Monday, January 28, 2008

tooting my own cream horns

I made a special treat for book group last week. At our monthly meetings, we take turns bringing refreshments, only we don’t call them refreshments; the term we use is “delicacy.” It sounds more lovely—more literary—to put it that way. But it also makes me feel more than a wee bit of pressure to make something fancy, something out of the ordinary, or at least something…well…delicate. You just don’t bring snickerdoodles to book group. Or at least no one ever has.


Thus the impetus to make these cream horns which my friend Tara insisted were “easy yet totally impressive.” And guess what? Tara was right. They took a while to construct, but they were simple enough that even a klutz like me could pull them off. And the book group ladies raved about them. I was reminded of my multi-layered Jell-o rant (and subsequent apology, please don’t read the first without reading the second) and I felt duly chagrinned. I can honestly say that there’s nothing wrong with a small culinary triumph once in a while. I was proud of myself, especially since I made the horns while simultaneously attempting to put Nora down for a nap, a process that involved no less than 21 trips between the kitchen and her room, trying to convince Nora that she did indeed want to stay in bed by herself, to which she would sweetly reply ‘kay Mom and stay just long enough to give me time to close her door, walk back into the kitchen, wash my hands and begin rolling strips of dough into a cone shape and then I would hear the bedroom door pop open and she’d come trotting out into the hall, and her entrance into the kitchen would be followed by me washing my hands (again) since they were now greasy and then walking her back to her room and telling her to get back into bed (‘k mom) and then.… well, you get the idea.

Don’t ask me why I thought I could multitask two such delicate projects or why it took me 21 failures with Nora to finally give up and send her downstairs to watch TV with her brother. I’m a bit obtuse sometimes. Maybe I was making dunce cones and I just didn’t know it.

15 comments:

TARA said...

Wahoo! They are beautiful! And now that you've made them once they should be even easier the next time. Well, assuming Nora cooperates, that is....

Kelly @ Love Well said...

Wow Julie. Those are gorgeous. I think I'm drooling, just a little.

Maybe Nora just really, really wanted a horn.

Scribbit said...

Pretty tasty looking--watch out you'll turn this into a food blog :)

What no recipe?

And you can't use the word "obtuse" then claim to be a dunce--it's a contradiction :)

Dedee said...

I agree with Scribbit on the obtuse statement.

Those do look delicious. Dare I ask for a recipe? Doth mine waist want me to ask for the recipe?

Yup.

Pretty Please?

Sarah said...

I tagged you for this meme- 7 weird things or 7 famous people.

Julie Q. said...

I'll work on getting the recipe into an emailable format. Anyone else interested? It's a combination of something from a cooking magazine and lots of suggestions from Tara.

Dedee - I have no address of any kind for you. If you want the recipe, will you give me a way to send it to you? Maybe you can come up with a low-fat version. Nah, that would spoil all the fun.

Jenna said...

Oooooh! Really, really pretty! I'm so impressed! Is there no end to your magnificence? If it's ever your turn again, I have a great easy recipe for a very lovely chocolate mousse cake that looks incredible and tastes even better!

Cakes said...

yes! recipe!
very elegant.

mindyluwho said...

Put my name in for the recipe!

Your 21 episodes reminds me of the night I tried to get my then 2 year old to stay in his bed. He had a habit of showing up in my bed around midnight and cramming himself up against my back and playing with my hair. Sweet, but I wasn't getting any sleep! So one night I decided to put him back in bed every time he got out. I lost count after 30. I finally stood at his door and when he'd come around the corner and see me he'd throw himself down on the floor and cry, but he'd still keep trying. I finally caved and he slept with me ever after for about a year. These little ones sure do have perserverence down pat!

Pale Bear said...

Yes, sign me up for the recipe too. And Tara, I like your new picture!

Anonymous said...

The cream horns look so pretty and yummy and I would love the recipe as well!

Bill C said...

MAN those look tasty. ... Now I have to go find something to eat.

Ice Cream said...

I think delicacies like these would get me to go to a book club.

I was glad to read your apology post. I OFTEN say inappropriate things when I'm trying to be humorous and then I regret them so much I give myself heartburn.

Lara said...

Absolutely beautiful! What kinds of books does your group read? Looking at your treats I think it would be worth driving down for. I'm addicted to book clubs just about as much as sugar.

Lara said...

Teacher, could you please correct the grammatical mistakes in that last comment for me please? Just because I like to read doesn't mean I can write.