10:02 – It was 57F (14C) when I took Colin out at 0645 this morning, gray, damp, and foggy. We’re to have rain on and off over the next several days. Barbara is volunteering this afternoon at the historical society museum.
When Barbara was down in Elkin a couple weeks ago with Frances and Al, she bought some fudge at the general store. I’ve been wanting to try making fudge ourselves, but was put off by the memory of the last time I made it, probably 40 years ago. Back then, I used a double boiler (which we don’t have) and a candy thermometer. Temperature was critical, and the procedure was pretty involved.
But I came across various “easy fudge” recipes on the internet, and decided to give one a try this afternoon. It’s indeed pretty easy, calling only for semi-sweet chocolate chips, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and part of a stick of butter. The procedure consists of putting everything in a microwave-safe bowl and zapping it several times on medium until the chocolate is just melted.
I’m making one change. Instead of sweetened condensed milk, I’ll use evaporated milk with sugar added. The materials are pretty straightforward:
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 12-ounce can of evaporated milk
1/3 cup of butter
And the directions are equally straightforward:
- Combine ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium until chocolate is just melted (5 – 7 minutes), stirring occasionally to mix.
- Pour mixture into a greased 9×9-inch glass baking dish and refrigerate until set.
All of the ingredients except butter are suitable for long-term storage, and that can be substituted for with a third of a cup of oil (or even water) and four tablespoons of butter powder. We’ll cheat and use the microwave, but in an emergency we could easily use a pan on the cooktop instead. I’ll post tomorrow about how our fudge turned out.
* * * * *
Mmmm. Fudge. Can’t wait!
What is the difference between condensed and evaporated milk? I have some Russian canned milk which is supposed to turn into delicious caramel if boiled for a long time in the tin. Must try it…
No problems connecting to ttgnet today. Must have been an internet bobble yesterday.
I’m sitting in the A/V booth at the Gilroy High School theater. Getting ready to perform the arduous task of pressing “next slide” when MrsAtoz says so. Almost all migrant families today. About 10% Gringos.
It’s currently 57F and rising and the weather is glorious. To bad it’s Kalifornia. I could live here. MrsAtoz got her MS in Cybernetics at San Jose State 30mins north (pre-MrAtoz). I’m running some slides of when her family migrated to Sterling, IL. Nobody would rent a place to live to the Mex. The steel mill owner bought a bunch of railroad box cars and drug them into a field by the mill. MrsAtoz’s family lived in one for 5 years. We went to a celebration of the “box car families” in Sterling a couple years back. The grandson of the mill owner was there. His grandpa was praised for doing “something” nobody else would. I can’t imagine living in a box car for 5 years with only a pot belly stove for heat that the family had to install. No water, toilet, electric, etc.
Since today is “Earth Day” I would like to offer that all tree-huggers, progs, snowflakes, climate-changers, SJWs, and other such idiot myopics each eat a big pile of dirt polished off with a pile of steaming fumier.
Earth Day was tainted from the start. But, I suppose, at least he recycled. It would have been worse if he’d been one of those “do as I say, not as I do” hypocrites.
Checking in..
Went ziplining in the canopy this am. Great views, nice breeze. Only a couple of iguanas up in the trees with us.
Local risks are tropical storms and tsunamis. Couple locals have given tsunami advice. They can happen without warning, although they have sirens. Nearby isles figured prominently in ringos zombie books. There is exactly zero fresh water here. Water and power depend on diesel generators. They are building an LNG terminal and it will make it cheaper and cleaner after they switch. There are some local small scale farmers markets, and there is some commercial ag, but not much.
Would not like to be stuck here if the freight stops moving. No matter
How beautiful.
Nick
And here is Earth Day guy Ira Einhorn today:
http://media.nbcphiladelphia.com/images/1200*900/PHI+ira+einhorn+lead+image.jpg
One might guess he’s still not playing with a full deck. Wouldn’t a bullet to the head have saved us all a pile of money?
“Would not like to be stuck here if the freight stops moving.”
+1,000
One would then, perforce, be back at pre-Euro subsistence levels, if that, with no fresh water.
If I’d realized, I’d have thrown a Life straw in the bag.
N
Condensed milk came before evaporated, the added sugar made it easier to preserve – hence the whole cup of sugar Robert added with the evaporated milk. Condensed is good for desert type things but very sweet to just dilute and drink.
Don’t forget to go out and March For Science. Why? CLIMATE EJACULATION DENIERS!!!!
“If I’d realized…”
Probably a good idea anywhere, come to think of it. Local water can get messed up pretty fast any place we go.
