merry + bright . . .

hello, hello!

happy holidays to all : )  the posts have been few and far between while my list of desired posts keeps growing . . . i suppose that's what happens when work and snow attack- in full force!

at least i was able to catch up a bit yesterday and finish my goodie tins . . . 

this sampling includes tasty cookies and candies from biscotti to the {flaming} soft caramels, and chocolate covered cherries tucked below . . . so all in all considering- quite a bit- the other items i didn't get a chance to make, i'll try out in january : )

now the real question is why i am still at home and not in nevada . . . well- that would be the result of father winter . . . seems he felt a need to give us holiday presents early- as in millions of snowflakes . . . 

the pac-nw is pretty well covered with snow and the like . . . as in 8 inches in metro portland yesterday . . . our balcony flamingos began above the snow, yet they have slowly become covered - head to toe in one case!

tomorrow we will try again to begin our holiday road trip after we shovel out our car and chain the tires- yay!

all of this is probably ok, as this week was extremely busy at work for a deadline we had friday- here's a sampling of that project . . . 

as the holidays approach and we take to our coche- i bid to all a happy and wonderful holiday!  i am looking forward to relaxing, esp with my honey, and just resting up before the new year comes upon us . . . and that thirtysomething event . . . 

there is very little chance of other posts this year, but i intend to start anew with my list . . . from baking adventures to wedding recaps to general fun finds (which are aplenty via holiday shopping!) as well as an infamous start to my thirtysomething lists . . . really, they are coming!  oh- and maybe progress in the start of baking for a living : )

thanks to anyone out there reading this journal of a blog of sorts- sometimes i get disappointed that i've not been able to write more, but it's a start and i'll get better : )

i leave you with a link to the animated version of our holiday card from work that illustrates the construction of our gingerbread fire station . . . until next year . . . 

: )

where there's smoke, there's fire- really! (a.k.a. '08 baking part 1)

this evening, i had the pleasure of listening to our smoke detector not once, or twice, but three times!  (*sigh* yes, courtesy of myself . . . )

so really, anyone reading this probably wants to know why- esp as i also mention baking in the title . . . well as you have it . . . there's a reason most recipes for caramel involve either sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk- because if you use whole milk and cream- there's a great deal of moisture to be removed - so {a} it takes forever and {b} it it likely to boil over . . . though it probably didn't help that i made 125% of the recipe since i wanted thicker caramels : ) . . . *sigh* bit of a brain lapse- but at least the fire was tiny (even if it scared me to pieces as it's probably one of the only things in the kitchen i'm afraid of . . . well- more like oil fires- but fire none.the.less can be frightening) and as it was caused by the overflowing sugar-milk syrup - it burned out rather quickly . . . 

and luckily the mess under/in the burner wasn't as terrible as i expected (once i transferred 1/2 the mix to a second pot and continued to cook for 15 more minutes - leaving charred sugar- yummy) . . . once i was done pouring the caramel in my pan, i thought to myself- that was probably THE MOST difficult recipe experience i've done- probably ever! . . . so what did i do?  well- i licked the spatula, well, nibbled, rather, and rejoiced as it was all worth it- now for reals- yum yum!  i must admit- next time i will have to stick to 1/2 the recipe or buy a bigger pot!

also, while i'm at it- i think i'm moving towards 3 for 3 in my attempts this year-

first- there were the cherries . . . 

second- we've got marshmallows . . .

and third- (hopefully once i cut the slab-o-sweet wonderful goo tomorrow) - we have caramels!

(p.s.- a thirtysomething goal is to be able to sell all these delectable treats - so be on the look out for more info!)

now for the weekend- yay!  tomorrow has a huge to-do list- from finding cocoa butter + x-mas shopping + picking up my new glasses (yes, they're in!) and chocolate ganache and nougat : )  (and maybe a run if it's not terribly cold out - i've got 7 miles down (i think) - and am moving up to 1.5 miles (even though i still count those as 1) . . . hopefully next week i can check off 3-5 more miles . . . 

and we thought portland had it bad . . .

this is the european lifestyle at its finest . . . taking everything in stride and with a glass of wine!

venice is recovering from aqua alta, the high water that is typical this time of year, however, this year's height is a record out of the last 30-ish years . . . being about 5 feet in some spots . . . 

