Life is a Cream Puff

So full of goodness that it comes squishing out the sides when you sink your teeth in? (Abundance!)

Best eaten after the whipped cream has softened the shells slightly? (Patience!)

Don't open the oven too soon or they will deflate? (Good things comes to those who wait.)

Alright, enough bad metaphors. It's a food post today! Due to a dinnertime French-themed potluck tonight, I had an excuse to do some somewhat elaborate baking. The budget advisory group I volunteer for is having its mid-winter get together and by nature of the date and its proximity to Bastille Day, they went for a French theme.

I haven't tackled a batch of choux pastry since my culinary school days. And even then I am pretty sure I might have done it once. But that didn't stop me from signing up to make profiteroles, aka

cream puffs.

The Usual Suspects

Heating things up.

Letting off some steam...

Ready to be puffed!

Keep your door shut!

Crisp, light shells. Perfect.

I am making 3 types - basic whipped cream filling, one that also has lemon curd with the cream, and a chocolate whipped cream filling. I am trying to be patient because if I fill them too soon they will be too soggy and I don't want to waste these beautiful shells that are so delicately crisped.

Dinner's not for a few hours but we have a bit of running around to do before it so I will try to wait until the last possible moment to fill them.

We are house sitting until Sunday for the people we stayed with when we initially got to town. So beach house here we come! The timing is a bit unfortunate for Dustin because he's still sick. He went from the hand, foot and mouth straight into a cold. Poor guy! Maybe he'll learn how to slow down a bit someday. He has insisted on going to work so he's still battling the sniffles and a cough since Sunday. He reckons a little romp in the ocean will clear his sinuses though. Hopefully something works!

We have to pop by their house and feed the cat first and then I'd like to deliver some cream puffs to the lovely friend who made me a birthday cake. It's really quite funny when we're running around with a schedule to keep because we still leave so much time to get places - a hard habit to quell but I am sure we'll get the hang of it.

The week ends strong with my job interview tomorrow and we're getting a new computer desk chair delivered! Ok, not brand new because this one brand new here would be over $400. For a desk chair. Insane, I know. All I needed was adjustable arm rests and that really is a flash add-on here. So Trade Me to the rescue again.

Then a weekend at the beach house. (Which is funny because it's only like 7 minutes across town...) Having space will be so nice!! And a kitty cat to visit with. And one more perk is they have pay tv so that means we can watch the rugby playoffs! Our team fought hard last week for a win but did not make the cut. But there are still other NZ teams in it so, "Go the Crusaders!"