Pantsuits, Perfect Weather, and Patriotic Fudge: Election Day 2016

As I've said before, I love Election Day.  I'm happy to see everyone out and about and in the often-long lines at the polling places, no matter to whom their votes are going.  I myself was in line at seven this morning, and forty-five minutes later was walking home in the most gorgeous November weather wearing my "I voted" sticker. 

'More than a few "pantsuits for Hillary" at the two polling places I observed today, and there were likely as many Donald Trump supporters beside them.  Peace to us all.  ♥  I love this day.  I love that people care enough to take the time, period. 

I made up plates of Grandma's fudge to take to the volunteers at the two polling places nearest me.  My original plan had included taking fudge to both Hillary Clinton's and Donald Trump's campaign headquarters, as well--♪ What the world needs now is love, sweet love ♫--but when I walked a plate of fudge over to Clinton's listed headquarters, the office/storefront was already boarded-up and padlocked--I thought it would still be active at its stated address at least through tonight--and Trump's headquarters were in two suburbs of the city too far for me to get to this evening.  My good wishes and respect to us all, then, but Grandma's fudge ended up going only to the volunteers.  :) 

'Returns-watching the rest of the night here for me, and tomorrow, my second run since mid-August.  I'm finally healthy again--thank you ♥--and happy to enjoy what's left of this beautiful autumn.  It is a day of hope here, to be sure. 

This Year's Christmas Baking

These pseudo Christmas pudding cakes are my favorite things that I've made this holiday.  They're simply inverted chocolate cupcakes topped with buttercream, cinnamon candies, and mint leaves, but oh!  ♥  They're so darling, I'll likely make them every year now.  Last year at this time, I was lamenting that I spent so much time baking every Christmas and never made anything that I liked:  Everything was sugar cookies and peanut butter-filled treats for Mike.  I don't like either, really,  although I love making and decorating the sugar cookies, and I really don't like all that slaving away with no treats around for myself, so this year, I wised up and baked a few of these tiny chocolate cakes. 

I also bought myself a couple Russell Stover-brand chocolate marshmallow snowmen.  I'd never had them before this month but treated myself to one a few weeks ago and have treated myself to a few more since.  ;)  The marshmallow inside is a chocolate-flavored marshmallow, thank you very much.  There are a couple "Val desserts" in our home this year, then, and I'm a happy camper. 

The chocolate Rice Krispie balls above were a (gluten-free) treat I made for Mom while home last week.  Jessica at Such Pretty Things (a gorgeous blog if ever there was one) posted a similar recipe awhile back, and I adjusted it to suit Mom more by using chocolate cereal and drizzling them with melted chocolate chips. 

She loved them, which is always a great feeling for a cook or baker, and they looked cute in their gingham loaf pan packaging too.  If these would survive being mailed--and it seems like they would--they would be cute in care packages.  ♥ 

I made my brothers the now-traditional gift of our grandmother's fudge.  A seller on etsy created these adorable A Christmas Story-themed ornaments, and since the movie is also part of our family holiday, they worked perfectly as the fudge's package decorations.  :)

Sugar cookies have been baked--

and now decorated, as well.  

Dish-washing, gift-wrapping, and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas-watching are next.  The night is young.  My favorite night!  ♥  

It is currently a balmy 58° here--almost unheard of in this region at this time of year--and all our windows are open.  There is no worrying over family driving on icy roads as they travel to my parents' house tonight for Christmas Eve dinner, at least, and maybe this odd weather will ultimately make this winter feel shorter.  And it will make it easier for me to get out and walk off all the marshmallow snowmen and Christmas pudding cakes in the days ahead, yes?  Yes.  :)  As I do every Christmas Eve, I have been happily imagining what you all are up to today, much like the hostess of the old "Romper Room" show looking into her magic mirror and seeing what all the children were up to at that moment.  "I see Lisa:  She's listening to Christmas carols with her cat!  I see Lorraine now!  Look, she's taking a stroll through her Florida garden!  There's Alyssa!  She's keeping an eye on the Elf on a Shelf!"  I have been like this all day, with all my loved ones coming to mind.  I hope my "magic mirror" is correct and that you are each as happy and safe and cozy as I'm envisioning you.  Happiest of holidays to you all.  ♥ 

