We're wrapping up the Holiday Recipes Blog Hop today. We hope you've had fun and found a few new recipes to try. If you're just joining us, here's a handy list so you can find them all.
Holiday
Appetizers – Tracy Ruckman
Holiday
Beverages – Rachel Hartsfield
International
Holiday Foods – Peggy Cunningham
Holiday Breakfasts & Brunches –
Betty Thomason Owens
Holiday
Main Courses – Sheryl Holmes
Holiday
Sides / Potluck / Buffets – Tracy Ruckman
Holiday
Sweets – Rachel Hartsfield
Holiday
Recipes Master List – Tracy Ruckman
I want to thank all my precious friends for participating during this busy time of year. I loved reading your stories and I'm looking forward to trying all your food!
A huge thank you to all our readers, clients, and customers - we do what we do for YOU. We appreciate your support, your encouragement, your purchases of our books, products, and services. All of us are "small business" and we depend on readers and clients like you to continue doing our work.
We love reading your reviews and testimonials, and we love chatting with you when given the opportunity. We are also incredibly grateful for and honored by your prayers for us all.
I'd like to add one additional recipe to our week's event. I shared the recipe and story a few years ago, but now there's an addition.
My paternal grandmother, Nanny, made the best divinity in the world. When I became an adult, I tried to make it every year. Some years I was successful, other years I was not. Just before Nanny went to Heaven, she told me the secret - it all had to do with the humidity. (I guess you see the importance of family recipes here, can't you?) If the humidity was too high, the divinity wouldn't set properly; if it was too low, the candy would be dry.
For several years, I followed this guideline - 57% humidity seemed to be perfect for candy-making. (In the South, those percentages don't get that low very often, so we watched the weather gauges carefully once Thanksgiving came.)
Then my husband Tim entered the picture with his mother's divinity recipe. The ingredients were almost identical, but the cooking methods were different - and Edie's recipe did not rely on the weather. Since Edie's recipe is top secret, I’ve combine recipes and tips to ensure success every time! It helps to have two or more people making this together, and having a stand mixer is especially helpful. It’s a great recipe to make with generations in the kitchen at the same time.
Nanny's & Edie's Divinity
5 cups white, granulated sugar
1 cup Karo Light corn syrup
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans, optional
Maraschino cherries, optional
Mix sugar, water, syrup together in large saucepan. Bring to boil, then boil until the liquid "spins a thread," stirring constantly. While the mixture is boiling, separate eggs and put the whites in a large mixing bowl. When the sugar mixture spins a thread, pour half of boiling liquid into the egg whites, beating with mixer as you pour. The mixture will begin to expand. Put the remaining liquid back on the stove and bring it back to a rolling boil. Then pour all of it into the expanding egg white mixture while continuing to beat.
Beat until the mixture a minute more, then use a large spoon to stir the mixture several times, until it gets a dull finish. Then, add nuts or chopped cherries if you wish, then very quickly, drop by rounded teaspoons on large sheets of waxed paper. Immediately top with cherry halves or pecan halves, as you wish. Let cool. Store on waxed paper layers in air tight containers.
Divinity makes great gifts, and it's easy enough to mix and match different kinds. Some batches we leave out all nuts and cherries, topping only with one or the other. Some batches are deluxe, and have a little of all of it. The fun part is that each kind tastes very different. Even though you make a large batch, it will disappear very quickly - at least it does in our family.
I'd like to add one additional recipe to our week's event. I shared the recipe and story a few years ago, but now there's an addition.
My paternal grandmother, Nanny, made the best divinity in the world. When I became an adult, I tried to make it every year. Some years I was successful, other years I was not. Just before Nanny went to Heaven, she told me the secret - it all had to do with the humidity. (I guess you see the importance of family recipes here, can't you?) If the humidity was too high, the divinity wouldn't set properly; if it was too low, the candy would be dry.
For several years, I followed this guideline - 57% humidity seemed to be perfect for candy-making. (In the South, those percentages don't get that low very often, so we watched the weather gauges carefully once Thanksgiving came.)
