Rising Above



My tropical cookies!

 Some days baking can be a salvation for me.  I've had a hard week or two (or ten) and I posted a "poor me" status on Facebook this morning (Thursday).  My friend in Italy commented "Bake and Breathe"...another friend, on the island, said "Come by and see me at ArtSpace today"....and that is just what I did :-)  I feel like a different person this afternoon - thanks to my link to sanity - Facebook and some good friends.  I baked cookies yesterday (as posted) and this morning I took a "breather" on the deck overlooking the beautiful Laguna Madre and drank a nice cup of White Chocolate Mocha coffee - watched birds flying and diving and calling.  Sun was shining - gentle cool breeze.  I felt better...  I got out my mp3 player and set it on shuffle.  First up "Rise Above" by The Trishas.  They played at the 2010 South Padre Island Seafood and Music Festival and I downloaded everything they had available for download at that point.  They are regulars on my mp3 player...so I guess my mystical mp3 knew I needed to hear "Rise Above" right about then.  I squared my shoulders and got on with the day. (I figured if I whined much more someone would surely offer some cheese to go with it...so onward!)

I went and mixed up a batch of royal icing and filled 6 squeeze bottles with various colors I used for today's cookie decorating endeavors.  If you want to refer back to the squeeze bottle story click here and if you want the royal icing recipe click here.   Anyway, I cleaned up the mess (after yesterday's end-of-day debacle in the kitchen, I was not going to leave it) and sat down to finish off my coffee. (Making all that frosting in 6 different colors was "industrious" work and I was in need of another break)




All set up and started on the dolphins


I worked on cookie decorating from about 9:00 to 12:30 and left everything drying. 

First layer of the turtles need to dry - shells are done

First layer of dolphins and palms drying...and my "oops" caused
by shaking the cookie by the trunk of the palm tree...that smooths
out the icing...I guess the trunk didn't like it!

I headed over to the island and spent a very enjoyable hour and a half watching Ann work on her art and bent her ear (all the way to the ground) with tales of my woes.  Cleansing.  She's a good listener and non-judgmental.  I'm glad to have her as a friend.  I'm slowly building a circle of friends.  I moved here not knowing a single soul...so it's been weird for me not to have the full social circle I had in Austin...but it's gettin' there!

I got back home around 3:00 and started back to decorating.  I have to say, I'm fairly pleased with what I accomplished today.  I particularly like my sea turtles.  Nothing is anatomically correct - heck, they are just cookies!  But the cookies are cute and pretty much what I had hoped for.  I still have work to do on the hummingbirds but the turtles, palm trees, sea shells, and dolphins are done.  I have another cookie project lined up, but that will be a post for another day.

Happy dolphins

Hummers need a bit more work...I'm deciding if I'm up to it!

Today, I'll share where "I'm at" as of Thursday afternoon and will post, as usual, the next morning.  I like to sleep on what I wrote and give myself time to change anything that I really wish I hadn't said in a public forum ;-p

I like my shells - they look kind of groovy :-)

Needed a piping bag with finer tip for these details...live and learn!

I kind of love my turtles.  I think the grandbabies would like them too!

I'm thinking I might use a food marker and draw feathers...
but I'm not sure my art skills are up to that.
If I try it...I'll post an updated photo.
Don't hold your breath.

BON APPETIT, Y'ALL!!!