Overstatement

When Regina said her toffee recipe was "foolproof" that may have been a teeny tiny overstatement.  Or I'm a different kind of fool than she had in mind!

I tried her recipe yesterday.  One of our darling neighbors gave us a tin of cookies for shoveling their driveway.  I wanted to return the tin and thought I'd make some toffee to put in it.  So I threw the ingredients in a pot and let it cook while chopping vegetables for dinner.  Regina had said that she followed the recipe to a T which included medium heat (no rushing it with medium high or high) and allowing it to get to 285F.  I got out my new candy thermometer and got to work.

Things started out just fine.  Melting butter with some added sugar and salt.  Any fool can do that!

Still looking good.  Getting nice and foamy and heading toward the "dark amber" the recipe calls for.

Deceptive success.  This looks pretty much like toffee. 

What you can't see is that I overcooked it.  It started to separate and I had to drain off a bunch of butter because I couldn't get it to incorporate.  When I poured it in the pan it only spread out to half the surface area it should have.  I had to pull up the edge of the parchment to keep it from slumping pathetically across the pan.  It doesn't taste bad...but it is hard.  Definitely not the crispy, delicate, delicious treat Regina made.

My take-away is this:  When your friend Carol tells you, "Test your candy thermometer in boiling water against your meat thermometer to make sure it works.  I've had one that wasn't calibrated properly." you don't just assume you know more than she does.  That, my friends, is what makes you a fool!

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Thank goodness for toffee! I mean thank goodness for friends! No...I meant toffee!

As you know - a lot of my recipes are those that friends and family have shared.  Unbeknownst to my friend Regina, I made toffee the week before Thanksgiving.  I didn't intend to keep it a secret.  It just wasn't anything to write about.  I didn't own a candy thermometer so I used the ol' hard ball water test.  It turned out just okay.  A little soft,  a little bland.

And then Regina made toffee as a Christmas treat.  It is sublime!  I told her how much I enjoyed it and she told me yesterday that she'd made some more. I had to admit I liked the first batch so much I ate almost half of it in the car on the way home and had to rearrange it on the plate so my husband wouldn't think I was a glutton.  She brought me another plateful today!

Not only did she bring me more toffee she sent me the (very simple) recipe she found at www.allrecipes.com.  It is so good and she assures me it is nearly foolproof.  Since Todd bought me a candy thermometer for Christmas I'm even more excited to give it a try!

Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy

 Recipe By: FUNKYSEAMONKEY


"Chocolate and almonds top off a rich buttery toffee. A simple recipe that you could easily remember

and whip up any time. I always get compliments and requests for more. Use any type of nut that you

like in place of the almonds."

 

Ingredients

2 cups butter

2 cups white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped almonds

 

Directions

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium

heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture

becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C).

Stir occasionally.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking

sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread

the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and

press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight

container. 
www.sparksrenohomesearch.com

Well That Got Away From Me In a Hurry!

New year, renewed commitment to my blog.  Which I also see as renewed accountability to my real estate business, my running and my passion for cooking.  Or eating...which leads me right back to running!

It seems like just yesterday that I posted my last entry when, in fact, it has been nearly a year!  This is one of those things I always say I'll get to "later".  Much, much later.

HOME

My real estate business was put on the back burner this year while I focused on my mother's and my mother-in-law's health issues.  And, to be honest, I enjoyed kicking back a bit and spending more time at home.  I'm sad beyond words to report that my mother passed away shortly before Christmas.  So grateful to her for her unconditional love and support.  "Later" doesn't always come.  My mom loved to read this blog (because she's my mom she thinks I'm amazing!)  and now I won't have the opportunity to wow her with my exploits, wit and wisdom.  Grab life by the balls folks!  It never lasts as long as we think it will.

All of that aside, real estate was still good to me in 2015.  I am working with some lovely people right now who are looking to make Reno home.  The market here is strong and there are so many ways that Reno is growing and changing right now it is impossible to list them all in one post.  If you're interested in our market please drop me a line!  I'll post updates about all the goings-on as I build this blogging habit back up to where it belongs!

Random photo of "home"

RUN

The Hubs and I are still on our running streak!  In our running streak?  Either way we're still running!  We started on November 11, 2013 with the notion we'd do at least a mile a day until the end of the year.  It was some harebrained idea my husband got while reading an issue of Runner's World.  I can't really blame him.  After all, I'm the one that thought it was smart to go along!  Today marks 785 days.  Starting was hard, stopping is much harder!  Other 2015 running highlights include the California International Marathon, three Turkey Trots (two in one day!) and another resolution run.  That last one technically belongs in 2016, but we've done them for 7 years in a row and think they are a fantastic way to jump start a running year.

CIM bibs top center

 

2015 Fallon Turkey Trot - second race of the day.  Forgot to get a photo after the Fernley run.

 

Oregon Mid-Valley Road Race on Thanksgiving morning.

 

December 31, 2015

 

Forgot to get a group shot after our Resolution Run at midnight - but here's Coco, ready to hit the cold road!

RECIPES

In the past I've shared some of my treasured recipes.  You know the ones...little scraps of paper covered with splashed and spilled ingredients, often handwritten by loved ones, tried and true family favorites.  My mom was a recipe junkie like me and was willing to try all sorts of odd dishes.  This was torn from the back of a Best Foods Mayonnaise jar and, in my family, is lovingly known as Green Death. It indicates that it will serve 6 but I'd go so far as to say it will serve 20 because no one really wants much  of it!  I'm mostly kidding.  It is kind of delicious. But definitely not for everyone!
One of these days I might even add the horseradish.  Do you have a crazy favorite?  Be sure to share it with me!

www.sparksrenohomesearch.com