In the Kitchen

A reminder today to be very careful on ice this time of year. My minister, Richard, from Carmel has been in Virginia since Mon. in the hospital with his dad. His dad slipped on ice going to church Sunday and hit his head, had to have brain surgery, got sepsis, had to be put on a ventilator, his kidneys are not working and now they're saying their goodbyes this afternoon. How quick things can change. . .

Seems like I've been in the kitchen a lot lately. Yesterday and today I've been thinking of aunts as I use their recipes. I'm lucky to be from a family of lots of good cooks!

Yesterday for lunch we had Aunt Lois' barbecue hamburgers. Today I made Aunt Dana's caramels and with lunch, Aunt Jan's corn pudding! All so good!

Since it's the season for cookie baking and candy making, I'll share the recipe now for Caramels and maybe some of you will also still have time to make them. These taste like the best soft caramels you've ever bought at the apple store or at the Cracker Barrel check out.

CARAMELS

2 lbs. brown sugar (original recipe says dark brown - I use the light)
1 lb. (4 sticks) butter (not margarine)
2 cans Eagle Brand milk
2 c. white Karo

Melt butter, add the rest of the ingredients and mix all well. Stir constantly over medium heat until it reaches 238 degrees. Remove from heat. Let cool to about 190 degrees and then pour into buttered 9 x 13 pan. Let stand overnight in a cold place. Cut into squares and wrap individually with waxed paper.

** My comments - I normally cut this recipe in half but if you want to give these as gifts, the whole recipe makes lots. I have found at Hobby Lobby some already cut waxed paper for wrapping candy. They seem to be there just seasonally in the candy making supplies aisle. They are called Confectionery Twisting Wax Paper and there are 100 in the package. This makes the wrapping part so much nicer, trust me!