Tuesday Teabag Tidbits ~ Holiday Baking Starts ~ Cashew Brittle

Canning took up most of my morning yesterday.

We've been out of Candy Apple Jelly for over a year, so some of this is going in the pantry.

I had to whip up a batch of homemade ginger-ale syrup.  Youngest texted me that she was feeling pretty sickly.  Thankfully, I have club soda on hand, but now I'm out of honey.

Made my first batch of organic cashew brittle.  I hope to make one or two batches more yet.

Dinner was easy yesterday.  I used leftover mushroom gravy, combined with homemade condensed mushroom soup, and cooked pork chops it in the crock pot.

Macadamia Peanut Brittle Recipe ~ Homemade Peppermint Patties

There was a request for the other brittle recipe, so here it is:

Macadamia Peanut Brittle
(you need a candy thermometer to make this)

1 cup sugar, organic
1/2 cup light corn syrup, organic
1/4 tsp. salt 
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup peanuts, organic
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, organic
2 Tbsp. butter organic, softenend
1 tsp. baking soda 

Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it with organic shortening.  Set aside on a hot pad.  Measure butter and soda and keep nearby.

In a medium saucepan mix sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.  Place candy thermometer in pan.  Bring to a boil.  

Toss in nuts and continue to boil. Stir consistently, but slowly so you do not slow down the temperature, but keep it from sticking to the pan.

When it reaches 300°F remove from heat and remove thermometer, add butter stirring.  Once the butter is melted, stir in the baking soda and pour onto prepared pan.  It will foam up.   Spread the mixture out and allow it to cool completely.  

Break into pieces and store in an air tight container.

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I also made homemade peppermint patties for the first time.  So easy to make too.  Here is that recipe:

(Youngest helped me)

Homemade Peppermint Patties
3/4 cup organic sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 tsp. organic (or homemade) peppermint extract
4 cups organic powdered sugar

Mix and roll flat on a non-stick surface to about a 1/2 inch thickness.  This dough is sticky, so you may need to work it a bit by hand, then roll between two pieces of parchment paper.  Or coat the rolling pin with powdered sugar.

Cut into small pieces and all them to dry on a non-stick pan for up to 12 hours.  You could get fancy and make small circles, but for us squares were quick and easy.

Drop each piece into melted dark chocolate and coat.  Place pieces on waxed paper to harden.  Store in an airtight container.

Note:  You won't use an entire can of sweetened condensed milk, so I put my leftover milk in the fridge to use up later.  There are many tips on using leftover sweetened condensed milk on the internet.

Winter

I find myself hanging around at the computer a little longer in the mornings, as winter rolls along.  That's okay too.  Winter is my time to relax a bit more, but I have neglected some housework too.

I delivered the last scarf order to the big city, but need to go back to collect the cash.  Now, I am working on another order that my youngest daughter got me. Photos to follow soon.


Hubby, as he walked in the house:

"Hun!  The library wants to know if you are sick?"

Me:

"Huh?"

Hubby:

"Yeah, there is only one book in for you and it's normal."

Ha ha ha ha ha!  True!

Not sure if I'll get to read it before it's due back.  Like all the other books I've borrowed, ha ha!  Photo to follow soon.

I finished up a few more Christmas goodies, including a new recipe:

Macadamia Peanut Brittle.  It tastes like caramel corn, but very good.  This recipe is a stove top recipe, and the mixture is then poured onto the pan to cool.

Wild Animal ~ Salted Caramel Fudge

Good morning y'all!  It's a frigid 17°F here this morning.  It looks like we got about 3-4 inches of snow last night, and taking the dogs out this morning was not exactly peachy. 

First, they were so excited to play it in, they kept forgetting what they were out there to do.  Second, traffic is traveling at about the speed of a turtle.  Roads look terrible from what I can see, and those slow vehicles kept distracting the dogs.  Once that task was completed, I had hungry barn cats and indoor cats to feed, a fire to stoke and coffee to brew.  School is delayed two hours for now.  I wouldn't be surprised if they canceled it.

I took this through the door from the inside last night.  What in the world makes long, wide drag marks?  About two hours prior to this photo, there were two very long ones to the right of it coming up to the cat food and then leaving. I wish I took a photo then, as the marks were better to see.  What do you think left this drag mark?  A weasel?  Fox?  Coyote?  It's much wider than a cat tail dragging, and cats don't drag their tail like that.  

