And just like that, my 2 week love affair, that was 4 years in the making, was over. My tear ducts that have been dried from moments of heartbreak, perseverance, and struggle are working to regain their cry-ability as I catch up to my normal TV viewing schedule.  I have been involved in sport for as long as I can remember and though it didn’t go much further than my high school gym, my competitive spirit lives on and can’t help but peak during the Olympics.

From opening to closing ceremony and all the events I could catch in between, during the Olympic games, my TV only knew 1 station.  Fortunately for Mike, this quadrennial was timed in correlation with one of his longer work trips.  In his absence, 15 days worth of PVR’d Olympic daytime, primetime, and evening kept me company.  Waking up to a water event  qualifier and falling asleep to a beach [or indoor] volleyball game became routine.

In honor of surviving my 1^st Olympic free week, I kept the tropical beach vibes going and baked a batch of macarons perfect for nibbling oceanside.  Though ideally, to go with all things Brazil, I would have baked Caipirinha macarons but, sadly, I  did not have Cachaça on hand.  With the mint and limes in my fridge I went more Cuban than Brazilian; tropically appropriate nonetheless.
M O J I T O  M A C A R O N S

M A C A R O N  C O O K I E  recipe
[makes about 30 paired macarons]

M O C K – T A I L  M O J I T O  G A N A C H E

• 170g white chocolate chips
• 1/4 + 1/8 c whipping cream
• 4 springs of fresh mint
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• zest of 1/2 a lime

remove leaves from mint sprigs | rough chop leaves into small pieces
place white chocolate chips into a small metal mixing bowl
pour whipping cream into a small sauce pan + mix in mint + lime zest
bring to a simmer over low-med heat
once simmering, remove from heat+ mix in lime juice
let sit for 5-10 mins
strain out mint leaves ensuring to push out all the moisture through a sieve
place strained cream back onto low-med heat and return to a simmer

directly pour cream mixture over the chocolate
let sit for 30 seconds | with a spatula begin to slowly stir and melt chocolate 
if smooth consistency isn’t reached, pour into a food processor and pulse until smooth

pour mixture into a small shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap directly touching the ganache surface 
cool in fridge from 1-2hrs
before using whip mixture with a mixer 
transfer ganache into a pipping bag and you’re ready to fill your macarons!

Set to a back drop of Rio De Janeiro beaches, I thought it appropriate to shoot my macarons atop one of my newest books; Grey Malin’s Beaches.

Though littered with controversy, I think nothing can dampen the Olympic spirit.  The world came together and Brazil along with all the athletes, volunteers, and officials, delivered another memorable summer games.  So now, as this Olympic love affair has ended, without another in sight until 2018 in PeongChang, I must mentally prepare for my next relationship ahead; 17 weeks of NFL football.

Obrigado Rio!

Tchau