Because I Want to Move on to Something Different....

and, because I'm excited, a little, that
I've actually followed through with some things I started....

(Pictures below and I haven't edited this post.  I might have weird words and spelling errors)

I don't have as much drive as I used to - especially in the kitchen - anyway -

2 posts ago I talked about all the red and chocolate I had bought in order to celebrate Valentine's Day.

I don't always get so "into" Valentine's Day - but I like it.  A lot.  It's definitely more geared to the female gender - wouldn't everyone agree?

Then, for my last post I took pictures of my venture out into my art studio and making the cards.

I got a very encouraging comment from Laura who requested a tutorial

I guess I wasn't clear on the other post about where I got the idea for the cards.

This is it - tutorial and all from a very creative blog which I follow - http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/2011/02/04/project-pop-up-cards/

That's where I got the idea for the cards, complete with instructions for making them.   I, however, had to complicate the project and tried adding stuff - which is so like me, to complicate a simple idea which needed no add ons.  Those were for the grandchildren - fortunately, for children, the more stuff the better - so hopefully they'll appreciate fluff.

But today, Saturday
I worked on the food items.  Plan:  Make the centers for the Peppermint Patties and make the dough for the Butter Cookies which will be heart shaped.  I have no idea who is gonna eat all this stuff.  Because Ann is out at her house doing the same kind of thing.  And, she has three children - they're her three children - who just happen to be my three in town grandchildren.  They can only eat so many sugar items.  There are boundaries, you know.

Still.

Pictures.

In that same post, about the card idea I gave another link:  http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2011/02/severe-weather-peppermint-patties/
and
http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2011/02/coffeeland/
both the same blog but she tried the peppermint patties twice, working out the kinks.

The recipe is here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peppermint-Patties/Detail.aspx

and it all made me really want to make these - so I did.

I read all the reviews and suggestions about what the different people did, what they had trouble with and compiled them all.

I did NOT use a candy mold, although I looked for them at Wal-mart - I will admit.

I mixed the condensed milk first (3/4 cup) with a few drops of red food coloring (for Valentine's Day).

I made them too pink.  I was looking for pale and got very pink. OH! and the peppermint extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons.  

Then I added the confectioner's sugar 1 cup at a time - mixing well with my trusty wooden spoon.

My arthritic hand and thumbs and wrist get along very well with this wooden spoon.

I don't know why or what it is, but I like it.

Recipe calls for a total of 4 cups of confectioner sugar to be mixed in.

On the fourth cup it was beginning to get hard to mix and I only did 1/2 cup then.

Got it mixed in, with effort - and then gradually added the final half cup - 

At that point I had to wash my hands really really good and use them to knead in the sugar.

It reminded me of fondant.  

Notice bowl below.

I was careful to scrape up all the dry particles of  and work all of that in.

I had read a lot of the problems folks had had.

A lot of them considered themselves done before they worked in all the sugar and regretted it later.

Here is how it looked after I worked in all the sugar.

Let me just say that as I was taking pictures of the steps,

look who came in the back door.

Camera was in hand so I got on my knees and snapped their pictures as they came in.

Ann brought all of this from sonic and said immediately,

"DON'T TAKE MY PICTURE!"

Awwww.  She was in that Saturday Afternoon Pregnancy Slump, but has 3 kids who aren't in a pregnancy slump.  Hence - to Sonic and get out of the house.

They were pretty energized - the 3 Barber children - Ann was not energized.

So - my patties - and let me say - I gave Ellie and Luke pinches of it and they were asking for more,

but I had to decline - had to make my little discs.

Use parchment paper.

that's a must.

They dry for two hours and then I froze them.

I have a flat spot in my freezer and could put them in there as is.

Andrew had spilled something on his pants and Ann had to take them off.

He was incrediblly upset about that and would NOT take off his jacket.

So - this is Andrew with his little bag of chips I gave him.

Other thing - They stayed for pizza - and as they were eating that, I decided to use up my excess of whole milk which is in the refrig.  I have too much.  I keep forgetting that I have some and then buy more.  I cook with it.  I don't drink it.  So - I made pudding.  Vanilla Pudding.  

The Barber Folks ate it warm - and after they left I made Chocolate Pudding.

So that left me with a lot of egg whites and I made meringue cookies and meringue shells with the egg whites.  Mother used to make those quite a bit and I love both - but I've never made them.

Very easy!

So - for dessert today - for whomever wants it.

I'll put both chocolate and vanilla pudding into the shells - with coconut and chopped almonds.

It'll be like an Almond Joy!!

This afternoon I'll cover my patties with melted chocolate.

According to the reviews, and according to Darby's post, that's the hard part.

Tricky.  I plan to use two forks for handling and to work very quickly.

I'll take pictures.  And give my own review.

I'll also roll out cookies - because I did mix up the cookie dough last night - but was low on vanilla flavoring - because I'd used it in the puddings.  I put almond flavoring and a hint of raspberry flavoring.

Hope it works out - as in..."tastes good".

That's all.