I am so very far behind this morning ... it's already 6:30. Luckily I don't care since I get to snuggle with this sweet face!!
It's still foggy and cold in the morning. I'm not sure why, but my rose bushes seem to be happy campers. I'm not telling them this is the wrong time of year to bloom!! It finally cleared up around noon so I could get a few things done.
First however, I'm so frustrated with this darn faucet. I should never have replaced the old one with a pull out sprayer attachment. This new one puts out a tiny little stream of water. That means when I'm trying to get hot water from the "always hot" crazy system (instead of a hot water tank) it literally takes ten minutes of running full blast for the water to become warm. If you don't run enough water through the system, it doesn't heat up.
Thinking it was a water restrictor, I did a little surgery and took out two little pieces. It made no difference whatsoever. I can't seem to get the screen off the bottom to clean it out (which may be the problem too), so I'm wasting a huge amount of water.
Here's my question. Is this just because I bought it in California or are they like this everywhere. This faucet cost me $300, not to mention the $300 more to have it installed. If I buy one in Arizona, will it be the same? It's ridiculous to waste that much water, not to mention my pump running, just to get water hot enough to wash dishes.
Then it was on to Christmas candy. Back in the old days, which are getting older by the minute, there was a very rich cattleman that we knew who lived on the top floor of Harveys Casino in Reno. I think we met him on a cattle buying trip. His wife, only known to me as Mrs. Cooper, made an entire freezer full of Christmas candy every year and had one box delivered to us.
It was the most amazing candy I've ever eaten. Of course I was a little kid who never got candy because it cost too much to make, but still ... I loved Mrs. Cooper's candy. So why not try to recreate it?
This is basically making snickers bars like you see here. These however, have snickers bars chopped up and added to the candy. I mean really, how could these ingredients not be fabulous?
Well ... that would be if Nancy tried to make it. I saw it online and wrote down most of it, before deciding I better get the entire recipe. Of course it had disappeared. No worries, I can do this!!
Okay, let's just skip all the next part because it didn't go well at all when I nuked it. I finally dumped the ooey gooey into the pan already covered with peanuts, topped it with more peanuts and into the fridge it went. Four hours later it had not set up. Into the FREEZER it went. Four hours later it was hard as a rock and glued to the pan like I had used Gorilla Glue on the paper underneath.
I slammed it on the counter upside down and finally got it out of the pan. Ahhhh ... now for the taste test. Uh oh ... I could not get the waxed paper to let go. It came off in tiny pieces with half the nougat stuck to it. Oh good grief ..... now what?
I was finally able to salvage half the pan and cut it into pieces, but by then, all the peanuts had fallen off on the floor. Big sigh. I guess I wasn't meant for candy making. Did it taste good? I suppose, if eating nougat glue is your thing. I had to brush my teeth twice just to get it unstuck.
That's because I was heading off to a Christmas Party. Yes, it's that time of year when you try to drive in the pitch black of night to an address you've never been to before, looking for street signs you cannot see. Luckily the lady across the street pointed me in the right direction before I ran over her.
I was greeted with a Snow Blizzard (actually a White Russian) with butterscotch something added. The rim was dunked in melted butterscotch candies. It dripped down the side enough that just like my nougat, my fingers were stuck like glue. Due to the 99 Cent store and some stickers, we got to take our glass home. Today I will go clean up the now sticky steering wheel.
It's okay though ... good friends and amazing food. I should have taken a picture of the table. Stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped sausage, baked brie, four or five kinds of chips and dips. That brought back a lot of memories. Anyone remember Lipton Onion Soup Mix? It was and is my all time favorite dip. This was my first plate. Later came chicken wings and some things I didn't recognize. I would have tried them, but my fingers were stuck to the plate ..... like glue.
It was a grand time with good friends, mostly from the Elks Lodge. In spite of my party reticence, I had a good time. I'm really not good with people I've never met before, so I did spend some time on the patio.
Two hours later I was out the door. I just prayed a lot that I didn't hit any cars as I tried to extract my truck from the parking lot in a too narrow street. With no street lights to guide me, I did end up in the left hand turn lane for an entire block, but made it back home safely to see this.
