Thank God it's Saturday.
I stayed in bed for a long time.
Kid #2 went voluntarily naked around the house for the entire morning.
I didn't even think about doing a run today.
I contemplated lots.  Whatever... I'm in a strange mood today and I won't lie to 'ya, it's kinda fun.
We woke up today to a hefty snowfall - thank God it's saturday and we can stay in - and all the kids toys are covered in the backyard.  I can still see the beaded gold string that somehow made it's way 18 feet up the tree.  It's just hanging there.  It's like a stupid play toy for squirrels and raccoons or something.  It looks weird but I know it's there b/c kid #1 left it outside and then wrapped it around the tree and then the wind or an animal or both gradually pulled it higher and higher.  It kind of feels like our little signature on the world out there.


During my contemplations I decided to make marshmallow's.  I've been wanting to make them ever since D bought me this for Xmas.   To be more precise, I've been wanting to make them for a long time.  however, without the help of something powered by an engine the whole endeavour sounded exhausting.  But now, with a reasonably powerful engine in my hand I thought 'let's give it a go'.


Let me say this up front.  This is cussing messy!  I was expecting it to be somewhat messy (recall, if you will, numerous experiences with melted marshmallow's during the rice crispy square making process) but this stuff was off the chain!  The most exciting part was when, near the end of the whisking adventure, the marshmallow mixture started crawling up the sides of the spinning bowl.  It just started to come out over the lip of the bowl when I stopped it.  Now I've got this sticky stuff all over my mixing engine - ugh!  I'm sure that a good 1/10th of the recipe stayed back on the sides of the bowl because I just couldn't get the damn stuff off.  What the cuss, it tasted good and the kids got a nice bowl treat to fight over - happy saturdays.  Other than that it was relatively easy.  Waiting for the sugar/syrup crap to get to 240 degrees F took longer than I expected but at least I didn't have to do anything.  You WILL need a candy thermometer and some kind of mixing machine


Homemade Marshmallow's (adapted from Ina Garten)

3 packets of unflavoured gelatine
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp kosher salt (regular will work too)
1 tbsp vanilla (good quality)
icing sugar for dusting, etc.

In mixer bowl combine the gelatine and cold water.  Set aside.


In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.  Place over high heat and cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F.


Slowly pour the mixture into the dissolved gelatine and whisk using some kind of mixer machinery for about 10 minutes, start at low speed and gradually increase to high speed.  (watch the sides of the bowl, MmmK?!)
Once this stuff looks really thick and is stickier than anything you'd ever want to touch under normal circumstances it's ready to pour into a pan.  Add in the vanilla and mix the stuff.  Get ready to pour.  I used a large pan but regretted it.  I would use an 8x8 square pan.  You could line it with parchment or just grease it with butter and heavily dust it all with icing sugar.  Either way, put icing sugar in the bottom.  Pour the mixture into the pan and dust on top with icing sugar as well.


Wait for many hours until the stuff is solid enough to cut.
Turn the marshmallow's out onto a large cutting board and carefully remove the parchment paper.


Oil or butter a long knife and try using that to slice the marshmallows, someone else has suggested using an oiled pizza cutter... whatever works people, this is tricky.  Keep in mind though that even if these things get stretched they tend to bounce right back.
Slice them into squares and toss them in more icing sugar so that they stay separated from each other.