My daughter was on a mission today. Her goal? Find a recipe for making caramel apples that did not contain processed sugar. After some extensive search, she found one and we tackled it this afternoon. I am happy to tell you that it not only is POSSIBLE to make caramel apples that do not contain sugar, but they are DELICIOUS!
6 small apples
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup honey
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the apples by washing them and inserting a popsicle stick into each apple through the core. Fill a shallow bowl approximately half-full with ice water and set this aside.
Heat the cream and salt in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly and just before the cream simmers, add the honey. Continue stirring constantly and stick an instant read thermometer into the mixture. With the burner set to medium high, stir the mixture for approximately 20 minutes until it is 255 degrees. Remove from the heat and carefully set the pan into the prepared bowl of ice water(this will thicken the caramel). Be careful not to get ice water into the caramel. When the caramel is good and thick, remove the pan from the ice water and twirl each apple in the caramel to coat. If the caramel becomes too thick, return the pan to the heat for several seconds.
Set the apples onto the prepared baking sheet. We added some chopped nuts as well. Chill for several hours and serve.
As the mother of four boys, I hope I never have need of the services of someone like this Pleasanton motorcycle accident attorney. I’m sure he’s a learned and proficient attorney who serves his clients well…but the thought of one of my precious boys riding a motorcycle is enough to strike fear into this mother’s heart. So far, so good. One has his driver’s license thus far and shows no signs of interest in motorcycles. It’s actually my second oldest that would not surprise me if he decided that motorcycles are for him, though. He’s just about ready to get his driver’s permit…so we shall see.
An update on my shingles, in case anyone was wondering. I seem to be over the worst of the break-out period. At this point, my midsection looks as though I might want to consider seeking some kind of acne treatment because I have a generous assortment of round clusters of sores…but the good news is that it’s been several days since I’ve had anything new appear. So…I am guessing that the breaking out is over and now I’ll just get to itch for a while longer. I feel blessed that my case of shingles seems to be mild compared to stories I’ve read and heard.
After being away for almost three weeks this autumn, I came home to find myself quite behind on autumn tasks. For the first few days after arriving back home I was busy unpacking and getting reorganized around the house. After I finally finished those tasks, the rain started. It rained for several days, keeping me inside when what I really wanted to do was go outside and tuck my beloved garden in for the winter. Finally, today the weather cooperated and I was able to get outside and commune with my garden and say goodbye to it for the next several months. I know I sound melodramatic…don’t I? My garden is a source of pride, joy, contentment, and peace to me. Who needs appetite suppressants when I can get outside and get the blood moving through good, old-fashioned hard labor like that?
Anyway…several hours later the plants are all cut back or pulled up, the fence is rolled up for another year, the mulch is raked smooth and we are ready to hibernate while we enjoy the bounty from our summer’s work.
Autumn is typically a time of reflecting for me. As the weather cools and we turn inward physically to keep warm, I tend to turn inward in other ways as well and take stock. I like to reflect and meditate upon blessings and things I appreciate. I like to recognize these things and make sure I am adequately appreciating my blessings. I like to avoid taking things for granted.
So…here are some autumn blessings I am appreciating today:
- Warm quilts
- Hot cocoa
- A warm home
- Cozy slippers
- Hot soup on the stove
- A stack of good reading awaiting
- Scented candles
- Clean floors
- Organized linen closets
- Empty laundry hampers
- Clean sheets
- Winter projects to work on
- Healthy family
- A quiet day
- A simple meal
- A finished To-Do list
- House tucked in for the winter
- Garden put to bed
- Well-dusted nicknack shelves
- Evenings with candles again
- Wool sweaters
- Warm slippers
- Electric blankets
- Autumn wreaths
- Pumpkins and squash
What are yours? Please share!
At least for me, is dark eye circles. I tend to not get enough sleep and over-extend myself. Almost to the point where I need a vacation from my vacation! I know…not very intelligent…but that is the case every year. As I write this, we are in Kansas…only a few hours away from seeing our grandbabies on the last stop before we arrive home tomorrow. It’s been a long trip, but full of more great memories that our family will treasure in the years to come.
We’ve been doing our own version of cross country moving for the last three weeks…not what you would typically envision when you hear “Cross Country Moving” however. We are in the final stages of our annual road trip down to the southwestern region of the U.S. We should be arriving home tonight, so expect regular blogging to resume after I get settled back in at home. I must admit I am really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again!
I think I’ve done this before, but I’m in the mood for a “Simple Pleasures” list. You know…those wonderful little things that make you smile and be happy you’re alive?
Please comment with your own if I don’t list yours!
- Sleeping in
- Fresh flowers
- Finding a few extra bills in a sweater you haven’t worn for months
- Getting personal snail mail
- Lemonade on a hot day
- Hot cocoa on a cold day
- A good book and a warm afghan
- Working up a sweat
- A meal of satisfying comfort food
- An empty laundry hamper
- Freshly washed bedding
- Crackling fire in the fire place
- Clean windows on a sunny day
- Crisp newspaper and a hot cup of coffee
- Clean house and nothing pressing to be done
- A phone call from an old friend
- Home baked bread
- Laughing
- Finishing a project
- Going to bed early with a book
Avoid all types of burn-out (including even fat burner burn-out – eat what you want also, in moderation) and concentrate on what you love. We’ve all heard about the law of attraction and how living your life by pursuing the things you love will naturally bring these things to you in abundance. What do we have to lose? Why not try it?
There is absolutely no risk in pursuing the things you love. I cannot think of a “worst case scenario” in this situation.
Try it and see what happens.
I was just looking at my side porch the other day and wondering if I want to spruce it up a little bit this winter. I have a wicker furniture set out there, a piece of carpeting on the wood floor, some Americana decor here and there on the walls and on the tables, and all-in-all it is a very nice and attractive summer room. The only thing I was thinking it could use was perhaps some outdoor curtains. Shopping for this kind of thing online is an easy thing to do at shop.com.
