Joan’s Country Kitchen

My husband loves peanut brittle so I decided to make this recipe for him at Christmas. This peanut

brittle is easy to make and also makes a terrific gift from the kitchen.

Peanut Brittle Recipe

Ingredients for peanut brittle

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 tbs butter, softened
1 tsp baking soda

Directions for Cooking

Grease a large cookie sheet and then set it aside for later.

Using a heavy saucepan, bring sugar, corn syrup, salt and water to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Add peanuts to mixture and stir in.

Continue cooking, stirring frequently until candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a hard ball forms when a little brittle is dropped into very cold water.

Remove peanut brittle from heat and immediately stir in butter or margarine and baking soda.

Pour candy onto greased cookie sheet at once.

Using 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14×12 inches and allow to cool.

Break hard candy into pieces.

More Gifts from the Kitchen

Many wine merchants offer wine clubs as a way of acquainting people with their labels. They bring their wine directly to the customers, who, in return, receive perks for being in the club. There are many different types of wine club so it’s important to find just the right fit for your lifestyle. Here are some things to consider when purchasing a wine club membership:

What is your purpose for joining the wine club?

• Would you like to learn more about a particular region or a specific type of wine?

• Would you like to taste diverse wines or exotic wines?

• Would you like to order wines not available anywhere else?

• Would you like social wine tastings to be included?

These are just a few options available with different wine club memberships.

What is your budget?

There are wine club memberships to fit most budgets, from about $20 monthly to $100 a month, or more. Wine clubs may ship monthly, quarterly or twice a year.

Check out the perks of different wine clubs.

Perks may include:

• Information and education about wines

• Wine discounts to members

• Free member tastings or invitations to member only events

• Gift offers- get either memberships or wines as a gift for that wine lover on your list.

• A wine community to interact with where you can meet on line, talk about and review wine choices.

Additional things to consider about wine clubs:

• Can you cancel membership at any time or is there a minimum purchase or time commitment? Be sure to read about cancellation policies.

• Can you opt out of a shipment or change to another selection?

• Are shipments shipped automatically?

• What are shipping costs? Is it a flat fee or is shipping costs based on where you live?

Joining a wine club is a wonderful way to acquaint yourself with quality wines and receive many benefits offered by wine merchants who, in return, enjoy bringing their best to you.

Eyeglasses are a necessary item, but they are also a fashion statement. Fashionable designer frames can

make your eyeglasses an expensive but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can get cheap eyegalsses, which are also fashionable, durable and high quality, online from Zenni Optical. How does Zenni optical provide such extraordinary eyeglasses at bargain prices?

Instead of selling high priced designer frames, Zennie markets their own brand of Zenni frames, which are made with quality and safety in mind. You can even get beautiful holiday eyeglasses frames from Zenni.

Browse their extensive collection of cheap eyeglass frames and you won’t believe the dozens of styles, the quality craftsmenship, and the ease or ordering. Simply choose the perfect frames, add your eye prescription and order. Many frames as cheap as $9.95!

Need more input on Zenni Optical frames? Check out this review - Cheap Eyeglasses are a Reality.

Try Zenni Optical today and save money on your next pair of eyeglasses.

I love historic recipes and the original Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe has a very interesting history.

In 1930, Ruth Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, bought a 1709, Cape Cod-style toll house situated halfway between Boston and New Bedford, Massachusetts, just outside the town of Whitman.

A toll house used to serve as an inn and eating establishment for road-weary travelers. Here passengers paid their toll, changed horses, and ate welcome home style meals. This particular toll house, purchased by the Wakefields, was turned into a lodge called The Toll House Inn, with Ruth baking for all the guests who stayed at there.

Ruth used historic and traditional Colonial recipes, for her guests and her delicious desserts began attracting people from all over New England. One favorite cookie recipe from the Colonial Days was called Butter Drop Do cookies. One day, while preparing these, she decided to cut up a Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate candy bar and add it to the cookie dough.

Ruth expected the chocolate to melt but instead, the chocolate bits held their shape and softened. This chocolate chip cookie recipe became extremely popular at the inn and it wasn’t long before Ruth’s cookie recipe was published in a Boston newspaper, then other newspapers in New England.

Ruth Wakefield’s chocolate chip cookie recipe caused the sale of Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels to sky-rocket in the New England area. Soon, Ruth reached an agreement with the Nestle company which allowed them to print the recipe on the wrapper of the Semi-Sweet Chocolate bar and in exchange, Ruth received a life-time supply of chocolate so she could continue making delicious chocolate chip cookies, which Ruth had named Toll House Cookies, after her inn.

Nestle loved the idea so much, they even sold a special chopper with the candy bar for easier cutting. Then in 1939, the Nestle company started offering the tiny chocolate bits in ready to use packages. This best-selling chocolate chip continues to create delicious chocolate chip cookies today.

Get the original Toll house homemade chocolate cookie recipes, plus 700 more historic recipes from Ruth Wakefield in Toll House Tried and True Recipes Her book includes authentic recipes for Authentic recipes from the famous Toll House restaurant in Massachusetts, like popovers, Toll House baked beans, chocolate cake, crumb pudding, and, of course the original Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. Many historic recipes you don’t find anywhere else.

Read more about the Nestle Company’s Toll House chocolate chips at Very Best Baking.com

I love the idea of organic baby clothes for my grandchildren. I

have one new baby granddaughter and another one on the way so I’m always on the lookout for fun and funky organic baby fashions to set them on their way to becoming junior fashionistas. They can make a real fashion statement in an outfit like this organic funky monkey onesie.

I believe using organic clothing is important for anyone, but especially for babies, who have very sensitive skin. It’s extremely important to protect a little baby from being exposed to any sort of toxic chemicals. For newborns to 2 years, Funkoos organic baby clothing makes wonderful baby shower gifts or a gift for any occasion.

I’ve checked out organic baby clothing from many sources and Funkoos offers some of the best prices I’ve seen - especially until Dec 3rd, when they’re having a 40% off sale that can’t be beat. They also offer free shipping and free returns if you aren’t satisfied for any reason.

So if having an eco-friendly baby is important to you or someone you know, make not only a fashion statement, but a environmental statement, with Funkoos organic baby clothing.

Are you looking for a unique gift for a friend or loved one? The Crystal Singing Bowl

is a wonderful tool to help with meditation and relaxation. The beautiful sounds resonate within the body, bringing a peaceful, healing calmness with them.

Silver Sky Imports offers a huge selection of, not only Crystal Singing Bowls, but Tibetan Singing Bowls, cushions, Malas beads, prayer flags, chimes and gongs. Click on photos of the different singing bowls to hear each one’s distinct, individual sound.

Singing bowls are a truly unique gift idea for someone you care about - or for yourself.