Driveby postings for Monday and Tuesday

I wanted to at least jot down a few thoughts...

On Monday I discovered that it is not good for my mental health to sit and watch three (or four, I lost count) consecutive episodes of Intervention on A&E. You slowly begin to believe that you are an addict as the horrible reality of these people begins to permeate you. Ugh. Had to get outside and breathe some fresh air and settle back into my life.

So I dropped off my car last night to have the ignition switch replaced. Found out today that it will be $370...they have to get the switch and then have it rekeyed so that it will match my original door keys. While I was hoping that it would be less, I still return to being SO thankful that it is only that and that I do still have my car.

I finally decided, after MUCH cookbook and online research to make a holiday treat that is way too complicated. The recipe for graham cracker cookies (sort of like ginger cookies but without all the spice), let to a marshmallow recipe, which led to a fluer du sel caramel recipe. So of course I had to decide to layer all those, and throw in some toasted pecans and drizzle with dark chocolate.

Needed some ingredients so decided to take a walk, get some coffee, and ended up heading towards Rainbow Grocery. On the way I passed a small side street with some nice looking older houses and the sun streaming down it. Began to pass it but was compelled to turn around and walk down it. Nice crisp gusts of winter breeze...warm, yet cool, winter sun...and then the reason for walking down the street...

Brilliant green, yellow, oranges...golden hairs glowing...heads on serpentine necks bobbing occasionally in the breeze. All this combined with the crispness in the air...somehow it all just made sense in that moment. The world is a wonderful place, full of wonderful moments if we just take the time to listen and to see them.

Need to learn not to leave the house without my real camera...but thank goodness for the one in my iphone. I got a video clip of it, but it needs some editing down. Will be fun to try that, but NOT now...do need to get a little sleep tonight.


So I ended up getting most of the ingredients. Had to make another trip for gelatin and corn syrup as those aren't on the vegetarian/wholesome shelves at Rainbow. And then realized I had broken my candy thermometer awhile back so had to take another quick trip (on BART as I don't have my car repaired yet).

Pretty much everything came off without a hitch. The only part yet photographed is the graham cracker cookies. But they still have to be assembled tomorrow.

And I have to go to Tartine Bakery (truly an experience if you have never been) for morning buns. My welcome at my sister's house would be much less enthusiastic if I were to show up without the morning buns. Were it not almost 3am I could wax poetic about all the goodies there. But will leave that for another day.

Will try to get another post, including my finished confectionary masterpieces, before Christmas.

Night for now.