Sea Salted Caramel Recipe

Just in case you missed the yummy treat I shared at Four Flights last week, I'm reposting it here...

 Lately I have been adding a bit of sea salt to all my sweets and have been loving the combination.  So when I saw a salted caramel recipe on pinterest I knew what my Sunday evening treat would be. Luckily I had all of the ingredients in my house which is rare for those Sunday night treat making adventures. Isn't that the worst when you don't have everything you need to try something new?  Fortunately this recipe only has three ingredients which I'm hoping you have in your house. Because if you like the whole salty/sweet thing then you will probably need to make this right away too! The original recipe was in metric measurements so I've already done the googling required for you.  And I've included a printable in case you are like me and need to give away most of what you make to get the temptation out of the house!  This recipe is adapted from Call Me Cupcake which by the way has the prettiest pictures of cakes you have ever seen.

 Here are my kitchen notes in case you are a little intimidated, which you shouldn't be because it is super easy.  {And you get to learn from my mistakes!}

+ It really is important to not to stir while melting the sugar.  I missed that part the first time and you get rock hard bits of sugar that take for-ever to melt.


+The sugar doesn't all have to be melted to remove from heat.  Once you see what is melted turn a rich amber then start swirling.

+When you stir in the butter it kind of curdles but just keep stirring it comes together!


+ I use 1/2 to 1 tsp of sea salt.  

+Be Careful!  Caramel is hot!  I promise!


+This is more of a spreadable caramel or a dip.  Just heat to drizzle.

+When I was googling the conversions the cream one said .63 cups or 3/4 cup.  Those didn't match up but I went with the 3/4 cup of cream.  The caramel ended up a lighter color and a bit runnier, more like a caramel topping.  It has a milder flavor and is just as delicious.   Feel free to try it that way too!

After I got my caramel in to a jar {one batch will fill one 1/2 pint jar or 2 of those itty bitty jars} I thought it would be such a cute thank you gift!  So I made a flag and gussied it up all cute.  As promised I've included the printable so you can make yours cute too!

{click to download}

I hope you like the caramel!  It is super yummy on apples, ice cream, cookies, your finger....use your imagination!  

Hello Monday.

Hello rainy monday.  I have to admit that when it is raining like it is today {and we have had a week of sun} I kind of like it.  It reminds me of home and makes me feel cozy.  As long as it doesn't stay I'm perfectly content to enjoy a day inside with my girl and a big pile of books.  Ivy and I have been playing camping,  reading book after book and playing with babies.    We have had a weekend of highs and lows so mellow is always nice.

  

We are getting sad this week that some of our family that we came here to be close to is moving away.  Funny thing is they are moving to Denver where we came from.  Ivy will miss Lytton who she always proclaims is her bestest friend and I'm going to miss my dear LoLo. So I planned a little girls night with just the aunties and Grandma to sit and chat one last time before she leave us for the Rocky Mountains.  {yes I'll admit I'm a wee bit jealous that they will be back in the mountains I love.  Although I'm not jealous of the snow in May.}

We enjoyed a few treats and sipped italian sodas with some happy yellow straws. . . 

turned down the lights and visited and giggled just like girls do.  

Parties are the perfect excuse to buy flowers... 

and to sew fun things and pretty up the place.

We are being brave  because we know our family will be back soon.  We are so happy for them on their new adventure. And Ivy will still proclaim Lytton to bestest friend and we will always love our crazy Lolo.  {and yes Rich we will miss you too!}  

How was your weekend?  And Happy Monday to you! 

Won't You Come and Say Hi?!

Oh hello friends!  I'm sharing my new favorite recipe at Four Flights of Fancy today.  Andrea went on vacation so I'm repaying her the favor. 

Won't you stop by and say Hi?!

Dreamy Giraffe Winner!

Ooh its somebody's lucky day and that person is.....

#4  Tammy from Peppermint Plum!  Congrats lady!  I hope you can pick just one!  

If you didn't win don't fret!  You can still use code: SUNSHINE to get 20% off!  

Happy Wednesday!

What I tried to say...

Having a doctor tell you that there is a zero percent chance of getting pregnant on your own is devastating.  And devastated is what I have been for so long.  After surgeries and crazy menopausal drugs and knowing that in the end it didn't matter we decided to try in vitro.  We were so blessed to have it work our first try.  But after the next two rounds failed I was still a girl who couldn't have kids.

Last Mothers Day was that lowest moment when not even having Ivy made me happy.  I remember being at the park about a month after Mother's Day and watching a mom with 3 little boys probably under three.  I watched her and I got mad.  When she put Coke in her little boys bottle I was angry.   Why could this mom who wasn't doing a good job get to have kids and I didn't?  Didn't I deserve it more than she did?  I was a way better mom than that.  It wasn't fair.


Right after that I had a big long talk with my Grandma at a Family reunion.  After talking about how life isn't perfect and that life is hard  she told me... If we were all to hang our troubles out on the line, you would pick yours and I would pick mine.  And that was from the lady that was on the fifth month of her 6 months left to live, dying from cancer.   She sat there and told me that she didn't know how I did it.  As I sat there wondering how she did it.

Source: sharesomecandy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Some time after that I started making a conscious effort to be happy.  I decided to be thankful and grateful for the things I did have.  I remembered to be thankful for my sweet baby Ivy.  It can take effort sometimes to be happy.  I'll even fake it until I make it a lot but I've also learned that it is ok to be sad AND to be happy.  It doesn't have to be one or the other.
At christmas time someone bore their testimony and I loved what he said.

 God can't prevent the storms  in our lives.  But He does provide peace in the midst of them.  

I finally realized after all those years of praying for things to be different, for God to help our family grow and to just make it so I could have kids that I had been praying for the wrong thing.  I started praying for peace.  Peace for my heart to accept the circumstances I had been given.  I also started praying more for others and wishing peace for so many others struggling with hard things.  And as I opened my heart to others and tried to lift people up instead of worrying about my own trials, my burden became so much lighter.

Source: letlifehappentoyoutoday.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I kept coming back to this quote in my head by Joseph Campbell.  I don't think there are many girls that imagine growing up and not being able to have children.  And I think that is why Mothers' Day was so hard for me last year.  I was hanging on to that life I imagined.  The one that wasn't there.  I wasn't moving forward or accepting  the one I had.  But I decided at the beginning of the year that I was going to Be.  I chose to BE  but that means I have to DO.  I have to move forward and enjoy and trust in the life that is waiting for me. 

As I thought about what I was going to say in church on Sunday, I remembered what my sweet Grandma had said about the laundry line.  I realize I have learned another lesson from that little quote.  And I think now I fully understood how much I have grown in one year.  I know that I would gladly take my trials down off the line so that lady at the park, or anyone else wouldn't have to face the same heartache. 

Mothers Day is hard for so many reasons to so many different people.  But I've learned over  this past year that if we serve others, that if we let God really be a part of our lives and if we choose to be happy that eventually we will be. 

+++

Thank you, thank you sweet friends for all of your kind words, thoughts, prayers and support this past week. I cried my way through the whole thing and I'm really  glad its over. I didn't say everything I wanted, so I decided to share what I tried to say here as well.   I really wanted to get up and talk about how terrible my life was.  But I found that what I really wanted to share is that I'm happy. I've grown so much this past year and I'm excited to see where this next year will take me. 


Happy Mothers Day.


Much Love,