Candy yum!

The holidays mean sweets so I decided to learn the art candy making. I picked some of the candies my grandmother would like. If they are good enough maybe I will send them to her. She has soooommmme sweet tooth.

Divinity

I am not so sure I pulled this one off. It's not like I remembered...sooo Iama gonna dip it in chocolate.

3c sugar 3 egg whites

1 c simple syrup 1 c chopped nuts

1/2 c hot water 1 tsp vanilla

cook sugar, syrup and water together until syrup forms a hard ball when droped in cold wather (265 degrees). Do not stir after sugar is dissolved.

Pour syrup slowly over the stiffly beaten egg whites.

Beat until creamy, add chopped nuts and vanilla.

Pour in buttered pans and cut into squares or drop from spoon onto waxed paper

Maple marshmallows

This summer I bought some of these from a local organic maple syrup vendor at our farmers market and they made eating marshmallows a delicacy. So I made my own recipe.

I did this recipe with out the kids since it is a long process. My nephew Nic would love this one, he loves fluffer-nutters.

Homemade Maple Marshmallows

3 packets of knox gelatin 2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cold water 2 cups medium amber maple syrup

1/8 tsp salt 1 tsp maple flavor

1tsp vanilla

Soak gelatin in 1/2 cup water for 20 mins

Combine sugar and maple syrup and bring to a boil (236 degrees F)

cook til it forms a soft ball in cold water

Remove from heat and add to gelatin

Beat for 20 mins. yes 20 mins

Add vanilla and salt

Pour on buttered not too thick

When cold, cut into squares and roll in powered sugar or coconut

candied grapefruit rind

3 grapfruit rind 3 cups sugar

Cut grapefruit into half inch strips

Partially cover with water and bring to a boil for 20 mins

Drain and do it again.

Repeat until the rind has a transparent and tender.

Add sugar after last cooking and cook until syrupy (is that a word?)

Drain off syrup and roll in extra fine sugar

Crunchy Toffee Fudge

Butter for the pan

24 oz of Semisweet chips

12 oz of butterscotch

14 oz of sweetened condensed milk

3 tbsp coffee

package of toffee crushed

Heat chips, milk and coffee.

Butter pan and pour toffee in the bottom

Then pour fudge on top and let set

Solar project update

Hey check it Ant got the glass up on the panel and this is the morning sun.He also got the lawn tractor working so we could move some top soil.
Ahhh I love to be out working on a project getting exercise. You might wonder where the half pint was... sleeping so I could burn some calories

Ahhhh and now the sunburn from the mid day sun at my kitchen window. The panels point the sun right at the back porch.

NYS sheep and wool fest

Wow I can't believe that it has been a few weeks since the sheep wool festival! I am so busy these days and if I even think of sitting down to the computer someone comes my way with a request or distraction. hmmm

soanywayherearesomeofmypicturesfromtheNYSSheepandWoolFestival.

suri alpaca
hangin out with friends

herding little lambs

Auction
Seeing old friends

Update

Pipeline going out to the panel and notice the fin tube panels are up!
electrical conduit and insulated boxes going into the basement

Building the insulation boxes

Day 2 of Dad's vacation... from the kitchen window

At the start of the dig we found some brown stone steps that led to the cellar.

By the end of the day he finished his dig to the fence line and mowed down a path through the forsythia to the panel.

The view from my kitchen window... today

My hubby has taken next week off to spend time with us and finish the solar hot water panels that are to heat the house through radiant flooring. Amazing!

Above he is insulating the back of the panel and he will lay his heat collecting fins on top of the insulation.

Below he is digging a ditch for the electrical conduit and water pipe to empty into a very large water tank in the cellar.

Charlotte

Little Charlotte was named after a book called Brave Charlotte by Anu Stohner and Henrike Wilson we have been reading with the girls. She is a miniature babydoll southdown from Cuttaloosa Farm in New Hope, PA. She and Bessy come to live with us in the middle of November.