Murphy’s Law defeated! (At least for one day…)

When it comes to making shopping trips for something specific Murphy’s Law is always in overdrive for me. If my purse strap just broke and I need a new one, I can go to every store in town and find nothing but candidates for the ugliest purse of all time award. Shoes, let’s just say that when I do find a pair that I like and actually fits I buy at least two. Clothes end up getting treated like Holy relics in my closet so they last as long as possible.

Despite Murphy’s predominant power over my shopping life, amazingly enough I went shopping the other day and actually found what I was looking for. I recently acquired Martha Stewart’s Cookies and have been drooling over the pages wondering what I should make. And then my Aunt gave us some oranges. One of the recipes in the book was for Orange-Cardamom Madeleines. Inspiration was ignited and my need for a Madeleine Pan was born.  

Unfortunately or fortunately I had not purchased one I had come across a couple of weeks ago at Home Goods (I LOVE this store! If you are on any kind of budget or just love a great deal you should seriously shop here – I am not affiliated I just freaking love getting stuff cheap). It was silicone and only $5 or $6. I ended up getting a KitchenAid silicone bundt pan instead. Silicone has been hit and miss for me. In this particular case it was a miss and I had to return it. I went back after the planets aligned for the Orange Madeleines hoping I would find the silicone pan I had found before. As luck would have it the silicone version, which I was still willing to give a shot, was no where to be found. I searched high and low through the bakeware aisles to no avail. Just as I was about to mope away with head hung low, Murphy again having his way with me, I saw it. Slipped between some muffin pans was a shiny white box that read “Madeleine Pan” on the side, and yes, I do believe I squealed like a pig with joy.

This was not the only find that day though. I had been watching The Great American Pie Cook-Off on Food Network the other day and saw an awesome pie crust shield and actually shouted, “I need one of those!” when I saw it. I felt like I had just come across some buried treasure when I found one at the store.

Just a question I’m sending into the void (maybe someone is actually reading this), does anyone have any information about this Great American Pie Cook-Off? A lot of the other competitions include recipes from the winners and I was hoping to find some of the amazing looking pies that came out of that competition. If anyone can point me to a website or a phone number I’d really appreciate it.

I also bought a tart pan/flan tin.

I’m not sure why the call it a flan tin. When I think of flan I think of either the flan rings or something that’s more of a dome with edges on the top. I found an 11 inch flan pan on Amazon. Seriously, who makes an 11 inch flan? I also think of flan as more of an individualized dessert. I mean, I never thought of it like a cake, something to be cut into pieces. But maybe I’m a bumpkin when it comes to flan. I don’t know. Anyway, I bought a cute Halloween themed plate that I hope to use in some baking project that you guys can see in the future.

And last but certainly not least I bought the Le Creuset ramekins that I had been drooling over the last two times I went to the store. Le Creuset has some of the most beautiful bakeware in the most alluring colors. Not only does the bakeware look great in your kitchen, it’s not too shabby in the oven either. I dream of one day having a kitchen filled with Le Creuset bakeware. It’s on my list of things to do once I win the lottery.

All that for under $30. Not too bad. These days this is the only way to shop. Who am I kidding, I’d be shopping like this even when I win the lottery. There’s a triumphant-like feeling when you score a needed/wanted baking item for a lower-than-low price. I bet this is how hunters probably feel – ha!

Tagged as: Baking On A Budget