Memories

Queen Anne’s Lace

/ Jodi / 24 Comments

queen anns lace
Queen Anne’s Lace
in a vase
on the patio by the door.

Sweet memories of summers past
and a Grandma I did so adore.

She could make bouquets from weeds,
bring life to seeds,
make soup from bones,
and homemade ice cream cones.

We played Old Maid
while we drank lemonade
or sipped on root beer
or cream soda floats.

We would sing and laugh on the side porch swing
making up words to our favorite songs.
She would tell me sweet stories of her life and her past
while we dreamed of the future and who would be part of the cast.

We’d watch the morning glories close
while the moon flowers arose.
They were perfectly entwined
in an ornate grate
which bordered the slope
and the colorful splendor
of the portulaca flower bed
I will always remember.

Oh how I hope
that I can someday be
the kind of grandma
she was to me.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

The Family Bookshelf – My Memory Box

/ Jodi / 27 Comments

the family bookshelf

Do you have a favorite place or space in your home?

One of my favorite spaces in our home is the family bookshelf.

It’s kind of center stage in the great room commanding half of one wall measuring about 8 feet wide by 9 feet tall.

Hubby custom built this a few years after we built our house.

My “usual” seat on the couch directly faces this “memory box,” and sometimes I just stare at all the memories while hubby is staring at the television or the latest book he is reading in the evening.

It’s filled with so many favorite things…

There are a lot of family photos – some from a long time ago and some more recent…

Like our oldest son at 4 years old playing a toy saxophone and then a framed newspaper clipping of him playing a saxophone solo in the high school band.  There’s one of him and his beautiful wife – our beloved daughter-in-law.  There’s one of him and his Dad with a cake they made for a Cub Scouts competition and one in his “cap and gown” at his preschool graduation.

There are photos of our youngest son dressed in his favorite Halloween costume that he wore two years in a row when he was Peter Pan at 4 and 5 years old, in his football uniform for midget football, sticking his tongue out with his Dad and brother on a summer trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park, grinning at me at his preschool graduation, with me at a Kindergarten party where I was his homeroom mom, and with his sweet girlfriend now.

There is a photo of my hubby with his sister when they were young children…  a sister and aunt who we loved dearly and lost way too early from cancer.

And there is a photo of my father-in-law taken on his last day on this earth when he was blessed with a surprise visit from a favorite niece from far away who he hadn’t seen in years.  It is such a sweet memory to see him so happy just hours before he left us.  We will never be able to express enough gratitude to this sweet lady for the joy she brought him that special day.

There are photos of friends and fun times, like a trip to Hawaii with our besties and holiday celebrations with all of our kids.

There are a few books, some significant, some not…  There are high school yearbooks, photo memory books, bibles, favorite children’s books – like our very favorite bedtime read-aloud story book – “Bob and Jack – A Boy and his Yak.”  There are baby books for each of the boys and a special memory book made by my cousin Joyce and given to me at Christmas featuring my first year blogging at LifeinBetween.me.  There are books read at book club and business books and bird books and favorite fiction authors.  There is a copy of the book I wrote and had bound as a gift to my Dad for our second Christmas together after reuniting.  Our wedding photo albums sit on one of the shelves.

Then there are other sweet memorabilia, like our youngest son’s stuffed animal “Curious George” who he loved so dearly as a child and slept with every night.

There is the birthday bear my Dad sent me on my first birthday after we reunited after too many years apart with a sweet note saying, “Happy Birthday Jodi, My Little Girl.  Love you, Dad.”

It was my 48th birthday.

And there is the little trinket box he gave me that says, “Daughter – With all the Beauty on the Earth, there is nothing more Beautiful than you.”

There’s a statue of a yellow lab that was my father-in-law’s sweet memory of his beloved “Brandy.”

There’s a cruise ship trophy our oldest son won singing Karaoke on a cruise with his now wife on a family vacation he went on with her family.

There are “Friends” blocks given to me from my BFF.

There is a photo album of our Cleveland friends wearing Pittsburgh Steelers shirts and poses too explicit to share here after they lost a family bet during a rival football playoff season.

There is a gorgeous painting from a faraway friend who suffered from a life-altering traumatic brain injury that completely changed her life and turned a corporate CEO into an artistic genius and a genuinely beautiful creative inspiration.  I bought her very first piece of artwork, and I treasure it so dearly.

