Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Bark

Years ago I was in Philly for a work trip and brought some peppermint bark. I have loved it ever since, but could not find it. So I decided like most things this has to be easy to make. Dark chocolate, white chocolate and peppermint candy. How hard is that.

So here is my recipe for it.

Dark chocolate. ( I use the candy coating, but use what you like)
White chocolate
Peppermint extract
Peppermint candy canes
Hammer

Melt the dark chocolate and add one teaspoon of peppermint extract. Spread onto a foil lined pan. Melt white chocolate and spread on top. If you wait to long, the chocolates will not stick together. However if you do it too fast they will mix. Which is not bad at times.  I wait about 10 minutes and spread careful. If it mixes a little the canes will cover it. Break the peppermint candy canes up. I put them in a ziplock and use a hammer. The kids love doing this part.

Spread broken candy over the top. Let sit for about an hour or longer. Break into pieces.

ENJOY we do and everyone that love peppermint will love it.
Sorry it was gone before I could take a pic. Maybe next time.

Note,
I do not use baking chips as they add stabilizers to keep their form. Also if you like more or less peppermint taste just change up the extract

Curry Beef

Thought I had posted this recipe.......

Curry Beef

This is one of my all time go to recipes on a cold night.

1 apple chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 pound of hamburger browned
1-2 teaspoons of curry

Put everything in the crockpot for at least 4 hours. I always do 10 hours but whatever works for you.

Serve over rice.

Christmas is right around the corner and I have been watching Christmas movies the last week or so. Now I'm so ready to put Christmas stuff up. But I believe every holiday should have it's time. A time to enjoy and relax before the next one comes. Why do people put things up before Thanksgiving. I know it looks pretty and we all love it but does it take away from Thanksgiving. The same with shopping, why do we think it is okay to go out Thanksgiving night to get the best deal. I'm sure most of the people working want to be at home with their families eating Turkey.

There is really only a couple of times a year that families can/will stop and make time for each other. We are so busy in life with kids, sports and work. I'm not sure we stop long enough to enjoy each other. We talk about it like we want, make the change this year. Make sure your neighbors and family are together with others. Stay out of the stores this Thursday and enjoy your day. Just sit and talk, play a game. Spend time with each other.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Wood Stove

One more step to living on less. Our biggest expense was fuel oil for heating in the winter. Living in the midwest and the first year we were here, we had snow on the garden for 3 months. It cost us an amount I don't even want to think about. The next year we had already decided to put in a wood stove for more than one reason. First to save money, second to not have to worry about heat if the power went out, third because it went along with our plan to learn to live of the land and lastly because I always had one as a kid and they heat so well.

In the midwest they have outdoor wood burners. These push heat into the house and work really well, however if the power went out we will still have to worry.  So we ending up with a beautiful cast iron woodstove.  As I sit here and watch the fire and feel the heat coming across the room,  I remember my childhood.  Sitting by a fire talking, laughing and playing cards or boardgames. I guess a fire brings people together. 

I still have to paint the wall behind but this is our first fire.

Almost Thanksgiving

I have not be able to blog for so long. It was not working with my old computer so I gave up and are trying to get it working after I have been reading a wonderful blog, with all kinds of good information.

This year has gone by so fast and now we are back to the cold months and lots of coffee to stay warm. The garden has been cleaned up and some fences fixed. Chicken coop cleaned and all the goodies on the garden. This is our first year with our wood stove. They had one years ago and took it out. I'm loving it and the heat from it is wonderful. There is nothing like coming in and standing by it to warm up.

Now I'm onto looking at seeds for next year and planning on where I can put things on our 5 acres.  Thinking of adding some more animals in the spring and maybe the first year for baby goats. Someone is going to have to teach me how to milk a goat. This should be funny.

This was also our first year for meat chickens. Love them and not sure we will ever buy one from the store again. There is something in buying local fresh food.