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Soda Cracker Toffee | Recipe

December 23, 2009 By Laura 11 Comments

This recipe is one that came to mind, in a memory from years ago. I had no idea what it was called though, so I googled the ingredients to figure it out.
I guess it’s called Soda Cracker Toffee.

Which brings to mind a pressing question for me: Does ANYONE actually say ‘soda crackers’ anymore? I can’t imagine. So if you don’t mind, while I share this recipe, I’m just going to refer to this type of crackers as ‘saltines’. After all, I’m just a kid.

But before I get to that, I wanted to share the memories that this treat brought to mind. I remember the first time I ever tried it. I was working as a teller in a bank. (Do I hear people snickering? lol. Yes, I realize, for anyone who knows me at all, it is comical that I ever worked in a bank. But I did. For like 3 or 4 years! You may wonder how I pulled that off. Well, that’s easy. I was a struggling artist at the time, living at home with my parents. A very, very good friend of my family’s (still today), was the president of the district of that bank, or something like that. He encouraged me to apply for a job at that bank. As much as I questioned him that they would ever hire me, he assured me all would be fine. ; ) I worked there for 2 years, and even was successfully transferred to the south shore when I got married. Until I couldn’t take it anymore…being like, and dressing like, someone I was so NOT. So then I quit, and became a married, struggling artist, in my first own home.

But in that last year, there was a girl that worked at my branch for a few months. There are 3 things I remember about her:

1) She was very bubbly, and always smiling.

2) She once turned to me after I said something or other, (I swear, I forget what..) and said, “You know, you are soooooo…..ABRASIVE!” Michael and I have laughed about that for YEARS since. Well, except I always forget the word she used, and he reminds me. And THEN we laugh again. But anyway, it’s not the truth. She was very sensitive, and just didn’t get my humor.

3) One day she brought in this recipe.
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Now…..if you have a sweet tooth, THIS recipe is for YOU. It’s junk food, at it’s best. So I hear. I’m not really into stuff this sweet, but I know others who are LOVING it. ; )

It is SOOOO Easy to make. And only 4 ingredients.

Participating Ingredients: a sleeve of SALTINES, 1 cup of light brown sugar, a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips, & 1 cup of butter. (2 sticks. Holy…)

Spread a whole sleeve of the crackers as a single layer, on a 10×15 jelly roll pan, or, if you don’t have one of those (like us), we used a 17 1/4 x 11 x 1 inch cookie sheet, which should be covered with tin foil first.

I took this photo just for fun. (So take a break. ; )

In a saucepan, melt down the 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar.

This would be a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bring to a boil, and while stirring frequently, boil for 4-5 minutes.

When the time is up, I saw lots of ‘pockets’ of butter or brown sugar, so I used the back of the spoon to press them out against the side of the pan, and mix some more, until it looked truly combined. Took a minute is all.

So then you have warm toffee, and it should look more like this.

Pour as evenly as you can over all of the crackers. You need to work some quickly because the toffee will start setting if it cools too much. Once it is all poured, quickly spread it out more evenly over the crackers.

Once it is spread out, put it in your pre-heated oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, and then turn off the oven.

Quickly spread the entire bag of chocolate chips all over the toffee-covered Saltines.

Then put the pan back in the oven for 4-5 minutes, which should still be pretty hot.

(In my attempt to see if the chips were indeed melt-y enough, I grabbed the spatula off the counter, which got caught on a pair of kitchen scissors, sending them flying INTO the oven, and falling to the bottom.
Metal tongs were necessary to remove the scissors, which were now on fire. But you can skip that whole step! : )

When the chips look melt-y enough, remove the pan from the oven again, and spread the chocolate more evenly over the cracker base.

Now place the pan in your refrigerator, to speed up the process of chilling and setting the chocolate.

When it is set, remove from fridge.

And cut into 1 inch squares with a pizza cutter. (You can actually do this yourself!! Michael just did it for me, because I’m weak, and have a life-long broken finger.) (I know what you are thinking by now….Yes, I am accident-prone.)

You can store it all in an air-tight container.

This treat is really a nice little gift, or a sweet addition to your own Christmas or New years festive celebration!

Enjoy!!