(image found here via stream of consciousness blogging from {frolic!} to ink & peat to housemartin to black eiffel . . . and in the meantime, i found fun on these sites, too - more ways to waste time + whorange.)

it's hard to believe the weekend is gone!  and there's so much still to do and december is already whirring by . . . some progress has been made in that i've decided what goodies to make + create this year as part of my edible gifts . . . currently set to include some standbys - truffles, biscotti and marshmallows - and new recipe experimentation - peppermint patties + nougat + macaroons . . . tonight i made fondant from scratch - the sugar base that is used for peppermint patties and chocolate covered cherries - and boy did my arms get a workout!  so far, though, i think it turned out well!  it takes a boiling sugar syrup from the very warm (as in don't touch if you want to keep your fingertips) to an opaque solid lump via a marble slab and dough scraper . . . and oh, about 20 minutes of working with the goo . . . every time i work with sugar i become more fascinated with it!  sometimes i'm not sure if i prefer working with sugar or chocolate more, but regardless, i just love the entire process : )  hopefully during the evenings of the coming weeks i'll still have the energy to finish what i'm starting!

oh- and in regards to other updates- i'm hoping to compile that first {thirtysomething} list - which is looking to be blogs/websites i enjoy/frequently visit . . . in an effort to beef up my own blog with fun links that others might enjoy, too . . . and as far as wedding posts go - after reading posts on snippet & ink, and seeing the 'daily wedding' features, i'm hoping to create just 2 posts . . . one with my inspirations and the other documenting the big day : )  now all i have to do is find and transfer all the idea images from my hard drive (since i had to completely wipe my laptop) and pick my favs from vicki's pictures . . . maybe by next weekend . . . work-wise- we're building basswood models of a few projects - my job has been the assembly of tiny pieces using tweezers - and i'm loving it (for the most part) - and hopefully around the 15th- i'll have pics to post . . . oh- and that running goal?  well- sadly, only 5 miles down and 25 to go- but i'm hoping to go on my lunch tomorrow and 2x more this week- i can still hit 30 by 30 - but that whole  weight # probably won't change- esp with the holidays - and candy quality control ; )

happy monday to all . . . and stay tuned . . . 

doing our part . . .

you can't say we're not helping the economy!

so we've taken a few plunges . . . some larger than others, though most planned ahead (from 1 year to more than 4 years!)

(images from here, here, here, + here)

hb and i in some part needed to make a few purchases, and in other parts were putting budgeted $ to good use . . . 

purchase {a} - 'i am not a paper cup' . . . designed by james burgess and being taken by storm by the general public, this eco-friendly ceramic cup will allow me to take full advantage of one of our wedding presents . . . the espresso machine!  (and since i purchased it, i have had yummy lattes for a fraction of the cost i would pay at the coffee shop in our office building : )  did i mention it is both microwaveable and dishwasher safe?  personally, i like that it washes easily- esp when my favorite drink is a latte- i.e. contains milk - and its design is simple and understated . . .

purchase {b} - our new mac - besides being on hb's wishlist since before he met me, friends and family wanted to assist with our purchase as wedding presents- and i must admit- it has been a fabulous present : )  as my 3 1/2 y.o. laptop has decided to be mean, and hb's is just plain slow (and old, too) - we are both enjoying its use (my other 2 cents - the only sales i've seen at a mac store are on black friday and iphoto rocks! - not to mention the books you can create!)

purchase {c} - this one's a biggie- but, it had been on the list since we made our cross country move 18 months ago . . . and with additional excursions in the future it seemed like a good decision . . . however, this meant hb had to say goodbye to his beloved 'honky' (i was sad, too) that treated him quite well over the last 10 years . . . we hope this one (unnamed as of yet) will be just as kind and hopefully for just as long . . . and did i mention it has a panoramic sunroof?!

