Here we are at the autumn equinox – one of the two days a year that are perfectly balanced between light and dark – twelve hours of each. That’s pretty cool. It begins the sign of libra – the scales.  In the early Christian tradition, Michaelmas – the feast of Michael the Archangel (who is also portrayed with a scale), replaced the pagan celebration of the changing season. It begins the fall. – the end of the harvest – all that. Of course, it means from here on till Christmas the daylight will be a little shorter every day which can be kind of a bummer, but can also be kind of cozy once the day is done. 

Balance is one of the things at which I don’t always excel. Often I wake up full of optimistic hope and find myself a taut little ball of worry by lunch time. Sometimes I put all my thoughts and energy into others, while at other times I’m completely self-absorbed – usually all in one day. It’s a tough one for me. I tend to feel more comfortable with extremes. But on this day of balance, I’ll try and maintain an even keel and, for once, eat as much healthy stuff as dessert!

Speaking of dessert – this November we are offering Pastry Arts – Unbaked! II. We only offer it once a year, at holiday time, but if you’ve taken the first Pastry Arts – Unbaked! you won’t want to miss it. And – if you haven’t taken the first class, don’t despair – you can take them back to back (with a little break in the middle for Thanksgiving). Pastry Arts I will be held November 20-23 and Pastry Arts II goes from November 27-30. My hero, Vinnette, will be here to teach alongside our in-house pastry master and resident intern, Tyler Levitetz.  So give me a call and sign up for our holiday pastry classes – the perfect way to balance out your year.