Happy 4th from the ATL - this and that

Happy 4th from the ATL.  I finally made it to the outlets....and broke my first item in a store. Welcome to the Williams Sonoma outlet, Shelley.  Hopefully they will allow me back and hopefully Catherine will go back with me.  (It was a cake plate and I about died.)  I did leave there with a few items to make it up to them.

I have been wanting some of this vanilla since cooking with Lance and Julie.  I finally got some!  (Note: They get the paste and not the extract so they can get the vanilla specs.)

This is a cake tester.  How did I not know about this?  And how have I gone so long without one?  Catherine uses one and swears by it.  I figured with the amount of cakes I bake...

(cookies in the background to come in a later post...)

I have this next item in Catherine's bread machine as I type.  A woman who is a HUGE Williams Sonoma fan swears by their bread mixes.  She stopped us in the isle and gave us an "all-you-need-to-know-about-the-outlet" speech.  (Did I look overwhelmed?)

All you do is add a little oil and water to the bread mix.  Homemade bread in a few hours.  And it was only a few dollars (on super sale).  To me, worth a try.

More posts/recipe documentations to follow.  I am getting behind.  But wanted to say...

HAPPY 4th!