purchase {d} - here's the most recent - and something that had been in my budget all year (pre-tax work benefit!) . . . and as my current pair is over 4 years old, i'm not feeling overly guilty . . . beside, as i begin to create my thirtysomething wardrobe- the frames will be a nice addition!  (and gasp, they are red!  well, one pair is red, the 2nd pair i got free is a bit more tame / modern : ) - craziness and fun!)

now it is back to holiday shopping for others : )  which i truly enjoy . . . and holiday baking / candy making!

happy turkey day!

i hope a wonderful day was held by all!  we enjoyed ourselves, sleeping in, bumming around and i got to spend time in the kitchen - yes, i enjoy such things : ) - 

here's an exert of the eats of our day . . . our first as a married pair!

in case you might wonder, what are the goodies?

. . . we woke up to amish friendship bread muffins (thanks to my friend kristi), then hors de oeuvres included cheeses, crackers, olives and seafood bites . . . 

dinner was a turkey breast, accompanied by stuffing (though hb refers to it as dressing), green bean casserole - one of my favs, carmelized shallot mashed potatoes, cranberry orange relish, and biscuits (cook's illustrated) - oh and we also had ocean spray cranberry gel as a hb-family tradition!

lastly, after seeing the image on sarah's blog (and knowing my hubby's fondness for caramel), i had to try this caramel pumpkin pie recipe with homemade whipped cream!

while all this seems like the day revolved around food, in some ways it did, but in other ways- we had a chance (maybe me more than hb) to do things we enjoy and just relax for the day . . . as our families turkey day feasts were all in ohio, and as we're saving for our x-mas trip back, turkey day was lo-key and on our own for us this year, though i look forward to future years when we are able to share the day with family!

. . . in reference to food, growing up, my family always enjoyed getting together for holidays and we often gathered around food and drink . . . so in that way, it is very much my way of maintaining that tradition : )

and while we are so very fortunate to have been able to make such a wonderful dinner and spend the day together, we also shared the many things we are thankful for - from each other and our love, amber our pooch, our families and friends, health, our home, jobs, freedom, individuality and many, many more things . . . we are SO very lucky!

weekend update . . .

the weekend's gone?

insanity . . .

here's few pics and thoughts on the few days that seemed to fly by . . .

while portland has its share of rain and fog, friday morning was by far one of the most amazing mornings i have seen since living here . . . riding the bus into the city from the east, i could see buildings, then fog, then more buildings backed by a beautiful blue sky . . . all with the beams of the sunrise . . . my picture here is about 20 minutes after i had gotten to work (following our firday a.m. meeting) and some of the fog had cleared - but boy did i wish i had the morning off to follow the sun and fog . . . or even that i had my film camera with me . . . one can hope for a second chance . . .

while the day flew by, it ended with hb and i celebrating his most recent exam with 'raw, parasitic fish' as he calls it : )

then came along saturday . . . and with it a new drivers' license (new last name so i can fly to the in-laws in december - since i booked that flight pre-wedding with the new last name) and a 14-hour gingerbread fire station extravaganza - and i mean extravaganza!

imagine:

tootsie roll stockings

caramel carved into a turkey

fruit roll-up fireman coat

a tootsie roll dalmation

and . . .

a candy flower pot about an inch and a half tall (including 4 flowers)!

here's a sneak peak . . .

this is for our company's holiday card- displaying each discipline in the construction of the gingerbread fire station - it will be a video of the photos taken (every time something was placed or if it moved an inch) and should be super fun! i will try to get it on the blog once the video man finishes it in a few weeks - so stay tuned!

happy 2 months to us!