(And don’t forget to brush your teeth after! Seriously.)

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‘3 Clean Hearts’ | The Triplets Make Their First Penance / Reconciliation

December 19, 2009 By Laura 4 Comments

We are a Catholic family, and our triplets {J, O & S} made their Sacrament of First Penance/Reconciliation last Saturday!

It was a nice service, considering they were only 3 of 78 other kids celebrating the same Sacrament that day- and that was only half the class! The other half made theirs the previous Saturday.

They all did very well, and I can say our 3 were not as nervous or hesitant as I half-expected. I’d venture to say they were perhaps over-prepared for this first time. They knew their Act of Contrition by heart, and were counting on saying it on their own, and were expecting a lot of the usual procedure they had learned. But, as it were for this time, the whole class read that prayer together from their program, and many little things were done a tad differently, for the sake of getting through that many children in a timely-manner, I guess. We weren’t really sure how the service, or Confession for each child, was going to go, so, we were ready for anything. There were 9-10 priests on hand, and they were scattered about the church in empty pews. Nonetheless, they know things will be a bit different from here on out, and they’re ready!

After the service at the church, there was a reception gathering at the parish center with all of the children, parents and teachers, for treats and coffee. We only stayed for a short bit, because we couldn’t verify anything there was peanut safe, and I felt bad – so we went home and had a treat. On the way home, the kids talked about how they felt good having had their first Confession. {O} said she felt like she had a ‘clean heart’ now, and the boys agreed that’s how they felt too. Their sweet little smiles warmed my own heart. Of course, that was 7 days ago. ; ) Another ‘cleansing’ is due for us all, just around the corner, as it is tradition in our family to go at La Salette Shrine every year, on Jan 1st or 2nd as well. We always go to Mass and Penance there.

A little bit later, we took a gift card we had been given from a friend to a very nice nearby restaurant, and went and had a celebratory lunch together as a family. Hardly anyone else was there, so it was really peaceful, and the food was really good. Later that night we had a family-movie night.

They did receive beautiful certificates with their name on them, which will go into their ‘baby bins’. (At what point/age will we stop calling them ‘baby’ bins? lol) Someone in the parish also made these adorable snowmen for the kids, that held little dum-dum pops. So cute.

All in all, the kids are just happy they are 1 step closer to the Sacrament they are truly looking forward to: First Holy First Communion. They have been waiting to be able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, for so, so long. That’s a day we all look forward to.

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Blessings of Wood / Home Heating with Pallets

December 19, 2009 By Laura 3 Comments

I think all of us New Englanders can agree, that it’s not cheap to heat a home in the winter seasons. Especially larger or older homes. So sometimes, we need to keep the heat thermostat down a bit, double up on clothing layers, or find a cheaper way to heat our home. We’ve done all of the above. Today we’re sharing one way we sometimes heat our house, for FREE. If you are able to burn wood, consider burning and heating your home with free hardwood pallets, if you can find them!

This is often what one side of our drive-way looks like, as of the past few months. Sometimes, the piles of these pallets are a little higher, and sometimes a little lower. But one thing is for sure – we’re always happy to see some out there!
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Because these pallets heat our home, for free. Well….maybe for a little labor. Although I doubt Michael would call it that. Michael’s supply company for his business, sometimes gives us stacks of pallets, that they want out of their warehouse. When they are delivering down in our area anyway, they put a stack or 2 of these on the truck, to be delivered to us. Most of the pallets are oak, or other hard woods. Sometimes, there’s a little pine too, but that’s o.k. It all burns in our wood stove! But hard wood does burn longer and hotter.

The pallets just need to be cut up. But Michael is always happy to fire up ‘Little Red‘, and cut wood. He loves doing it. (Seriously. We all can tell.) As a matter of fact, he’s out there cutting up pallets right now! On his birthday no less. Even the kids said awhile ago, “Daddy wants to go out and cut wood on his birthday.” lol.

Can’t you see that manly-expression of satisfaction on his face? I can. lol

He’s got an ax now too….so he’s even happier!
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Here’s just one pile we’ve got going.
This one he keeps stacked pretty high, because he loves to just crank open that window above, and grab some wood for the stove. lol
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There is usually a great big pile on the floor in the house too, just to the right of the stove.

