Today is my last Monday at day job! Just four more days to freedom!
I'm sure you just grumbled. Probably cursed me a little in your mind. Or out loud. It's Monday. Why?! Why does she get to retire?!
We call it retirement. It is and it isn't. I'll be doing more baking (I KNOW. STOP HATING) but I'll also be putting in the rest of my time on restoring our 1920s rowhouse. I'll be stripping paint off nearly every surface in the house, sanding, endlessly filling in one hundred year old nail holes in the window molding, priming, painting, installing crown molding. Glamorous, I know.
I'm planning to put in a good 40 hours a week on home repairs. That's my "retirement."
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I'm beyond thrilled by it. I love Nichole Curtis. She is my spirit animal. I watch Rehab Addict and think "Man. That's me! That's what I want to do!"
And now I will. I really truly will. It's the cherry on the sundae!
It'll be exhausting, but rewarding.
But I'm not completely crazy. I will take a month off before I start in. A month of warmth in sunny Arizona. Lots of sleep and recuperation for the holidays!
My mother and I will actually start putting together a new project: our family cookbook!
I've volunteered to cook and photograph all the recipes that are added to it. Can you say DAUNTING?! Do you know how many family members I have?!?
And then my mom says "Oh, and be sure to pick out some of your favorites too!"
Ummmmm....that could be a book by itself!
But until then, I leave you with a new cookies I made over the weekend: Chocolate Cherry Blossoms!
I hope you love them!
Chocolate Cherry Blossoms
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 tbs. dutch cocoa
3 cubes chocolate bark
40 maraschino cherries
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Drain maraschino cherries and set aside to dry.
Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add dry ingredients and mix well.
Put dough into cookie press and press onto the prepared baking sheets. Place baking sheets in refrigerator for half an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Remove from fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack.
Allow to cool before icing.
Microwave chocolate bark for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
Dab a small bit of chocolate into the middle of the cookie. Dip a maraschino cherry into the chocolate and then place on the chocolate dab on the cookie.
Repeat for remaining cookies and cherries.
Allow to set for one hour.
