NaBloPoMo Day 10: Failed Macarons and the Day

Feeling a bit out of sorts today. So I thought I'd go all the way and look at a spectacular baking failure from last year.

These are supposed to be Parisian macarons.

Parisian macarons have been huge in Japan for several years and it's recently caught on in the US in the past couple of years. So I finally bought a book (shown below, with pics of what real macarons are supposed to look like) and tried out the basic recipe last year and this is what I got.

I have no idea what I did wrong. I have a feeling the almond powder I got from Surfa's wasn't the same as the almond powder called for in the recipe. I know I also have problems with the uneven/unreliable heat in the oven, and maybe I didn't get the baking time right.

Oh well, more to improve on next time.

Daily Life 
Today, or rather, the past 18 hours or so, hasn't been great. I don't know if these things are happening because I feel down, or they're getting me down because they're happening. Plus, I don't know if I'm just manufacturing some fake "sky is falling" symptoms just because all these things seem to be happening at the same time. But just for future reference so I can maybe laugh at it one day, here's the list:

• Dropped a jar of kosher salt on the kitchen counter and floor (5% damage)
• Dropped a bag of steamed lentils on the kitchen floor (10% damage)
• Burned focaccia in the oven (20% damage)
• Got out of morning routine, forgot earrings, necklace and hair clip (15% damage)
• Got off at wrong bus stop (10% damage)
• Got bad news from a friend (35% damage)

So I'm running on about 5% life right now. If I was a character in a video game, my life indicator will be flashing red. I guess I shouldn't be too negative. At least it gave me something to write about.

Busy day at work, haven't caught up on the news at all. Glad it's gloomy outside, kind of fits the mood. I might have been kind of annoyed if it was sunny.