DYI Candy Apple Bar

In case you've never had/seen one, candied apples are caramel apples on steroids. They are one of my favorite fall treats. I limit myself to one per year. That's all I need. Mr. Hippie usually buys one for my birthday and we split it between the family. And everyone's sweet tooths are all quite satisfied, thank you very much.

Imagine my glee when on Pinterest I found a pin of a Candied Apple Bar. (here) It was gorgeous, with artistically placed apples, vats of caramel and fudge, and bowls of candies, nuts and other toppings.

I immediately re-pinned it, of course, and my wheels started turning. How could I make this work?

I don't know about you, but making caramel apples has always been one of those great sounding ideas that has never quite turned out right for me. They were always impressively unimpressive. Picture this...apples skewered on popsicle sticks, with a very light (read"almost non-existent") coat of caramel on the skins, but a nice puddle a caramel cementing the apple to its wax paper base.

No, my caramel apples never looked like this.

So, how could I take this wonderful idea of a candied apple bar, and modify it to actually be worth the wax paper it's stuck to? How could I successfully recreate my treat. Without any hair pulling frustration?

I did some more research (like this), and asked my gourmet friend, Hannah (she is like Martha Stewart, though she has never said anything nasty about bloggers that I know of), how she would do a candied apple bar. She gave me some great tips, but I was still stuck.

Should I try this, and possibly fail at this, for a group gathering?

The directions I read called for homemade caramel (maybe some other time) and they required the apples to sit for 2 hours to solidify. Which didn't exactly work with my schedule. Who wants to wait for 2 hours to eat their apple?

"Not I" says the fly.

Here's what I decided. I made a major change. Instead of dipping whole apples, we would each slice and core our apples, place in a bowl, and top with our favorite toppings...

caramel, fudge, sprinkles, chopped peanuts, crushed butterfingers, M&M's and mini chocolate chips.

Kind of an apple sundae-without the ice cream. Or a candied apple bar-without the fuss.

I was seriously nervous. Would this be a classic Pinterest fail? Am I really experimenting on unwitting guests? 

My fears turned out to be unfounded. This candied apple bar was an unqualified success!

All I can say is, "oh wow!" They were everything I remembered, and then some. Bowls of deliciousness piled high with caramel, fudge and chocolate.

I had to re-stage this for the post.
you're welcome!

Much cheaper than buying one apple. And the deliciousness can keep on giving-so long as I have leftover caramel and fudge in my fridge.

So, if you have any gathering this month that you are thinking of hosting, get yourself some good  apples (braeburn, gala, granny smith), heat some Marzetti caramel apple dip and fudge, and put out some peanuts, and whatever other toppings you enjoy, then let everyone build their own candied apple.

You'll be glad you did!

Wine and Cheese

There are various blogs I read for various reasons. I read Design Mom to be inspired. Ascetically inspired. Between Design Mom and Anna@IHOD, I get my daily dose of beauty.

So, when I saw this glorious article on Design Mom about cheese tasting, I knew I had found the theme for our cabin fever party this winter.

Mr. Hippie and I invited over 20 friends, plus their off spring, and we committed to buying a variety of cheese to taste. We asked everyone to bring an accompaniment for the cheese, and a bottle of wine or fruit juice-depending on their alcohol inhibitions.

We ended up with a great spread-6 varieties of cheese, lots of crackers and some great bread, chocolate dipped strawberries, dried fruit, olives, prosciutto, salami, summer sausage, sun dried tomatoes, jam, and ???

Our cheese buying guide was the rhyme, "something old, something new, something goat and something blue." The 6 cheeses we picked were

Old:

cheddar-plain old, sharp Wisconsin cheddar. I picked it for the color.

manchego-Spanish. Sheep cheese. Very regimented in production. Milder flavored and went very nicely with kalamata olives.

dubliner-Irish. (yay! for Irish-ness in March) This is a cheese made by only one company. No preservatives.

New:

queso fresco-Mexican. Obviously. I am not usually a fan of queso, but I liked the flavor of this. It was similar to mozzarella. The meats really shone with this one.

Goat:

chèvre: the most popular form of goat cheese. It has a tangy flavor. Similar to cream cheese. We all liked it with the sun-dried tomatoes.

Blue:

Danish blue: it was blue and it was Danish. It did add a nice strain of color to the board. And it paired nicely with peach jam. And I have over a pound left over. Can't say it was Mr. Popular here. Oh well. Blue cheese on salad anyone?

We ended up with several bottles of great wine. Reds, and whites. And some Belgian ale or something. Not my thing. But, it went fast. 

Our goal was, "something old, something new. something goat and something blue."
We were able to find at least one of each,
but we noticed there were a whole lot more aged cheeses at the store
than any other kind.

the Danish blue was nicely paired with homemade peach jam.

amazing chocolate dipped strawberries. The perfect ending to the cheese.

the spread

finishing touches

goat cheese was accompanied by sun dried tomatoes.

a whole lot of stemware. so pretty.

gorgeous. food art.

some of the bottled product...

