Valentine Immunity Lollipops

My first born did not have much sugar until he was three years old. And then I desperately needed to potty train and introduced M&M's.  Our pediatrician gave the boys their first lollipop, a dum dum at age 4 and 2. I have been trying to create a healthy replacement without artificial colors and flavors for 2 years. I am finally happy with the results.

Lessons I've learned from many batches:

*Use a wooden spoon

*Let the temperature rise gradually.  I tried making candy and lollipops without a candy thermometer and I burnt the batches each time. You can buy a candy thermometer for $2.00-$5.00 at most grocery stores.

* Take off of the heat right before candy thermomoter reaches 302 degrees. If it goes past 302 you will have a slightly burnt taste and they will easily crack.

* Molding is made easy with powdered sugar molds.  Use any flat shape and press it into the powdered sugar.  You will have a dusting of powdered sugar on your lollipops, but I think it is pretty.

* Sugar or Honey are essential to lollipops. I've tried to cook down Elderberry syrup, but too much makes a burnt fruit taste.

*I like to think that I am adding vitamin C and some of the benefits of Elderberry in the lollipops, but really there is only a minute amount of immunity without the essential oil.

*Pomegranite juice made a light orange lollipop, adding Elderberry to the pomegranite made pretty red hearts. Cherry juice alone makes a dark Cabernet.

Valentine Immunity Drops
Recipe:

3/4 cup white sugar
1 tbs. local honey
2 tbs. pomegranite juice, elderberry syrup, or cherry juice ( any combination for desired color)
3 drops Onguard essential oil (Doterra's immunity builder), optional

Combine all ingredients, except essential oil, in a heavy bottomed pot.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon while watching thermometer.

Turn off heat at 300F. Add Onguard essential oil(optional). Stir. With wide spoon, fill molds. Work quickly.

One recipe makes about 15 lollipops.  I often make 8 lollipops and fill my ravioli maker (sprayed with coconut oil) with the rest for little lozenges.

Let cool at room temperature, if you have little people tripping over you to get one, place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Soak pan and utensils in hot soapy water. Wait until thermometer has cooled a bit before adding to soapy water or you may cause undue stress to the glass.

Enjoy lollipops made by you.

What Santa Brings Us.

There is a constant sorting of knowledge I go through as a parent.  The wisdom my parents passed down doesn't always come to the surface right away.  Then these little epiphanies emerge, and I say, "Hmm, my parents were so wise".
They did Santa really well!

They may have gone a little overboard on the rest of Christmas, but that wasn't from Santa. And thus my point.
As I encountered Santa conversations this year. I realized other people do not see Santa the way my family did.
A neighbor brought several wrapped packages to my boys and said they were from Santa.  I told the boys they were not.  An 8 year old told me what she asked for from Santa.  She listed 8 things and expected them all.
These two experiences made my heart sad.  It made me think of all the other times that I encountered a package labeled "From Santa". I actually recall in my childhood reading a gift from one grandparent to the other and was confused why Santa's package had already arrived.... It also made me think about how materialistic our children's wishes can be.  My boys wanted everything in every catalog for Christmas. They are still pretty young to decide on something, but wishes are just that something you wish for.

I do not take my boys to the mall to talk with "Santa".
I think that there are some things that if you see them they are not as magical.
Our imaginations usually create much more interesting scenarios and pictures than real life.

In my parents home and in ours the presents from Santa are not wrapped.  They sit under the tree and therefore they are the first thing you see on Christmas Morning. Of course, the early bird must wait for everyone else in this scenario.  I covered little guys eyes this Christmas morning as we passed the tree into the kitchen and he helped me make our Holiday Challah until brother awoke.

I agonized over the Santa gift.  My eldest saw a bright yellow plastic crane in some catalog with a remote. I knew it would get broken and the batteries would be lost.  But he continued to ask for a Crane.  I looked at the big Bruder trucks and then considered their size.

Then one day little brother, (after asking for weeks for a car that made music and could ride on the road, then asking for a live duckling to live in the bathtub...) he asked for a boat with cars in it.  And Viola, an Etsy seller made a beautiful Ferry Boat with cars and a Crane with trailer.

