Don't Buy Caramels Anymore...Make Your Own!

A few weeks ago, Jeff & I were talking about Christmas traditions and he remembered homemade caramels as a special Christmas time treat. Given my limited talent in the kitchen, I wasn't sure if I could pull off Homemade Caramels or not.



The first batch didn't turn out well. I didn't have a candy thermometer, so getting the caramel to the proper temperature was a guess...and I didn't guess so well! While it tasted really good, it was way too soft and had to be dumped. I guess we could have used it for a caramel topping of some sort, but it was just easier to start all over in this case.



After getting a candy thermometer, and giving it a second try, we were really pleased with the results. I was most pleased, though, that Jeff loved them!



Check out our yummy recipe & enjoy!



Ingredients:

*1 cup unsalted butter

*1 lb. light brown sugar

*dash salt

*1 cup light corn syrup

*1 14oz can sweetened, condensed milk

*1 tsp. vanilla extract



What To Do:

*Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add brown sugar & salt. Stir until thoroughly combined.

*Stir in corn syrup & mix well.

*Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.



*Cook & stir over medium heat until candy reaches firm ball stage (245 on candy thermometer). This will take about 45 minutes. Make sure you stir constantly so the cooking candy doesn't burn.



*Remove from heat & stir in vanilla.

*Pour into a buttered or heavy duty foil-lined 9 inch square pan.

*Cool in the fridge & cut into squares.



We also made some Turtles with the caramel. Lay 4 pecans on parchment paper (turtle's legs) so that they touch in the center of the Turtle. Pour a tablespoon of caramel in the center, top with melted chocolate & let cool!

And it's great to get those little hands helping wrap all that caramel!

Make It From Scratch carnival

Come visit the latest edition of the Make It From Scratch Carnival. My recipe for Ham & Eggs On Croissant was featured along with so many wonderful ideas for cooking, crafting, & everything in between! I found the neatest recipe for homemade vanilla extract that I can't wait to try.

Kid-Pleasing Homemade Mac & Cheese

What to feed these guys when the pantry is essentially empty?

Last night I found this recipe online when our pantry fixins were somewhat slim. I knew there was a reason I held onto that box of plain elbow noodles!

Creamy Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients:

1 box macaroni elbows (8oz)

1 stick butter

1 can evaporated milk

1 lb. Velveeta, plus enough for slicing

Boil macaroni in salted water for 7 minutes. Don't overcook your macaroni because the process finishes cooking it.

Drain off water, leaving about 1 cup of water in the pan.

Into the macaroni & water, mix in 1 stick butter, 1 can evaporated milk, & 1 lb Velveeta.

Heat on medium on stove until all is blended & melted.

In a lightly greased glass baking dish, pour macaroni mixture. Place slices of Velveeta on top.

Broil in oven until top is melted. Watch carefully as it can burn!

Set aside on the counter until it cools. Sauce with thicken considerably as it sets.

Easy Homemade Gift Idea

For my Mommy Friends in our CoOp group, I made these:

The inspiration came from some homemade body scrub that Jessie made for me as a birthday gift...which was the best! The project was very easy & something kids can easily get in on!

To begin, choose your jar. I went to Hobby Lobby & found these wide mouthed jars with hinged lids for $1.33 each (I visited when they were 1/2 price, so I got an even better deal!). While you're at the craft store, swing by the scrapbook section and pick a spiffy pattern paper to top your jar with & make your tag with. I used one 12x12 sheet for the lids and another 12x12 sheet for the labels. And don't forget your jar of Glossy Mod Podge & a small foam brush.

Cut circles from the scrapbook paper the size of your jar's lid. I used a cup as my template. Brush a layer of Mod Podge onto the jar's lid, place your paper circle on top, & smooth out any air bubbles. Then brush a layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper, making sure to get your Mod Podge over the paper's edges (this will waterproof the paper). Allow to dry over night.

For your sugar scrub, you'll need:

1 cup organic brown sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar (this is very, very coarse so you could use another 1/2 cup brown sugar if you'd like a finer grit scrub)

organic safflower oil

avocado oil

essential oil (I used vanilla)

Combine the brown sugar & turbinado sugar in a bowl and stir to blend. Add just enough of the two oils to the sugar so that it sticks together slightly but isn't overly oily. It's better to start with too little oil, mix your oil/sugar well, & add more oil if needed. At this point, take a little bit to the sink & scrub your hands well. Decide if it's the consistency you like. If not, add more sugar or oil. Last, add enough essential oil to make it smell as strong or subtle as you wish.

Fill your jars (after the lids have dried) with your sugar scrub. My jars held about 1 cup of scrub each. Smooth the top of the sugar scrub with the back of a spoon, & use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to imprint a heart on the top of the sugar.

All that's left is to make your tag! I used the same paper from the lids to make a label, and tied it onto the jar with coordinating ribbon. Wow your friends & family with your crafty gift :)!!