Caramels

A few weeks ago I dug out a recipe my Mom used to make - Licorice Caramels. 
Susie was giving a report on the spice Anise and they were encouraged to bring a food that used their spice to share with the class.  Anise tastes like black licorice so this was the perfect recipe.  Susie wasn't a big fan but her classmates were ... and I remember it being a big hit in our neighborhood growing up [a very popular neighbor or VT christmas gift :) wrapped in little pieces and put in a red bucket to look like pieces of coal]

Here's the recipe:

1 c. butter or margarine
1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 t. salt
2 c. sugar
3/4 t. black food paste coloring
3/4 t. anise oil or anise flavoring

Slowly melt butter in a heavy large pan.  Use fork to swirl butter up sides of pan to prevent sugar crystals.  When melted, add the rest of the ingredients except food paste and flavoring.
Turn heat to medium-medium high, cook and stir constantly. (Do not cook on high, stir the whole time)  Cook to 234 degrees.
Remove from heat; add food paste and flavoring, mix in.  Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan that has been buttered.
Let set overnight in a cool place.  Cut into squares and wrap in waxed paper.
(*  For caramel apples, omit black food past and anise oil and add 2 t. vanilla)

I saw the hint at the bottom and omitted the black coloring and anise oil added a couple teaspoons of vanilla and voila we made Caramel Apples today!  Yummy!

A little trip down memory lane ...

When I was little my mom and lots of her friends were in the Junior League of Ogden (UT).  It is popular for Junior Leagues to publish cookbooks as a fundraiser for their many community service efforts.  I remember when JLO was working on publishing theirs and my mom and her friends were involved in trying, tasting, and selecting the recipes that would eventually be published.  Later I had a little job in the office to ship these cookbooks to bookshops all over :)  This licorice caramel recipe came from that recipe book as well as many, many others that are our tried and true family favorites. 

A Quick Craft

There has been a lot of crafting going on at our house ...  holiday gifts, projects, girl scouts ideas, activity day ideas ... etc.   I am AMAZED at all of the things posted on-line with directions and often free printables. 
This banner is easy to make and darling!  You can find the printable link here 'atsecondstreet.blogspot'.

Apple Hill

Today I finally got around to something I have been meaning to do ever since we moved here  ...

A trip to Apple Hill!

School was out for the day so I loaded the kiddos in the car and off we went.

It was beautiful and the perfect thing to be doing on a crisp fall day! 

I loved the barns, the fall leaves, and the apple orchards.

Sam and Susie had fun riding horses.

Ben's wanted to buy something sweet at every stop ... especially at the Fudge Factory Farm!

We came home with lots of apples and a tub of carmel so that Steve could taste some of the yumminess and maybe we will make an apple pie this weekend!

Gratitude

Tonight's Family Home Evening lesson was based on President Monson's talk "The Divine Gift of Gratitude".

Our favorite quote is:
"to express gratitude is gracious and honorable,
to enact gratitude is generous and noble,
but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

I borrowed this idea of a gratitude poster from Becky Higgins Blog, and we all took turns writing down all of the things that we are grateful for ... big to small.  We have a lot to be grateful for and it will be good to look at this poster everyday and remember a few of those things and even add more as we go through the month.

Activity Days

This week at Activity Days (my new calling is Activity Day leader ... hooray!) the girls baked chocolate chip cookies and wrote thank you letters to the firefighters in our area to say THANKS for all they do to keep us safe!

An impromptu tour ... so nice!

I loved that we did this and got such a good response. We have had two fires in our area in the last several weeks. One that we even got called to evacuate on as well as the horrific Galleria Mall Fire. These men and women definately deserve thanks for all they do to keep us safe!

Galleria mall fire

Relief

A couple of Sundays ago Ben did his Board of Review for his Eagle Project.  This is the culmination of many, many  months of work and his nerves were definately on edge!
When it is all over Ben looked at me and said. "where's your camera?"
I was stunned.
I told him I left it home because I definately thought he would NOT want his mom taking pictures of this ordeal - lol.
Well I was wrong.
He wanted to remember the moment!  The relief, the sense of accomplishment and achievement!
So when we got home I snapped this picture (it will have to do)

We are definately so proud of his hard work and dedication to accomplishing this goal!

M.O.M.

I have been working on a little project since the kids went back to school .  It comes from a website I heard about earlier this year http://www.powerofmoms.com/.  The premise is that as mom's our goal shouldn't be simply to get through motherhood--we should enjoy the process.  So there are lots of articles and organizational tips to help busy, busy moms find balance in all our pursuits.

The articles are uplifting and empowering - which is super.  I have also been working on their program called Mind Organization for Moms.  This is for anyone who is sick of the messy flow of papers in and out from every direction!  Over the past month or so I have created my space and folders and have found that it keeps my focus on the things most important for that moment and allows other things to go on a list or in a cubby until I am ready to work on them. 
Amazing ... and worth looking into!

 Cubby section

 In and out boxes

 Lists for things currently on the mind or waiting.

Happily Organized!