My heart is smiling as I type and recall these memories.

You see – a home is not brick and mortar.  It is not plaster and paint.

It is the memories.

It is the family and friends and people you share it with.

My favorite little plaque hanging on another wall in our home says it all….

“The thing I love most about my home is who I share it with.”

So that is my special home “space.”

What is yours?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Bleeding Heart

/ Jodi / 38 Comments

bleeding heart 2015

My favorite, dear Bleeding Heart,
are you happy or do you mourn?

Your bright color smiles,
but your tears look so forlorn.

You show us the beauty we oft overlook,
and elicit a pause when our own hearts are shook.

(My bleeding heart plant is my favorite of all in my yard.  It has moved with me a couple times as it was a plant given to me by my Grandma.  It is a symbol to me of her very special heart every year when it blooms.  It reminds me of the joy and the sorrow of love.  It demonstrates the intense and powerful artistry of Mother Nature.  I could never create or imagine anything more beautiful.)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

PS:  I love the intricacy of this flower, and this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is Intricate.

Old-Fashioned Homemade Butter Mints

/ Jodi / 22 Comments

old fashioned homemade butter mints

I have always loved these soft smooth buttery mints. Not those hard so-called “party” mints that crack your teeth (and like Grandma sometimes had in her candy dish), but the butter mints in soft yellow or pastel shades that were often put out as “after dinner” mints at special occasions or for parties when I was growing up.

I had pinned a recipe for homemade butter mints some time ago on my Pinterest page, not knowing when I’d get around to making them, and/or deciding on an occasion to make them so I wouldn’t eat them ALL myself! Then a friend recently asked me about them for a special party she is working on, and it was the perfect opportunity to give the recipe a whirl.

And whirl I did indeed! Woohoo! Are these ever EASY peasy and even better than I remember.

old fashioned homemade buttermints 2

Did your Grandma always have a candy dish full of these little treats at her house like mine?

Grandma kept hers in a special candy dish atop the server in her dining room.

I can still picture it vividly. It sat on the far left back corner of the server, and it was amber glass with a pointed dome lid on a pedestal. We always tried to carefully lift the lid when we were sneaking taking a piece so as not to “clink” the glass and make it ring throughout the entire house (at least that is what it felt like!)   Because if you did happen to just tap it ever so lightly to make a tiny tingy noise, Grandma’s little dog, Felix, would come a running! Felix loved those mints, and you always had to throw him one if you wanted to prevent the entire house from knowing you were in the candy jar again!

My brother was often known for purposely rattling the jar just to get Felix all worked up.  The poor little thing did practiccandy dishally have a heart attack when he heard that dish a ringing!

When I was trying to describe the candy dish, I thought I’d google it using the descriptive words I came up with, and to my surprise, I found what I believe would be the EXACT match (at least as far as my memory serves)!  It is actually for sale on Etsy.  I saw several.  I guess they are considered somewhat prized antiques at this point.  I’m kinda tempted to get it, but I think I’ll just keep the memory.

Here is the recipe I found on Barefeet in the Kitchen.  (Mary even made a cocoa mint version if you want to check that out too, and her recipe is slightly adapted from Averie Cooks)

Homemade Old-Fashioned Butter Mints

  • Servings: Approx. 200 mints or 3 cups
  • Print

Ingredients:old fashioned homemade buttermints

1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Optional: Food coloring for the desired shade you would like

Using an electric stand mixer, combine the soft butter and salt, and beat to combine. Add the condensed milk and beat again to combine. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating to combine thoroughly. Add the peppermint extract and food coloring if you are adding. The dough will be mostly crumbs, but should stick together when squeezed into a ball.  If it is sticky, add a little more powdered sugar.

Remove the dough from the mixer and pull off golf ball size pieces. Roll each ball with the palm of your hand into a long skinny log about 1/2″ in diameter – just as if you were making a snake with play dough.  Slice the strips into tiny mint-size pieces. A pizza cutter works great for this, and you can cut several strips at a time quick and easily.

Spread the soft pieces across a baking sheet and allow them to sit at room temperature overnight. You could speed up the process and put them in the refrigerator uncovered.  When they have hardened enough to store, transfer the mints to an airtight container.   Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Is it You?

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

cardinal female

Is it you come to visit my sweet beloved Star?
Does your spirit fleetingly flutter from oh so afar?

