You win some, you lose some

Let's start with the not-so-good news.

I love clafoutis. It's a lovely pancakey-custardy dessert... I've written about it in the past and have made it, as well (check out the posts here). I've always used a very reliable recipe that my mom has used for years, and it always comes out perfectly. So, I decided to branch out and use a new recipe.

Here's the mixture with fresh unpitted cherries... yum! Apparently, leaving the pits in the fruit gives the clafouti a more almondy flavor. I'm always up for that.

Here's the end product, with powdered sugar on top to hide the sins.

Bad news bears #1) the baking rack was too low. I knew something didn't look that right when I put the raw product in the oven, but meh, we'll see what happens. NOPE. The bottom of the clafoutis ended up being a little too cooked.

Bad news bears #2) Caramelized sugar on top. My friends... this is a clafoutis, not a creme brulée.

Bad news bears #3) it was a little too eggy (flan-like) for my taste. Again, this is a clafoutis; it's supposed to be like a heavenly pancake... slightly floury, slightly eggy, but balanced.

Ah well, mistakes happen. Now I know. I also don't necessarily like having to work through my dessert, having to spit out pits every so often.

OK, moving on to the best news of life... RASPBERRIES!

Raspberries take the prize for being my favorite berry, and perhaps my favorite fruit. They're so much fun, since you can't really put any other fruit on each of your fingertips and eat them that way. They're beautiful (look at that color!), have a cool texture, and (when ripe) are well balanced between sour and sweet. Another good indication that raspberries are the best (in my opinion), is that any imitation of its flavor usually fails hardcore.

So, when I was at Costco and the prospect of waffles popped up, I grabbed a crate containing 6 cartons of raspberries.

Yum. Deliciousness ensued:

Buttermilk waffles (thanks, Trader Joe's for the delicious and easy mix) with pecans, raspberries, and maple syrup.

I had this for breakfast two days in a row (yesterday and today).

As I was reminded by my dad, I have yet to make the banana cupcakes. I'll get there.

Anyway, enough food talk... I've been occupying my time lately by scouring Craigslist for housing listings. I'm excited when I find pictures attached or an actual description of the people that I would share a home with (imagine a combination of the two!!! I have yet to come across that, however). Fingers crossed! I'm going on a search of the area next weekend.

Other than that, applications are keeping me busy, as are sleepy kitties, knitting, tea, and the occasional naptime.

I'm very tempted by the prospect of the last mentioned item on the list. Perhaps mix with the first, and I'll have a very enjoyable time :)