Candy Corn Surprise

Candy corn is always a Halloween favorite--make it even better when you mix with pecans and white candy bark.

 

Servings: 3 dozen

 

Ingredients:

2 cups Coarsely Chopped Pecans

1 cup Halloween Candy Corn  

1½ lb White Chocolate Candy Bark, coarsely chopped   

1× 14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk 

¼ tsp Salt  

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans, in a single layer, in a shallow pan for 8-10 minutes. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with lightly greased foil. Microwave candy bark, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a 2-qt microwave safe bowl on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring at 1 minute intervals. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla, candy corn and pecans. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Cool; cover and chill at least 2 hours or until set. Turn candy out onto cutting board and cut into squares. Store, covered, at room temperature.

The bad the ugly and the unbelievable Facts about FAST FOODS

I do a lot of reading, and the fact that I have been reading that fast food is killing Americans really gets under my skin. Then why do we all go to fast food? I admit I don't go as much as many other people so I am proud, but I still have health problems and even doctors say stay away from fast food, sodas and everything that we crave, of course they do, they are paid to tell us this, and to put us on medicines to live the rest of our unhealthy lives taking.
Here are somethings I have read taken from several blogs and online articles
what do you think?

The Worst Offenders when it comes to Fast Food

Chicken
Reddit member Dfunkatron says that as a McDonald's employee before 2003 — the year the chain switched to all white meat minced chicken nuggets — he left a bag of frozen nuggets on a counter for "way too long." The result: "They melted. Into a pool of liquid." Another poster named Kalevatar replied that because the chain's current frozen nuggets are coated with a glaze of ice, "they do get kinda melty still if you leave them out, but that's only because the melting ice dissolves the breading and the ground chicken isn't fully-cooked before it goes in the fryer." A further visualization of this process is offered by a user named bamp, who says, "Think of IKEA furniture being left in water... then turning to wood pulp."
Attempts to contact McDonald's for comment regarding its McNuggets were unsuccessful.
Surprisingly, it is grilled chicken and not nuggets that receives the worst beating from employees. In his "ask me anything," GameMisconduct63 says McDonald's grilled chicken "doesn't sell too well," and "can remain there for a decent amount of time.... Where I work, they can push it to two hours waiting." Another user says of the grilled chicken that although it's the most healthy thing on the menu, it "can end up lasting an hour in a heated cabinet."
Unconventional pizza toppings
One poster named K_Lobstah said that in his pizza-making experience," 'quirky' pizza toppings" that aren't ordered often (he mentions green olives, artichokes,and sun-dried tomatoes) don't get much turnover, and so aren't as fresh. And while he does say these toppings will be "replaced before they're actually rotten," he also notes that that could be "a long time after they're considered unfit for consumption."
Sweetened tea
Iced tea may sound healthier than a soft drink, however, most fast-food sweetened teas contain a whopping amount of sugar that's nearly equivalent to sodas of comparable size.
Ice
Many users told tales of moldy, unsanitary ice-making machines, while others said they'd never seen this problem. Perhaps the grossest description was from someone named rustyshackelford3000, who wrote: "These machines are only cleaned out usually when they break. The bottom of the ice bins are usually covered in very nasty stuff and slime."
Visiting just before closing time
This nugget from a self-described Wendy's employee sums up the problem: "Don't come through before we close. That's when we're most lenient about our quality. If you come through at 11:55, don't expect good stuff. Expect squishy chicken, old fries, and shitty meat. It's not a guarantee, but chances are good.
Chili
One former Wendy's employee, Cozmo23 revealed the secret to the chain's beefy chili: "The meat comes from hamburger patties that sat on the grill too long to serve to customers. They take them and put them in a bin and then throw them in the fridge. When the chili is made they...boil it, chop it up, and dump [it] in the chili."
But Wendy's senior vice president of communications Denny Lynch tells Everyday Health this is no secret at all. He confirms that Cozmo23's description is pretty much spot on. "We have never hidden from the fact that since we started in 1969 we use hamburgers that are overcooked as chili meat," Lynch says. What's more, Lynch agrees with several Reddit users who responded to Cozmo23 by saying the Wendy's process makes perfect sense. "As several people pointed out, that's a way you don't waste meat," Lynch says. But he's also quick to add that "There are food safety issues and food safety procedures that we do have to follow," including rules for refrigeration and reheating the meat.
Double quarter pounder with cheese
Asked for his opinion of the worst food, healthwise, on the McDonald's menu, GameMisconduct63 says it's the double quarter-pounder with cheese, which has "the highest element content of most things on the menu. Element content meaning sodiums, carbohydrates, fats, etc."

