Flowers, Caramels, and Waffles

Don't forget about my photography contest! I forget to set a deadline.

Deadline: July 1

Winners announced: July 1

My Grandma passed away a couple days ago. People have been very supportive, bringing us flowers and cards. And we've gotten lots of phone calls. I took some pictures of the flowers.

Here they are:

I made caramels the other day. They take a lot of work and dedication. You have to stir them for up to an hour, and you have to cut up pieces of waxed paper to wrap the caramels in, and you have to wrap each caramel up, individually.

I sat at the dining room table for quite a while cutting up squares of waxed paper to wrap the caramels in.



Here's the recipe for the caramels:

Old-Fashioned Caramels

1 cup butter

2 1/4 cups firmly packed yellow sugar

1 cup corn syrup

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a heavy 3 quart saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar and mix until well blended. Stir in corn syrup; cook until sugar has dissolved; remove pan from heat. Stir in sweetened condensed milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches the soft ball stage (240), about 20 to 30 minutes of constant stirring. Add vanilla. Pour hot mixture into buttered 9"by13" inch pan.

Cut caramels; wrap individually in waxed paper.

Optional: Add 2/3 of a cup of nuts at the same time you add the vanilla. I used walnuts, and they definitely added. I definitely recommend that you use them.

I had waffles for dinner! Our waffle iron broke a little while ago, so I haven't had waffles for a very long time, except hotel waffles. :)

Here's the recipe:

Waffles

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup melted shortening or oil
1 3/4 cups milk

Sift together first four ingredients. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until stiff, then beat yolks separately.

Combine shortening/oil and milk with egg yolks, and then stir into dry ingredients.

Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites last. Bake in hot waffle iron until lightly browned.

Yield: 10 to 12 waffles

Bon Appetit! :)