                                      

Yesterday I dug my way through the pantry.  Guess what?  I had the ingredients to make Salted Caramel Fudge!

Here is the recipe.  It really tastes like caramel too.  I use organic ingredients, and the organic sweetened condensed milk is never sold in stores around here, only about 3 hours south of us in large health stores (or online).

Salted Caramel Fudge

1/2 cup butter

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk*

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 cup white baking chips

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with foil and light spray with organic non-stick spray or lightly coat with organic olive oil.  

I did not have spray, so I used my olive oil.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.

Add the condensed milk, brown sugar and corn syrup.

On medium high heat bring to a simmer, until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to bubble.  Reduce to low, and stir constantly as it cooks 10 more minutes.

Remove from heat, wait a few seconds for the bubbles to stop, toss in the white baking chips, stir and then wait 2 minutes.  Stir again until the chips are melted, and pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the top with coarse salt, and refrigerate 2 hours before cutting.

I store mine in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.

*You can also make your sweetened condensed milk from scratch vs. buying it organic.  It just takes (all organic ingredients, and homemade vanilla) whole milk, sugar, butter and vanilla to make it.  There are many recipes available online.

I'm still working on "Vet Tech" Daughter's scarf.  It was cold enough to wrap my legs with an afghan yesterday too.  I'm whipping up some new items for the next craft show too.  The next one, if they hold it, won't be until sometime in February.

Dog duty is on me today.  My "Grad" daughter stayed overnight at Gram's house to avoid driving home in the snow storm.  She is still driving my car, and said in-town driving was terrible. She delivered Jesse his doggie scarf and I am told it fits him perfectly.  He's going to need it today. 

Speaking of Jesse.  "Vet Tech" daughter now has her dog registered as an "emotional support" dog.  I asked her what was wrong with her, and why she needed to do that.  She answered, "I'm a college student."  Either way, now she can rent any apartment with him.

Sorghum Molasses Candy ~ Tidbits

Sorghum molasses candy is one of our family favorite Christmas candies to make.  Once I started making it, I stopped making toffee for several years.  Although much of my family loves them both.  I just may make some toffee yet.  The sorghum cooks into a honeycomb type candy, is broken up, and then coated in dark chocolate.

Random Tidbits ~ Cashew Brittle

Hubby and I had a long Monday.  Who puts events on a Monday evening anyway?!  Well, the public vocational high school, that our youngest daughter will attend next year, held their "career" night Monday night.  She is the one kiddo who will go to school to learn to be a full service cosmetologist.    

More vehicle troubles - Hubby's brake line broke while driving home on the highway.  We went to fetch daughter's old car (still need to transfer title), but she let the tags expire.  So....back to square one.

"Grad" Daughter got herself a second job.  She was hired during the first interview for Christmas help in a retail clothing store.  She is super happy.  She will need the money to pay for her car insurance.

Not much to update in the sense of homesteading lately.  I miss our goats right now (for some odd reason, maybe due to lack of outdoor garden work?).  The hens are continuing to supply me, so I am stashing some for Christmas baking.  It's been raining and cold, so the barn wood job is on hold for a day or so.  It's been cold too.

Cashew brittle was made.  I haven't made it in years, so it was due time this year.  I made two trays, but I think I will make one more.  It's not a hard rock brittle, so it's easy on your teeth.  We love it.  And of course I use organic/non-gmo corn syrup to make it.  One kiddo said, "Wait? you made it this early??"  Ha ha!  I told her, "you do realize there are only 20 days until Christmas?"  Hubby already found my stash and ate a good handful or two.  I'll have to re-stash my stash.

I decided to send the next finished scarf off to CA, considering the length of delivery time, and work up the next four for the local sales.  I'm saving the gifted one for my other daughter last.  I have only a few more rows to finish another scarf today, then I'll start another one.  I also sold another mug set and 4 dishcloths.  

Its a brisk 29°F out (feels like 17) and it'll only get up to a high of 40 today.  Yesterday we had almost zero sunshine, but today we should get some.  Ever so thankful for that sunshine too.