Frugal Friday

Good morning everyone.

Early morning posts for the next little while as it will be the only time I can actually depend on being able to use the computer.

Kris made it home yesterday at around 2:30 in the afternoon yesterday and Kurt should be home sometime in the late afternoon tomorrow. Slowly but surely my home is filling up as it was when the boys were much younger. Also as it was when they were much younger I find myself getting ready to pick up after them. Really, I am just not used to glasses or coffee mugs all over the house, and perhaps a gentle reminder that used glasses go in the sink would suffice..

Kris seems to have misplaced all his toques this winter, so I have a new one on my needles. Frugal in that it will be using up a partial skein of yarn that I could not figure out what to do with. He has also informed me that he left all his mittens at home, so those will go on the needles next. If the storm hits us that they are predicting gloves and a toque are definitely necessary. I get to keep my hands busy, use up partial skeins and balls of yarn, and Kris gets something he needs.

I have been busy this week using up the bits and pieces in the fridge as well. We had leftovers for supper last night and tonight I will make the soup that I had planned for yesterday.

I am also making more bread, and what with the boys being home will need to make even more. I plan on getting the bread machine going very soon this morning.

A blogging friend asked me if I would share my caramel recipe with her, so I thought I would post it. The recipe makes about 2 1/4 lbs of candy so a nice big batch.

Old Fashioned Caramels

1 cup margarine or butter (use butter as the candy tastes so much better)
2 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Line a 9X9 pan with tin foil, grease the foil. In a heavy saucepan (3 qt.) melt the butter, add the brown sugar and mix well. Stir in corn syrup and cook over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and stir in sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until temperature reaches 244 F on a candy thermometer about 20 to 30 minutes (usually longer I find). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Cool to room temperature. When completely set (I use the fridge to hurry this along) remove from pan using foil overhang to lift. Remove foil. Cut candy and wrap in waxed paper.

Do not make on a really humid day as it will not turn out. For some reason candy making and humidity do not seem to go well together.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.