Who's a Tart?

It all started about a year and a half ago, when Annie and Lara gave me this book as a present.

When I opened it, I saw many beautiful and delicious looking things including this:

Then for my birthday, 2 things happened. Thing 1: Annie and Lara gave me a silicone pastry mat. Thing 2: Tamara gave me a gift card to Gourmet Warehouse.

Since then, I've dreamed of making tarts. Sweet tarts, savory tarts, big tarts and little tarts. Yes, I know - I know. I realize that you've all had to suffer through tears born of my pastry making disasters. But I'm trying to have a better attitude about the whole thing. Perhaps this lack of 'the pastry-making ability' is only in my head? Maybe I can COAX the pastry out of me.

So, having taken a day off from work, I set out for Gourmet Warehouse this morning with a song in my heart, and that gift card burning a hole in my pocket. The anticipation was exhilarating. I entered the store with my heart all a-flutter. But don't worry - I wasn't hasty in my choices. I considered each item for a long time. I also considered my tart making dreams. After an agonizing hour pacing from aisle to aisle, here are some of the things I walked away with.

Small tart pans.

Smaller tart pans.

One honkin' big tart pan.

And this COMPLETELY adorable apron. It's green and white, and striped and polka dotted. This photo was taken with me IN it. So imagine that you are wearing the apron and holding the camera straight down. And this is the view. And THIS is the apron I plan to wear as I embark on phase 2 of my adventures in pastry land: the tart chronicles.

All of this is to say that I am gonna learn how to make pastry come hell or high water. I'm gonna let the tragedies of the past be by-gones and I'm going to become the pastry whisperer. *shakes fist in air triumphantly* Just you wait and see.