To new beginnings and old friends!

Stories have beginnings and stories have ends,
so say goodbye to all your friends.
And now that we've finished the very last rhyme,
We'll close the book until the next time.
- Mercer Mayer, Little Monster's Bedtime Book

To my very first kitchen friends: Thank you for all the dishes you washed that weren't yours, for all the pots you stopped from boiling over, for all the tools you loaned out, for all the baked goods you saved from burning, for all the hands you offered and advice you gave, I will never forget our days together. My love always, Sarah Beth

Sugar Wonderland

My final project ... although nearly obsolete due to snow days ... was a winter wonderland sugar showpiece. It might be the first and last time I play with sugar for a showpiece as it is not commonly used for anything other than competitions. It was fun learning to blow, pour and pull sugar. They are difficult techniques and would take years of practice to master. I did enjoy creating my amateur piece of holiday spirit though. It was even more fun walking home through downtown Portland ... after about 3 blocks of pointing and head turning I was smiling and wishing folks Happy Holidays!

Cajun Night Before Christmas

I'll admit it, I'm in love with my gingerbread house. Even looking at it today after the hurricane came in the night and took out the two trees, I'm still loving it.
I knew months ago that I'd get to make my gingerbread house so close to Christmas that everyone would be in the spirit. I knew too that by then I'd be dying to come home to my beloved Louisiana and all our cajun-ness! Combined I could think of no better gingerbread house than a representation of the "Cajun Night Before Christmas." All credits to "Trosclair" and James Rice for their fabulous inspiration.
It was the best three days at school, period. I even felt a sense of pride when my hands turned a horrible shade of green from making all eight alligators for hours. I made marzipan (one of my favorite candies) into a completely inedible substance by adding herbs de provence, cloves, and nutmeg but I had the perfect swamp dirt afterwards. I made Santa's piro and sack full of toys. I hung garland over the windows as I know the poor swamp family could not afford expensive decoration. I had the most trouble with the cypress trees, they wanted to flop over and I wanted them to stand up. Sure if you are at home you stick something in the tree to make it stand up but if you are a student at Le Cordon Bleu making a gingerbread house, everything has to be edible. Thin spaghetti saved the day but thats about as long as they lasted ...
In case you are thinking of trying this at home ... A couple of tricks: Bake the gingerbread long and cool, dry it out completely, it will make a more stable house. Use well whipped royal icing to glue it together and let if dry completely before moving it around. Then just have fun with it! The more the merrier!
This was incredibly fun and I can't imagine a Christmas in the future without a gingerbread house. They are magical.
"Merry Christmas to all 'Till I saw you some mo'!"

Sweet Dreams

Candy!
We made candy for days. Seriously, we made candy everyday for over a week. It was wonderful. Nothing puts you in the Christmas spirit more than making toffee, brittle, divinity, caramels, truffles, mints, fudge and chocolates.
The technique is difficult. Dipping and shelling takes practice and more practice. Confectioners are highly skilled ... now I know why truffles and chocolates cost so much.
For those of you back home I know you have already seen and eaten or given away most of the 15 pounds of candy I mailed back to Louisiana! Glad I could share with folks back home for once...Merry Christmas!