Thinking Outside Of The Box

The cigar box that is...So the other day, I had this great idea to go pick up some of those gum cigars for a happy celebration of the baby coming kind for an old college friend. You know the ones, they are usually pink or blue and sometimes yellow or mint green? Yes, those. Well the only problem...I could not figure out where I would find them. You see we have EVERYTHING in Los Angeles, but the only problem...figuring out where in Los Angeles EVERYTHING is. So this could be an all day mission! Instead of taking this mission, spending a lot of time I didn't have, getting frustrated and road ragey with others and stopping at way too many red lights, I decided well duh! I could make my own cookie version! This option was a jackpot! I went straight home, whipped em up and was done in no time sans road rage & with a lot more gas left in my gas guzzler!

Here is what I came up with. Now I planned to do a quick mini tutorial, but you know, in my time crunch, I sorta forgot to take the tutorial pics...oops! You know the saying...best laid intentions...

So I am sorry no tutorial, but I may be doing them again if someone I know gets a little baby bump and at that time, I promise...TUTORIAL! But for now, feast your eyes on all things pink & blue.

happy baking, happier eating!

Life in 3D

You know what is awesome about this morning? I am sitting at home, drinking my coffee and listening to the sites and sounds of Los Angeles. Okay, maybe that last part is not awesome, but more interesting. As of now, I am hearing the voice of a probably 10-12 year old screaming "Good morning" to every person he sees. What a polite lad!
Actually come to think of it, this little lad screaming "Good Morning" actually helps with some research I have been trying to conduct while living in Los Angeles. My hypothesis: that the mass majority of people in large urban sprawls were not taught proper manners. I came upon this hypothesis because my hubbs and I were both born and raised in small towns. You know the kind of towns with a couple of stop lights surrounded by a lotta fields and filled with people who say "good day" as you walk by? So it appeared odd to me while living in a big ole city that somehow common courtesy was lost in the urban sprawl. So obviously, I assumed, that maybe small town manners are not universal, right?
Well, today I may have been proven wrong. As I sit in the heart of Los Angeles, I have a young boy being courteous to all those who enter his line of sight. Therefore, it is possible that all most people are taught proper manners at some point in their life, but there must be something that happens that diminishes this common courtesy in adult life...hmm...something to ponder right? So I have a challenge for all of you today (including myself), when you are out and about in our all too busy lives. Instead of passing by the people you encounter without a peep, raise up your inner humanitarian and say "good day" to those who come your way! After all, we are living life in 3D aren't we? Sorry for the cheese, I had to transition to what I am posting today ;)
So why am I here today? Well, I need to show some blog love, it's been a while, I know! And what better way to show blog love than to post some pics of the recent 3D cookies I have made. I just love the world of 3D cookies! Whoever invented it, THANK YOU! So here they are folks:
1. Birthday present 3D cookies for a class celebration:

 

 2. Baby theme 3D sugar cookies for a baby shower:

 3. Customized cake topper for a wedding shower (love these BTW):

Happy baking, happier eating, happiest "good-day-ing"

Zen

This is what I need right now, I need some ZEN. So what do I do when I need some zen??? I go to yoga, I get my sweat on, and I get back in balance. It is the most amazing feeling, really it is. So instead of going to yoga today, I am posting some yoga pose cookies I recently made to try to find some zen in this crazy day!Trust me, I am NOT HAPPY about not making it to yoga, but my darn "real job" has prohibited me from going. Why you ask? Well that is because people like to drag their feet and apparently they love to work all day and not actually see anything outside of the stark, sterile hospital ALL DAY LONG! Me, I am not like that AT ALL, I pretty much never actually even want to be at work, much less be there ALL DAY LONG. So if you all don't know yet, now you will, I am an anesthesiologist, so I obviously work with surgeons all day long, and sometimes I want to be a fly on the wall while they are conversating with their loved ones because I swear, surgeons are those people who love to be a the hospital ALL DAY LONG! I mean what do they say to their wives (or husbands because yes, there are female surgeons) "Hi hunny, yeah, another long day at the hospital, you know I just can't get away and truly enjoy spending every minute of my day at the hospital." Doesn't that get old? I would think so! In terms of being a fly on the wall in my phone conversation to my hubby...here is how it goes, "Hi hunny, yes, I. AM. STILL. HERE, just waiting on the surgeon to decide they have worked long enough today and wrap this case up, I hope to see you sometime..." Now don't get me wrong, I love doing what I do, but after 10, 12, 14, 24 hrs straight, it gets a bit tiresome! Because afterall, I am human, and that is a normal feeling to feel, but for some, its just fuel to the fire!


Okay, so now back to ZEN-ing out with my yoga cookies, since right about now I am missing the intense flow phase of my yoga class (not that I am bitter or anything), which is the part that gets my heart pumping, my sweat pouring and my evil humors outta sight & outta mind. I made these cookies for my bff who wanted to bring them to a 30th birthday/slumber party for another friend of ours who loves yoga. The idea was all my bff's, and I LOVE the way they turned out, I may need to consider hiring her in the creative department of my LLC, lol!
Well thank you all for listening to my venting/Zen session, oddly I do feel better! Sometimes you just gotta get it outta your head and onto paper, eh...computer screen I mean. Happy baking, happier eating!