holidays – Page 2

Maple Walnut Fudge

Do you have that one holiday treat that brings back memories from your childhood? I know I sure do. For me it was always my Grandma’s chocolaty fudge and her peanut butter burst cookies. I can still hear her thumbing through the large round silver tins, the candy wrappers nudging one another as she found that perfect piece to give us in the “cookie room”. Well, she didn’t have an actual cookie room it was her spare room which was lined in tins because she always said that room was the perfect temp to store such items. I miss that room, I miss her baked goods. So, at the holidays my sister and I always bake our favs from our dear Grandma Barr, I always do at least the Norwegian shortbread and tea cakes. Never do they taste the same but we try.

Back to the fudge. I have only tried making true handmade fudge once or twice, I am successful at quick fudge but “real” fudge has always been a challenge. I always find great looking recipes but using a candy therm can be challenging. Last night I decided to give this recipe a go, but of course I ended up talking to my sister from 205 degrees until 235 and I was worried when I did the water test. In the end this was way easy and truly is the best fudge ever. I was shooting for a true shore fudge for the hubby to savor since he hasn’t been back home in years and he approves!

MAPLE WALNUT FUDGE

recipe directly from the last wonton

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon sea or Kosher salt
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups chopped Callebaut or other good quality white chocolate
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
2 teaspoons vanilla

Add the two sugars, cream, butter, salt and maple syrup to large-ish pot over medium heat. Stir while bringing to a boil. Lower the heat and continue to stir slowly while the mixture cooks. After about 7 minutes, test by pouring a small amount into cold water. You want it to form a soft ball. Or use candy thermometer to 235F – 238F – soft ball stage. When it reaches the soft ball stage remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.

After 10-15 minutes add the white chocolate and vanilla and stir until chocolate melts. You will notice the fudge start to thicken immediately. Stir another couple of minutes until the fudge starts to lose it’s shine. Quickly add the walnuts and pour into a buttered double loaf pan or dish. Let cool at room temperature. Chill.

Best served chilled. Now you have the best fudge recipe in the world.

Santa’s wap?

Like the saying goes, third times a charm, right? Well, not completely but it wasn’t a total fail for big sis’ third Santa visit. I have been building this visit up for weeks. Watching movies, through song, books, lights, you name it, I’ve tried it. If either of us asked her, do you want to go see Santa? We’d get a huge “yaay!” but if you then asked, are you going to sit on his lap? We’d get a loud, definite, “NO! Stop it!” I really tried the morning of and she was pretty convinced, she was curious while waiting in line and when were next she kept exclaiming, “my turn!” But, once I placed ‘lil brother on his lap and then her she just wanted mommy. I can’t blame her though, this is the same Santa she saw last year but this year someone must have eaten his cookies because he was cranky. Oh well. After the photo she happily ate her “canny cane” and kept saying, “Santa’s wap”. Next year she’ll jump the fearing Santa hump and he’ll fall right into fearing him.

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Don’t you love B’s lumberjack look? I just wanted to squeeze him all day.

Riding the train afterwards.

And for fun…

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candy, please…

My child, as previously stated has a candy problem. We started prepping her on proper trick-or-treating etiquette weeks in advance and she preformed on cue, except for the major meltdown she had prior to stepping out on Halloween evening. Blame it on the candy she got from Grandma as we carried out Halloween activities throughout the day, a new brother or the fact that she just wanted to have a temper tantrum. How dare an almost two-year-old have a tantrum on her mommy’s favorite holiday, geesh! After we got through the kicking and screaming we headed out with half of a costume on and went door to door where she said, “candy, please. more candy please” and offered a hefty thank you as our neighbors dished out full size candy bars for her first Halloween as a solo trick-or-treater. She loved the spooky decorations, again something I prepped her on, scaring her throughout the month to prep her not only for our decorations but our neighbors. The kid is a ham, I tell you. We only went to about ten houses and her bucket from Aunt Jinger was full, she was happy to return home and continue passing out candy with Uncle Geoff, Grandma and Daddy. We let her eat what she wanted, okay maybe like three or four things but we didn’t set any limits. All in all, it was a great day and cannot wait for next year!

helping scoop out the guts, which she referred to as poop and said “eeeww”.

“you want me to put my hand in there?” She totally has her daddy’s fear of dirty hands syndrome.

helping me poke the pumpkin for our design.

our little gnomeo. I made his costume that morning, super difficult I tell you. 😉

tantrum prior to stepping out.

then happy as can be walking around. she would stop other kids and try to give them candy out of her bucket.

wow! If I don’t look tired then who knows what that means. Such a great day, and to think I would have had an amnio on Halloween had our little gnomeo not graced us two weeks early.

a trip to bates nut farm

Yesterday morning my dear friend Tessa and I headed out to Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center with our strong minded toddlers. Neither of us had been out there but assumed it wasn’t too far from the I-15. I had about a twenty minute lead on her so when I called her to tell her how far out in BFE it was we both just laughed. I am just thankful that I decided to fill my tank from the quarter that was in there because when the GPS told me 43 minutes from Poway road I got a little worried on top of the rain that was pouring from the sky. Once we arrived at the farm, which we were totally blessed with ideal weather, a cool damp Fall 54 degree morning after a good rain, the girls ran straight to the mounds of pumpkins. They were in heaven! Payton kept yelling at Genevieve, “GG come on” as they ran from mound to mound or as they navigated their way through the soft sandy Big Mac’s field. The girls also rode the ponies twice, only after a meltdown on both their parts that their so mean mother’s tore them away from. We also took the hayride while they snacked and while Tessa recuperated from hauling them both around in the wheelbarrow. We made it to the petting zoo where Payton thought she would be able to pick-up a duck or even at one point the goose that was flocking its wings at her. They ran some more through the enormous fields and then we headed over to pick-up some gorgeous gourds to add to our Fall displays. All-in-all it was a great morning and despite the longer than anticipated drive it was so worth seeing the girls so excited over the surroundings. If you live in the area you must take your little sprout to Bates Nut Farm, they open everyday at 9 and I recommend getting there early because the school buses start filling up the parking lot and fields! Thanks again Tessa for a great morning and all of the beautiful shots you captured of our girls! xoxo