Cooking School and Valentine's

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a class at the Viking Cooking School inside Hubble & Hudson Market in The Woodlands.  My husband had gotten me the class as a Christmas gift :)  It was a Macaron and Whoopie Pie class.  It was soooo much fun!!! 

The group I was in made Chocolate Macarons - they were delicious!!

This shows them already mixed and on the parchment

(dusted with cocoa) prior to baking.

It was a rainy, and very humid day in The Woodlands...  Humidity and Macroons do not get along very well....

All of the Macarons were almond flavored cookies, and then we added food color paste to make them pretty colors.  The fillings were what made each of the five kinds we made unique.

A view of the class - all super nice people. I think only a couple of people came together.  Everyone else met for the first time at the cooking school!  My favorite way to meet new people :)

A view down into Hubble & Hudson from the 2nd floor cooking school.

Our baked cookies!  We let them cool and then "peel" them off the parchment to fill and sandwich together to make Macaron.  They puffed up pretty well.  Had it not been so humid, they would have risen more.

The instructor made the purple ones to show us how.  I got to fill some of them with the most incredible raspberry/blackberry butter cream.  It was the BEST thing there!!  I promise, I could have eaten all the left over icing....

All completed!  A lot of work, for just a few cookies...  But, you really don't want to eat many since they are so decadent!!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Cream filling! 

They were good, but not as good as the Macarons :)

My plate of goodies that I got to bring home!!  Such pretty colors!!

I am so thankful to have such a thoughtful husband who got the cooking class for me for Christmas! 

 

I am especially thankful since Hubble & Hudson and the Viking Cooking School, on the Waterway in The Woodlands, are closing in the next couple of months.  I am sad the store is closing.  It has such cute things.  And, sad that an independent store is closing.  They are keeping their fabulous Bistro and will continue to have their prepared items to purchase.  There is also a Hubble & Hudson on Research Forest in The Woodlands and that one is remaining open.  They have a great salad bar and soups to purchase.  The Carrot and Ginger soup is really delicious.  I have just discovered it, and have had it several times already :)

 

Valentine's Wreath

I saw a cute wreath on Pinterest recently.  It was an item for sale on Etsy.  It had already sold, but they had similar ones for sale.  It was slightly expensive...  And, I really like to make my wreaths.  Plus, I try very hard to not copy-cat items I see.  I had rather draw inspiration from items - making the things I create my own.   I didn't pin the wreath, and then couldn't find it again...gotta pin those things you see, because you can't find them again!!  So, based on a fleeting picture I saw on Pinterest, I made this Heart Wreath.

While watching the first day of the Olympics, I sewed this heart by hand :)

I found a piece of gingham material and freehand cut out the heart (2 of them).  Then sewed them together by hand and stuffed them with polyfill.  You can tell it isn't perfect.  But, that is ok with me.  I am not a factory...

I purchased the green wreath form from JoAnn's.  I thought I would make an Easter wreath, but found this use for it instead!  The white sprigs were on a different wreath.  It was on my front door and falling apart.  So, I helped it along by pulling the sprigs off.  I used some twine and secured them to the wreath form. By not gluing the sprigs, I can take them off easily when I want to repurpose the wreath form.

The finished product!  I love it :)

 

I hope that your day is going well!  I am anxious to get in my garden!  The usual spring planting day here in the North Houston area is 2/14 (Valentine's Day).  It has been really cold here this summer and was below freezing this morning.  But, it is supposed to be 73 here tomorrow!  I really need to get to a nursery and get some tomato plants and seed potatoes.  I am going to get out in my garden tomorrow and see what I can plant.  I will post pictures!

 

Make it a good one!

~ Joeby