Practice Makes Perfect

What: French Macarons
How: Honeysuckle Catering's Recipe (Youtube)
Word of the Day: Mixing the Dry + Wet Ingredients = Macronage 

I can't believe it's almost May. Which means I didn't bake for another two months since I started this blog. opps! I've been thinking about what my first post should be about and it only makes sense that I start it off by sharing my love/hate relationships with baking macarons. I never believed in the saying, "Practice makes perfect," until I wanted to perfect the macaron.

Oh boy! When I first decided to make these french cookies, I did not think it was going to be so difficult. First of all, I did not have a mixer then so I mixed everything with a fork. Clearly, if you look at my first batch, those poor macarons did not even have a chance from the beginning. They were cracked, undercooked, and just plain ugly. Then, one super lucky shopping day at target, I found a great deal on a hand mixer for only five bucks! I've fell in love with it ever since (& my arms don't feel like jello after I bake these).

My 1st batch ever in Summer 2013 - Strawberry Macarons

My 6th batch in October 2013 with friends - Green Tea Macarons 

It took me about 6-7 times to somewhat perfect the french macaron and I feel so accomplished and excited to make these for my friends and family in the future because practice truly does make perfect..in this case. Unfortunately, I attempted to bake a new batch tonight for a friend's birthday which did not come the way I wanted them too. Oh well. I guess I should keep practicing...

Oh, and I've decided to not put up the recipes on this blog. Mainly because I just google an easy recipe I can find on Pinterest or in this case, youtube - Honeysuckle Catering's Channel continues to inspire me to make all kinds of things. Ya'll should check her out :).

Happy Baking! xx

Excuses & Crisis

Being a post grad, now grad student, you would think I would have all the time to bake - you're right, I do. I've just been lazy and slightly busy transitioning jobs and school during the past month and being sick on top of that has kept me from my baking adventures. Another major reason for not baking these days is because living back at home means using my mom's kitchen - not having my own baking cabinet/space/etc. I can't wait to have my own kitchen one day to make my own baking cabinet filled with every thing that's on my wish list now whenever I walk down the baking aisles at any store. I also can't wait to get my very own yellow - Kitchen Aid stand mixer to name it, my sunshine. cheesy? kind of, but it's going to be great. 

One more reason. I think I may be going through a quarter life crisis - just realizing that I don't have any major hobbies or things I'm interested in has truly turned me into a 'Debbie downer'. Instead of starting something new, I've decided to stick to something I already know, love, and am somewhat passionate about. I should've started this blog back when I really started baking a year ago when I worked for the Boys and Girls Club. Being the new staff without anything to offer the group of teenagers - I decided to go back to what I love, only then, will I be teach with passion. My group was called, 'Bakers in Training' or B.I.T for short. I guess I'm going to steal the name and continue on with my own baking adventures now. Yum.