and it starts

Last night I went to the gym...first time in over a year. When I was pregnant, I didnt exercise like I did when I was pregnant with Francesca. The main factor in that is that I devoted all my free time to Frannie while she was my only. I knew that things would change when #2 showed up (and it has). That is also the reason why I delayed starting to take care of myself. I couldnt take it-I am tired of looking like a zombie and feeling flabby. Lou and I got a season pass (for two months) and we'll see where that goes. With the small kids and the cold, dark days, I just wasnt getting outside like I needed. And there is another reason, christmas. With christmas comes the carnage we know in our house as cookie making. I cant help it, I just bake, bake, bake all the time. Maybe it is all the sales on the baking crap or the reduced desire to freeze my toosh off outside. I love it, but at the same time I hate it. With the new little guy clinging to my torso, I will reduce the craziness of baking to make it manageable but cannot stop it altogether. The cajoling from my coworkings to bring in the goods is also making me want to bake. Their first request: fudge. here is the first recipe I am going to try-


chocolate-pistachio fudge
http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/chocolate-pistachio-fudge-my-way.html

print recipe

5 TB salted butter
1 TB butter to grease ceramic/glass dish
5 and ½ ounces high quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup cream
1 & ½ cup white sugar
1 ts high quality vanilla extract
Giant pinch of sea salt
1 or 1 ½ cup of salted, roasted pistachios (use as much or as little as you desire)

Remember this is hot sugar, never touch the hot sugar, never be tempted to taste test, and always use oven mits.
Butter an 8-by-8-inch or 8 x 9 baking dish, set aside. Get out a candy thermometer and clip onto pot.
In a large heavy duty pot (with high sides preferably) combine the butter, chocolate, cream, sugar, and salt. Place over a medium heat and stir constantly and CONSTANTLY scraping the bottom of pan. (You will be doing this for a while). Let it boil and cook until the temperature reaches around 247 -249 (soft ball stage). Once it hits this temperature remove from heat
And add in the vanilla extract (it will make a lot of noise and sizzle, just add in and stand back then stir in)
Once mixed, add in the pistachios, stir, then pour the hot mixture into your prepared buttered baking dish.
Let cool off at room temperature. Should take a couple hours to harden up.
Gently lift it out of baking dish and transfer to a wooden board or plastic cutting board. It might be hard to lift out, I just turned the dish upside down and let gravity pop it out.
Using a sharp knife to cut into little squares. You should get about 20-25 little square


Here is another one I am about to try:

HOLIDAY ROUNDS

Local honey gets the spotlight in ASAP’s Get Local campaign this January. Try using local honey in this recipe (especially with the recent news that some grocery store honey sometimes contains little in the way of actual honey). Find yours at area tailgate markets and at grocery stores that sell local foods. Visit FromHere.org to look for sources.

from Homemade Living: Keeping Bees © 2011 by Ashley English, Lark Crafts, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Yield: Approximately 3-4 dozen.

Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans
½ cup almonds
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup butter
¼ cup honey
½ cup dried cranberries
2 tbs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste


Method:
Pulse the nuts and apricots in blender until the pieces form crumbles (don't overdo it, or you’ll end up with a nut and fruit butter).


Melt the butter in stainless-steel saucepan over medium heat.


Add the nut mixture.


Stir for about a minute, then add the honey. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.


Add cranberries, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is sticky.


Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.


Form mixture into small balls, a little under 1-inch in diameter.


Let them come to room temperature, and enjoy.