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~