I immaturely want to make macarons in the shape of macaroni.

Thursday, the day of macarons. The day I conquered one of my baking fears (next up: gelatin!).

I decided to make tiramisu flavoured macarons, because they didn't require me to go get any special ingredients to fill them with. I would have had to find chocolate for a ganache for any other flavoured filling, but I had mascarpone on hand, so I just blended it with a touch of Kahlua and some chocolate sauce to make a tiramisu filling. I blended a little coffee into the almond and powdered sugar mixture, and that also gave it a hint of a flavor. All over, they were very light, subtly flavored but well-balanced. I'm happy with the way they turned out.

Technically, they worked really well! I have so much more confidence now! I did make them a little too big for my tastes, but they spread more than I expected. I think they were also a touch undercooked; while the outside was shatteringly crisp, the inside was just a little too soft, I think. But I neither over- nor under-mixed, and they puffed up into perfect little domes, complete with macaron feet! The sign of truly great macarons! I was so happy when I pulled them out of the oven and saw each one ringed with that perfect little ridge.

Speaking of feet, I went shoe shopping on Friday! I had some money from Wednesday's babysitting, and while I SHOULD be saving up for this summer's Italy trip, I decided I needed some shoes that actually worked. The only shoes I brought home with me - the only ones I wear on a regular basis - were my falling-apart flip-flops, my black leather oxford-style heels, my brown leather boots, and my running shoes. Wearing running shoes as everyday wear is bad for them; they wear down too fast. My flip-flops can't be worn outside anymore; my heels are obviously not always practical; and my brown leather boots, as much as I love them and as much as I paid for them, got a split in the sole! On both sides! I plan to write an angry letter to Zappos. I wore them not even every day for two months, and they soles have split up the leather! Unfair. And liable to be damaging.

Point is, I needed shoes, so I went out looking for a nice pair of flat coppery sandals, something I've been idly browsing for for the past year or so. I found a few contenders, but fell in love with a pair at the Solvang Shoe Store (Danish pride!). The store tends to carry overly-expensive and kind of unattractive clunkier shoes, but I lucked out in finding a cute pair of gladiator-esque sandals with an astonishingly high-quality sole. The sole made all the difference, after all the other pairs of flat sandals with no support that I'd looked at. I put the shoes on hold and left, but returned two hours later because I decided I was ridiculous to imagine that I'd find a better pair and I should just fork over the $80 for a pair of shoes I'd wear forever. So I did. And I love them. And they're worth it.

Friday's dinner was turkey loaf and brussels sprouts. It was going to be Blair's bean stew, but I told this to my mom and she went OH NO I HAD BEANS FOR LUNCH so it became turkey loaf, by virtue of turkey being the only other thing thawed. I love my made-up turkey loaf recipe, and it went over very well. I made a little caramelized apple and honeyed mascarpone thing for dessert. No refined sugar, since I gave that up for Lent.

Today was another cooking day. My sister is getting our church to do an exhibition of her photography work so she can raise funds for some ambassadorship to the British Isles that she wants to do this summer, and I'm apparently doing the finger food. So today I experimented with mayo-free Thai chili deviled eggs and a curried carrot cream cheese spread with raisins. Both were super good. I foisted them off on my mom for her lunch (she forgot to bring lunch to work) but I wasn't sure if she'd like them so I made her some balsamic-braised brussels sprouts with bacon, because I know she likes that. Mere hours later, I was back in the kitchen cooking dinner for the family: Blair's Tuscan white bean stew! The bean stew was great; nobody disliked it, and there were many leftovers.