Totally ashamed for my absense

I have to say that I am both amazed at how fast the time has gone by and ashamed that I haven't kept up with my blog.

I seriously hate excuses, but I find that I must offer the only one that I have. The company that I work for has had us on mandatory overtime for months, and I also have been in the process of moving. So there you have it. My time has been very occupied over the past few months. I thought I would make amends by offering up a couple of recipes totally not related to cake, but sound very interesting.


These recipes were supplied to me from Bakerella. She always does such fun stuff. You might want to check out her website at www.bakerella.com. The first recipe is for homemade gumdrops and the second is for Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Pie.

Goodie Goodie Gumdrops
4 Tbsp gelatin (that’s about 6 envelopes)
1 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups boiling water
4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp flavored extract like lemon or peppermint
1-2 drops food coloring (I used four colors)
extra sugar for coating
……………………………………………
3.75 X 6 inch treat bags
Goodie Goodie labels (print the Goodie Goodie pdf)
• In a large pot, soften gelatin in cold water for five minutes.
• Stir in boiling water until gelatin dissolves.
• Stir in sugar.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 25 minutes. Stir constantly.
• Pour mixture into 4 – 3X5 pans.
• Add 1/4 tsp extract and 1-2 drops food color to each pan.
• Stir until thoroughly combined.
• Cover pan and chill overnight in the fridge.
• Cut gelatin mixture into 3/4 inch cubes using a knife dipped in hot water.
• The gelatin may pull, but continue cutting.
• Separate cubes and roll in sugar until coated on all sides.
• Place gumdrops on wax paper and leave at room temperature for two days to crystallize.
Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 8 dozen 3/4 inch gumdrops.
You can also make 2 – 8X8 pans or 1 – 9X12 pan depending on the number of colors you want to make.
Adapted from the book, Celebrating Candy.

Nutter Butter and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 7 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients
• FOR CRUST
• 25 whole Oreos
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• _____
• PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
• 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 package (8 Ounce) Softened Cream Cheese
• 1-1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 package (8 Ounce) Cool Whip, Thawed
• 1 package Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Cookies
Preparation Instructions
Crust:
Crush the Oreos until they’re fine crumbs. Pour melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Filling:
Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
Pour about half of the filling into crust, lay in a layer of Nutter Butter Peanut Butter cookies and pour in remaining filling, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
Warning: This is ultra, ultra-rich. Cut small slivers—your guests will thank you!

I hope this will make up for my absense, and I will try to be more diligent. You know how it is though when you are a working outside the home, wife, mother and grandmother. Duty calls all to often, because someone always needs something. I would like to end this by say I enjoy the time I do put into this blog though both for my own relaxation and for the benefit of others.