From Here To There

This post is really just a collection of thoughts and anecdotes about baking, relationships, humanity, and a few pictures involving chocolate.

Paying It Forward Dept.

I was using The Google a while ago looking for recipes, and as often happens I followed a trail of links, hopping from one site to the next. (By the way, this isn't procrastination or wasting time; it's research.) At the end of this particular trip through the Interwebs was a recipe book on a blog written by someone who, it turns out, is battling cancer. The blog is filled with her her insights, struggles, adventures, thoughts, and, yes, requests for help. I bought the cookbook, which is actually something that might be good for newer cooks (kids and folks who just haven't really spent much time in the kitchen before), not because I felt sorry for her but because that's just what we're supposed to do in this life. In my opinion, when you can help, even a little, you should. If you feel similar and are so moved, click the link above and share a little kindness.

Not Quite What You Thought Dept.

We can go our whole lives not seeing the different facets of people you see five days a week at the nine-to-five. Talking baking, and baking bread in particular allowed me to see an unexpected side of my supervisor. Last December I shared part of a loaf of challah we got to talking about family recipes and my attempt at baking my Nana's egg custard pie. He told me that he uses a Dutch oven in and attempt to recreate the kind of bread his grandmother used to make. That's a connection I never would have thought I'd ever make with him. It was kind of cool to talk about how neither of our grandmothers passed down recipes to favorite recipes. Once you've discussed baking bread with someone, you can never see them the same way again. And that's probably a good thing.

Repurposed Molds = Chocolate Gold Dept.

You may have gotten the idea from someone, somewhere, that I like molds. No, not the kind that Egon collects. Molds that were originally to be used for chocolate candy making, repurposed for making sugar "cubes." Thanks to my little sister, MonY, I now have ice cube molds that I've repurposed for making chocolate candy! I live such a convoluted kitchen life, yes? The molds in question were appropriate because I'm a geek and Original Trilogy Star Wars is one of my favorite series of movies. Behold the molds:

Solo, so good!

"He should be very well protected...

...if he survived the freezing process."

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!"

"Just you reconsider playing that message for him!"

Live long and eat chocolate.

A plate full of sci-fi.

I sent these to my little brother and my oldest nephew, who are also both huge Star Wars fans, because I knew they'd get a kick out of them.

I still need to greatly improve my chocolate molding/handling skills but these were pretty easy to make. An improvised double-boiler, some decent chocolate, and some time was all I needed. So much fun! Of course, MonY wants some for herself but she wants them to be Nestle Crunch-style – with Rice Krispies. I'll see what I can do.

Currently listening to: Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band - Ante Up