm sure many of you wonder why I share this intensely private manner. Why I'm so willing to put these words (suicide) on a virtual page. I pondered the same questions as I wandered through downtown Austin. Why do I feel this need to share? As I picked through a barrel of oranges, I thought of my nephew, who now must walk forward without a mother, a brother, or a father. As I ran my finger across a book binding, I thought of my husband, who misses his dad everyday and often wonders if he could have done something more. And as I watched a young father feeding a jar of baby food to his child, I thought of Mike, who wasn't just Pam's husband or my brother-in-law or Joshua's father. Mike was a beautifully broken human being--just like all of us. And when one of us dies, the whole world feels it. We all mourn.  Within a few hours of initially sharing the news, I received phone calls, messages, emails, and hugs. Humans, we join together to mourn, just as we join together to celebrate. The sight of a baby can bring strangers to a place of laughter, can evoke the memory of a soft cheek and a gentle lullaby. Just as the word of an untimely death can prick our hearts and stir our souls, no matter how distant that person might be from our daily lives. Tonight, I know that hundreds, maybe thousands, hold Joshua close to their hearts. I know they mourn the death of a man who lost so much and felt so painfully alone. Tonight, I remember Mike, who I've known as long as I've been alive. I remember his laughter, his hugs, the way he rolled his eyes, and how he could always make all my sisters laugh. I can hear him call me, "sweetie", and I catalog how endearing it was, and how endearing it still is. I thank God for the kindness of friends and strangers. I thank God that despite what some might feel we are never truly alone, that we are all connected on levels deeper than we understand. In the smiles of the people who walked the same congested street today, I saw hope. I felt swallowed in the pulsing and enveloping blanket of life. So I write to give hope to those who are hurting, to those who have lost someone, and to all of us (no exception) who will lose someone soon. Amidst sorrow, there is always life. We are intimately connected--the whole human race--and there is a comfort in that. I know. Always, Monet Anecdotes and Apple Cores Peanut Butter Cheerio Cookies 01/29/2012
So it seems like I blinked and now half of my friends have the most precious babies.
I mean, weren't we all just in high school? How did we suddenly become so grown up? But I love watching these new moms and dads fawn over their little ones. Very endearing, very tempting. Especially when I found out that my older sister is having her 4th baby in August! Goodness, I really wanted one then. Ryan and I look definitely forward to having kids...but we also know how life-changing children can be. Going out to Elizabeth Street Cafe for three hours on a Sunday night? Well, when you have kids, that delightful date takes a little more planning. Easy Tiger 01/27/2012
 So I didn't wake up yesterday to run around my apartment, snatching up clothes and throwing together a poorly aligned sandwich (you know what I'm talking about...tomatoes are sliding out of one side, a thick glob of mustard pools near the northern crust.) No, I woke up and went to acupuncture. RELAXING. Then, I decided to go to work late. And when you go to work late, you revel in the freedom of making a less-than-practical choice. So you make another. I stopped by Easy Tiger yesterday because I wanted a croissant and a 3 dollar cup of coffee. This bake shop and beer garden has been getting buzz for months...and it finally opened on Monday. I walked through the doors and saw this....a wall decorated in loaves and pretzels and baguettes. I ordered. I admired the GORGEOUS bakery--who know ovens could gleam so brightly?-and then I peeled back layer after layer of my perfectly laminated croissant. HEAVEN.  Cats and Cake 01/26/2012
What am I doing this week? Taking quiet moments to sit and think. A cat in your lap is welcome encouragement to rest a little longer. Baking cakes. Spiderman birthday last Saturday. Wedding cake testing this Saturday. I'm dreaming of buttercream and perfectly flat cake layers. Learning how to stay alert during mid-afternoon slumps. -10 minutes of sun. -A walk -A cup of ginger tea -Conversation with mom -Triscuits with melted cheese Reading. Always reading. Adoring Karen Russel's book of short stories and praying her mad skills will seep in through the contact of my thumbs with her fantabulous collection. Do tell me, what is making your week? 
Jacob's cake is covered in the most fabulous buttercream in the world. As pretty as fondant looks, it tastes like cardboard compared to this. Recipe to come...
Animal Cracker Cupcakes 01/22/2012
Two of my latest obsessions:
-Goodwill Excursions -Porcelain Animals For the former, I credit my husband. Because growing up, I didn't go thrift-store shopping. Not ever. Not once. Now mind you, my mom is one of the most budget-conscious people I know, but with four girls to clothe, she didn't have time to rummage for treasures. So when I met my husband, I also discovered the excitement of finding something special amongst....well, let's say it...trash. Ryan and I been to Goodwill four times in the last two weeks, and we've found our share of vintage wares. The second obsession--my porcelain animals--came, no doubt, from the books and zoo trips and stuffed animals of my childhood. We were a family that adored the great outdoors. When I was 15, I even went to Botswana. I watched herds of giraffe run along side our bus as we cruised down dirt-packed roads. I woke up to find an elephant wandering through our campsite. My childhood was infused with experiences and images of majestic beasts. And oh yes, did I mention I ate a lot of animal crackers? Cubicles and Cake 01/18/2012
I may not have time to write more than one post each week, but I do have time to share pictures like this: A blackberry cake in my cubicle at work. (Forgive the lightning. We're dealing with florescent, my friends.) Because sometimes, we need a little sweetness to get through our day. And I've needed A LOT lately. 
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank
Lean Bread 01/15/2012
Why do I bake bread?
1. Because the world can be a scary place. For me, the process of measuring, kneading, and waiting allows my mind to settle on a singular purpose--creating something whole out of a collection of disparate parts. 2. Because I like my house to smell good. Forget synthetic room fresheners or heavily scented candles. Give me the aroma of baking bread and melted butter. Nothing, and I'll stand behind this, smells better than freshly baked bread. 3. Because bread brings people together. This morning, I visited a local bakery in Austin. As I sat with friends, I watched families, couples and acquaintances join the snaking line to the front counter. Seeing all these people together, in a store full of flour and sugar and the heady aroma of yeast, made me glad I participate in this age-old endeavor. 4. Because bread heals wounds. If you've flipped through a magazine lately, you might have seen an advertisement for Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Bread. In the middle of the page, a single slice of cinnamon bread rests, with all its sugary swirls leading to one small cinnamon heart in the middle. Can any food make me feel better than a slice of warm bread? Bon Appetit 01/10/2012
I'm slowing down here. Quality over quantity. With school starting in one week, two novels brewing, several wedding cakes on the books, and a full-time job...something had to give. But don't worry, I'll still be here every Monday with words and treats. So in consolation for no more posts this week, I'm hosting a giveaway. Jump over to my Facebook page to find out how to win a year subscription to one of my favorite magazines--Bon Appetit. And if you happen to win and already receive Bon Appetit, I'll send you another culinary magazine...surely you don't get them all! Always, Monet Anecdotes and Apple Cores | 
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