old fashioned fudge

My great grandma, Roberta Katherine, is kind of a legend in our family.  She's my maternal grandfather's momma, and she raised 8 kids - 7 boys and 1 daughter, during the Great Depression.  She was a talented pianist and taught piano as well.  My Grandpa, her son, was one of my favorite people I've ever known.  He tutored me in algebra over the phone, taught me to believe in myself, and loved God and his family passionately.

This fudge feels like a piece of my heritage.  It may not win any beauty contests, but it's delicious!

Gramma Roberta's Old Fashioned Fudge
Ingredients:
2 c. sugar

1 tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa

1 cup milk

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Butter an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.

Boil sugar, cocoa and milk together in medium saucepan.  Stir a couple times to mix together but then leave it untouched while it boils. Add 1 tablespoon butter when it boils up, and continue to boil until mixture forms a soft ball in cold water, about 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and let cool 10-15 minutes.

Beat on medium high until the candy starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla and the walnuts, if using.  Continue beating about 5 minutes until very thick, then pour quickly into prepared dish.

Note: When ready to pour, the candy loses its sheen.

This recipe can be used for cake icing that will not crack if you boil it a little less time and let it cool until it is warm only (close to tepid) before you start beating it.

Source: Himes family

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thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving hasn't always been a "big deal" in my family, so it was kind of surprising how sad I was to miss it.  Living 1000+ miles away from home and working retail hours haven't allowed us to get to Houston for the holiday.  But actually, I'm not really sure what a "traditional" Thanksgiving looks like anymore!

3 years ago, on the night before Thanksgiving, Lane proposed! Then on Thanksgiving day, we spent a few hours with our families and headed to a football game.

 

2 years ago, we went with a bunch of Lane's extended family - 16 of us total - to Puerto Rico for Thanksgiving.  It was so fun!

Last year, we went to one of our favorite restaurants in Indy - Lane had pizza, and I forgot to take pictures.

This year, we joined some sweet, sweet friends and their family!! We're so thankful they offered to include us and we had a wonderful time eating delicious food, playing with their kiddos, and hanging out. 

I had already bought a turkey when we got the invitation to join them, so tonight, I made my first turkey after all.  I did a lot of screaming but was able to successfully remove the gross stuff and was mature enough to rub butter on and under the skin.  Our Thanksgiving-round-2 was just turkey and from scratch green bean casserole, but it was delicious and fun anyway!

 

I guess I decided that for now, we'll do whatever we can to celebrate Thanksgiving, and be thankful that modern technology lets us "see" our family pretty much whenever we want.

yes, I even videochat with my doggy when I'm away.

After all, being happy is a decision, right?

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." - Martha Washington

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make this salad.

Seriously.

Once you get the dressing made, all you have to do is assemble the ingredients.  I have them all stacked on top of the tub of spinach in my refrigerator, so it's easy to pull it out and make a quick salad.  This isn't what I would normally choose when it's 30 degrees outside, but it's so delicious I can't resist.


Spinach Salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
For the vinaigrette:
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
2 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. Champagne
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt

For the salad:
Baby spinach leaves
For topping:
Chopped walnuts, toasted
Dried cranberries
Green apples, thinly sliced

Directions:
To make the vinaigrette, combine the strawberries, red wine vinegar, champagne, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Store in an airtight container.
To make the salad, place some baby spinach in a bowl.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Top with a few chopped toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and a few slices of green apple.

Source: inspired by Annie's Eats, originally from Epicurious

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