To iPhone or not to iPhone? That is the question.

Lately, I have been considering whether to get an iPhone. To be perfectly honest, I already have an iPhone; it just isn't hooked into a phone system, so it is functionally an iPod Touch. I have 3 other iPods, and I love them. I know if I dive into the smartphone world, it will be with an iPhone. So I guess the real question is should I upgrade to a smartphone?

So far I have resisted for a number of reasons.

Reason #1: I am really, really hard on phones. My current cell phone has been accidentally submerged at least 6 times, twice in the toilet, once in a mug of coffee, and in multiple mud puddles. It has survived every submersion by my quickly ejecting the battery and completely drying the phone. Somehow, I don't think an  iPhone would fare so well.

Reason #2: I already pay a lot for my cell phone, and I don't want to pay for a data plan on top of that.

Reason #3: My current cell phone works great (except the camera is broken), and I am used to how it works. If I get a new phone, I have to relearn all the features and re-program all the phone numbers.

Reason #4: If I get an iPhone now, Apple will release a new version next month, and I will have wished I had waited.

Reason #5: I am a bit afraid of how much I might like having the internet at my fingertips most of the time. And that is probably the biggest reason of all.  What if I become one of those people who becomes so attached to technology and the internet, I have a tough time leaving my phone behind?

So I think I will resist upgrading for now. But who knows how long I will last?

An adventure in French macarons

While we were in Paris, Greg bought a wonderful sampler of French macarons (although I don't think he meant to...but that is another story).  These cookies, not to be confused with coconut macaroons, are these little, melt-in-your-mouth wonder cookies made of meringue.  I had never had or seen cookies like them, but they were oh so tasty. Last weekend, I decided that I was going to try making them myself.

I consulted the Fount of Knowledge (a.k.a The Internet), and found a recipe by David Lebovitz on his blog. I decided to use his recipe for chocolate macarons, and vary it to try a couple of other flavors (plain and matcha green tea). The recipe is very simple: powdered sugar, cocoa, almond meal, and meringue.  However, I discovered that while the ingredients are simple, the execution to ideal macaron is not.

My green tea and chocolate cookies waiting for the oven. You are supposed to let the cookies sit for a bit before they cook.

The first batch I baked was the chocolate cookies. I thought I had beaten the meringue too much, and I was worried that they wouldn't turn out.  Although the tops aren't as smooth as the cookies we had in Paris, the cookies rose like they were supposed to, and developed a foot.  Woohoo! Mostly success on the first try!

It was then time for the matcha green tea cookies.  I was trying to match the pictures on the different recipes I saw where the cookie dough was smoother than what I had for the chocolate cookies. So   I didn't beat the eggs nearly as hard as I did for the chocolate cookies.  Halfway through the baking, I knew something was wrong. These cookies did not rise and develop a foot. They just kinda flattened out. Drat! Maybe I really needed to beat the meringue a lot more, just like I did for the chocolate ones. These maca-wrongs still smelled delicious though.

While the last batch of plain macarons was baking, I prepared the ganache for the cookie filling.  I sure miss Trader Joe's! (Good thing I have several of these chocolate bars stashed away).

I checked on the last batch of cookies, and egads! Maca-very very wrongs! I don't know what the heck happened here.  I guess that is what happens when I get cocky with success. These cookies didn't rise, they just sorta oozed together (although I did get really nice smooth tops).

I took the ganache and sandwiched cookies together.  The chocolate cookies look like French macarons are supposed to look--like little cookie hamburgers, and they melted in my mouth like the Paris cookies did. The matcha maca-wrongs don't look right, but they tasted wonderful and also melted in my mouth.  The maca-very very wrongs tasted very very good and were broken into pieces to be enjoyed (and dipped in the still warm ganache).

I read on one of the recipe blogs that the filling in macarons is never supposed to spill out the sides, but I just couldn't resist putting in extra ganache, so I got spillage.

It was a lot of fun to try to make something in my kitchen that I first tasted half a world away, even if it wasn't a complete success. I guess I will just have to try it again. And again. And again, until I get it right. Somehow perfecting cookies doesn't seem like the chore perfecting other things can be.

The value of travel: reflections on the flight home

The flight home was ten hours.  I had the computer under the seat, ready for my grand plan of blogging during the flight, but I was exhausted and the words would just not come.

But at the end of the flight, as we descended towards Los Angeles, I saw the man in front of me pull out a guidebook to California.  I could see his excitement as he eagerly awaited the plane to touch down, so he could start his travel adventure. It reminded me of my excitement nearly three weeks earlier, as the plane descended towards Heathrow and the start of my first trip out of America. Seeing this man with his guidebook on my home state, which I love and know intimately, made me think.

The value of travel is that it allows you to see with new eyes the wonders of where you live every day.

I read yesterday how the State of California, for the first time, is shutting down 70 state parks. I have spent time at many of those parks. Two of them are ones I always meant to visit, but I never took the time to see even though I was living right next to them.  I just figured there would be plenty of time to see them later, but now I may never get to see them.  This serves as yet another reminder to take the time to see where I am now, because I never know if I will get another chance.

This is the real lesson of my trip--to take time enjoy and savor every moment wherever I am and see with new eyes those things I take for granted.