Candied Orange Peel and a Lostness Monster

I have not posted anything for awhile because
A.  I've been very busy.
and
B. I've been suffering from a misadventure I will call "Lostness Monster"
First things first.  My birthday and the holidays came and went.  My boyfriend and I got very excited about Christmas after decking the halls and decorating our tree.  We wanted to share our spirit with friends and so hosted our first annual Christmas cocktail party.  I took advantage of the opportunity to share some of my vegan desserts with some new people.  In addition to a several batches of regular old Christmas sugar cookies, I made:
peppermint pandas (chocolate sandwich cookies with peppermint filling and covered with chocolate ganache)  This is a classic recipe from the baby year of picnic and is not sharable (sorry).
gingerbread tiny cakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting and candied orange peel:

This was my first time trying this recipe.  It turned out far better than I had ever expected and was the star of the dessert table.  I made the candied orange peel from scratch.  There is still some left over in a mason jar and it looks very beautiful hanging out in there, mingling with extra sugar.
mini peanut butter mousse pies: This is a mini version of my original peanut butter mousse pie.  I think it's my boyfriend's favorite.
Sadly, there aren't many good photos from our party because we were very busy cooking, serving, and hosting.  Here are a few we took after the celebration:




Ralph came down with an unfortunate head cold the next day that lasted through Christmas Eve & day.  Then I caught it and spent my time in bed through New Year's Eve.  I've been trying to catch up with life ever since.
Second things second.  In the midst of all of this adventure, I've been suffering from a rather unsettling misadventure which I have named "lostness monster."  I should explain the history of this lostness.  When I first began to think about starting a west coast wing of picnic, I was very excited.  I began to eagerly do the necessary research into the costs of food, which vendors I would use, which recipes to start with.  I was baking often, much to the pleasure of my boyfriend and the dissatisfaction of my waistline.  Then, I reached a familiar wall.  I felt stuck.  This is the wall where Kate and I became stuck once before, and was the beginning of an end for us.

Here is the sticky situation from which the Lostness Monster was born:  I can't seem to find a certified kitchen to operate from that can be available during the god-awful early early early mornings (and whenever else I may need to be baking).
Without this certified kitchen, I can not move forward.   Stuck.  What a terrible misadventure.  I started to do what I always do when I encounter monsters- back up slowly and quietly.  This is the other reason I haven't posted anything in my blog for awhile.  Behind all the excitement of holidays and head colds, I have been stewing in discouragement and doubt.
The good news is, this is where my story takes a turn.  A new adventure is about to begin.  A different approach has been dreamed up.  Oh, it's a good one :D
I am going to be coy and not elaborate more until my next post.
Hooray for a new year and new beginnings!