Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Another funky findz CASALUPE on etsy


















I love bracelets and simply adore this creative
masterpiece from Casalupe another recycled artist!!!
charming.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Found this FUNKY CANDY recipe, make you own Taffy


MAKE YOUR OWN SALT WATER TAFFY!!
The old fahioned way

Recently in my mini trip to a
much beloved land in Branson
Missouri I came across this
recipe in
Silver Dollar City
where salt water taffy abounds.
I love it and so do my children.


• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons glycerin *
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon flavoring (such as vanilla, lemon, maple, or mint)
• a few drops food coloring (optional)

Mix together sugar and cornstarch in the saucepan.
Use a wooden spoon to stir in the corn syrup, glycerin,
water, butter, and salt. Place the saucepan over medium
heat and stir until the sugar dissolves Continue stirring
until mixture begins to boil, then let cook, undisturbed,
until it reaches about 270° F. Yes you need to buy a candy
thermometer if you don't have
one, but it is worth the investment.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add food
coloring and flavoring. Stir gently, pour onto a greased slab or
into a shallow greased cookie sheet to cool.

When the taffy is cool enough to handle, grease your hands
with butter and pull the taffy until it's light in color
and has a satiny gloss. Now is the time to bring in your kids
or a cherished freind, your will need the help. PULLING THE TAFFY!**

Roll the pulled taffy into a long rope, about 1/2 inch in diameter,
and cut it with greased scissors or a butter knife into
1-inch-long pieces. Let the pieces sit for about
half an hour before wrapping them in wax paper
or plastic wrap and twisting the ends of the wrapper.

*Glycerin is a sweet, slippery, colorless liquid that's
made from fats and oils and is most often a by-product
of the soapmaking process. It's used in many soaps and
cosmetic products, cake icing, as a lubricant, and to make
nitroglycerin—an ingredient in dynamite! (Note: glycerin
itself is not an explosive substance, so it’s safe to use
in your kitchen!) In this taffy recipe, glycerin helps
give the candy a soft, creamy consistency.

Glycerin can be found in many drugstores, as well as some
supermarkets and craft stores in the baking supplies section,
or in cake-decorating stores. Be sure to purchase food-grade
glycerin. (From the science of cooking)

**The final important step in making taffy is pulling it:
Stretching it out and folding it in half, then stretching
and folding again, over and over, until you may reach the
point of exhaustion. Really it is true. But dont give up.

Good exercise—but what does it do for the candy?
As it turns out, pulling taffy aerates it,
or incorporates many tiny air bubbles throughout
the candy. This makes it lighter and chewier.

Photos by C. Reinke HAUNTED HOUSE