(another fab image by Look!)

wow- it actually seems like so long ago . . . not sure why other than we've just been busy with work and his registration exams (#5 tomorrow) . . . which makes me look forward to next weekend even more as we'll have 4 days off -woo-hoo!

we are somewhat trying to celebrate our mini-anniversaries each month - either with fun dinners or evenings out . . . due to the exam- we're going out for sushi tomorrow night, which should be yum! (though most sushi afficionados would claim that i don't eat sushi- as i typically stick to shrimp and veggies- but hey- i've only been eating cooked fish for 2 1/2 years! what i do like is the combo of flavors and textures, that it's fun to eat and the bit of a kick by the wasabi :) - oh and sake's pretty tasty, too!)

as far as general updates . . . i've only 3 miles down and 27 to go (sadly rain and work have prevented further jogs during the week) . . . a thirty-something list is in the works . . . additional wedding posts are also in the works as are a mish mosh of other random musings . . . oh- and i hope to start my official list of the blogs and websites i read : )

my very own personal Bond . . .

oh how handsome is he!

photo by LOOK photography

while i have yet to truly recap our fabulous day, in honor of our recent viewing of the new bond flick, i wanted to show off one of the ways my honey participated in our wedding : )

his attire, as well as the groomsmen and our fathers, was selected by him with me agreeing with him by his side . . . and i think he did a swell job! (and of course, i'll illustrate this in due time with pictures of the entire wedding party of which i think all look fab!)

oh- and how does his attire relate to bond? well- initially we thought about getting him a tailored bond-esque dinner jacket- but ultimately we went with the shawl collar on the ivory tux jacket with brown tux pants . . . the finished look, though, still resembles what i envision as 'bond' style (as well as some aspects of the show 'mad men' of which i have yet to see -as we don't have cable- however, from what i have gathered from various sketches on other shows- snl and treehouse of horror) . . .
anywho- he has introduced me to bond, from the design and style of the characters and settings of the stories to the many movies . . . while i never thought twice about it in the past, i have become quite entertained by the character and the world that surrounds him!

oh- and i will soon try to make links work in the post to direct curious parties to the website of our wonderful photog(s), vicki and her hubby tom of LOOK photography. (Thanks to Kelly i have working links! yay!)

30 before i'm 30!

woo-hoo! i have started running again! as i'm soon approaching my next big birthday (2 months and counting down) - i want to continue the physical journey i started for the wedding- i feel like i reached my goals for the big day- however, now that i am in a better spot than i had been, i see how much further i can still go . . . not that i feel large or even chubby (well in comparison to my past) - i do know i can feel better - and as lazy as i've been since the wedding - i have a bit of catching up to do- so my next goal is my birthday - since saturday i've run twice (the second time hb joined me!) - not very far, but much further than nothing! while i'm not sure how far i'll take this . . . i'm going slow for the sake of my knees . . we'll just have to see- i must say, though, it was so great to run with my hubby- you see- he was a runner in high school and seems to have a knack for it- and while i won't ever get him to step foot into a gym- running may be a way for us to exercise together : ) so i'll be keeping a running tally (silly 'ha ha' in honor of hb) - but 2 miles down, 28 to go!

as i approach my 30th, i look forward to reminiscing about my first 30 years with all kinds of 30-something lists (wow- has anyone else heard of that show?!) . . . from 30 things i've done to 30 things i hope to do and everything in between! although these reflections will be a way for me remember my youth, they will also give you a bit more of a glimpse into who i am . . . i hope you enjoy and definitely feel free to comment!

here we go-cco again!

although planned from the time we found our gocco on craigslist, it is nice to have finished another diy project-our thank yous- and since they will be in the mail tomorrow- here's a sneak peak . . . close up images will be posted later this week as well as my final wedding gocco project : ) it was quite fun to participate in our wedding in such a personal / creative way - it is just sad that gocco supplies are no longer in production after this year- my suggestion- snag one for yourself if possible and a handful of screens for that rainy day printing project!

peculiar pdx . . . (well, oregon)

happy election day! today marks the first time i'm voting oregon style a.k.a. by mail . . . this is one of two things i find a bit unique about living in oregon- you see- all voting is done by mail (in non-postage paid return envelopes- which seems a bit silly) and has been for some time . . . so while i had intended to post this note on election day, pre-results- my computer wouldn't let me - but as it is now post-election, i suppose i'll share my 2 cents . . .

