Travel Themed Party and Best Madeleine Recipe Ever

I had a small party a while back and haven't yet taken the time to share it with you.

"The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark."  ~John Muir

I found the airplane confetti punched from an old map at Junk Ranch for 50 cents a bag. That inspired me to cut a raggedy map and fold planes as our name-tags.

My party had a travel theme because it was the first time that Andrea and I had been back together since our French adventure. It was also because my dear little friend, Ms. Belle, was going to be able to tell us about the trip that her grandfather gifted her with as a graduation present. It was the gift of a week anywhere in Europe. She had seized on Croatia and I was dying to hear about it!

I did NOT cut an old globe in half! (you know better than that) It is a really old one that was in my great-grandma Zola's things. The glue is so old that it came apart at the seam all by itself. When it is in the metal bracket it fits together, but I thought the two halves would be fun topped with cake plates as servers. Then I put the two back together again till next time!

Turns out she had chosen that particular country for it's natural bounty. Her grandfather said, "If you want to go somewhere for the natural wonders, what about South America?" Well, she was ecstatic and completely changed her direction of thinking. By the time she arrived at the party her new destination was Costa Rica! Everyone was delighted for her.

The map that I used as a runner is an aerial map for pilots. My son, Devin, had a stack of them after he got his license and he gave them to me. I love that they are aqua and lavender, such great colors!

Not only will she be going to rainforests, parks, and possibly a volcano, but she is also going to snorkel on the reefs. That was a life goal of mine that I realized when we went to Molasses Reef in Florida. It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen and so I can't wait to see what she thinks about it.  I am so excited for her I can hardly stand it!

 The strange sheet above is a piece of a cardboard box that I had saved. Someone sent a package to my son, Seth, from New York and used all old stamps to pay the postage! It was so colorful and fun that I kept it. I put a glass plate on it and used it as the placemat for the iced tea pitcher.

We ate French inspired bites that I made- chocolate macaroons with a chocolate ganache flavored with orange zest and clove. It sounds strange, but is an amazing combination. Madeleines are best eaten warm, so I popped a batch of mini-chip ones out and onto the cake plate atop one of the globe halves, and went back to put the second batch in. By the time I walked back in, they had eaten them all and were ready for the next batch!

 This is the very best recipe ever- do you see the humps on the back? (Just like poor Quasimodo ringing the bells of Notre Dame ;) That's exactly what they are supposed to do. They are so moist and luscious, with just the right amount of chocolatey bits.

 I found this chippy old frame at Goodwill. I liked the thought of suspending things inside, instead of framing something. For the moment it holds a map of historical monuments that I got in Paris. I was surprised at all the landmarks, famous and obscure, that Andrea and I managed to see in a week. I am going to mount this on foam-core and find some small brass stick pins. It will be amazing to look at it and see all the places we walked!

"I am not the same having seen the moon on the other side of the world." ~Mary Anne Radmacher

It was wonderful talking about travels of the past and those in the future. I am anticipating Belle's trip, and am already saving for another adventure- hopefully this time one to share with all my kids! As I cleaned up afterward, I absently unfolded the airplane that was my name-tag. I did not look at the road map as I cut it, did not even know what I had snipped. My particular paper had the towns of :Lincoln, Summers, Siloam Springs, Gentry, and finally- Springtown, my own dear home. Isn't it funny that of all the scraps of map that I should get that exact piece? Well, not so strange after all, because home is my favorite place in this great big world... 

Best Madeleine Recipe Ever

For this recipe you do need a madeleine pan. I found mine at Salvation Army for a dollar and it was made in France! Keep your eyes open for one in thrift shops. The pan makes them just the right thickness and gives them their classic shell design.

This recipe makes 12 cookies, enough for one pan full.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
In a medium bowl whisk together:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2 tsp whole milk
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (sifted if lumpy)
1 tsp of vanilla
pinch salt

Stir together until mixed,  then add:
1/4 and 1 Tbsp butter, melted
Whisk in until the batter is creamy and smooth.

 Fold in:
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (you can use regular ones, but they will make big lumps. And the mini ones distribute to make chocolate in more bites ;) 

Spray the pan with a flour and oil spray, or use a pastry brush to coat all the crevices with shortening and then dust with a fine layer of flour.

Fill the cavities 2/3rds full. You should be able to fill all twelve with this amount of batter. Most recipes say to chill the dough so that it makes the characteristic humps. I have never chilled mine and you saw the what great bumps I got! Bake for about 10 minutes or until light golden on top and springy when touched. Let cool a few minutes in the pan and then turn out. If you greased the pan properly they should all come out perfectly and not stick. Eat these while warm! (Repeat as necessary ;)