01.01.70

ROCK AROUND THE CROCK

CSU Extension-Pueblo County is also offering a class on how to prepare safe, nutritious meals in a slow cooker. Recipes, food preparation and cooking demonstrations will be presented from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at the office, 701 Court St.

Class fee is $10, and registration is required by Tuesday; space is limited. For information, call 583-6566.

‘LICENSE TO COOK’

Diane Edwards of Fort Collins and Glenna Brissey of Loveland have compiled a book of Colorado recipes, facts and artwork that's titled "License to Cook Colorado Style." Its recipes for breakfast foods, salads, appetizers, soups, slow-cooker meals, meat, fish, poultry, desserts and more come from Coloradans who like Western and ethnic foods, and many tend toward the healthy side.

Edwards' pastel paintings and drawings are featured, and there are 18 pages of information on Colorado, including the state's wineries and breweries, national parks, and tourism.

Source: Pueblo Chieftain

by thekalechronicles

Today The Kale Chronicles presents a holiday confection from Susan Darm: at our house candy and certain cookies are seasonal foods, made only in December.  In November 2011, Susan brought some of her caramels to a writing retreat in New Mexico and we all swooned. Susan lives in Brentwood in eastern Contra Costa County, an area formerly known as the Horn of Plenty. My favorite peach farm, Frog Hollow Farm, is still out there, although much of the fertile land has been paved over for housing. When Susan is not making candy she is an equine enthusiast, physical therapist and aspiring writer. Here’s Susan:.

I have always loved candy. As a child in grade school, I figured out that if I was going to eat as many sweets as I liked, I would have to learn to make them. I started out simply with a snack of bread, butter and white sugar. This was a respectable after school snack in my mother’s eyes, something she herself ate as a child. When I got bored with this snack I began experimenting with sugar, butter and/or syrup boiled in a sauce pan, cooled then either eaten plain or poured over nuts. I got the idea of cooking sugar from my father. He made pecan rolls at Christmas and I loved the gooey topping made of brown sugar, butter and pecans....

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by Amy

Today I used a candy thermometer for the first time in an attempt to make caramels for M's pending 40th birthday. It's a vintage Betty Furness candy thermometer. She is pictured on the front gleefully holding the thermometer and I imagined her saying, "Easy breezy!"

Yeah.

Not so much.

Turns out that making caramel requires a skilled hand and dedicated attention. One can't, for instance, also handle a barrage of work emails and a ringing cell phone.

Trust me.

Two scalded pots. The smell of scorched sugar. And no caramels.

M took it in stride and said that it's the thought that counts.

Good man, M.

Unlike that b*tch Betty Furness.

Source: Latent Images of the Mind: burned