Image by Swallow Field

As I’m sitting here writing this post, the window is open and it’s raining lightly outside.  Just enough to sound beautiful, with the birds chirping in the background.  My dog Gracie is propped up in the window, watching anything that passes by.  She really thinks she’s a cat or a kid, with both paws up so she can get the best view.  This kind of weather gets me in the mood for spring, so I went and got some of my materials to start my seeds for our garden.

I have never had my own garden, and I’m a little afraid to start.  I have checked out books, asked for advice and generally winged it when it comes to starting.  Hopefully in the next few days we’ll get an area tilled outside, and I have my trays of seeds I planted today.  I used a wonderfully frugal idea from Grow Great Grub by Gayla Trail, which was to save all of our toilet paper and paper towel rolls for seed starting.  I cut them to about 2 inches, and arranged them in tall aluminum trays.  I have plastic on top, and it seems to be a very economical alternative to the traditional peat pots, etc.  I tried those last year and they all molded.  Probably my fault, not the trays, but nevertheless I think I will like the toilet paper rolls a lot better.

Today I bought organic soil at Lowe’s and filled the tubes up, then topped them with seeds.  I watered them and placed the lids on top.  The seeds are now nestled in and I hope they actually grow!  My dad is coming tomorrow to help hang a proper grow light, and I can’t quite decide where to put it.  There are so many trials and errors with this gardening stuff.  I am beginning to think it’s quite a bit of work!  :-)  I’d rather sit in my chair next to Gracie and listen to the rain.  I used to think fall was my favorite time of year, but as I’ve gotten older I’m starting to adore spring.  The fresh smell in the air, the promise of a big garden and juicy fruit and veggies straight from our backyard…awesome!  I’ll have to post pictures as we go along, of all the success and failures.  I’m sure there will be plenty!  Are you planning on planting anything this spring?  I’d love to hear of your projects!

Why don’t we make these in America?  I’m a little disappointed that I’m 29 and have yet to have one!  Maybe it’s my fault for not traveling enough, or maybe it’s just that the French certainly have it on us when it comes to baked goods.  These are amazing, marvelous, fantastic and they melt in your mouth right out of the oven.

I got the idea from “Lunch in Paris,” by Elizabeth Bard, which I’ve been reading this week.  I kept flipping back to page 40 (with the infamous Chouquette recipe), thinking they couldn’t be as good as she says they are.  So this morning, I got out my apron and wooden spoon and whipped up a batch.  They are easy to make, and they turn in to delightful puffs in the oven.  I drizzled mine with honey, and they were the most amazing thing I think I’ve ever had.  I confess I almost cried they were so good.  They were warm and light, they were delicate and filling.  I just can’t explain them, you have to try them!

Chouquettes:

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced

1 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar (I substituted honey instead)

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

3 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for decoration

(I skipped this part, and drizzled them with honey)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, over low heat, combine the milk, water butter, sugar and salt.  Bring just to a boil, turn off the heat, and add flour while stirring continuously, until the flour is incorporated and the dough comes away from the sides of the pan.  It will look like a lump of marzipan.

Quickly add 2 of the egg, stir to incorporate.

Quickly add the remaining eggs and stir until smooth.  The batter will be thick and sticky.  It can be refrigerated for up to a day.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (I used a  Silpat).  Using 2 teaspoons, dole out heaping dollops of batter, widely spaced.  You should have about 24.  (You can freeze individual puffs if you’d like to keep them.)

Bake 1 sheet at a time.  Before you put them in the oven, sprinkle each puff with powdered sugar (I skipped this part).

If baking immediately:  Bake for 12 minutes at 425 degrees.  Then turn down the heat to 400 degrees and bake for 10 to 12 minutes more with the oven door slightly open.  (Elizabeth recommends sticking a wooden spoon in the door to keep it slightly ajar, and it works like a charm!)

Watch the chouquettes the first time.  Each oven is different.

I ate mine warm out of …

Last night I made the least budget friendly dinner I could think of for Valentine’s Day.  I made fondue, with bread, chicken, green beans and apples to dip in it.  The cheese for fondue is outrageous, but it is so yummy…once in a great moon I just can’t resist.  It was a great Valentine’s Dinner.

The one thing I just had to share with you guys is what I made for dessert!  I snuck in to Williams Sonoma yesterday, and they had bake mixes for sale from Baked in NYC.  I have heard so many good things about the bakery…I just had to try them.  While the mix was way too pricey for my taste, Martha Stewart had the recipe for the Deep, Dark Brownies online! When I say these things were good, that’s a total understatement.  They turned out just like they would at a gourmet bakery, and they were just simply amazing.  A total must try!

You can download the recipe here.

Images from Baked NYC and Williams-Sonoma

After weeks of being snowed in, now that it’s all melting, I’m in the mood for Spring!  I can’t wait for the farmer’s market, sunny days picking out plants for the yard and the smell of the fresh air.  I thought I’d get a jump start this year, and put together this mood board.  I’d love to have a kitchen that’s full of sunny yellow and cool teal, kind of like a spring sky and the daffodils that peek up as the weather gets a little warmer.  Here’s how to get the look, on a budget of course:

1 – Mint Mojito Candle from Paddywax – Travel Tin for $5

2 – Tea and Crumpets Apron from Anthropologie – $32

3 - Fillsta Pendant Lamp from IKEA – $39.99

4 - Fleet Chair from CB2 – $179

5 – Latte Bowls from Anthropologie – $5 Each or $20 for 4

6 – Eco Shopping Tote from Apple and Bee – $19.95

7 – Divine Twine from Whisker Graphics – $15

8 – Daisy Recipe Box from Paper Source – $13.50

9 – Tattersall Rug from Dash and Albert – From $30

10 – Art Print from Olive Manna – From $15