Dark Rum Truffles ~ From pile but not quite to the file ~ Tidbits

This time of year I get to itchin' for that crazy, run-around, busyness I'm so acclimated to over the summer.  Sounds crazy in itself, right?

There are days where I just have to do something new.  What's new?  A recipe.  A recipe from the stash pile.

Dark Rum Truffles.  I have never, in my life, made a truffle.  Now I can say I have. However, I'm looking for a different recipe now.

Were they good? 
They were amazing!  I had a bottle of dark rum, best used for baking, and this flavor was wonderful.  They melt in your mouth.

Why look for another recipe?

You refrigerate the chocolate mixture, then spoon it onto baking sheets, refrigerate again, then toss them in cocoa and powdered sugar and then roll into balls.

The part where you "roll into balls" was very difficult.  We even put the baking sheet back in the fridge for another 1/2 hour, and it was still difficult.  

Overall, I would love to find a recipe that "rolls" much easier, and maybe one that I can dip into melted chocolate as well.  I am always looking for a new, special recipe for Christmas.  If you have a tried and true truffle recipe, I'd love to try it too.

I've come close to almost finishing my second book this year.  The book gives you a short history of each herb/spice, but gives a good amount of information on them too.  The culinary use and medicinal benefits both.  More than half the book contains recipes too, and many that have given me more ways to use my herb garden.  For example, I would have not thought to put thyme in my butter for toast, with my morning eggs.  Most days I use our home canned jam.  I hope to finish this book today, aside from reading through all the recipes.  

And after reading through this book (so far), I have a short list of more herbs I want to grow.

School called last night with a scheduled 2 hour delay.  The snow has stopped, but it's mighty cold.  They may end up closing.  It's just that cold here.

Believe it or not, my hens gave me 5 eggs yesterday, and 7 the day before. The new organic layer mash I fed them really helped, and of course with the fresh fruits and whatnot, are helping them stay healthy.  They just don't like being cooped up.   My chickens are 1-0 with the cats.  They have been more successful at killing mice in the barn than the cats.

Remember the barn cat tote we made in 2014?  Well, we dug one tote out and Aurora is using it.  She's the smallest of the barn cats and can fit right in it.  The other two are hunkering down in one of the barns.  We check on them daily when it's this cold (as well as my chickens).