December 19, 2009

Toffee making lesson... from a professional!

Ok, so I'm not the professional, but my mom's friend who makes it is!
My mom ha a boutique again, this time in folsom. SHe wanted a toffee maker and I said I would do it. Mom's friend gave me personal instructions, as she is not making it professionally any more. So I lucked out and so did you!


Here's the basics.
Start with a heavy bottom pot. She gave me an old pressure cooker pot. She bought it at a garage sale for a $1. If you are going to make toffee often, use the same pan, only for toffee. She explained that as the aluminum expands, particles of food get trapped as it cools. So If I were to make soup in the toffee pan, it might taste a bit like toffee!

You need 1.5 lbs of butter. Use the bricks from costco. Less unwrapping!
She uses the Dark Chocolate melting dics - like the kind from Wilton.
She explained that if you use chocolate chhips, they have a harder time melting. Chocolate chips are not made to melt smooth. If they were or chocolate chips would be a little different! Winco had the dark chocolate waffers in bulk. Best price. Micheals sells them, too.
You can use a candy bar if you want, also.
And be sure to use the dark chocolate. It cuts the sweetness and adss a richer flaver (but not burned :)


Put the butter and 3 and 1/4 cups of granulated sugar in pot. The best thermometer to use is the kind in the picture, It is the most acurate... unless you have something else, that works, too!
Put heat to just above medium. Let melt. You can stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, turn on oven to warm.
Put chocolate in to pie tin, or whatever you have. Close oven, let melt.
Still melting
Once mixter hits between 160 ~ 200...
(if you miss 200, turn the heat down until the temp drops back down. Easy to fix!)
Get out your hand mixer and mix away!
This is the easiest and best way to make sure the sugar and butter have combined well.
So it won't seperate later!
This is the color you want to achieve.
Once all combined, stop mixing and let cook until it reaches 300 degrees.
Stirring, occasionally. Really occasionally.
At some time between now and 300 add about 1 tsp of sea salt.
You can use table salt, but sea salt is best.
Trader Joes has a big thing of it really cheap and really good.
I've switched to that for all my baking!
Meanwhile arrange almonds on pan.
(now you can individually place them or not use them at all.
It's up to you. Or you can just shake the pan and take your chances!)
300 degrees. No more. No less. I missed and hit 320.
Rebecca said it had a richer flavor :)
It wasn't so bad. My work liked it!
Pour over toasted almonds! I get them at costco and toast them myself.
oven @ 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Be sure you do this way ahead, cause you don't want to pour hot toffee over hot almonds!
this amount will make about a sheet pan and about a 1/4.
you can spray pam on pan, but I found I didn't need it witha ll that butter!
wait five minutes, get out chocolate and spread over toffee!
You want it kind of thin because the chocolate is used as a glue for the almonds on top.
Not to thick, unless you like it that way!
Wait about 5 minutes after spreading warm chocolate on warm toffee.
If your kitchen is cool it might not be that long.
If your kitchen is warm, it might take a little lionger.
You want it to be set but not hard when you score it with the pizza cutter.
The ONLY way to cut toffee in my opinion!

After you score the warm toffee, sprinkle with almonds
(I used chopped on mine, she uses slivered)
Gentley press down so the almonds will stay!
don't put in frige or freezewr right away. I put mine outside to cool. If it's too cold, the chocolate will separate from the toffee when you break it up.

That's it. I can't think of any other tips. I think it's the hand mixer that make the difference.
Merry Christmas to you all!

December 13, 2009

MIA



Still not quite with it. So much has gone on in the last few months. Eventually I might try to catch up, at least with photos. i miss my blog.

I started working a seasonal job at this awesome place ...


I hope they keep me! It's been crazy fun and I haven't spent a dime... I would if I could, though! Eventually I'll blog about what's really been going on in our lives, so I can documnet it for our children. The trials of faith are strong and going on. But I'm ready to be done with this set of them.. I hope the Lord is done with this set, too. Guess I'll jsut have to wait and see!

September 17, 2009

unbloggy


photo by Rebecca! age 9

So.... I know I'm not alone in the blog world of feeling like just not blogging. I have let go of any guilt associated with it. I want to blog. I really do..... sometimes it just seems like it's just one more thing to do. Although sometimes I feel like I don't do enough.

I have a confession.... I think facebook is easier. I mean you get instant comments and I can jot down a quick note and I know other people see it. Now, I'm not saying that those people are more important that the few readers I have (or had) here. Most of those people I would not have any contact with or even care to have contact with if it weren't for FB.

SO to those of you who have stuck around. Thank you. You are my true frineds... or you just haven't unsubscribed from me yet :)

I really wanted to start a blog for the family preservation that it represents. I don't scrapbook. I don't journal.. I blog. But I found in the mean time, friends, women who I can relate with and we can lift each other up! SO I'm back to make a commitment to myself.. and any of you who want me to commit to you! I promise myself to post once a week. That's not to much, right?

There are a lot of new and exciting and scarey things going on around here. I want/need to document them! especially the notes my girls leave me. One who thanks me for being around so she can talk to me and the other who wants me to know that it's ok if she is my favorite!!

I love my family. I want to pass this on to them. Thanks for hangin on, my true blog friends! xoxo

August 25, 2009

first day of school... 2 weeks late :)



last day of school 6/09
(saturday before the first day of school, she has early morning seminary @ 6am..
I was up , butI didn't dare ask for a pic :)

last day of school

first day of school 8/10/09
not much difference, huh?
last day 08
first day

last day

first day!
i love my kids but i'm glad they're back in school. i don't love going through gas a lot faster then over the summer! gee wizz!

August 24, 2009

ignorance



so.. i've been kinda done with my arden. i've loved it and all of the fruits of our(my) labors... but i'm kinda done with it. but apparently it's not done with me.....



this is what happens when you don't go out for a couple of days! i think my neighbors would hate me... but i know a lady who likes em this big. zucchini bread, anyone???

August 12, 2009

wedding pics... lots of them... beware...


got to be a part of 2 amazing weddings last weekend. here's some of the pictures. i love being an integral part of someones most amazing day. i am thankful for my talents...

car was PACKED full. this is from the back of the car.

WEDDING #1
watering can centerpieces.
i loved these and they were SUPER easy to do!




can you tell that i loved these???

tossing bqt
brides maid's

bridal bouquet

part of the backyard. i want one of these when i get my own house!

WEDDING #2
bridal bouquet

bride's maids bqt
(still in the cooler, but whatever... we were busy!)

flower girl wand for the 2 yr old!

table centerpieces.
i'm sure they were more amazing
after the sun went down & the candles lit!

we didn't do the cake but isn't it beautiful?

just 'cause they looked so good

deco on pool gate.
you had to carefully walk around the pool to get to the food.
i hope no one fell in!

these are some of my favorite decorations at a wedding.
they belong to a family that loans them to friends.
we have used them for several weddings...
katelynn wants some for her wedding reception!
i think we'll get our own from crate & barrel. i want them in my own yard!



and..... Katelynn thinks she wants to be in the "flower biz", too. would i ever take over for my mom and have my girls help me too? even if i had thought of it myself.... i don't dare to dream...

she was having a blast and very proud of her work :)
during a break in the day, we happened upon a farmers market about 4 blocks from where i grew up. mom and i had a fun break and even ran into old friends and neighbors










so if you're in walnut creek on saturday mornings from 8am - 1pm until october... head over to kaiser at shadelands, on n. wiget lane.... huge market and so much fun! yummy crepes, too!