Are you happy, and can you tell me if it is really true?
Is eternity the beautiful place they say we go to?

I miss your bright eyes, your warm heart, your infectious laughter.
I dream you’re with Grandpap dancing happily ever after.

Please guide me and show me the best way to be
your legacy, my hero, my matriarch, my cherished destiny.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Cardinals have long been believed to represent a loved one who has passed.  It is said that when you see one, it means your loved one is visiting you, and they usually show up when you most need them or miss them.  I have recently come to appreciate the delicate beauty of the female cardinal with her delicate coloring.  The bright red males get most of the attention, but I’m partial to these beauties.

This short poem is written in honor of my beloved Grandma Stella, my star; and this photo I took Saturday morning from our master bath window of Mrs.Cardinal briefly sitting in the dormant Rose of Sharon bush is being shared as part of the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge:  Ephemeral.

A Star was Born

/ Jodi / 39 Comments
Stella Star

30 years ago – Grandma (Stella Star) 72 – Jodi 22

A Star was born
on a warm summer’s eve
destiny’s daughter
Stella Louise.

A Star was born
in a coal mining town
a new life, a new country
her parents danced round.

A Star was born
It was 1913
Her parents worked hard
but life was still lean.

A Star was born
when Stella turned nine
with three little brothers
and Dad in the mine.

A Star was born
when her mom passed away
and Dad shared the news
she must now the role play.

A Star was born
to cook and clean and no longer play
for Dad had work and brothers school
Stella took over the chores each day.

A Star was born
that raised brothers so dear
they all grew in love
and days turned to years.

A Star was born
that married my Pap
She laughed and sang and chattered
while I sat on his lap.

A Star was born
that taught me about life
the meaning of love
what’s wrong and what’s right.

A Star was born
that died too soon
but is always with me
like a warm cocoon.

A Star was born
as my memories reveal
the best, greatest gifts of love
for me she made real.

A Star was born
on that warm summer’s eve
My Grandma, my hero
Her memory my reprieve.

Grandma & Grandpap, Johnny & Jodi - 1968

Grandma & Grandpap, Johnny & Jodi – 1968

This poem is dedicated to my Grandma, my hero – Stella Star, and done in response to the WordPress DailyPost Writing 201 Poetry Challenge:

Prompt:  Hero(ine)
Form:  Ballad
Device:  Anaphora/Epistrophe

Grandma died 20 years ago at the age of 82.  I was 32.  I still miss her every day, but I try to live each day carrying out her legacy and making her proud of the person she helped mold me into.  She will always be my guiding star.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

The Old Porch Swing

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

snowy swing black and white

Oh the stories this old porch swing could tell…

Of afternoon story time with mama and sons,

and little boy shenanigans, plots, and plans.

Afternoon breaks for dad and mom,

important decisions discussed and planned.

Moonlight kisses,

and engagement photos.

Tears shed while swinging,

both happy and sad.

Deep conversations,

and happy reunions.

You have carried us through,

and will continue to do.

Giving Keys and Mini Beers

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

Our family is so fortunate to have a “best friend” family.  My BFF Jill and her family make up our extended chosen family.  Together we are the McHendy Family (a combination of McKinney and Henderson). 🙂

Our kids have grown up together.  We have spent Christmases and New Years and many other holidays and celebrations together through the years (as well as a few trying times, tragedies, changes, and everything else life throws at all of us!).

This Christmas, even though are kids are grown – – with a few married and a few moved away to other states – – we were able to all gather together the day after Christmas to celebrate our family friendship.

I like to share small, but hopefully meaningful gifts with our McHendy family.

mchendy girls giving keys bracelets

This year, I was excited to find The Giving Keys for the girls.  If you haven’t heard of it, I urge you to check out their website and their mission.  Per their website, “The Giving Keys exists to employ those transitioning out of homelessness to make jewelry out of repurposed keys that get sold and shared around the world. Each key is unique and carries a message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM or COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and then send us the story of their key being paid forward.”

I ordered a key bracelet (The Never Ending Bracelet) for each of the girls and had the word “Grateful” engraved on it, because I am grateful for each one of them in my life.  After they wear it for a while, they are to pass it on and express their gratitude to someone in their life.

mchendy girls giving keys bracelets 2

For the boys, I painted “McHendy” in gold sharpie on a shot glass for each of them.