election night and the results (which by the way were much sooner than i anticipated- guess that's an advantage to living on the west coast!) were quite intense at times and even emotional - and while i am proud once again to be an american, i'm also not counting any chickens just yet . . . there's such a transition from talking to walking and our country has been in a downward spiral that will take some digging out . . . granted i'm extremely hopeful and optimistic, i really just look forward to a time when i'll be proud to pass this country and this earth onto our children . . .

oh- and the other unique thing about oregon- you can't pump your own gas . . . i suppose it's a luxury, or maybe because of the rain, but we almost kind of miss it! (yes we're weird)

tony . . .

ok- so our pooch has a fetish . . . with latex . . . yes- i know this sounds very bizarre . . . but it is so true! now hb and i found this out a little while ago- as she has been particularly interested in various latex things from whoopie cushions to elastic resistance strips . . .and of course . . . balloons! luckily latex passes, however that time it takes can be nerve-wracking as a doggie-mom . . .

back to whoopie cushions- besides the material and puffs of powder, she goes nuts over the noise it makes! it's like catnip for cats! she'll spin circles, try to bite it, run from it, and start all over again!

now for halloween, our office was open to the kids of employees for trick or treating- and the desks with candy were marked with balloons- at the end of the day, i collected my balloon to take home for amber- as soon as we walked in the door- her eyes grew as big as saucers and she started jumping up to try to smell / touch the balloon! she spent much of the night staring at it as it rested on the ceiling and whimpered for it- once in a while mommy and daddy would step on the ribbon to the balloon to allow her access where she would bump it with her nose . . . we think she wanted to grab the tied end, but more often she would miss because the balloon was too big for her mouth . . . through the course of the weekend she missed many naps and tony (as we called it in honor of our viewing of "the shining") was put in a bathroom at night so she would sleep - though not without her whimpering at the door -

sadly . . . sunday afternoon tony popped . . . and poochie was sad . . . her mourning lasted though the night and most of the next day - we were actually worried that something was wrong with her - though our other conclusion was that she missed so many naps we thought maybe she could just be tired . . . sigh . . . it's no wonder owning a dog relieves stress!

happy halloween!

ta-da . . . here's an image of this year's costume . . . my second sewing adventure : ) hope everyone enjoyed their halloween sweets and punkins!

architecture + wedding design

= neat-o icons for table names! and by the way- i must credit hb :) as he helped tremendously with the icon designs!


as we met in grad school for architecture, and since architecture has engulfed our lives when we are apart, it seemed fitting to incorporate some aspect of it into our big day . . . so instead of a '#' or letter or photo for our guest tables, we created architectural icons incorporating buildings, landscapes and other design projects . . . on the escort cards, we put miniature icons with everyone's name . . .

granted, we probably enjoyed the icons more than some of our guests, it was fun to add personal touches and allow others to learn a bit more about us!

what a week . . . our firm let go nearly 10% of the employees this week, including the project manager with whom i had worked for the last 9 months . . . what a doozy . . . while my hubby's place has let people go since the end of last year, it really hit me when it was so close and within our team . . . it's hard to say what the future entails, but it doesn't look good . . .

so my apologies for not writing in the last week, it seems the internet gods were angry with me and then with work anxiety, it just didn't happen . . . to update beyond the work news, i have moved my personal blog to a new address to allow me to expand the "alittlebitofsweet.blogspot.com" for my biscotti business . . . which, excitedly, might get kicked off here soon!
i looked at a kitchen space last weekend and have been in touch with 2 others - so we'll keep our fingers crossed that i can afford one of the spaces and be able to start selling for the holidays!

so as i read what i'm typing- it seems for the random readers out there, a bit more info might not hurt . . . my hubby (whom i'll sometimes refer to as hb) and i are in the field of architecture . . . we live in the pac-nw and work for larger, corporate firms. he is in the process of taking a.r.e. exams to become a licensed architect while i dabble as an intern earning hours within the field to also become registered one day . . . not sure when . . .