You may have wondered about all of the nails in the pallets. Michael doesn’t bother pulling the nails out, most times. He’s a clever time saver;
TIP: When the stove cools down from previous fire(s), he has this magnet he sticks in to the floor of the stove, and it picks up all of the nails that fell out of the wood as it burned. ; )

Our 2-floor house is not small, by any means, anymore. And the living room ceiling is high. So it can be costly to heat, with gas. This stove really helps out with that though. Michael has a couple of fans going, and the heat fills the house, and even blows right upstairs and heats up there, too. The entire upstairs is the new part of the house, but we don’t happen to have the heating system completely intact up there yet. Because honestly, we’ve gotten along fine without it. After all, our stove is burning on any given cold day throughout the cold season, and most of the night. It gets fired right back up, first thing in the morning. We LOVE our wood stove, if you haven’t read that before here. (I reckon some of you are sick of reading that, by now. lol).

But this post isn’t about our stove again. It’s about the WOOD!

We also are blessed with wood from another source. There is a sweet old man that has lived at the end of this street for a very long time. He and his wife are elderly now (although he doesn’t seem to know it yet, at 89 years old), but he and his wife raised eleven children in their home down there. Of course, their children are all grown now, and they have probably 100’s of grandchildren, or something close. Anyway, this sweet man has called numerous times, or left messages, that always go the same way: “Michael! Lenny. I’ve got wood down here for you. Come and get it.” Trees that he took down himself. Michael always catches him doing something labor-intensive, and goes over to help him. Or, other times Michael has very sneakily snuck in like an elf, and finished a job he saw Lenny working so hard at during the day, so Lenny wouldn’t have to.

So think real hard, about where you can get some free pallets, or other wood! If you see piles of them out back behind local warehouses and big chain stores, stop in, and ask to speak to the manager about the possibility of taking them off their hands. Look for piles of broken pallets beside dumpsters. Go for a walk on a sunny winter day, and see what old dead tree limbs you can find, throw it in the back of your truck. It may need to be seasoned for a bit back home, but you’ll appreciate it as free heating wood, at some point.

Well, as I close this post, we’ve got a snowstorm on the way!! The funny thing is, we haven’t even had a FLURRY this cold season, yet. We’re just going to kick it off with…..who knows how much. Supposedly a lot, but it depends on which weather report you read. As Michael says, after reading the different predictions, “Basically, we’ll be getting anywhere from a dusting, to several feet of snow.”

One thing is for sure. We’ll be home. And cozy as can be. Well….except for the kids sometimes, who will probably spend some of that time playing out there in the first fallen snow. Perhaps they’ll build me another snowman, that I can admire outside my windows, by the fireside.

I often wonder who else always has a fire going in their home during cold seasons. And if anyone loves it as much as we do. Do you? If so, we hope this post gave some of you wood burners out there some new ideas, about cutting the cost of heating your homes more affordably, or for free.
Wishing you warm winters!

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A Christmas Fan Pull | Crafts

December 15, 2009 By Laura 6 Comments

The other day, I found myself gazing at this tiny, intricate, beautiful little ceramic egg, that I spontaneously hung from our fan pull in our sun room one day, quite awhile ago.

I wondered why it never struck me as a little Easter decoration until then, and how it really didn’t look quite right hanging there, the way it was.

It bothered me a tad more, when I realized Christmas was really coming very soon. I needed to do something about the egg, hanging there. I had a little more time on my hands than I have had for the past few months, so I decided I would make a Christmas fan pull, to replace the egg.

Then I thought about the year ahead, and my imagination ran wild. You all know I love holiday and seasonal themed ‘anythings’, and especially for my home decor. So, if all of the ideas in my head come to be, you all will be seeing some more themed fan pulls crafts around here, as the coming year progresses. I’ve got a whole array of a collection of fan pulls in my head, and I think it’s a lovely idea to have that collection, to change my fan pulls with the holidays and seasons as we roll through the year.

So here is my first fan pull craft, for Christmas. It’s not quite the vision I had in my head, only because I didn’t see the beads in the store, that I created in my head. (I don’t get why I can never find the stuff I make up? I mean, if “I” thought of it…..). I also sort of winged the construction of it this time around, but I am sure with experience will come…near perfection.