McHendy shot glasses

To try to get them all to look relatively the same, I chose a font I liked and printed the word “McHendy” out on a sheet of white paper.  I cut it out to fit into the glass and simply drew over it while it was inside the glass.

mchendy boys shots 2

Once opened, we filled each shot glass up with a “Mini Beer.”   Have you ever had one?  They actually taste more like a creamsicle than beer, but they look like a little glass of beer, so are fun to make.  (To make a Mini Beer, simply fill a shot glass 2/3 full with Licor 43 and top with a splash of heavy cream)

mchendy boys shots

Here’s a picture (sorry a bit blurry) of our McHendy “Kids” who I love so dearly (including a few new members!)

McHendy Kids at Christmas 2014

Here they were what seems like about 10 minutes ago…

jules1

Cherishing memories then and now!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

One of my favorite things to bake (and eat) for the holidays is my Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread Cover

For me, it is like spending a little time with Grandma – even though she’s been gone for 20 years now.  The smells that fill the house… using her recipe card – complete with stains from baking episodes past… using her old tin measuring cup, snipping apricots, chopping nuts…  To me, the holidays aren’t truly here until I make Grandma’s Apricot Nut Bread and spend a little time with her through this ritual.

When I was young, I spent Christmas vacations (and every other moment I could) with Grandma.  We spent a lot of our time together in the kitchen.  While we were cooking or baking, Grandma would tell me stories about her childhood.  It was sadly a pretty short one, because she had to become Mama to her baby brothers at only 9 years old when her mom died at a devastatingly early age.  We would talk about her early married life with outhouses, coal furnaces, and washboards.  And some of my favorite stories, especially when I was young, were the ones she would tell about me when I was a baby and how she danced in the hospital hallway with the doctor after I was born and how she fed me her homemade chicken soup on my first day home.

We laughed while we worked, and I never felt so loved.

One of the things Grandma made every year was Apricot Nut Bread.  Growing up, it really wasn’t my favorite.  I much preferred the lady locks or nut horns or nut roll – even the chocolate chip cookies.  This bread is not overly sweet.  It is not overly moist.  But as an adult, it has become my absolute favorite.  A slice with a swirl of creamy salted butter or a schmear of rich cream cheese and a cup of coffee might just be my favorite way to start the day.

This weekend, I made my annual batch of Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread.

I started with some dried apricots, which I snipped with scissors into large chunks.  (I cut most of the apricots into fourths.)  Sharp kitchen shears work much better than a knife given the stickiness of the apricots while cutting.  And – it’s how Grandma did it…

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 1After the apricots are coarsely snipped, they are placed in a bowl of hot water to further plump and soften.  Equal parts of apricots and water are used.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 2The dry ingredients are mixed together next in a separate bowl:  flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 3In a third bowl, eggs are beaten, and sugar is added.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 4Next is time to coarsely chop some walnuts – 1 cup per batch (unless you are my son, Nick – then no nuts are added!)

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 5To combine everything, alternately add the apricots with water and egg/sugar mixture to the dry ingredient bowl.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 6At this point, you could place the batter in your greased and floured bread pans if you are not adding nuts.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 7Or gently fold in the nuts.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 8It is important to thoroughly grease and flour your bread pans.  I use a paper towel to generously smear Crisco into every corner and crevice of the pan and then dust thoroughly with four.  If done well, the bread will roll right out when you tip the pans once out of the oven.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 9You can use a number of small bread pans or one large bread pan for a single recipe.  I tripled the recipe this weekend and made eight smaller loaves.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 10I fill them about 3/4 full to get a nicely risen loaf.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 11Baking time varies depending on the size of the loaf, so watch carefully and check with a toothpick.  If you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, the bread is done.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread 12I immediately pop them out out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.  These loaves freeze beautifully if wrapped in saran wrap and foil or in freezer Ziploc bags.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread LastSlice and serve warm or cold and with or without butter or cream cheese.  In my opinion, this is best served as breakfast or brunch fare with a steaming cup of coffee (with Italian Sweet Cream of course!).  Sometimes we even toast a slice of it, and then the edges are crisp and the center is warm and gooey and the butter just melts into it.

Here is Grandma’s well-loved and stained recipe card:

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread Recipe Card 1jpgI remember typing these on index cards for Grandma as a young girl.  I wish I had more of her handwritten copies, but they are long gone…

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread Recipe Card 2

Some beloved people and possessions in our lives may no longer be around, but memories can never be erased or replaced.

