2 C sugar
1 C lt corn syrup
1/4 C water
2 C Salted peanuts
2 T butter (will need more to butter pan)
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 T water

In a 3 qt saucepan add sugar corn syrup water. Over med heat stir till sugar dissolves (use wooden spoon). Simmer over med heat till syrup reaches 270 degrees or soft crack. Remove from heat. Stir in butter till it melts stir in peanuts. Put over heat again, cook till 300 degrees or hard crack. Combine vanilla, baking soda and water. Stir into mixture till it foams. Pour into buttered 15x10x1 sheet pan (or 4 aluminum pie pans). Cool, break into pieces (or with the pie pans wrap and give as gifts).

The real prep:
Get the syrup going. After the sugar dissolves you can turn the heat down and do some chores around the house, or turn it up (not to high) to hurry along the process. I get everything else ready at this time.

When you add the butter at 270 degrees you can feel the mixture become creamier. The peanuts will cause the mix to cool and thicken. Stir them in quick, and return to heat. What a moment or two before stirring the mix on the stove. I love to slow cook the nuts. I think this process enhances the peanut flavor.

I have a tall glass with hot water ready to accept the candy thermometer when the brittle reaches the proper temp of 300 degrees.

The water, baking soda, and vanilla mix can be sitting around and waiting for the final flurry... WARNING. When you pour the mix on the surface of the brittle it will steam slightly. When you stirred in, it will steam heavily. You must be quick to stir in the v, bs, and w. Don't wait too long before pouring the brittle on the butter pan. The final step is fast. pour, stir, pour into pan.

Once the brittle is down on the pan I take the wooden spoon and draw it across the surface releasing some of the air bubbles.
You are done. Let it cool and enjoy.

I've been off the internet for a few days, moving, cleaning, setting up things around the 2 bedroom apartment and this has gotten me thinking.

I am a hermit who needs the cave on the mountain set up to feel good. I have around 100lb of books that I am getting rid of, art histories, some crafting, theatre, and rpgs. I am shedding the old skins. I am still holding on to most of the massage therapy items as that is still a part of my current identity and well…

Now that I don’t have an appetite I have to tell myself to eat, REALLY. I have to will myself to eat something. Before hand I had to will my chubby butt out of the kitchen. This is such a paradigm shift. Portion control is now a larger issue as I spoon up the old way of eating, but eat only half of what the spoon delivers. Yes I still feel the sensation of hunger, but it’s not a compelling need. The insides feel hollow and cavernous, but it's not a need to be filled.  

I am amazed at how the tastes and textures of foods has changed. The sensations translate across the pallet with greater vision, blind before and now I see. Tastes are new too, I sense the balance of the food and can tell when bitter doesn’t have a matching sweet, or savory needs a touch of salt…. The biggest thing…

Is this the normal appetite for the rest of the world? Is this how you feel about food and eating? I’ve been a big boy for a very long time and this could be a ‘natural reset’ in the diet, or caffeine really did mess me up… So many things to ponder and I fear that I will not have the answers to these riddles.

Some would say, don’t question this benefit. Enjoy that you are finally at one with eating. Eating to Live not Living to Eat.

Hello Folks!!

Follow the link to the news, there is a picture of a gold cup... Who is on the cup? What Goddess is she?

Thanks!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080528/od_afp/lifestylebritainauctionhistory_080528122922