Marshmallow Recipe

Marshmallows

3 pkg unflavoured gelatin
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c light corn syrup (regular corn syrup works too- has a faint molasses-y flavour)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1Tbsp Vanilla extract
1 cup water (or fruit juice if you want to flvaour these that way)

confectioners sugar for dusting

(A stand mixer is not essential for these-but there's a lot of mixing involved- so it's very very handy, I've never made them with a hand held mixer)
Combine Gelatin and 1/2 c of cold water in the bowl of mixer with a wire whip attachment. (I've used fruit juice in this step to replace the water and make a flavoured marshmallow- raspberry is especially good).

Meanwhile combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan (mixture will bubble up quite a bit), cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves, raise the heat to high and cook until it reaches 240 on a candy thermometer, remove from heat, on low speed mix syrup mixture into the gelatin, add the vanilla as it's mixing, put mixer on high speed for about 15 min. or till very thick- you should see strands of marshmallow slightly stick to the sides of the bowl as it spins. It should hold it's shape fairly well- like a meringue - but not be too solid. Dust and 8-12 pan with icing sugar and pour marshmallow mixture in- dust the top with sugar and allow to set.

Once set- you can cut into squares- or use cookie cutters- dust with icing sugar- or icing sugar and cinnamon and store covered- for a couple of weeks- they last a surprisingly ling time- and freeze well too.

I also make viva puff style cookies by piping the marshmallow mixture over sugar cookies dolloped with jam- then dipping the while thing in chocolate- or coconut flakes. In order to do that you have to work fast- and have all the cookies laid out with jam, and the piping bag- I use a giant zip lock bag with a corner cut off-ready. The marshmallow needs to be still workable but stiff enough to hold it's shape, this is easiest to gauge after a few runs- and if it's too runny you can simply pop it back in the mixer for a minute or two. It makes a lot of cookies- maybe 10 dozen 1.5 inch cookies. You can also pipe these into shapes, like the hearts I made for hot chocolate- I dream of using it to make snow on a gingerbread house- one day...

I love...homemade marshmallows

Yum!

I Love...Warm Winter days

This weekend it was so warm we spent a lot of time outside, we even slid down some snow banks, and built our snow lady, who promptly melted.

I Love...My Babe

(I can barely believe that those pictures are of the same girl-how fast they grow)

Prayer For a Daughter

God of man and God of nature,

Shape my daughter like the seasons.

Give her all the song of springtime

And the subtlety of April,

Generosity of summer,

Warmth and all the sweet fulfillment,

And the sparkling wit of Autumn,

Color like October hillsides.

Lest her charms may be too many,

Give her something of the winter:

Stars and distances and silence,

Courage of the open spaces,

Wisdom of the waiting branches.

Don't forget to give her winter.

Esther Wood

I Love...My Sweetheart

It's true- I do love my husband- a lot- he's my best friend and partner, and I don't know what I'd do without him. I had a realization this spring- that as much as K and I share interests- we're very essentially very different- and when we butt heads about something it usually comes out of the mix a little bit more complete because we have both sides of it figured out individually. And that's a beautiful thing, not only to love someone but to love someone who shares your passions and pushes you to make something of your passions.

We've been together a scant 8 years- but during those years we've been busy- building our life together- putting together piece after piece, working towards common dreams, and a better, if more 'real' relationship. We're not overly romantic as a couple and honestly haven't had a date night yet- without our daughter- or felt the need to really- we connect every day, in a million little ways, and I love that.

I Love...Garden Tomatoes

These ones were destined for roasted tomato soup using this recipe. It was good but I had to do a bit of fixing because my tomatoes were frozen so I took out the liquid half way through and roasted for an extra hour to get the garlic cooked through. Delicious and easy and it was a hit with all family members.

The tomatoes were just washed and cored and any bad bits taken off then frozen in zip locks, they took up a lot of freezer room but were so easy to put away- and have been really easy to use too- I've even just put one in a saucepan with some onions and Swiss chard and let it thaw out and then eaten on pasta. we froze them according to colour as well- yellow and orange together, and red together, just for the novelty of it.

I Love...Winter

I get a little sick of winter by this time of year it's true- but really I do love it. I spent my teenage years in Vancouver, which is beautiful for sure, and I'm jealous when my mom talks about the bluebells opening in February. But I love Manitoba winters, they're cold- really cold- freeze your eyelashes together cold- but the sun is out a lot, and the sky is bright clear blue, and I find that so reassuring.

I also love snowdrifts, I love the way they are records of the wind, and their fluid, yet icy nature. I love the glittering surface of the snow and the deep blue shadows they form. I love the way that they can be small yet monumental, and also unbelievable.