• Pumpkins!

    31Oct
    Categories: Vegetables Comments: 0

    Here’s our pumpkins:

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  • Making Home Improvements

    27Oct
    Categories: Announcements Comments: 2

    We’ve been pretty happy with our house since moving in a few months ago. The previous owners took great care of it and seemed to do a lot of work to make it nice. One thing that was lacking was working light in the kitchen. The kitchen just has one ceiling light and that’s it. So, I started looking around at what to do about it, and decided to add some under-cabinet lighting.

    Among the many websites I looked at, this HGtv’s HowTo article is what convinced me that it would be easy and make a great improvement. I also learned about the different kinds of lighting: fluorescent is efficient but not great color — something important when working with food; LEDs are very efficient but you pay a lot for that new technology; halogens have great light but get hot; xenon has the same color as halogen but only gets 1/4 as hot. So, we went to Lowe’s and found a nice looking xenon puck light system.

    First, the “before” picture:

    DSC_0494

    Read more »

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  • Pumpkin Whoopie Pies II

    18Oct
    Categories: Cookies Comments: 1

    Last year, I made Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and they were a huge hit with everyone that tried them. Now its suddenly October again and the perfect time to make these Autumnal treats! I just took a couple of photos , and you can find the recipe and write-up here: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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  • Divinity

    15Oct
    Categories: Candy Comments: 0

    Yummy divinity! I got a candy thermometer recently and decided to try my hand at making divinity. Candy making is a skill developed by making candy over and over and over. Its tricky because you have to get the sugar to just the right temperature to get the properties you want — think of marshmallow, nougat, divinity, and caramel — and then you have to work with it before it hardens, crystallizes, or burns. And then there’s the weather to deal with. On humid days, some things just won’t set up.

    So, I gave it a shot. My first time making divinity:

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    And it came out.. OK. I think it was still a little bit soft when I started spooning it out, so they oozed down a little more than they should have. The flavor was just OK too. It didn’t have the intensity or the bite that my mom’s divinity has. I didn’t quite use the right tool either. I used my KitchenAid’s wire whip to whip the eggs, and I should have switched to the regular beater when I poured in the sugar-lava. Instead, I kept with the wire whip, and as it thickened it didn’t seem to stir very well. I’ll have to try again another day!

    Recipe:

    Divinity

    Ingredients

    2 1/2 C Sugar
    1/2 C Water
    1/2 C Light-colored Corn Syrup
    2 Egg whites
    1 tsp Vanilla
    Food coloring (optional)
    1/2 C candied fruit or nuts (optional)

    Directions

    1. Stir together sugar, water, corn syrup in a sauce pan, and boil (without stirring) to 260F (hard-ball stage)
    2. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form
    3. Slowly pour hot mixture into egg whites while beating continuously for about 3 minutes. Beat a further 5-6 minutes or until the candy starts to lose its gloss
    4. Spoon onto parchment paper or lightly sprayed cookie sheets

    Allow to set up and cool completely before eating. Store for up to a  week.

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