Here’s all I needed at the store for this craft:

Some pretty beads that said ‘Christmas’ to me. I love the ‘strands’ of beads found in the craft stores….because you can really take a good look at them, without them being in a container and such. Also needed, was some thin but strong gauged wire. I went with 26 gauge. And then…..I wanted a ‘star of Bethlehem’ of some sort. Whatever form I could find one….which was found in a back aisle in the way of a tree topper. I think. But I could fix that.

So first I cut the string and spread my beads out on the table.

Then Michael cut the star off the wire spring, leaving some wire to twist into a circle, which I covered with the small beads that came on my strand, and closed the loop more tightly.

Next I measured how long I wanted my pan full, doubled that length and added a couple more inches to that, and started stringing the beads, alternating between the larger color-faceted beads, with the clear crystal ones. Once through all of the beads, I slid the wire through the loop of the star, and back UP the whole wire of beads, until both ends were coming out of the top.

As an after-thought, I could have just hung the star on the center of the wire, grabbed both of the other ends of the wire, and fed them together through all of the beads, until they came out the top. But that would have been too easy I guess. lol

For security, I took both ends of the wire, and re-routed them again up the bottom of the top bead, so they came back out the top once again. So yes, 2 thin wires are now showing on the outside of that top bead.

With the excess wire coming out of the top of the strand of beads (with the star on the other end), I balled up the remaining wire, and just worked it into the clasp on the piece of chain hanging on the fan. Then I gave the whole thing a yank. It was nice and strong, and the fan turned on and everything. : )

I noticed a bit of wave to my hanging piece, and realized it was from the doubled wire. Perhaps I could bend it more here and there to try and straighten it a little more, but I rather like the bit of wave I think. It adds a little character and design. I decided to pass it off like I totally did that on purpose.

Fan pull chain and clasps can be found at hardware stores, etc. So in the future, if my current project involves beads with large enough holes, I may just decorate the chain itself. I already have some craft items for my plans for a new fan pull come January, as a winter theme.

But for now, I’ll enjoy my Christmas fan pull. I wondered if midnight blue beads would have been more appropriate, with the star of Bethlehem, but I still thought this looked rather pretty and Christmas-sy. It really twinkles, and displays such beautiful colors, when the room is filled with sun!

It was fun to make. I’m really going to enjoy creating this collection.

Oh, the possibilities!

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The Results of that FUNKY URBAN EXPEDITION! | A Photographer + Designer Event for Little Girls

December 13, 2009 By Laura 5 Comments

Finally, the results of my first photography event, with my designer friend! You may have seen the planning, sample photos and announcement of the event HERE. I have to say, this is one of the most fun and creative things I have ever done, as a professional photographer.

The title of the event says it all! FUNKY and URBAN, well describe the artsy visions I had for this event and these beautiful little girls! I am reminded, always, that the work I do is God’s work. Yes, sometimes it helps support my family, but it is really always God’s work….through me. There is no other work worth doing to me, if not for Him. And it is clear, every one of these children, are the perfect work of His hands. It was an honor to have them smile, laugh, dance and giggle, in front of my camera!

So, for those who ‘get it’…and can appreciate the fun artsy side of things too, I hope you enjoy some of the photos from this first event of my own. As a reminder, a custom made tutu came with the cost of this event, but the moms were responsible for putting together the outfits for their own girls. {O} took part in this event too, and had SUCH a blast, as you’ll see. All of the little girls were ADORABLE. They just loved being dressed up and showing their funky side. They hung out all day together, giggling and having the kind of little girl chit-chat that little girls do, in between their turns for having photos taken.

Here’s a (very) small peek at the beauties me and my camera got that day…….

Does God do beautiful work, or what? What blessings each one of these girls are. Like ALL children…their beauty and innocence SHINE. I can see the amazing craft of His hand in each one of them. Capturing that in photos, for them to have forever, is what I love to do.

The moms and girls LOVED the photos, and I am guessing this will be a day these little girls will remember for a long time to come. I know I will.

Thanks for coming to see these little stars.

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