Happy July 4, everybody! Several hours ago (still on July 3) I heard what I thought was thunder. But no, it was fireworks.
What, may I ask, is the deal with having fireworks before it is even July Fourth?? Tuesday night, July 2nd, two people couldn't come to our crit meeting because they had to go to the fireworks. on July SECOND? Huh? What am I missing here?
Next thing you know, July 4th will be celebrated on the first Monday in July. Why bother to have it on the actual date? Nothing else is. WHatever happened to Washington's Birthday on Feb 22 or Lincoln's B.D. on Feb 16? Or Martin Luther King's birthday on January 15? Maybe we should just memorialize 9/11 on any old Monday closest to the actual date. Cheesh!
Tonight, to amuse myself, I thought I would try recreating a taste from my college days in Massachusetts: Hood's Java Crunch ice cream. Does anybody remember that flavor? It was the best and there has never been anything like it, since. It was coffee ice cream (hence the Java) with bits of chocolate and toffee crunch. I found a sort-of recipe on line but first I had to make the toffee. Since I wasn't in the mood to make a mess, I looked for an easy one and found this fabulous one that you can make in the microwave. Really! The only caveat is that you have to watch it to make sure it doesn't burn. Ask me how I know. The recipe-writer said it took 12 minutes in his microwave. Well, it took only 8 in mine. The first batch went beyond 8 minutes and ended up in the garbage. Not to be deterred, I tried again. I added a bit of vanilla. Yum yum and quick! Try it.
MARK'S MICROWAVE BUTTER TOFFEE
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1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. roughly chopped pecans or almonds (I use pecans)
5 oz. melted semi-sweet chocolate chips
Rub inside of a large GLASS (this will not work in anything
but glass, no ceramic mixing bowl with the stick of butter,
and put remaining butter in bowl. Pour sugar directly on
butter in bottom of bowl; try to avoid getting any sugar on
sides. Add salt and water. Microwave on HIGH power until
syrup is toffee- colored, (our microwave takes 12 minutes 15
seconds to achieve this color). Place nuts on a non-stick
cookie sheet (if not non-stick, butter cookie sheet
slightly). Pour hot syrup over nuts. DO NOT scrape bowl onto
candy or candy may crystallize. I scrape remaining syrup out
on another part of the cookie sheet than where the candy is,
as it is still a good cook's treat! Let candy cool. if you
are in a hurry, place in freezer for a few minutes. Melt
chocolate, and brush over top of candy when it is cool. Let
chocolate set, again putting in freezer if needed. Break
into pieces. NO ONE will ever guess that this only takes
about 30 minutes to make, and that it was made in the
microwave! Makes 1 pound of candy.
Then I made the ice cream and threw in the toffee bits. Caffeine is beginning to wear off now.
By the way, thanks for all your comments, suggestions, and emails about the dish towels and hankies. Will follow up with those of you who emailed me. Meantime, hope you have good weather on this 4th of July, 2013. I plan to be indoors, somewhere.
5 comments:
I hear ya, Sistah! I mourn for the days of my childhood when things happened when they were supposed to, not when it was convenient for whoever decided to make it into "...(fill in the name of the holiday) Observed!
BTW, your ice cream sounds heavenly... I think I gained a pound just reading about it! Happy Independence Day... we will be safely ensconced on the property or walking the square in our 'hood, far away from all the wonderful activities and crowds, and if there are any fireworks, we will be watching them on the big screen!
Lincoln's birthday is actually February 12...but you're right about the whole thing. It was Nixon who created the Monday Holiday Bill that turned so many holidays into 3-day weekends.
Hope you have a good 4th. Today I find myself wondering just whose independence we're celebrating in this country, anymore. Certainly not individuals', more like corporations'.
xo
Relocating celebrations is an old tradition, started by the early bishops. As the "pagans" celebrated exact solstices, solar transitions or lunations, such habits had to be broken, as orders came from Rome, and new dates had to be found in order to expel pagan rites. The old meaning of anniversaries was lost. My idea: find out which point in the zodiac was hit by the first happening and repeat celebrations when the sun returns to the same point. You can't go wrong. All you need is a good astrologer. :-)
I could not agree with you more! I have gotten to hear fireworks from two different towns for two nights and have two more to go. Ugh! Butter toffee looks yummy. Thanks for sharing. hugs.
here in Albion - we have moved Halloween all around. Now we don't move it because it falls on a school night - nooooo - we move it because it falls on Friday night when there is a home football game. God forbid we miss our HS football night - LOL! So the kids all get to double dip on those years - they go to a neighboring town on the real Halloween and the next night here!
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