This was the only other accomplishment of the day. My landscape lights were not working. I finally figured out it had an ordinary timer that everything was plugged in to, even though it looked like it was just part of the fixture. I unplugged it, stole one from inside, installed it and waited. Sure enough, they came on (the two by the door). It seems the rest need new LED light bulbs that I could not figure out how to remove. Yay ... another project!
It was a very nice day, except for the candy fail. Hopefully today will be even better, because YES, there is another Christmas Party. Good grief ... there will be TWELVE before it ends. You know, the Twelve Days of Christmas? A fabulous new drink will be available at every one. Thankfully I only have to attend five since won't be here that long. I think I identify with the Grinch when it comes to Christmas parties.
Merry Christmas .....
Those appetizers look good. Your candy story reminded me of my childhood. Two of my older sisters liked making fudge. Sometimes we had to use a spoon and eat it out of the pan. But we ate it!
ReplyDeleteSpoon Fudge!! Oh yes ... I've made it several times! LOL
DeleteI think if you used Parchment Paper it would have worked. My Grandmother (dad's side) made a peanut butter honey candy that I, nor mom, nor sister, have been able to duplicate even with the recipe...she was a wise ole lady, she left one ingredient out of the recipe so that this 'candy' would forever be her candy!
ReplyDeleteI did use parchment paper underneath ... and it stuck like I've never seen before! I've noticed that today's ingredients have changed so much they don't taste like the candy of old, even if you make it exactly the same.
DeleteOh Nancy, you are resourceful so practice makes perfect for the peanut candy making! As to the hot water I have no clue about your system, but 10 minutes seems too long for it to warm up.
ReplyDeleteThe system heats up based on the amount of water going through. Tiny save-the-water faucets don't let enough go through to start the system up, so it's taking forever! A new faucet is in order I guess.
DeleteBetter look out Dave B she’s got the knife out 👻
ReplyDeleteMr. Ed Kind of a backwards scenario you obliterated a good bunch of candy bars to make another candy bar. Shame on you . Maybe next time sticking with the candy bar to eat
Paper Or candy sticking to the paper or tray 3 easy solutions turn your oven on low placed a tray of candy inside the oven for five minutes or warm the Outside bottom with hot water. Whenever you get it. or turn it upside down run the hairdryer. Over the tray bottom .. As for sticky fingers, it’ll give you something to lick
The hose on the spray nozzle is smaller than the pipe for the sink faucet. Therefore you have less water Flow to come through. Why does it take so long to get hot water at the sink very easy where is the hot water tank or you’re on demand hot water? Heater . The further the distance away from the point of use Letting it run Translate to waste the water if you have a hot water tank I could tell you a very easy solution . You’d have hot water in just a few seconds ..However if you have an on demand water heater, install a point of use under the kitchen sink
So where is your main water heater?
Roses bloom when the temperature and the rain or moisture tells them to . That’s why they do good with the nearest sprinkler that works
Hard to explain. The water heater is a box in the attic. As the water goes through the pipes that go through the box, it turns on and heats it in the pipes. The flow out my faucet has to be big enough to move enough water through the pipes to start up the heater. That's not happening. If I get a faucet that moves more water through, I'll be fine, but California has restricted all faucets sold here. I don't know about everywhere else.
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-flow_fixtures
ReplyDeleteBasically that's the problem, which I figured out previously. You can remove that restrictor in most faucets, but apparently not in this one. I'll have to be more careful in picking out the next one.
DeleteCandy looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteFrances:)
It really did taste good! Just sticky!
DeleteI would be peeling wax paper off and eating as much as I could!
ReplyDeleteFrances:)
Yup .... that I did!!! LOL
DeleteOMG are you ever funny and the best communicator!!
ReplyDeleteYou tackle things most of us would walk away from.
Bet you figure out that faucet thingy and all your Christmas
lights will be working before long.
Thanks again for sharing and all the good chuckles💥
Linda a.
If I didn't laugh at myself Linda, I would be crying! LOL
Delete