Peppermint Bark

Years ago I was in Philly for a work trip and brought peppermint bark. I have loved it ever since, but could not find it. So I decided like most things this has to be easy to make. Dark chocolate, white chocolate and peppermint candy. How hard is that. So here is my recipe for it.

Dark chocolate. ( I use the candy coating, but use what you like)
White chocolate
Peppermint extract
Peppermint candy canes
Hammer

Melt the dark chocolate and add one teaspoon of peppermint extract.  Spread onto a foil lined pan.  Melt white chocolate and spread on top. If you wait to long, the chocolates will not stick together. However if you do it too fast they will mix. I wait about 10 minutes and spread careful. If it mixes a little the canes will cover it.  Break the peppermint candy canes up. I put them in a ziplock and use a hammer. The kids love doing this part.

Spread broken candy over the top. Let sit for about an hour or longer. Break into pieces.

ENJOY we do and everyone that love peppermint will love it.

Sorry it was gone before I could take a pic. Maybe next time.

Note,
I do not use baking chips as they add stabilizers to keep their form. Also if you like more or less peppermint taste just change up the extract.

Paper vs Cloth

Was reading a friends FB page and saw them talking about paper vs cloth. What do you use?  Paper towels, paper napkins, paper plates or cloth for some or all.  Me, I try to use cloth as much as possible. I don't have paper napkins, I use cloth and then just throw them in the wash with towels etc. No big deal at all. If they get old get new ones or use a piece of fabric and make some.  It is funny as I have kids come and don't even know what cloth ones are. Oh how times have changed.... I do have paper towels but don't use them much as I use rags. I don't buy paper plates but maybe once a year. I have been looking for some great plates I can use for the kids birthday parties that a can wash and reuse. Some make these changes to save money, help the environment or me, I made the change when I went Trash Free and to help the environment. Well maybe all three. I love not spending money and still cutting back on my recycling and upcycle where possible.  My next thing is to be plastic free. Not sure if it is possible. I will keep you posted.

Night.

Coffee Creamer

I had dinner parties for years with two of my dear friends. We would go to each others place and one of us would cook all the dinner. Three courses, we loved it so much it was hard to move away and know that was coming to an end.  One of my friends would always have store brought coffee creamer, until her Mothers doctor told her not to use it any more.  So we all stopped. Well last night I was reading someone's blog and found this great recipe. She can take all the credit for it, I will just pass it on to everyone. I made it this morning and it is wonderful.

Vanilla Coffee Cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a pan over medium heat. Once cream starts to simmer, turn off heat, cover and let cool.

Store in refrigerator

 You can change out the maple syrup and vanilla to tailor to your taste. Almond flavor would be wonderful. Also you can use light cream and milk or organic.

Make it the way you would like and enjoy.

One more thing you can make easy and doesn't have to be processed.

Eat what grows on a plant not what is made in a plant

So I was watching TV the other day and I don't remember what program it was, but they said "eat what grows on a plant and not what is made in a plant". Now it was over a week ago I heard this and it keeps coming back to the front of my mind. It is so true and we have got so far away from it. Now there is still some things I'm learning to make at home but next time you go to the store........think about it. Buy fresh veggie's, eggs, butter.  Try just one day a week to make something at home. You will start to feel better, start to enjoy working in the kitchen (I know some don't) and look at the little faces once you put some great food on the table. All that processed food is made in a plant, stuff is added and you don't really know what it all is. I'm about to start reviews on some of this food. However it is interesting that you don't find too much about some of it online. Like how long does it really take an egg to make it to the store. Are they really fresh?.......Why is cheese orange/yellow and just plain white in some countries? Why does grated cheese not stick together? Why have we made it so hard to think about making our own breadcrumbs and believe the store ones are better? What is in marg and why are we eating it? As Mothers it is hard we work all the time and come home tired, school work to get done and the last thing we want to do it cook. I get it but together we can make it work.

Heat Source

Well when we moved into our place the one thing that made me almost not buy it was because there was no wood stove. We had this propane fire in the living room that I hated.  Not only that the tank was right out the picture window.  Yeah that goes with an old house. If the tank blows up the house will be gone. Just great. So we went through the first winter as cold as it was last year and paid for oil. It was my first winter with oil and I will say it puts of a nice heat. However not the nicest on the check book. So here we are again looking for a good way to heat this place. There is nothing better than sitting my a hot fire on a cold day. I love to cuddle up with a book and watch the snow come down. I have looked at all kinds of fires and hopefully we will have one next week. I hope. It always takes us forever to work out what we want. I want something that if the power goes out we can heat the house and cook a dinner on top. Maybe warm some bread. I would love one to cook in but not at this time.
I hope you are all warm this winter and it is not costing you an arm or leg.

Eggs

Loving my little girls as it is so cold outside and they are laying eggs every day.  Not all of them but one egg is one egg I don't have to buy.  I think this spring I'm going to add to my flock. I would love to get blue and lavendar colored eggs.  The kids love going up and finding the eggs and I love seeing there little faces as they find an egg.  I was reading the other day it takes about 20 days for eggs to get to the distribution center and then several more days to get to the store. I'm thinking they are not very fresh. My eggs well lets say I got them in the morning and cooked them at night. Yummy....................

Great Day at the Farm

Well it is Thanksgiving today in America and I had a wonderful day with my family. I always have lots to be thankful for and this year I got a great surprize from my chickens. If you remember I got chicks back in May and have been feeding and looking after them for the last six months.  My chickens are so funny and have brought many laughs. They are not very smart but are fun. Well I didn't really just get them for us to watch, I got them for eggs. It can take anywhere from 4 to six months for eggs to start, so for the last couple of weeks, I have been looking for eggs and talking to them about getting busy or they will end up on the dinner table. Well yesterday it seem like Christmas. I got my first two eggs. And today I got another two. I think a couple of chickens saved themselves from the table. Now if the rest would follow their lead.
For those of you that are thinking chickens are alot of work and a mess. They are lots of fun and very rewarding. I now don't have to worry about going to the store for eggs and there is so much you can make with them.
So this Thanksgiving I have lots to be thanks for.  Here is just one of my little hens. They have grown since I took this picture.