Made me chuckle, though, thinking of that phrase out in Beserkeley lately; “alt-right” forces show up and discover that the opposition is deploying sap gloves, knuckle-dusters, glass bottles filled with stuff, pepper spray, etc., and thinking…”If I’d realized…I woulda brought Negan’s bat with me today…”
As it was, they cleaned some clocks. Still nowhere near what it was like in German cities during the 1920s-30s.
Meanwhile next-younger brother’s wife went ahead and ordered Alan Jackson tix for tonight down in Providence, RI. Next-younger brother likes Jackson alright but is not happy. Probably can’t pack heat due to metal detectors and wands now at these things, and he’s a stickler for being able to protect wife and daughters and self 7×24 no matter what. Part of that was avoiding cities and crowds and events and she’s just upended that whole thing.
Yes, we should be able to do what we want and go where we want and stand up for our freedumb everywhere and at all times and not let the Bad People screw us up. Then there’s the reality of cities, crowds and ‘events’ nowadays.
Chances are pretty good that there won’t be a hadji suicide bomber or some wacko spraying the building with 5.56 fire, but with no options but to run like hell and take cover if something bad does happen, it kinda sucks. So why put self and family at risk? Last time I checked, Alan Jackson CDs and DVDs and Tube vids are readily available, and full disclosure is that I like crowds and cities even less than my brother, of course.
Playing a tribute to MrsAtoz’s program(s) by Harry Reid. Lol! DIE MUTHAFUKA!
I’m a condensed milk addict, I like nothing better than putting a can in the freezer for a few hours and then spooning it out.
I used to heat an unopened can in boiling water to make caramel, but there are printed warnings on the cans nowadays about that. Nestle sell caramelized condensed milk, but at about twice the price.
Dunno about the “easy fudge”. Surely you have to take it out and stir, put it back in, take it out, stir, put it in. Microwave a few seconds too long, and you’ll have a mess. The proportions also seem off: not enough sugar (maybe there’s a pile in the chocolate chips?), and even so, I’ll bet the sugar doesn’t dissolve.
Making fudge the old-fashioned way is really easy: Throw all the ingredients in a pan, boil the mixture, stirring to prevent scorching. Stop when the right temperature is reached (I stop at 116 C). Take off the heat, stir while it cools (if you’re impatient, dip the pan briefly in cold water). When it starts to thicken, dump it out. Really, it’s a very easy process. Once you’ve learned the process, mainly knowing how hard you can boil the stuff without burning it, it takes about 45 minutes start-to-finish.
Edited to add: I don’t make fudge (or Scottish tablet, or whatever) very often any more. It’s too yummy, and I can’t stop eating the stuff 🙂
I used to heat an unopened can in boiling water to make caramel, but there are printed warnings on the cans nowadays about that. Nestle sell caramelized condensed milk, but at about twice the price.
My wife still does that. Really, what can go wrong? The only problem is that the glue holding the labels on the cans gets all over the interior of the pot, and it is a pain to scrub off. So she tends to do several cans at once, to make a supply for a few months.
Could you Sous -vide fudge? I have the popular machine on Amazon but haven’t tried it yet. Perhaps this would be a great first try.
with no options but to run like hell and take cover if something bad does happen
In my way of thinking that is your first option.
“Really, what can go wrong?”
The can may burst?
“In my way of thinking that is your first option.”
Yeah, I know, and that is what I’d do in a situation like that; GTFO immediately, if possible. But what if it ain’t possible? Then what? Wait for the cops? When seconds count…etc. Those people in Orlando were waiting. And bled out on the floor. And even then, if it’s one asshole and he’s within a couple of yards and/or has his back to me, I’m likely to go for it, with or without a weapon. I ain’t no hero and certainly no spring chicken anymore but hell, some days you gotta cowboy up if you get the chance or die like a miserable ol’ broke-dick dawg on the ground.
But sure, best to di-di-mao the fuck outta wherever; Mr. Nick had the exact right idea back a little while ago at that rodeo when things looked like they might get sporty nearby.
“Dunno about the “easy fudge”. Surely you have to take it out and stir, put it back in, take it out, stir, put it in. Microwave a few seconds too long, and you’ll have a mess. The proportions also seem off: not enough sugar (maybe there’s a pile in the chocolate chips?), and even so, I’ll bet the sugar doesn’t dissolve.”
You lose. We made it up this morning.
The original recipe called for three cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips, one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, and 1/4 cup of butter. I refigured around a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk, which with one full cup of sugar added is the equivalent of about 1.33 times the amount of sweetened condensed milk the recipe calls for. So I boosted the chocolate chips from 3 cups to 4 cups, and butter from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup.
