Packages to mail and homemade marshmallows

These are my packages ready to go to the post office this morning. I had the best of intentions yesterday to have these out. Isn't it funny how you have your day all planned out in your mind and things can just go awry? I had planned to keep my granddaughter yesterday so that my daughter could meet a friend for the day and shop without diaper bags and car seats and of course my main motive was to spoil that little girl. I had plans to take her to work with me in the morning and come home in the afternoon and let her nap and I would get these boxes ready and then she and I would go to the post office. (Really no thought as to how I was going to get all of this and her from the car to the post office though) Well John is still sick with this cold and flu bug and could not go to work and that meant that I had to cover things there yesterday. So off to work Gracelyn and I went. She was so good though and thanks to Aunt Jennifer and Nana being there to help we actually had a functioning, productive day at work and squeezed in a little play time also.

Homemade marshmallows

I made some of these Sunday, easy to make and so fresh tasting!

2T unflavored gelatin (2 packages)
1/4 cup cold water
1 t. clear vanilla
1/2 t. salt
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. boiling water
powdered sugar

Butter an 8 x 8 inch square glass cake pan, set aside
Put cold water in small measuring cup. Sprinkle gelatin into water to dissolve.
Pour into mixing bowl and add vanilla and salt. Set aside. Boil sugar and water to soft ball stage (238 degrees on a candy thermometer) Pour syrup slowly over the gelatin, mixing on high speed until mixture turns very thick and white. Color with food coloring if desired. Pour into a buttered pan. Dust with powdered sugar; let stand overnight. Cut into small squares. After cutting, dust with powdered sugar again.

Hint: After much debating, we turned these out onto a cutting board yesterday and used a chef's knife to cut them. I tried a steak knife and a bread knife and finally the chef's knife cut them best. Careful with the food coloring, I added it while the mixer was running and this morning I will be trying to wash the green spots out of my hair.

We are having an ornament swap at my painting group and the other packages are the ornaments ready to go out also. I took a pic of all of them and will post them when they all receive them. Now off to catch up today...tis the season!