The way the Santa Present is presented helps to keep the magic of Santa Present (No pun intended).  Many people do not realize that their actions and words create doubt in children's beliefs.

Here are some rules of Santa Presents passed down in my family, but not previously written down:
1. A Santa gift is really special.
2. There is only one per child.
3. The really special gifts must be somewhat equal in the special category.
4. They can not be made by Mama or Papa, or Grandpa or Grandma.
5. They are not wrapped. How could Santa use the same paper as Mama?
6. It is helpful if a child sends Santa a Christmas letter in late November stating what they really wish for.

If you read this and have small children or gift things to children.  Help me out here.
Let's keep the magic going as long as possible.  Together let them believe in Santa, Beauty, The Spirit of Christmas, and that Love Endures all things.

* I never intend to pass judgement.  My intention is really to keep Santa alive and Special as long a possible.  Please know this is written with some humor and much sincerity.

Pie with Benefits

I don't know what it is with me and quantity, but I have a hard time using 8 eggs, 2 sticks of butter, or a whole carton of yogurt...  I previously avoided these types of  recipes and found one with 3 eggs, 1 stick of butter, and so on. I have turned a new leaf. Thanks to my parents and mother-in-law, who always show up with gifts of the food we enjoy, I had excess this week.  Including, three containers of yogurt, 3 packages of bacon, and 4 dozen eggs.  We made sponge cake, lemon curd, and this delicious yogurt pie!

The title "Pie with Benefits", comes from the probiotics in the yogurt, the Vitamins of the squash, and very little sugar.

Fall Yogurt Pie: Must Make Yogurt Cheese 8 hours + prior

Graham Cracker Crust
2 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter melted.

Pour warm butter on crumbs. Mix well. Reserve  1/2 cup in another heat proof bowl. Press into shallow pie plate, creating a thick crust at sides.  Bake both pie crust and extra bowl at 350F for 8-12 minutes.

Yogurt Cheese:
Place in a colander a few layers of cheesecloth.  Put colander in a bowl that will suspend it and allow whey to collect beneath without touching colander.  Place one 32 oz container of plain whole milk yogurt in cheese cloth. Tie closed with string and tie to a wooden spoon that reaches across colander.
Let drain for 8-12 hours in refridgerator.
You will have yogurt cheese (like cream cheese) in colander and whey below.  Save whey in a sealed glass jar for other uses.  Fermenting veggies, making bread, adding to recipes instead of milk...

Filling:
1cup pumpkin or winter squash ( I had a quartered piece of butternut squash left over)
3 tbs. maple syrup
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Yogurt cheese

Blend squash or pumpkin with maple syrup first in a blender or food processor.  If you need more moisture add a small amount of yogurt.  Too much moisture may not set up.  Then blend other ingredients until smooth.  Taste and adjust sweetness or spice.
Pour into cooked and cooled pie crust.  Sprinkle extra crumbs on top.
Make a little bowl of scrapings from blender and a little bit of crumbs for your little ones (or you) to enjoy now.
Chill pie at least 1 hour, more if possible.

*Inspiration came from Moosewood Cookbook's Yogurt Pie.

Home Christmas Celebrations

Christmas Eve

Simple pasta and meatballs that everyone loves

and for dessert Peppermint Star Ice Cream

Peppermint Star Ice Cream:

Break up one- two candy canes (we happened to have organic which are actually so much more flavorful)

Soften a pint of Grater's Vanilla Ice Cream.

I placed the broken candy cane piece in a cake pan then gently pulled the ice cream out of the pint.

I sliced a circle placed it on the candy pieces, cut out with a star cutter and then added some of the softer ice cream to fill in all the way. After making four I quickly placed them in the freezer with some ice cream left over for another time.

They were a big hit.  Our chocolate lover got a little chocolate sauce on his.

Little Chamomile tea, cookies, and wine to finish up some gifts at the last hour.

The special gifts I made for the boys.

Santa brought the boys a town and candy canes

They would have been just as happy with only shovels.  They had to go out in their  pajamas

Christmas Kugelhopf