I prefer to work with weights, but in this case I just scooped four full cups of chips into a tared stainless steel bowl on my scale. That totaled about 700 grams, but then I noticed that the Nestle bag said a serving was one tablespoon or 14 grams. Four cups is 64 Tbsp or 896 grams. I rounded that up to 907.184 grams (2 pounds even).
I started by combining the can of evaporated milk, the cup of sugar, and the 1/3 cup of butter in a good-sized Tupperware container and microwaving it on high for 1.5 minutes. When I got it out and swirled it, all the sugar dissolved. I added the two pounds of chocolate chips, swirled to get the chips leveled, and microwaved it on high for 2.5 minutes. Removed and stirred. The chips were almost but not completely melted, so I gave it another 1.5 minutes on high, removed and stirred it, transferred it to a greased 9×9 inch glass baking dish, and stuck it in the refrigerator to set. It looked like fudge. We’ll see what it tastes like this evening.
We went to a celebration of the “box car families” in Sterling a couple years back. The grandson of the mill owner was there. His grandpa was praised for doing “something” nobody else would. I can’t imagine living in a box car for 5 years with only a pot belly stove for heat that the family had to install. No water, toilet, electric, etc.
I’ve gotta say that a box car is much better than a tent. When we moved to Houston in 1972 ???, we lived in the area converting into the barrio at South Post Oak and Orem in a 2 bedroom / 1 bath house. Dad temporarily converted the 8 ft by 8 ft dining area into a bedroom for me. The Mexican family next door had 17+ people in the same size house. I don’t think that the guys were allowed to use the single bathroom. My buddy Pete was the only person in the house who could speak English comfortably.
I have a can of sweetened condensed milk, like Eagle Brand. My mom used to put the can, unopened, into boiling water for carmelization. I can’t recall how long.
Any guesses?
2-3 hours, it looks like.
Also, it’s “caramelize”. I think “carmelization” means joining a religious order.
The brand I use has a ring pull top, so that would be a no-go for most of the methods in that article. One of the methods allows opening the can and baking in the oven – I guess that could work.
When I did this stuff 30 years ago it was done in about half an hour, not the three to ten mentioned in the article. It might be easier just to pay extra and buy it pre-made.
13 Most Ridiculous Predictions Made on Earth Day, 1970
Cowboy Slim wrote:
“Any guesses?”
It’s been 30-35 years, but a properly sealed can in boiling water took 30 minutes or so.
“13 Most Ridiculous Predictions Made on Earth Day, 1970”
“Experts” and scientists.
We now return this discussion to condensed and evaporated milk plus fudge.
I remember my mom making fudge when we were kids and seeing it all the time on various holiday tables. Haven’t had any, though, in years. I recall that it’s very rich and a bit grainy.
My can in the cupboard is Kroger brand with a pull ring top. I would not worry, if it expands to open while boiling I would just expect to open a little, rather than blow up.
OK, on the stove, going for two hours.
Daughter #2 sent a “Happy Earth Day” text to the family. I responded with a series of pictures of celebriturd hypocrites, Bill Nye The Douchebag Guy flying on AF1, Leo DiJerko on private jets, Algorical’s mansions, etc. I’m equally loved and despised now.
Fun!!!
MrAtoz, tell Daughter#2 to be wary of associating with the kind of people who’d celebrate so-called Earth Day, lest she find herself composted.
Average level of attractiveness unfairly privileges you. Trolling or batshit crazy? You decide!
To make fudge that is smooth and not grainy you need to use Bakers Sugar. It is a very fine and consistent grained cane sugar. A bit more expensive but worth it IMHO.
References:
https://www.chsugar.com/sugar/detail/bakers-sugar
https://www.sugar.org/types-of-sugar/
Assuming that “baker’s sugar”, “powdered sugar”, “10X sugar”, and “confectioner’s sugar” are all the same thing (the latter three are, with the name used being a regional thing; didn’t see any definitions for baker’s sugar), yes, you want to use confectioner’s sugar for all candy products. It should be obvious from the name.
Could you Sous -vide fudge? I have the popular machine on Amazon but haven’t tried it yet. Perhaps this would be a great first try.
No. Since a sous vide heats water as the cooking medium, it can’t get above 100 C/212 F. I’ve used mine temps of about 129-140 F. I’ve done steaks, prime rib roast, salmon, chicken, and pork chops. All came out excellent. The prime rib was uniformly medium rare from center to edge. The salmon was flaky, cooked medium, and lightly herb infused.
“I’m equally loved and despised now.”
See, this is what I don’t grok: you show people the utter hypocrisy of the Left celebs like that and it not only doesn’t even make a dent, you are now the bad guy. Amazing. You can run the same exercise with guns, too: next time a bunch of these turds come out shrieking “gun control” agitprop, show them clips of the same asswipes using guns heavily in their movies, or swanning around the usual celebturd watering holes with armed bodyguards.