May cherished memories of your loved ones and holidays past fill you with warmth and happiness.

Here is the recipe for you to try:

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

Mix together 1 cup chopped apricots and 1 cup boiling water.  Let stand until the rest of the ingredients are ready.

In another bowl, beat two eggs and gradually add 1 cup of sugar.

In a third large bowl, stir together:

2-3/4 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Add the first two mixtures to the dry ingredients – alternating as you incorporate.  Fold in chopped nuts.

Bake one large loaf at 375 degrees F for approximately 50 minutes, then 350 degrees F for 25 additional minutes.

For smaller loaves, bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

I hope you enjoy.

Cheers & Nostalgic Hugs,

Jodi

Killer Chocolate Making Tips

/ Jodi / 17 Comments

chocolate class colleen and jodi

I got a new nickname Thursday night…  “Killer”

It all started out quite innocently.  (Isn’t that what they all say?!)

I’m pretty sure Mary, the instructor at the Chocolate-Making Class I attended at our local community college Thursday evening, dubbed me this because of my “killer” chocolate tasting making skills.  Or – maybe it was because she recognized my “killer” charm, wit and personality.  Or it could have possibly been for my “killer” fashion sense (I mean who doesn’t envy an aging 50+ in jeans, pink Keds, and an Old Navy funnel neck fleece?!).

But alas, I’m not sure any of the above apply.  I actually was a bit of a hot mess Thursday night…

Colleen, my daughter-in-law, and I were texting about something earlier this week, when she asked,  “Hey, don’t we have some kind of chocolate-making class coming up soon here in December?”

I had completely forgotten!

Several months ago when the local community college published their “Fall/Winter Continuing Education” pamphlet, I had registered us for this as something fun to do together.  It was this Thursday evening.

Thursday started out like many others these days with rising early and every intention of jumping in the shower before jumping into my work (from home) day.  But, as is more often the case than not lately, that didn’t happen.  Dang if I didn’t open my laptop first to start working, and next thing you know, Marty is home, and I am still in my pajama pants and hoody, bed head, yesterday’s mascara, and with a half cup of cold coffee on my desk – – – at 5 o’clock!

Colleen was coming at 5:30 for our 6:00 class.  YIKES!

Jump in the shower, slap on some makeup, gargle with a bit of Listerine, and come out smiling.  Ready with two minutes to spare.  Score!

As we were driving to class, and I was secretly praying that I was heading to the correct campus location, my friend and neighbor, Tracy, called.  I answered (on speaker – hands free!) trying to be witty with, “Do you have a visitor?”

(You see, Tracy is Mikey’s and my walking buddy – and when I leave and he is left to his own accord with doggie door freedom – my little 37 lb furry son likes to take the beaten path through the woods to Tracy’s house and whine at her door until she lets him in for some “poor little ole’ me” ear scratches and belly rubs.)

But Tracy said, “No…  Did you forget we have a chocolate-making class tonight?”

I looked at Colleen.  OH YEAH!  Tracy is the one that told me about this class, and we were meeting her and her sister there.  Sometimes I seriously think I am developing early onset Alzheimer’s!  (But then one of my boys will charmingly question:  “Early? onset?” GRRR!  Some day they will be 50+, and I hope their kids remind them often how ancient they are too!)

We showed up for class, with another amazing two minutes to spare, after choosing the farthest parking lot from the Arts & Hospitality Building we could find just so we could run  walk briskly through the freezing cold and dark charming campus paths and arrive ready to rumble create magnificent sugary confections.

Mary was wonderful – and so was her daughter and chocolate-melting assistant, Ashley.  Mary has been making homemade chocolate for over 30 years and works professionally in the food industry.  At first, reserved and professional, her true wit and humor unraveled as the evening progressed.  We learned some great tips for melting and molding and filling chocolates, while making new friends and laughing along the way.

chocolate class mary instructor 1

TIP:  Mary taught us to completely fill the plastic mold with melted chocolate (i.e. for chocolate covered cherries) to thoroughly coat all sides of each individual mold.  You then turn it over onto parchment paper and let the inside drip out.  Place in refrigerator or cool spot to let set, then repeat a second layer.  Fill it full again and turn over and dump.  Let harden again, then place a cherry inside and fill to top with chocolate.  (Roll in fondant if you like.)