Now that you have seen the pictures, I can say, this beauty had nothing to do with me. I contacted my mother-daughter duo friends, Ann and Hannah, and asked them to make this party a sophisticated event. Decorating is not my strong suit. I am much better at organizing, facilitating and cleaning. If it had been me setting it all up, the cheese would have been on one board in the middle of the table. With everything else just kind of plopped around. No joke.

I think they did an amazing job. I thought everything looked so pretty. They went with a woody and rustic theme. They came early to set up, washed most of the dishes when we were done, and brought more than their share of wine and sides.

I love it when everyone can get together and use the gifts God has given them! Even for such a minor and fun thing as a cheese tasting party.

We ended up with around 20 adults, and 4 or 5 kids on top of ours. The kids banged around, eating cheese sticks, and several pounds of not dipped strawberries, and a good portion of crackers too. The adults mingled and laughed and talked. And it was a great time to just reconnect with everyone.

I thought it was funny when I read Nadine's party post this morning. She talked of cleaning and broken chairs, good friends, and laughter. I think this weekend was perfect for hanging out.

One thing I have learned in all my years of hosting get together is that it is better to save your cleaning until afterwards. Which is totally counter-culture. I mean, we dusted the baseboards before company came growing up, so they wouldn't think we were complete animals. Just kidding. Though we did dust the baseboards, and we did always give my mom a hard time about having to clean for company.

Poor mom...

Anyway...I say-clean when people leave. Dust the obvious, wipe down the sinks, and where the boys missed on the toilets. And leave the rest. Then you can let go, and not worry about spills, or crumbs, dirt or anything else.

Because entertaining is messy. It is work. Things often get broken. Not always by the guests. (I lost another piece of stemware in the ensuing cleanup. Freckles broke it and looked horrified.)

But, it is worth it. Don't ever forget that. Some mess and work is worth the effort of connecting with people. Investing in others' lives.

How can you open your home this month? Maybe not for a huge party. Maybe just for coffee with a friend. Tell me about it in the comments.

Always Winter-Never Christmas

Its February. Christmas is long over. The snow was nice for December, and even January, but it's time to be done with winter now. Really.

Winter is the time when smart creatures hibernate. Why didn't we get that wired into our DNA? Well, maybe humans did, we just hibernate differently than bears.

We fill up with goodies and extra poundage over the November/December holidays, then we bundle into hats, scarves, thick-wooly socks, and fluffy quilts, and bury ourselves in bed for January and February.

Who says we don't hibernate?

We peek out occasionally, but for the most part, just kind of stick to ourselves. Rather anti-social and seasonally depressed.

Unless you take off for somewhere exotic. Like the Barefoot Hippies. Yes, we are sweating it out in the jungle right now.

Us Barefoot Hippies do traditionally take a travel in the winter months of January and February. Though it is a rather crummy time to visit anywhere above the Equator. Mr. Hippie is a roofer by trade. (I keep suggesting Barefoot Hippie Roofing, "Specializing in Hip Roofs" as a new business name, but he isn't buying it.) January and February aren't prime roofing months. Roofer hibernate during this time.

But, if exotic traveling isn't in your budget, maybe a break in your hibernation still is a possibility. How about planning and hosting a group gathering? I find that they are just the ticket for breaking up the winter blues and doldrums.

As a matter of fact, our gathering is on the calendar-for one month from tomorrow. We will be back from all places exotic, and will be de-jet-lagged. And we are going to be ready for a party.

You can do a couple's party. Or a family party. Or a single's party. Whatever life stage you are in, there are plenty of options. The goal is to just get out and do something! Here are a couple ideas to get your wheels turning.

BW3: Last year we hosted a wing night. (here) Each couple brought a flavor of wing, and a side or drink. I made Macaroni and Cheese for the kids. It was a wonderful time of laughter, catching up, and good food.

Sledding or Skating Party: snow is helpful for this. But this is great for families, or not. Everyone can be involved. End it up with a pot luck or cookies and cocoa.

Game night: Haul out the board games or group games. Games like Scattegories or Pictionary. Risk and Settlers of Catan. Eat snacks or don't.

Cheese Tasting: "Something old, something new, something goat and something bleu." We have been wanting to do this for a while, and our inspiration for this years' get together can from one of my favorite bloggers, Design Mom. She has an awesome post about all things cheese tasting party. (here) Cheese, wine or fruit juices, and accompaniments. Very sophisticated. Or, at least, that is what we are telling ourselves.

Home Spa: haul out the girl friends and the chocolate, nail polish and sugar scrub. Hanging with the girls is always a great way to lift moods.

I have found that the secret with parties is to do your hostess work-planning, inviting, maybe some cooking, and then let people kick back and have fun. Not everyone is a people person, but most of us do love catching up with close friends. Hopefully this has sparked some juices in your creative mind.

