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Eggnog Fudge
Here ya go.
3 cups white sugar
3/4 stick of butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup eggnog
Pinch of salt
Big dash of nutmeg
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup each of candied red and green cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
In a 3 quart pot, stir together first 6 ingredients over medium high heat. Bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down and cook to a softball stage. At this point add in cherries and pecans. Remove from heat and beat the heck out of it. When the fudge begins to loose its luster and some of it begins to crystallize on the sides of the pot, pour into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment and spritzed with cooking spray. Cool and cut into squares. This fudge is rich and creamy. Serve, of course, on a pretty dish.
Christmas Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen
- Small Batch Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
- Singing Lady Groups at Southern Baptist Churches or I Do Not Harmonize Well By MyselfThe first time I was put in a Singing Lady Group it was a quintet at a church in another town. The choir director, let’s call him HewhogaveusalettergradeeverySundayandneveraboveaB-, said after practice one Wednesday, “You five ladies get together and work up a hymn along with a routine.” A routine? Was this church or show choir?The next week the five of us met in a little used Sunday School room that had a piano in it. I was told to sing the low, low part. Half way through the very first verse, the leader of the group who sat behind the piano, suddenly quit playing. She put her hand on her hip and demanded, “Amanda, what are you singing?””Well, I thought I was singing the low part,” I sheepishly answered.”Well, think again!”I dropped out. They all wore matching denim overalls with red t-shirts with their hair tied up in bandanas. They did a cute little 4-part gospel two-step up in the chancel area for their ‘routine’…The second time I was part of a Singing Lady Group there were six of us; two on each part. You know, first , second, alto. I felt a little more comfortable having another alto to sing with. Well, that is until we started practicing. I was standing next to a lady singing second soprano and I felt an elbow in my side. Just thinking that she had accidently bumped me, I kept singing. Then another elbow came my way, along with a vehement whisper, “Get off my note, Amanda!””OH! Sorry!” was my response and I moved away from her. We sang publicly twice and then mercifully disbanded. So, I said all of that to say that I’ve been placed in another Singing Lady Group. Not really a “group”, but we’ve been given a song to learn. At first it was going to be a duet. I agreed because I was told to sing the low part; I’m a natural tenor. The song starts out duet, goes to trio, and then throws in a fourth part. Ah, yay! I’m a great mimic. Harmonizing isn’t my strong suit – see the above two paragraphs. Our choir master assured me that we would get together and work parts. A month has passed and nope…The super ironic thing is that the first Singing Lady Group’s song was I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL and so is the song for this Sunday. (!) Is the Father God giving me another shot at it or does He figure we all need a laugh? I’m glad the Bible says to make a joyful noise and not for us to all sing in perfect 4-part harmony.
- Easy Saturday Breakfast: Dutch Baby
- Pear Butter and Pear Syrup
- Sweet Potato Brownies
Feminine and Genteel
Every year I am gobsmacked by the camellias growing in my farmhouse gardens. Frilly, bright, small. medium and large, they remind me of the dresses of girls ready for cotillion.
During the spring and summer, I fret over seed selection and getting the ground ready, then tending plants so I can get bouquets to market. These camellia arrangements come with none of the toil. It’s as if God says, “Here, Daughter, rest and enjoy.”
In a world explosively bitter and cold, not unlike this time of year, these flowers remind me that there is beauty in simple things if we would only look. They also remind us to be gentle, kind to each other.
My walk netted a bodacious bouquet.
Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen at Flowers Proper.