A Silver Lining?

In the interest of overall health and well-being, it's safe to say everyone should limit fast-food intake. But amid all of the food-safety practices detailed in the Reddit discussions, several comments make it clear fast-food safety varies widely thanks to management at individual locations.
For example, when asked if McDonald's is clean, GameMisconduct63 replied, "Ours is, every 10 minutes it's required that someone cleans the tables in the lobby, as well as the floors (if needed)." A former Subway "sandwich artist" says he and his colleagues "kept the place spotless," and recommends customers use overall cleanliness as "an indication of clean, fresh ingredients."
Further hammering home the key role management plays in food handling and overall service, GameMisconduct63 sums things up with the comment: "If there's one thing I'd like to get out there in this thread, it's that each location has a different set of standards. Managers literally MAKE the restaurant, so if you have bad management, your location is going to blow."

Candied or Crystallized Flowers

Candied or Crystallized Flowers
 When growing flowers in my garden I always love spending time with them, and I am always looking for ways to extend their beauty, so when I found out you could candy them and use them on cakes, in foods and drinks(ice cubes) and things I was even happier to have my flowers and herbs.

Rinsed and dried edible flower blossoms, separated from the stem (suggestions: apple or plum blossoms, borage flowers, lilac florets, rose petals, scented geraniums, and the violas - violets, Johnny-jump-ups, and pansy petals)
1 extra-large egg white, at room temperature
Few drops of water
About 1 cup superfine sugar
A small paint brush
A baking rack covered with waxed paper

Instructions
Good candidates for candying are apple or plum blossoms, borage flowers, lilac florets, rose petals, scented geraniums, and the violas - violets, Johnny-jump-ups, and pansy petals.

This job takes a little patience; it seems to go more quickly if you do it with a friend. The following recipe will coat quite a few flowers, but if you need more, mix up a second batch.

In a small bowl, combine the egg white with the water and beat lightly with a fork or small whisk until the white just shows a few bubbles. Place the sugar in a shallow dish.

Holding a flower or petal in one hand, dip a paint brush into the egg white with the other and gently paint the flower. Cover the flower or petal completely but not excessively. Holding the flower or petal over the sugar dish, gently sprinkle sugar evenly all over on both sides. Place the flower or petal on the waxed paper to dry. Continue with the rest of the flowers.

Let the flowers dry completely; they should be free of moisture. This could take 12 to 36 hours, depending on atmospheric humidity. To hasten drying, you may place the candied flowers in an oven with a pilot light overnight, or in an oven set at 150 degrees to 200 degrees F with the door ajar for a few hours.

Store the dried, candied flowers in airtight containers until ready to use. They will keep for as long as a year.

Credits
Recipe from: Texas A&M Horticulture

Crystallized Roses by Meadowsweets
Edible candied flowers can be used as toppers for cakes, pies, sorbet, ice cream, truffles, and cupcakes.
Bag them up and give as sweet wedding guest gifts.
Add them atop beverages.
Decor for many dishes such as fruit salad or around a holiday wedding table.
They’re an inexpensive decor item and edible treat.
They don’t create waste – they vanish into bellies and if not eaten of course they completely biodegrade.
They taste fabulous.
Excellent flowers to crystallize for green weddings: Lilacs, violets, rose petals, cowslip, angelica, rosemary, sage, pinks, borage, primroses, and lavender. Leaves such as lemon balm, lemon verbena, mint, and bergmot can also be coated with sugar. Really, any edible plant can be crystallized. Just make sure you research which flowers and leaves are safe to eat before using them to make candied flowers.