What is your favorite group way to beat cabin fever? Leave me a comment. I am sure we all would love to get more ideas.

It's Meres' Party, and I'll Cry if I Want To!

Home spa

Last night LC and I finally had a chance to try out our new sugar scrub. It was heavenly. I love how my feet come out all soft and scented. Such at home luxury!

Hong-Kong Sunset

In keeping with the Thursday giving up the good concept, today I am writing about something I have chosen to give up for our family...kid's birthday parties.
You all know exactly what I mean. These are the shindigs that Pinterest has propagated. Perfectly coordinated games, decorations, table settings, party favors, crafts, and cakes. If that is your thing-more power to you!
But, it is not mine.
I am a fuss free person. So fuss-free I didn't even do much in the way of decorating or flowers for my wedding. We had our bouquets, some balloons and mirrors, and that was about it. It is not a big deal for me. It doesn't interest me. A perfectly decorated and coordinated party is not what I want to spend my time and resources on. I'd rather make a good cake. Not a decorated cake, just a delicious one. ('cause I don't do cake decorating either=))
This is right in my face this week, because the "twins'" birthdays are coming up in less than two weeks. And, my mom (the original hippie), has decided that she wants to be here for their first birthdays. She is driving from TX to VA, and then to MI, in order to do this. And I want to tell her, "why bother?"
Because, frankly, I'm not (bothering). I have never thrown any of my kids a big birthday party. I usually have my bro and his family from across the street come for cake and ice-cream, if it works with both our schedules. I have occasionally had a few cousins over, but it is never a big deal. No games, favors, or crafts.
This is my personal opinion, mind you, and my personality. But, who in their right mind would have tons of kids over? For a perfectly coordinated party that the kids really could care less about? To bring gifts for the birthday child who then wants to play with said gifts, and not to share said gifts. Which paints them in the worst selfish light possible. Lose-lose situation. Crying kids, mess everywhere. No thank you!
Okay, that may be a worse case scenario, but you have to admit, you've seen it happen. Why would that be fun for anyone?

LC-last year's cake

So, here in the Hippie household, we down play birthdays. I usually make a special breakfast and dinner, then bake the cake of their choice, and we do cake and presents in the evening. There are lots of calls from extended family. Lots of singing of happy birthday. Lots of loving. That's it.
I am so "down playing" about birthdays, that I have even missed a few. (and my kids have lived to tell about it-though they may need therapy when adults.) I was in England for Freckles' 5th birthday. We had his party before we left him at grandma's house. And he was okay with that. He got to hang out in Cowtown and go to Sonic. For BMV's 4th birthday I was traveling back from a  week of volunteer work in TX. We celebrated the next day. For BMV's 5th birthday I had grand plans for making up missing his 4th birthday. I had a baby due on his birthday. What better gift than a new sib? I also figured that since BMV and Freckles were a few days overdue, I'd be in my nesting stage, and be able to do a nice party for him-complete with grandma's presence. Except, LC came two days early-not late which made me a hormonally whacked mom on BMV's birthday. There I am, 2 days postpartum, determined that I was going to make BMV's cake this year. No one was going to buy him a cake. I was crying and feeling like an awful mom. Because I couldn't on so many fronts. Btw, my mom ended up frosting the cake. Moms are truly great. And all this isn't to say that I don't love or appreciate my mom. Cakes for BMV has just been an all around disaster actually. For his first birthday we were up at camp. I decided to make him a cheesecake for his birthday...but someone had dumped salt in the sugar. Needless to say, that was memorable-and not in a good way.

BMV-9-icecream cake-a success actually

To continue great birthday tradition, this year we are going to be out of town for both BMV's and LC's birthdays. They are pretty cool with the fact that we will be in Delaware and then DC for their birthdays.

Freckles's spice cake this year

But, I have so digressed.
Meres birthday this year-her first birthday-falls in the middle of the busiest week of my summer. It is the week of the morning and evening VBS's. Obviously a birthday is important, but a one year old doesn't care if it is celebrated on Wednesday (the birthday) or the next Saturday. But, my mom coming in makes me feel like I really shouldn't be putting off this so important occasion. Because she is here for the birthday, and has made it such a priority, why am not I, the mother, making it a priority too?
Are you getting the picture?
Guilt and a desire to please everyone is weighing me down. Even though I have never done a first birthday party for any one of my kids.
Why should I feel the burden this year-especially when I am double and triple parked?

She will be happy just so long as she can dig into cake at some point in time.

So, I am saying "NO!" I am not doing it. I am sticking to my original plan. I will do cake and ice-cream with Meres on Saturday. She won't care. I will be relaxed with all that responsibility behind me. And we will enjoy our time together as a family. I will invite my mom. But, it is just going to be our regular low-key celebration. No fuss. It will be a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. There will be a few gifts. There will be no coordinating plates and napkins, and no games. It will be time for the Hippie household to just be together celebrating the huge blessing that descended on us last June.
Cheers!