Winter

Winter

Sunday, December 16, 2012

When My Field Of Dreams, Turns to Gold

I love this time of year in my field of dreams. The cotton woods turn bright gold. The sun hits them in the early morning light. The breezes cause the leaves to shimmer. For a day or so the gold against the sky is breathe taking. Then the trees begin to rain leaves and by Christmas the trees will be undressed and asleep for a few months. Such is The Field of Dreams.

This week I worked on a few things I wanted to share. First my little rug that I gave as a gift yesterday so I can show you a picture.

I am sorry this is so dark I didn't realize it until I took the pictures off the camera, and of course this is the only photo I have. Fun little project. Though I was trying to figure out why this is the design I have made this Christmas season.

I made bath salts. I really need to work on the spiral thing in the jar. I got the recipe last year from The Letter 4 It smells wonderful. I will be making a lot more of this.

I made these which are wonderful and dangerous. They are salted caramels. When my husband took a bite he said, " Oh these are turtles."
That is a better picture I got the recipe here. 
I know why I don't make candy very much. I am a klutz for one thing. The first step is to take two whole pecans and put them on parchment paper. I bump them, I knock them into the next row it took me so long to get them on the paper I wanted to scream. Note to self, never try and make candy when I have to be somewhere else at a different time.

Then you are supposed to take caramels and unwrap a square and put them on top of the pecans. My caramels were cold, so I put them in the microwave. Just for a couple of seconds. This is important. They get hot if you do it too long like my first batch. I burned the heck out of my fingers. I was in a hurry so I just powered through the pain. I got the caramels on top of the pecans. You are supposed to put them in a 325 degree oven for five minutes. While that was happening you are supposed to take melted chocolate chips and put a dab on the parchment paper.  Now take hot pecans and caramels and put on top of the melted chocolate chips. Both are hot. Have I mentioned I was in a hurry? Silly me, I thought I could use my finger to scrape of a dab of HOT-melted- chocolate chips onto the parchment paper.  Do you have any idea how hot melted chocolate chips get that have been microwaved with butter? Trust me, very hot. So now the only finger that I don't have burned is my ring finger on my left hand. I don't know how I missed that finger but I did. I have also burned my tongue trying to get the hot chocolate  off of my fingers.

My kitchen was a mess with melted chocolate, caramel papers, and parchment paper with scattered bits of turtles everywhere. I got the turtles off. It was a good thing my husband came in for a sample. Because the first one tore apart and I said, " Oh no, how am I going to get these things off?" He said, " Isn't that why you put them on parchment paper? to peel the paper off?" Duh!!! It worked beautifully.
I don't do fussy food. I don't have the patience. But when they are bagged up very nice and look very festive.

Last night the kids were eating them pretty fast so they are very good. I ate some just to sample them. I might try this recipe again but not when I am not in a hurry. I think I would put the dab of chocolate chips on the parchment paper first, then the pecans, then have the caramels warmed. I might even make my own because I detest unwrapping those little squares. That is when I need little kids around. I like it better when my kitchen is filled with people when I bake. It was quiet and boring. I needed people to sample and all I had was me. After years on Weight Watchers, I don't sample anything.

I want to leave now with this thought today:

If God is almighty, there can be no evil so great as to be beyond His power to transform. That transforming power brings light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, gain out of loss, life out of death.
"from a Lamp for My Feet, pg. 72"

" Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all."
Jeremiah 31:32

~Kim~

14 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

i'd have been eating them as i made them - burning fingers and tongue and roof of my mouth. :)

i LOVE that sweet rug!!!

Pom Pom said...

Hello Caramel Kim! Oh, those look delicious! I wish I had a personal Christmas cookie baker! I want to eat them, but I don't want to mess around with the ingredients and wait around for them to bake (or set!)
I love your Santa MOON! So cute!
You are a good maker. I have a little thing to send you and I will do it when school is out and the holiday rush is over.
Sending love your way, dearest!

Kessie said...

When you showed me the recipe, I thought they sounded like persnickity little things to assemble. I'd have burned all my fingers, too. Heck, I burn my fingers making rice--I'll be scraping it out of the pot, and some will stick to my finger, and I have to just let it stay there and burn me because I can't drop the pot. They do sound delicious, though.

With it being so cold, I'll bet the trees are gorgeous. Too bad the leaves fall so fast afterward.

Debbie said...

It doesn't matter how they look, only how they taste! The bath salts is a great idea as a Christmas gift!

Julia said...

In a hurry or not, you made some impressive turtles and the bath salts looks great too. I think that the leaves are so pretty when they turn colors, too bad they don't stay that way longer.

I'm in a hurry too today.
Have a great week,
Hugs.
JB

WhiteWhispers2u said...

I am so making those salted caramels and those bath salts are darling!

Thank you for your visits and reassuring words.Prayers and blessings for all to find some Peace in such a difficult time.

May you be blessed with Peace and Love~Kim

annie said...

I loved seeing your gold. After losing ours, it touched my heart. The rug is just wonderful, I love it. The turtles, there must be an easier way, but oh so good.

Selwyn Hughes, I was thinking on him early this am. After reading and hearing of such as these last couple of days. I was reminded of one of his devotionals. We must come to the point that we believe everything God does is right, even when things come out of the darkness that cause so much pain. We must all accept God is right. It is not the things that are right, but we must accept He is, not what He does or does not allow. Such is faith. And in the end of all, He will set to right what has been wrong.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Nellie said...

Beautiful gold, Kim! The candy, though very tricky for you, has to be delicious! How can nuts, caramel, and chocolate be wrong?

Continued prayers for those affected by the tragedy in Connecticut.

Hugs,
Nellie

Miss Debbie said...

The candy looks yummy...but sounds painful! You are more patient than me! My daughter and I made a peppermint sugar scrub and layered it in jars tied with ribbon and a candy cane for our co-workers! She got the recipe from Pinterest...looks just like yours. Isn't that funny?

Gail said...

justa a minit gotta wipe the drul from my kybord...

Rugs and Pugs said...

Salted caramels. Oh, YUM! They sound like a lot of work so I just may have to buy some more from Trader Joe's.
Hugs :)
Lauren

moosecraft said...

The turtles look so perfect in the picture... I'd never know you had so much "fun" making them! lol! Your Santa Moon mat looks wonderful! Thanks for the smiles this morning!

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

I operate under the theory that it doesn't matter how food looks - what's important is how it tastes. Which is why I don't give food products as gifts - ha!

Your little rug is adorable! I love it!

And I love the cottonwoods! Such a vivid color!

Kris said...

Wow, those salted caramels look so delicious. Not fair posting something like that. :)