it's beginning to look a lot like. . .

hello hello!

well, believe it or not, i am STILL nursing this cold, and starting to forget what it feels like to have a nose that isn't runny, and a head that isn't almost too heavy for its neck. one of my readers, lauren, pointed out that i shouldn't nap in the afternoon, and i think she's right - unfortunately i've become stuck in this awful cycle of wake up super early & tired, work for 8 or 9 hours, become exhausted, go home, nap, wake up for dinner and find myself unable to fall asleep at a reasonable hour, and repeat. i've also been watching a lot of law and order: special victims unit, which is doing some pretty weird things to my dreams.

regardless of all of this, i've been working like a maniac and honestly loving just about every minute of it. (except the first thirty or so. try as i might, i am just not a morning person.) with the holidays coming i'm trying to get some ideas together for the bakery (which, i should mention, is called the annex, in fort greene. if you are in new york please stop by!! it's a small place, you'll see me.) what holiday cookies and treats do you like? as a pastry chef with an admittedly saltier tooth than sweet, this time of year can be hard for me - so i've been focusing my time on macarons, always my favorite.








from the top: raspberry lemonade, blueberry white chocolate, caramel apple cider, chocolate espresso, pear ginger, and peppermint dark chocolate.

thank you all for the sweet and encouraging comments. it's a job that hardly feels like work, but i have to say i'm anxious to get my energy back and my sleep back on schedule so i can get back to normal again - i feel like i've been on some kind of strange baking vacation where all i do is work, eat and sleep.

if you have any holiday recipe ideas you'd like to share, please let me know! i'll let you know if i'm serving your cookies in the bakery.

xo audrey

hand pies

hello hello! second to last day at work here; i've been trying to insure they'll miss me by making some decent snacks. i tested out this muffin tin pie idea wednesday night with dinner (and packaged most of them up to send to my little sister) - so yesterday, i stepped it up a bit and made 2 different kinds of pie, apple and pumpkin, all in a muffin tin.







i just used standard pie dough and regular fillings - for one-crust pies, like the pecan and pumpkin, one pie crust is about perfect for 12 pies, and one batch of filling is a littttle extra, so you can scale down a touch.

more from me soon!

xo audrey

holiday cheer

aloha! i spent a good part of this weekend laid up with a nasty cold (thank heavens for sudafed,) which gave me ample time (and sudafed-fueled energy) to whip up some holiday treats.







chocolate brigadeiros (i put whiskey in mine,) vanilla bean pralines, peanut butter rice krispie bars (the recipe is actually from the bakery where i work!), gingerbread spice cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream, toasted almond and raspberry jam macarons, and eggnog snickerdoodles.


now i have a lovely assortment to bring to sam's family for christmas this weekend.

happy holidays, everyone!

xo audrey

homerunballerina's gift guide, part III

and, after much ado, part 3 of my gift guide - the girl who loves to accessorize. this time of year, with all the bundling up that's necessary to stay warm, a good pair of tights, gloves, or some cute jewels can punch up an otherwise purely utilitarian outfit. some of my favorites:



any tights from hansel from basel. ($18-$42)



i've mentioned bebaroque before - they make the most astonishingly beautiful tights on the planet. each one is a work of art. i only own one pair - at the moment - but after this photo research, i may have to acquire a few more. ($38-$211)



a "fur" stole: this or that. ($75 or $232)



super adorable clothesline necklace. $98



i've loved erica weiner's necklaces since i spotted them at the renegade craft fair in chicago, years ago. this one is my favorite (for now.) $50



with all those necklaces, you'll need a place to hang them. i currently use a crappy row of hooks that were left, nailed to a board, in an old apartment; damn, i'd prefer this.



i just ordered a pair of these and i'm desperate for them to arrive. $35

okay. a couple more left, and i'll have to hurry - christmas is a-comin'!

xo audrey

homerunballerina's gift guide, part I

hello loves! happy universal children's day! i've never done this before, but i've spent quite a bit (some would say too much) browsing the interwebs over the last couple of weeks, and i've come up with quite a stack of bookmarks of cool gift ideas. i'm going to try to break them up into semi-logical groups; today's edition: for the chef!



heart shaped frying pan. how cute is that? and for $6.99, how can you say no?



nesting bowls/measuring spoons $50. i've been obsessed with these ever since i first spotted them in the moma store. bright, space efficient, practical. and $40 if you're a member!




your state cutting board. $40. serve cheese on it when you have guests; proudly display your home state when you aren't! genius.




cute apron, $32. it's always a bummer to cover up a cute outfit with an ugly apron. here's your remedy.



l'epicerie spice rack, $39.50. a spice rack and a work of art. you can choose from several pre-selected racks or create your own.




bundt pan necklace, $26. for the baker in your life. i also love this seller's sardine necklace.



garlic zoom, $14.95. sam bought me one of these on a whim around this time last year, and i loved it so much i bought one for all of the women in our family. for the garlic lover, it's a must-have.


more to come! have a lovely weekend!

xo audrey

peace and goodwill to all

happy friday loves! i slept in, in my own bed, for the first time in weeks today and it was glorious. rolled out of bed at about 11 am and made myself a huge plate of huevos rancheros with all the fixins. today i've got a few things to do around the apartment, a bit of sewing to do, and then heading to midtown for korean barbecue with sam. should make for a lovely friday evening.

the new year has certainly made me look back at where i was a year ago, and it is rather mind-blowing how much has changed. i spent last new year in chicago; i had a job in a completely different industry, i was in the middle of school, i was single, i was planning on moving out of new york in a few short months. now i find myself completely in love, working a job i adore, living in brooklyn and pretty much happier than i ever imagined i could be. i feel so very blessed, and i just thought i should say so.

anyway! one of my goodwill finds from the day after christmas is this lovely sweater, which i scored for a whopping $4.



sweater: a goodwill outside of connecticut
skirt: american apparel
belt: urban outfitters
tights: my mom's old jazzercise wear
shoes: akira chicago
necklace: gift

all right - i've got dishes to do, clothing to sew, and emails to write. i hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

xo audrey