The Simple Offering

I apologize for the length of this blog but the details are well deserved.

It all started with the willingness to make a few batches of carmels for the sisters in my ward. After all I did make a perfect batch last year, which might I add, was the first time I ventured to the land of candy making and so I was happy to share with others my new cooking ability. The ingredients were dropped off at my house on Tuesday and at approximately 3pm the cooking began. I had to make 3 batches but I had only two big pots and two candy thermometer so the third batch would have to wait it's turn. I will speed up the story a bit here and say that due to my trying to do too much at one time (every woman/mother can relate) and some confusion with the misprinted thermometer (Look closely at the numbers... 150, 175, 200, 225, 220.... am I crazy or are the numbers not in order.)

I awoke the next morning to 3 cookie sheets full of sucker hard candy. The other girls from the Presidency were coming over at nine and there were no chewy carmels to wrap. So I called my President and told her I was going to remake them. (Really what else was I going to say.) Four hours worth of effort wasted! Needless to say I was frustrated. The day's to do list was already full and certainly didn't contain 3 more hours of cooking.

After a quick run to the grocery store I was back to square one. I did find an extra candy thermometer and a big pot and began remaking 3 batches of carmels. In the mean time my pres called and asked if she could run some errands for me. I was a little embarrassed because I don't like to ask for help (another one of my problems). I asked her to pick up my Christmas card photos from Ritz Camera and some worms for the pet lizard. (He hadn't eaten in about 5 days, so that particular errand was urgent.)

I was busy concentrating on the number 244 (the firm ball temperature), when my pres dropped off my items. I left the stove for just a minute to put the worms in the refrigerator and to my disbelief there were no worms in the container! I then immediately checked the pictures to find more disappointment. Ritz had copied too many of the WRONG picture. AHHHHHHH. A few not so nice word slipped under my breath and I quickly returned to the carmels which were now at the critical boiling point. I gave the first batch one last stir and pour it out onto the cookie sheet. The chewy carmel goo spilled out onto the cookie sheet along with the brown specks I picked up from the bottom. I said a few more naughty words under my breath I was on to the next two batches which turned out perfect. Or so I thought.

OK this is where my "can't just let it go" syndrome comes in because I actually ran to the store to remake the batch that had a few 'little too brown' specks in it. While at the store I ran through all the ingredients in my head and realized that I had not added the vanilla to any of the last three batches I had made that morning! (The vanilla goes in at the end just before you pour it out onto the cookie sheet.) Once again the not so nice words spilled from my mouth only loader this time and I called my sister in tears who convinced my to wait and taste the carmels before thinking all was lost. Maybe it was an optional ingredient.
Before I returned home I ran into Ritz to see if they could fix my problem in a timely manor. They could and they did. Only this time when I viewed the pictures they all had a white line running through the middle of them. "What the crap!" I shouted. I dragged my now very hungry two year old and my whining 5 year old back into Ritz only to be told they could fix the problem but it wouldn't be until later that day. The Christmas cards were defiantly not going out that day. I hurried home put my ingredients into the refrigerator and grabbed Jack a slice of bread for lunch when I noticed an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk on the counter. That meant only one thing; one of my batches was not only missing the vanilla but also the can of sweetened condensed milk! The worst of it was I didn't know exactly which one it was but I knew it was not the batch with the specks.
I literately ran to Kate's program with a frazzled brain and puffy red eyes. (By the way when I pulled up to the school I had forgotten Jack's shoes, his nose was running and he happened to find a green marker in the car and used his hands and face as the canvas.) I sat down pulled out my camera took a few pictures of my adorable Kate when the battery died on my camera. She noticed I wasn't taking photos and quickly held up her hand and gave me the 'take my picture' signal with her hand. And so the good my mom that I am I held up my camera and pretended to be taking pictures.
We hurried home (forgot to bring home the gift she made me at school) and began making the 7th batch of carmels. That's right, the 7th batch! I figured out the batch that was missing the the sweetened condensed milk because it was harder than the others so that batch was ruined and I was relieved when I discovered the missing vanilla didn't make a significant difference in the delicious taste of the carmel and that the batch with the few darker brown specks didn't look so bad after all and would hardly be noticed. And finally by the 7th go around I had made a perfect batch of carmels.

HALLELUJAH! There was still several hours wrapping, bagging and tagging but after 15 hours spread out over three days, yes you heard me 15 hours, the carmels were finally out of my my house.

By the way Ritz got me the right photos the next day, I eventually finished my Christmas cards and my President kindly dropped off a new container of worms for our lizard.

We don't get a lot of rain in Carlsbad but during those three days it not only rained, it poured.