TIP:  Use a squeezie bottle to fill molds.  In the past, I had always spooned into the mold and made a bit of a mess.  Squeezing it in is a breeze and much neater…….

Unless you are “Killer!”

I think I must have been showing off and trying to finish filling my molds first.  I was humming along smiling and laughing and squeezing and filling, when SPLAT! – the lid popped off the squeezie bottle and all the chocolate was splattered atop the mold!

I was so embarrassed I forgot to take a picture (imagine that!?)
If Mary wanted to kill me was frustrated, she sure didn’t show it.  She simply instructed me to grab a spatula to scoop it off onto the parchment and kindly refilled my squeezie bottle.  (THANK YOU MARY!)

I continued on, and my chocolate covered caramels turned out quite yummy – you never would have known if I didn’t tell you here what a total mess I made!

chocolate class caramelsThis photo is AFTER the cleanup!

The next time Mary made her rounds checking on all of our progress, she politely and slyly asked,

“How are you making out, Killer?”

She said it so sincerely and innocently and quietly, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing!

And being one to “not let it go,” I continued on all night with my new nickname.   I also dubbed my sidekick chocolate-making aficionado, Colleen as “Killer Junior.”

TIP:  Use “melting” chocolate – not chocolate chips (i.e. Nestle). Mary mentioned they put something in chocolate chips to help them keep their “chip” shape that prevents them from melting completely and smoothly.  I have found this to be true, and there is a big difference in the end product when using “melting” chocolate!

TIP:  We used Merckens brand chocolate, and it was pretty good.  I would give it a medium/average rating.  It’s not the cheapest, but far from the most expensive also.  It did melt beautifully, but the taste was not as creamy and milky as I personally like if I am going to indulge in chocolate treats such as this.  I look forward to trying out some other higher quality chocolates, but this was not too shabby.  (Marty and Nick were pleasantly surprised at what I brought home!)

chocolate class mary instructorMary showed us how to make peanut and coconut clusters.

TIP:  Use FREEZE-DRIED coconut as opposed to the typical sweetened, flaked coconut you might typically use for baking.  It turns out much better!  Less moisture content to “confuse” (for lack of a more technical term) the chocolate and result in a delightful treat.

While Colleen was busy making her favorite white chocolate covered peanut butter cups, I was flitting around being disruptive to everyone taking pictures and offering my own tips….

chocolate class colleen making white chocolate peanut butter cups

While Colleen was making our dark chocolate covered fudge fondants, I took a few more photos, offered a few more tips, and did accomplish a bit of chocolate making too!  (note those beautiful caramels on the right in my spot below… though Colleen did do the white drizzle part… I know I know – I have the best D-I-L ever!)

TIP:  Once all of your chocolate and filling is in the mold, tap it lightly a few times on the table or lightly shake back and forth horizontally a few times to even and smooth out the chocolate before it sets.  It makes the WORLD of DIFFERENCE in the finished product!

chocolate class colleen chocolate fudgeI did manage to make chocolates, and look at what we ended up with!

TIP:  A great way to melt chocolate and keep it melted is to do it in a crockpot.  Who would’ve thought?

chocolate class our boxesNot too shabby – eh?

We had a BLAST!  We learned some great TIPS…  We made chocolate (which Marty and Nick are thoroughly enjoying)…

But most of all – we made memories!

TIP:  Clean-up is much easier if you let the chocolate cool and harden.  Place the squeezie bottles that are all but empty, but coated with chocolate, in the refrigerator for several minutes.  When the chocolate hardens, all you need do is squeeze the bottle several times and the hardened chocolate cracks and releases from the sides into a pile of broken up pieces in the bottom of your bottle.  This can be saved and remelted.  Much more cost-effective than washing and throwing out all of that delicious chocolate – and A LOT less messy too!

And after all that fun, Colleen and I were both thinking candy making and cookie baking the next day.   I found the 40+ molds I had boxed up in the attic from about 20 years ago when Marty’s Mom and sister and I used to do all this together and texted Colleen to see if she wanted to come borrow to use for her baking and cooking this weekend.  It brought back a flood of happy memories….

and I hope Colleen will remember our day and many more to come as we enjoy spending time and making memories!

chocolate class colleen and jodi

Killer, Jr. & Killer

Of course she is the cute one on the left!

Cheers and Sweet Hugs,

Jodi