Hobby #1- Baking.

This weekend was fully devoted to my first hobby- baking the macaroon!

It was this picture that originally spurred our interest in macaroons. After a few minutes of Googling, we (my fiance, Doug, and I) realized it wasn't a traditional macaroon, it is a French macaroon (nothing like it's American counterpart)! The ingredients are relatively simple and the instructions didn't look that difficult, so I tried out the first recipe I found.

Bad idea.

First lesson in trying out new hobbies- do your research first! I jumped in head first and got so over my head that I was almost ready to cry when my cookies turned into a horrible, sticky, gritty mess. Thankfully, Doug was there to give me a hug, help me clean up, and make me realize that failure is okay. (I should probably state here that I am a perfectionist. I like to be great at everything I do, the first time I do it ;))

So after more encouragement from Doug, we tried again today. It was a team effort, but they turned out amazingly! We tried a new, better, recipe this time. I've never followed the directions so closely! These cookies take precision, down to the number of strokes and type of stirring. I never thought I would get so excited to see "feet"!

This time around, the cookies looked the way they were supposed to and tasted 100x better! Everyone liked them so much, they're already gone. I'm pretty sure that's the true taste test!



It's amazing how something so simple can bring out so many emotions- from frustration to elation! I probably would have given up yesterday if it weren't for Doug's encouragement. I am so glad I did continue though, because I love the feeling of accomplishing something, and not just something for myself. Something that other people can join in with me and get enjoyment out of too!

Next stop... who knows yet? Ideas are welcomed!