obsessed: macarons.

serious eats.

i went in search of the correct pronunciation of the french comestible "macaron," (sometimes spelled "macaroon").

is it pronounced like the coconutty cookie of US origin? i guessed not. serious eats was a helpful site as well as a few others.

heretofore, when i order them at the lovely provence breads in hillsboro village, i'll pronounce it "mac-uh-RAW(n)," with the "n" barely there and the "r" with a soft h sound added in.

for a non-french speaking american, it's as close as i'll get to saying it correctly.

but i'll be doggoned if i'm gonna call it a mac-a-ROON, y'all.

simply sweeter

making them at home, is simply not an option for me. i'm much too inept in the kitchen for such a complicated confection.

but if you are so inclined, simply sweeter seems to have it figured out.

salt and serenity.

salt and serenity, too. who are these people and how do they do it? it's a mystery to me.

no way i could pull these off.

but, the truth is, i really don't want to.

i like having my macarons and a nice cup of dancing goats blend coffee on the sidewalk patio at provence breads.

i just do.

the crack of the shell as you bite in, the chewy cookie, the light, refreshing filling.

mmmm ... worth every penny.

laduree

one day i'll visit laduree in Paris, the motherland of macarons.

provence breads.

but until then, i'll just visit my own little corner of provence in nashville and think happy french thoughts.

join me and my friends at provence breads in hillsboro village april 24 for lunch to benefit dine out for nashville.

à bientôt!

blue scooter. for realz.

i like taking pictures of the nashville hipsters on their italian motorbikes. but this photo my sis took in paris (france, not paris, tenn.!) made me swoon for the city of lights.

this is the real deal, lovelies. kickin' it on the champs elysees.

love is real. there's a whole city to prove it.

paris is the city of love, mais oui?

i'm so happy my sis and her lovely bf celebrated her birthday in paris.

she sent me a few pictures, and it looks like it was an amazing trip. i can't wait to hear all about it.

here's a peek at their love-ly adventure.