Health matters: Flowers used for candied flowers need to be home grown or purchased from a reliable organic flower source. Flowers laced with sugar are cool – flowers laced with pesticides don’t belong at your green wedding.

How to make candied flowers and candied leaves:
Pansies are especially pretty in the springtime and eatable

Pick flowers on a sunny dry day – you don’t want wet petals.
Remove all stalks and white bases from petals, also remove any sharp edges, thorns, and petals that look icky. Once you coat a flower with sugar it’ll make any problems stand out.
Lightly beat an egg white until just foamy.
Dip each flower into the egg white to coat. Make sure to use plastic tweezers if holding by the petals (metal will bruise petals).
Dip into organic caster sugar.
Place on wax paper atop a wire cooling rack.
Place in your extremely low heated oven with the door slightly open. You can also dry flowers in a well enclosed solar oven or a hot greenhouse but note, small flowers are delicate and will blow away.
Once your flowers are nicely dry in the oven (not sticky or dusty to the touch) they’re done.
Candied flower storage and handling:

If you store your candied flowers in a moisture-free, air-tight containers, at room temperature (no direct sunlight) they should last a good long while. If you’re making these for a wedding, I’d make them no more than a month in advance.
Place your candied flowers your cake or other food item about 24-48 hours prior to the event; note – you can store these in the fridge or freezer once on a cake but store your cake uncovered. Placing a cover over may create too much moisture for the flowers.
To attach flowers to a wedding cake use a tiny drop of icing and be careful, as your flowers are delicate.

cupcakes for everyday of the month

Let's try them all

Tiny Elf or Doll accents

The big boy is from Krispy Kreme. The mini is Emma's version.

The box of donuts is really a pill box....Emma's holding her favorite, a cheerio dipped in chocolate, then sprinkles. The others are cheerios dipped in confectioners' sugar and cheerios rolled in cinnamon sugar.

A selection of Emma's mini cakes.

The mini cakes are really oreos with a layer of frosting between them, then more frosting on tops and sides...plus decorations.

The cakes should "rest" before anyone tries cutting a slice so the oreos have a chance to soften and become, yes, cake-like. Emma used a small pastry tip to make florettes and tubes of colored gels for the lettering.

You can see by comparing Emma's hand to these peanut butter thumbprint cookies just how teeny they are.

Emma used store-bought peanut-butter cookie dough and regular-size chocolate chips instead of the standard Hershey's Kiss..

This mini cone is really a Bugle and a "scoop" of seasoned cream cheese (you can use a melon ball-er, or just roll in the palm of your hands). Kids like sugared cream cheese and fruit-flavored (think strawberry) cream cheese. Bigger kids enjoy salt-and-white-pepper (vanilla) and smoked-salmon (strawberry) flavors.

Pizza anyone?

Yup, those are Slim Jim's Emma sliced to make her pepperoni.

Mmmm.

Last but not least: Emma's watermelon--she cuts a lime in half lengthwise, scoops out the pulp, fills with strawberry jello, tosses in a few mini-chips for seeds...and refrigerates until set.

Pretty cute, no? What's your fave?

One day, Emma came home from a playdate with her friend Annie with a rectangular take-out soy-sauce dish filled with the mini donuts. I was in love…what a great cooking project! Then, she told me the idea came from an American Girl book, Tiny Treats. We got one immediately, and Emma started making one or two every weekend–get this…instead of TV time!!! That’s just about the best recommendation I can give! I couldn’t even tell you which is my favorite—I think they’re all so adorable. Which is yours?