A new decade

counting counting....

 In the meantime trying to find something to really cheer about!

Wooftmas and Meowmas

View more of Babetteandfriends cards on Snark blog or purchase them at her Shop

Encounter in the Wild.

Monday diary

Monday mornings there is the Metro Diary! I break my self imposed rule of not reading newspapers in the mornings as to not ruin my creative juices and my nervous system.

Monday's diary has usually quirky amusing anecdotes that put a smile on my face. Today I read such a story and if my dog could understand human language, she probably would have smiled at it! Here it is:

"Dear Diary:

I was attending a group-show gallery opening in Chelsea, when I noticed a small Jack Russell terrier in the middle of several people who were talking, drinks in hand.

I began to see the dog was moving about, situating himself in the middle of different groups of people. Occasionally he barked and scampered around, capturing the other gallery patrons’ attention.

At some point it struck me that the dog was in the gallery by himself. I reached down and looked at the tag around its neck. On it was written, “Don’t Mess With Me, I Know My Way Home.” On the other side of the tag was a Yankees logo.

Later that evening, I saw the dog in another gallery, and I felt that perhaps he was going to various openings and was networking."

Babette and Friends A- B- C's

We are working on the alphabet design and drawings and having a lot of fun. You will find the complete set in our Shop.

Proust and Madeleine Tea Cakes

After reading page after page of Proust's description of his madeleines and because there is not a decent french pastry shop in the vicinity I baked my own madeleine tea cakes. Proust makes you do the most amazing things...

Voila the recipe I used:

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon (or orange)
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 baking poser
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or three pinches of vanilla powder
5 oz unsalted butter, softened or melted but not warm
1/3 cup milk
Madeleine molds, pastry bag and plain tip

Instructions
1. Brush molds with softened butter and then flour. Tap out extra flour.
2. Cream eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl with whisk or electric mixer, until light yellow and creamy.
3. Add dry ingredients and zest and beat until blended.
4. Beat in the butter and then milk.
5. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
6. Set oven to 400˚F.
7. Pipe batter with pastry bag and tip into madeleine molds up to the rim. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Cool them before you eat.

PS: With whole wheat flour, yogurt, pieces of chicken liver and pieces of small cubed apple and crushed garlic make a mix and pour it in madeleine molds -very very lightly oil the molds with flux oil or olive oil- and bake and make "doggy madeleines" and spoil your doggies!