Then my husband Tim entered the picture with his mother's divinity recipe. The ingredients were almost identical, but the cooking methods were different - and Edie's recipe did not rely on the weather. Since Edie's recipe is top secret, I’ve combine recipes and tips to ensure success every time! It helps to have two or more people making this together, and having a stand mixer is especially helpful. It’s a great recipe to make with generations in the kitchen at the same time.
5 cups white, granulated sugar
1 cup Karo Light corn syrup
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans, optional
Maraschino cherries, optional
Mix sugar, water, syrup together in large saucepan. Bring to boil, then boil until the liquid "spins a thread," stirring constantly. While the mixture is boiling, separate eggs and put the whites in a large mixing bowl. When the sugar mixture spins a thread, pour half of boiling liquid into the egg whites, beating with mixer as you pour. The mixture will begin to expand. Put the remaining liquid back on the stove and bring it back to a rolling boil. Then pour all of it into the expanding egg white mixture while continuing to beat.
Beat until the mixture a minute more, then use a large spoon to stir the mixture several times, until it gets a dull finish. Then, add nuts or chopped cherries if you wish, then very quickly, drop by rounded teaspoons on large sheets of waxed paper. Immediately top with cherry halves or pecan halves, as you wish. Let cool. Store on waxed paper layers in air tight containers.
Divinity makes great gifts, and it's easy enough to mix and match different kinds. Some batches we leave out all nuts and cherries, topping only with one or the other. Some batches are deluxe, and have a little of all of it. The fun part is that each kind tastes very different. Even though you make a large batch, it will disappear very quickly - at least it does in our family.
The same year I took the photo above, I took several others of the divinity in different containers. One of my favorites was with this ceramic bowl.
When I started tinkering with all the artwork and designs, I took this image and turned it into some fun pop art that's now on dozens of different products.
I think Nanny and Edie would get tickled over these!
You'll find these in my Christmas Collection on Zazzle.
May God fill your hearts and homes with His love and peace this holiday season. May the birth of Jesus always be a significant event in our lives, and may we never take His sacrifice for granted.
Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you!
Please help me thank all the Holiday Recipes Blog Hop Participants:
Peggy Cunningham is an author of children's books and women's devotionals. She and her husband serve as missionaries in Bolivia.
Please help me thank all the Holiday Recipes Blog Hop Participants:
Peggy Cunningham is an author of children's books and women's devotionals. She and her husband serve as missionaries in Bolivia.
Really Rare Rabbits Series
Peggy's website: www.PeggyCunningham.com
Rachel Hartsfield is a small business owner, representing Senegence, a line of beauty and skin care products. Join her closed Facebook group for health & beauty tips, encouragement, and inspiration.
Rachel's website: Real Life with Rachel
Betty Thomason Owens is a speaker and author of several fiction series.
Betty's website: www.BettyThomasonOwens.com
Sheryl Holmes is an author, speaker, mental health & addiction advocate, and cancer survivor.
Sheryl's website: www.SherylHolmes.com
Fay Lamb is an author, editor, writing coach and teacher.
Find all of Fay's books on her Amazon Author Page.
Tracy Ruckman is an author, screenwriter, and artist. Her latest books include The Young Storyteller's Prompt and Draw Series and the Fishing Journal. Her latest artwork can be found at www.TMPixArt.com and in her Zazzle store.
Recent posts:
Recent Posts from TMP Books:
Recent Posts from TMPixArt:
Christmas Cats, Gingerbread Men, Flying Reindeer (and Seahorses!) Inspired by Travel: Venice
Inspired by Travel: Paris
Fishing Memories and Tall Tales
Thank you for supporting authors, small businesses, and artists during the busy holiday season! We are truly grateful for your business!
Come visit my TMPix Art Shop on Zazzle!
Original Photography Turned into Art
Some funky, some beautiful.
Some bold, some gentle.
Some playful, some romantic.
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