“Trolling or batshit crazy?”
R U specializing today in linking to tedious, long-winded batshit-crazy fembat tirades or something? Yikes. Is it just me or do fembats writing about anything under the sun just go on and on and on…?
And here’s more; didja know yer whiteness was toxic?
https://compassionateactivism.leadpages.co/htw-program-jan-2017/?utm_source=EF-Site&utm_campaign=EF-HTW-OnDemand-StickyBar&utm_medium=Website-Ads
Ima gon git right on that.
13 Most Ridiculous Predictions Made on Earth Day, 1970
https://ricochet.com/424431/13-ridiculous-predictions-made-earth-day-1970/
Nice, my favorite is:
“13. “The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age.” — Kenneth Watt”
And they wonder why we don’t buy the global warming crap.
I just mentioned all that chit to wifey, same reaction as Mr. Lynn; these rumpswabs keep coming up with doom-and-gloom chit like that and then wonder WTF we just blow them off nowadays. The major chit to worry about these days is the financial house of cards collapsing coupled with some kind of major Grid outage for a while. Or terrorist scum lighting off a nuke here in CONUS somehow.
Other than that, I gotta worry about the 5-page to-do list here; the new marina coming in on the bay; the summah traffic starting up again; the town’s sidewalk expansion projects; and whether or not we are ever gonna be able to move the highway department off the bay shore and build them a new salt shed. That’s plenty enough for anyone’s plate right there.
Off to mass in the AM and then assembling my new Gorilla wagon and clearing up the firewood pile. New bike to assemble, also. And the cowboy grill for our fire pit that we never got around to putting together. If the weather is halfway decent this week I can try to get a lot done outside.
Pax vobiscum, fratres…
RIP Erin… 🙁
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-23/erin-moran-who-played-joanie-cunningham-in-happy-days-dies/8465138
“First Female Somali Muslim Legislator: Islamic Jihad Murderers Should Get Paid From Life Insurance Policies”
http://freedomoutpost.com/first-female-somali-muslim-legislator-islamic-jihad-murderers-should-get-paid-from-life-insurance-policies/
“America’s first female Somali Muslim legislator was only one of two people to vote against a bill that would allow life insurance companies to deny a payout to beneficiaries of terrorists killed while attacking Americans.”
Why is this person still allowed to live in the USA ?
“RIP Erin… “
I rarely watched the show but remember her on it. Another child starlet with a messed-up personal life, I guess. Cute redhead, too.
“Why is this person still allowed to live in the USA ?”
Here’s a clue: you and I will be kicked out before hadji scum apologists like this will get the boot. That’s how bad things are now.
If Mrs OFD is a AGW alarmist tell her to take the bus rather than fly.
The only name I recognised from Earthday link was that carbunkle Paul Ehrlich. I’m not starving to death just yet.
[snip] Why is this person still allowed to live in the USA ? [snip]
Because the First Amendment allows anyone to stand up and publicly give their opinion. It also allows the rest of us to gloriously expose her ideas to ridicule. The Constitution further gives the people of her district an opportunity to correct the mistake they made in electing her. Our system still isn’t perfect, but it’s still the least worst one.
[snip] carbunkle Paul Ehrlich. [snip]
On Ehrlich, I have to quote the mad geniuses at Monty Python: He couldn’t be more wrong if he’d spelled rabbit with three Ms and a silent Q.
One minor quibble; the First Amendment has now been de facto amended to read that communists and musloids and racists of races other than white are allowed to stand up and spew whatever hateful and violence-soaked rubbish, including death threats, but anyone else risks losing their job, property and freedom, especially any variety or species of “conservative.”
The danger increases with rising levels of hatefulness; being white is already terrible; add to that heterosexual, married, Christian, Roman Catholic Christian, “conservative,” gun owner, and/or U.S. veteran, and you could be in dire straits.
And after a while you tend to get suspicious when even guys like O’Reilly get bounced from Faux Nooz Network; yeah, he probably was a sexually harassing shitbag, but do we really know for SURE? Could he have been set up? Sabotaged? Framed?
I’ll be a little more credulous when I start seeing prominent lefty media rumpswabs getting accused of chit like this and hounded out of their jobs.
And after a while you tend to get suspicious when even guys like O’Reilly get bounced from Faux Nooz Network; yeah, he probably was a sexually harassing s***bag, but do we really know for SURE? Could he have been set up? Sabotaged? Framed?
Rush said that only one of the harassment suits was sexual that he knew of. The other four were for bullying the women on his show. Apparently O’Reilly would micromanage their appearance and tell them what to say with very harsh criticisms. Harsh, I tell you.