Grandma's Fudge

If my brothers are reading, they should act surprised Tuesday night when they receive these little boxes.  ♥  Grandma's fudge was one of our favorite things she made.  She would mix up a pan of it for Christmas and other special occasions and "just because," as well, and keep it in a box on top of her dining room buffet.  One summer week as a kid while I was staying with her and Papa, I told her I wanted to learn how to make it, and she went along with it, showing me how quickly I needed to stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallow cream and reminding me to make sure my pan was at-the-ready when the time came, even though it was really too humid out that week to be cooking fudge at all.  That first batch, despite Grandma's patience and tips and tricks, didn't turn out, and I didn't try it again until after she died in 2001.  Someone needed to keep the fudge tradition alive, and at least a few pounds of the weight I gained during grad school in the next few years can be attributed to my determination to figure out the recipe.  (And the bread recipe.  And the meatball recipe. . . .)  

It isn't difficult--no candy thermometer involved--but took me a few tries to get just right.  The original recipe is here, but I go by the rewritten version in my little cookbook.  I need to update my little cookbook a little bit, though, because I've learned more since adding Grandma's recipe to it.

I knew I really had it down when I arrived home for my younger brother's wedding in July of 2011 and was greeted by my mom with a bemused "Brian's asked you to make some of Grandma's fudge for the reception."  That turned into another humid summer day of fudge-making, but by then, I knew enough fudge secrets to be successful.  I use butter not margarine.  Butter.  As soon as the 1.5-sticks-of-butter/3-cups-of-sugar/exactly-2/3-cups-evaporated milk mixture begins to boil, set your timer for five minutes and stir it all five minutes while it bubbles and makes your kitchen smell like Grandma's.  Five minutes.  All five minutes.  Have your ingredients open and your 13" x 9" pan greased/prepared ahead of time.  And begin washing your Fudge-Cooking Pot immediately after you're done with it.  

One of the things I wish I'd thought to save from Papa and Grandma's house was the deep saucepan Grandma used for this recipe.  This pot's another one of theirs, but I wish I'd had the foresight to take the other one too.  Dad made me the sturdy wooden spoon below.  It's extra-tall and perfect for stirring thick fudge with its big billy club handle. 

Not realizing when to begin the five-minute countdown for the boiling stage was my mistake with my first however-many batches of this fudge.  Set your timer when you first see bubbles at least as big as the ones below.  Stir constantly, and I mean it.  The sugar can get scorched if you don't, and the more you stir, the smoother the fudge will be.  Gritty fudge still tastes good but doesn't do Grandma proud.  Off-subject, Aunt Laurie sent me that sweet pot holder last Christmas, and I treasure it.  Grandma's recipe and pot, Dad's handmade spoon, and Aunt Laurie's pot holder.  This fudge recipe was brought to you by love, thank you.  ♥

And you will need to feel the love after you add the bag of chocolate chips, and then, most especially, after you add the marsmallow cream, because the fudge will already have the consistency of fudge at this point and will be hard to stir. I use the smaller (7 oz.) jar of marshmallow cream, but the fudge turns out with the large jar too.  It's just a bit softer in both color and consistency when the extra's added.

That my grandmother, even in her early nineties, made this fudge for us as often as she did--and voluntarily, and without complaint--is a testament to her love for us, truly, because the incorporating-chocolate-and-marshmallow stage makes the arms ache.  I marvel at her strength every time I cook this.  ♥ 

Quickly pour it into the pan, begin washing the pot, and let the fudge cool.  I've just opened the kitchen window and let the pan chill on the stove-top under it the past few times I've made it.  By the time I've finished all the boiling and stirring and am starting dishes and kitchen clean-up, a wide-open window feels like heaven anyway. 

Target had the little treat boxes in the top picture in their dollar section, so I picked up two and packaged some fudge in them to add to my brothers' Christmas presents.  Walnuts omitted for Brian.  Christmas sprinkles added to the top of the entire batch, although I'm sure Grandma would shake her head at this newfangled addition to her recipe and murmur, "Well, I suppose that's okay. . . ."  :)  Best Fudge Ever.  ♥  Love to you all this Christmas.  December's been a blur this year.  I see my family--and meet Bianca--Tuesday!  Life is sweet.