It Has Begun

The candy making has begun!  

I still have no idea what Cody and Brennan's plans are, but whatever they do, there is no reason I can't enjoy my Christmas -- with or without them.  This year, I made cream cheese mints, which I haven't done in quite some time.  I had a brief moment of panic when I couldn't find my peppermint extract, but I finally found a brand new bottle in the back of the cabinet that I hadn't even opened yet.  

They are so easy to make that the hardest part is the patience needed to roll them out.  I did every one of them by hand, then remembered that I usually roll the candy out into a rope then cut it...Oh well.   

No, they don't require baking.  I only put them into the oven to protect them from curious cats while they dry.  Me being me, I had to leave myself a note so I wouldn't accidentally turn on the oven with them still inside of it. 

No, that is not the correct time on that stove.  I never set that one anyway.  I used to, but the power goes off so often that I no longer bother.  I just hit the clock button to make it stop flashing and leave it wherever it is.  

The chocolate fudge is made and setting.  

I was going to do peanut butter fudge, too, but I don't have quite enough peanut butter.  I'm not going to do the old fashioned kind I cook on the stove top.  I found a microwave recipe that sounds really easy.  I'll just need to run in tomorrow and get another jar of peanut butter.  I probably ought to pick up another pound of butter while I'm at it.  

Tomorrow is going to be cooking baking day, and I don't want to run out. Originally, I'd only planned on doing chocolate chip and snickerdoodles, but I changed my mind.  I bought gumdrops and if I can psych myself up to cut them up, I'll do gumdrop cookies as well.  I'm toying with the idea of doing chocolate cherry kisses, which I haven't made in forever, but that's still up in the air.   I don't have any milk chocolate kisses, so if I make them, I could just do cherry shortbread.  

I know it sounds like a lot, but the bright side is, all of it freezes well.  I can vacuum seal the leftover cookies and candy and it'll last quite some time.  

OK, as I was typing this, I got a message from Cody.  They're going to come here for Christmas Eve, then go up to Brennan's parents Christmas morning.  He said they're going to stay in Memphis a few days, then maybe stop by for another visit on their way home. 

That's about all I did today, besides watch my next chemistry lesson.  I don't know why on earth I'm doing this to myself.  The good news is, they let you keep taking the quizzes until you get them right.  This time, it took me three tries.  But, the professor exploded a balloon filled with hydrogen and that was fun. 

Now I'm watching The Man Who Invented Christmas.  It's the story of how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol.  I don't know if it's available anywhere, as I bought the viewing rights a few years ago.  

If you can find it somewhere, I highly recommend it.