ok- for now i'm going to go back to watching my buckeyes as they battle penn state . . . will someone score a touchdown?!

p.s.- halloween and wedding pictures will be forthcoming!

peek-a-boo!

it's our baby! so in addition to wanting an excuse to put a picture of our pooch online- not much happened today- but the weather was nice enough to take her to the park- and we were home at a reasonable hour before the sun went down . . .

this is amber, although we often refer to her as any number of other nicknames from ham (for the camera and as much attention as she can get!), pepe (her tail curls like pepe le peu at times- and she occasionally releases 'le peu'), miss snarly pants (she's very moody and thinks that we're afraid of her ferocious, and harmless, snarl as she wrinkles her nose), and even on occasion the simpsons references lamp and puppy goo-goo . . . regardless- she's our babe- we love her and adore her and are better people with her in our lives . . .

now a little bit about amber . . . she is not my first ever pet, but she is my first independent pet . . . after graduating with my undergraduate degrees from ohio state, i joined teach for america and taught 6th grade science and social studies in rural north carolina . . . during my first year, i decided i wanted to get a dog and a cat- and i would start with the kitten so that she could still maintain some dominance when the puppy outgrew her . . . i started reading mostly about puppies that winter and had been looking online and through rescue groups for both- the kitten and the puppy- the last week of school, i went to a local shelter to look at kittens and ideally adopt one (there were so many cute pictures online and i was so certain i would find a kitten that i bought food, dishes, a litter box, collar and leash- for a kitten) . . . well- most of the kittens looked a bit sickly and none of them seemed all that interested in me- so i decided to walk down the puppy/dog aisle . . .

that . . . changed . . . everything . . .

you see- there were these eyes- so big, so brown, so sad, and they just quietly stared into me . . . all the other dogs just barked and barked, but this little black thing just looked eagerly upon me . . . what did i do? i opened her cage- she came to the edge and her tail wagged . . . i asked the staff guy about her- how long she had been there and what her outlook was . . . she had been dropped off nearly 2 weeks ago (she was only 6-8 weeks old when i saw her!) she had been left with her 3 brothers and sisters and he thought she was a shepherd/chow mix . . . since she and her sibs could share a cage- and they were young- they were fairly safe- now that her sibs had been adopted (because they were solid black- whereas she looked like a rotti pup) she was nearing a possible super sad fate if more dogs came in . . . that literally broke my heart and i told him i would be back- and with that- he said he would hold her . . .

why didn't i take her that day? well- at the time my landlord didn't allow dogs, i had an appointment to see a possible townhome i was hoping to rent for the 2nd year, and i wanted a bit of prep time as well as the ability to take her straight to the vet before i took her home . . . needless to say- once i saw the townhome, i was excited- they would allow a dog! and i couldn't think about anything else that night- i went and bought puppy food and some toys and made plans to pick her up the next day . . .

so that saturday to the shelter (where she promptly went #2 on the floor of the office and got all waggy), then the vet (where she weighed in at about 4#, we received her de-wormer and special soap and she sat patiently on the counter as we checked out) and back home and straight into the bathtub we went . . . now the first weekend i had her was scary- and the following monday she spent the day at the vet so they could observe her and get her nutrients to stay down- since then she is a puppy vacuum- and we recently got her a special food dish with obstacles (stay tuned) . . .

i really wish i had realized that i wanted to post about amber before now- because i don't have any electronic versions of her puppy pictures . . . but i will try to scan some this weekend- they are completely adorable - she could steal anyone's heart - and she still can . . . as i've rambled on about our meeting, i'll save more details about her for later . . . as i could talk about her forEVER!

