it IS a good thing my friends have lower standards than santa...

i walked off the elevator and rounded the corner to the door to my apartment. sitting outside the door was an alarmingly large box with "macys" stamped on the side. i curiously looked at the box as i unlocked the door, and then nudged the box with my foot. damn - it was heavy. i slid the box into the kitchen using my foot, and promptly ignored it while i decompressed from my work day.

once my arms were free and my coat and shoes were off, i decided to move the big box. i hoisted it on to the kitchen table. i vaguely remember my roommate mike asking if a package had arrived over the weekend (he was out of town). none had, so i assumed this is what he was waiting for. when i took a look at the label (to make sure it didn't belong to one of the other roommates) i saw my name.

my name was on the package. but i didn't order anything from macys, not that i could remember. and i certainly would have remembered something this heavy. all sorts of thoughts flew through my head - what could it be? of course i opened it. no time for questions when the mystery could be solved simply.
this beautiful piece of machinery is what was awaiting me! my most fabulous bff in beantown and my 3.5 years-into-a-common-law-marriage roommate mike got it for me for christmas :) and i named her li'l martha. and she is glorious. absolutely glorious. check out her maiden voyage. i made these delightful little cookies from martha's website (although i didn't make them in the shape of walnuts - because srsly, who has vintage walnut shaped cookie molds???).

mixing the batter...

scrapping the sides...

making the filling... soooo good

i rolled out the cookie batter and made little discs instead of walnut shells.

then i filled them with the chocolately goodness i whipped up!
(ps - i used an ameretto liquor not a walnut - where hell do you find walnut liquor?!)