Free Friday!

I have been a little MIA on here this week.  Or at least I feel that way.  Sometimes it is just hard to keep all of the balls up in the air, you know?  My attention has maybe been a little more focused on my other two businesses (the ones that, unlike this one, actually help pay some bills), trying to stay off of Facebook (inspired by a friend, I challenged myself to a week without it), and on doing P90X with my husband.

P90X is pretty much everything I hate about exercise.  It’s full of jumping, push ups, pull ups, weight lifting and squatting.  However, everyone in New York seems to know about this magical system so I am going to try to stick with it….because everyone here is SO DAMN SKINNY.  Like, even the 9 month preggos.  If there is a possibility that P90X is their secret, I am willing to give it a try.  Because honestly?  I am kind of done with people asking me when number three is due.  Yeah, actually very done with that.

And once I am fully into ‘workout mode’ (for me, this is a rare state, but once it sets in I actually find myself sometimes wanting to exercise) I plan on adding in the types of exercise that I enjoy, like Cardio Kick Boxing and Pilates.  Or, the most amazing thing I have discovered in the past week, Piloxing.  You will never guess what two types of excercise are involved in Piloxing.  Actually, I am not even going to tell you.  I have faith that your brain is bigger than a pea.

In any event, Piloxing is free on On Demand and I have only done it once, but I am already obsessed.  Unfortunately, for now at least, I am going to have to focus on the P90X instead, because that is the program I hear all of the NYC Skinnies whispering about.  I have yet to hear anyone utter the phrase Piloxing.  Plus, my husband likes the quality time we spend together doing P90X.  I am still not so sure I consider doing Lateral Lunging Bicep Curls of Death ‘quality time,’ but that’s just me.  And I haven’t yet been able to sell him on doing Piloxing every night instead.  So, painful death by jumping while squatting P90X it is.

The benefit of all of this exercise is that my sweet tooth can remain with me a little longer.  Each pregnancy has elevated my love for all things chocolate and delicious, in baked goods or frozen form.  This extra little love for sweet things tends to stay with me for a year or so afterward I give birth.  The first time around I ate ice cream by the gallon pint.  I also had a few brief love affairs with cupcakes.  Our friend took an amazing photo of me, about 8 months pregnant, eating a gigantic chocolate peanut butter cup cupcake.  Sadly, none of us can find the photo anywhere.  (It’s like the ‘Oh you poor thing! Why would someone ever capture that moment on film!’ fairy has swept through our hard drives and made it disappear.)

Fortunately, I searched Google images and found an image that is practically identical.

Okay, okay.  So that is nothing like the photo.  You can be such a hard ass sometimes, you know that?

Fine. Here is a more appropriate rendition of the missing photo:

Well, except that unlike her, I was pregnant at the time.  Also, I was not Asian at the time.  Actually, I am almost never Asian.

In any event, the point of all of this long, long rambling (other than the fact that I clearly need some sleep), is that cupcakes used to be allllll the rage.  I mean, they still are if you are from Oklahoma* and come to New York for a Sex and the City tour, but other than that I think the cupcake phase is pretty much in steady decline.

This has left room for a new ‘Baked Good of the Moment.’  At first, it seemed like Cake Balls were going to be the next ‘IT’ baked good.  I was really pulling for them because my best friend threw me a baby shower last year and made amazing cake balls and she would have really been ahead of the curve.  I mean, she still was ahead of the curve, because they are really popular right now, but they aren’t quite Numero Uno.

No, the number one spot is extremely coveted and was being fought over by two finalists:  French Macarons and Whoopie Pies.

And the winner is….

French Macarons! 

Have we no Patriotism?!?

It’s okay, I am sure 2012 will be alllll about the whoopie pies.

But for now, I, along with Eastern Cookie, am offering one lucky reader the chance to be a part of the In Crowd, nay, a part of history, and take home a gift box of French Macarons.

(I think I should win some sort of prize for using 6 commas in one sentence.  I know at least one of my readers who hates commas and is choking on her Diet Coke right now in disgust.  Yes, I am talking about you.)

If you live here in New York, toting around this box of delicate little goodies will be like your personal VIP card.  You’ll get understated nods of approval and velvet ropes previously closed will open up to let you in.

If you live somewhere where people are still eating cupcakes, wearing boot cut jeans** and – gasp! – drinking Cosmos, then you can explain to everyone around you just HOW COOL AND HIP YOU ARE as you lightly bite into your dainty, rose-colored French Macaron.  Then take a sip of your cocktail that (obviously!)  has some type of herb and flavored simple syrup in it and wait for them to ask you to be their friend, or sign their cocktail napkin, or act as Godmother to their first born.

And if you are going to have some of these dainty, tasty, trendy little treats, these are some of the best you can find.  Eastern Cookie makes itty bitty, two-bite French Macarons in a large variety of flavors, with some of my personal favorites being the Pistachio and the Raspberry (Not too sweet!)  Although the lemon and even the plain ol’ chocolate will also blow your mind.  Airy, crispy, chewy, melty, aromatic, sweet and decadent.  These treats are to die for.

So go ahead and enter, would ya?  I can’t imagine what you have to lose.

ps.  These are a PERFECT post-Valentine’s Day gift to show how anti-establishment, cool and truly romantic you are.  It is always sweeter to receive a little something sweet on a random day, right?

* I am so sorry to pick on Oklahoma, but I had to choose a state where I don’t know anyone.  If it makes you feel any better, this whole post is incredible tongue-in-cheek, because I am actually the least cool person I know.

** I am also sorry to pick on boot cut jeans and those who still wear them.  I am actually just jealous because I can’t fit into mine anymore.  Instead of being angry with me, you should really feel sorry for me.

To enter, simply leave a comment about why you are cool enough to eat French Macarons.

Want to increase your chances of winning?  Earn a second entry by ‘liking’ Real Mommy Chronicles on Facebook and leaving a comment saying you did so.

Really HAVE TO HAVE these? Earn another entry by visiting Eastern Cookie’s Etsy shop and then leaving a comment here saying you did so.

You have until Monday at noon EST to enter to win.  Good luck!

*** Congratulations to this week’s winner, Jess!  I hope you enjoy your French Macarons from Eastern Cookie…and that at least one student laughs at your jokes this week. Enjoy! ***

Contest is now closed.