If at first you don't succeed - Pie Crust and Pixie Dust (2024)

Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.

– Julie Andrews

When I was four years old, my mom enrolled me in swimming lessons at the local YMCA. My class was made up of around ten children, and we were learning about floating andbasic strokes (why yes, I remember this awful experience quite well). I remember the other kids being able to swim just enough to get around the pool, and as hard as I tried, my feet wouldn’t stay up to allow me to swim at all. In an attempt to fit in, I remember walking along the bottom of the shallow pool and moving my arms in strokes, as to look like I was swimming like everyone else. At the end of the class, my mom took me to the car, and I cried the whole way home. Cue the violin.

As much as I didn’t want to return to another class, my sweet mom encouraged me to try again. Needless to say the perseverance paid off, and soon enough I was a fish.

Missing the mark from time-to-time is just part of life. It doesn’t matter if you are four or eighty-four, it never feels good to fall short of expectations, and it’s never easy to push through a challenge and try again. Here’s the thing….

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As a parent, I want my children to learn that it’s okay to fail, but you have to get back up again and face the challenge. I would rather them learn how to handle defeat here in the kitchen first, so they are prepared when the inevitable opportunity to persevere arises in the “real world.”

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This week was the perfect opportunity to practice perseverance. The kids and I took on the challenge of baking homemade macarons, and the first batch was a total flop. It took a while to make the batter, so the idea of starting all over again was daunting. However, we didn’t give in… We cleaned off our supplies, took a break, and got back at it again. After tweaking our recipe just a bit, the second time around was a huge success. The macaroons were so delicious, and we now feel completely confident baking them againin the future. Score!

After baking our stellar second batch of macarons, I knew the kids wouldn’t walk away with some newfound philosophy on perseverance. They just loved how the macarons tasted. I can only hope however, that when my kids are older and something doesn’t go their way, they will have the confidence to know that if they don’t give up and keep on trying, thingscan turn out better than expected.

If you have ever wanted to take a shot at baking the holy grail of french patisserie, but have been a little intimidated, DON’T BE. Grab the kids, tie on your aprons and GO BAKE THOSE MACARONS! With this recipe along with our simple tips, you are going to be baking Pinterest-worthy macarons in no-time… And if the first batch is amiss,just give it one more try. I promise your perseverance will pay off!

*If you liked this recipe, you will love our macaroon recipes from a box, and you will fall in love with our macaron pop recipe!

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