(picture taken on our second road trip as she took control of the back seat :)

trick or tater . . .

so as i missed a few days, we'll see if we can catch up a bit tonight : ) (i need to stop reading blogs! - but one day hopefully i can add links to the ones i enjoy on many occasions . . . )

(oh- and last night i was a bit busy tasting wine with some friends of ours- and yes, wine won over the internet : )

here he is!


as i dug out a pumpkin basket for my desk at work, i found our mr. potato head : ) for now he's a ghost- we'll have to see what he wants to be next week . . . as for me- if we get our thank you notes worked on this weekend, i can buy fabric for this year's costume! (hint- i need to go online and buy saddle shoes . . . )

it's official!

i'm now a miller! whoopie! yesterday, i received my new social security card with my new name . . . yes, i'm a bit sad to leave my polish, hard to spell, hard to pronounce last name- and i hope that in some form i will be able to keep it with me and/or pass it along- we'll just have to be creative : )
and this weekend we will have been married for a month! for me, i really cannot express how fabulous that is . . . before i mentioned that i had married my soul mate- and i truly think that . . . our relationship is just completely wonderful . . .
a tid-bit of our history- we met in grad school for architecture- he was 2 years ahead of me- and as some of my friends got to know him, they claimed he was the male 'me'! for us, it's not so much that opposites attract (yes we have differences) but rather how much we compliment each other . . .
you will definitely learn more about him as i continue to post- for now- if you want a peak of our wedding- our photographer, vicki, of look photography has a wonderful blog entry that highlights the amazing day : ) thanks vicki!
http://lookphotography.blogspot.com/2008/09/sabrina-mark.html
(i still have to figure out how to make it work like a real link . . . sorry!)

dulcito

a little bit of sweet . . . well- we'll say it's a possible translation of the phrase in Spanish . . . and it's what I use to describe my baked goods as my official company title is 'a little bit of sweet, llc.' Currently, I am looking for a commercial kitchen from which I can bake for the upcoming holiday season as well as on a continuous basis for local coffee shops .

The first {dulcito} will be biscotti . . . a twice baked Italian cookie that is great for dipping in coffee and other beverages or just for munching. I've been making biscotti for about 7 years and while it started as a brunch cookie for a gathering of friends, it has become a holiday gift staple for my friends and family.

We're starting to develop additional sweets . . . but we'll get to that soon enough : )

dulcito

a little bit of sweet . . . well- we'll say it's a possible translation of the phrase in spanish . . . and it's what i use to describe my baked goods as my official company title is 'a little bit of sweet, llc.' currently, i am looking for a commercial kitchen from which i can bake for the upcoming holiday season as well as on a continuous basis for local coffee shops . . .

my first dulcito will be biscotti . . . a twice baked italian cookie that is great for dipping in coffee and other beverages or just for munching . . . i've been making biscotti for about 7 years. it started as a brunch cookie for friends and has become a holiday gift staple for my friends and family . . . all of my current versions have nuts (really, i'm not sure how my recipe would be the same without them) . . .

eventually it would be fun to create additional sweets . . . but we'll get to that soon enough : )

(image coming soon!)

dear blog

hello! what to say, what to say . . . well- in reality it is because i like to say a lot that you are here . . . i fear i've talked off too many ears and to hear is a precious thing . . . and since i can't always find fun details and tid bits twice, this seemed to be a good spot to keep track of my finds . . . besides the fact that i am addicted to the internet and e-mail (if only there was a 12-step program) . . . and who knows- someone else might share these interests . . . often times people nod in what seems to be agreement - though maybe they are just being polite?

a few things i should mention about this blog . . . i tend to ramble . . . i may skip around . . . and i frequently go on tangents- however, i hope to keep the posts on topic, with fun and interesting details and pictures when possible (citing credit as often as i am able)

what will i ramble about? well, i'm starting a biscotti business that i hope one day will develop into a bakery / sweet shop of sorts; i enjoy graphics and graphic design; i'm currently in the field of architecture after going back to school for my masters; food and cooking are things i can't live without; who doesn't like wine!; oh and less than a month ago i married my soul mate . . . as i've moved in and out of these topics, i have found numerous resources online and i hope this becomes my diary as i continue to learn and experience the joys of life!

thanks for stopping by . . . and if you're still reading, thanks again! i look forward to developing a network of friends and colleagues in this world of blogging!