One-Potato-Two-Potato

Scrounging is an art that often reveals something good where there appeared to be nothing of value. When I applied this art to the pantry today, I came up with a tasty soup that I (still) didn't have to go to the grocery store to make. I'll confess now that I have been avoiding grocery shopping since we returned from Tennessee. I just can't seem to face the idea of planning meals and cooking for myself after Mom spoiled me for a week. Though after spending a little time in the kitchen this afternoon, I may be ready to shop by tomorrow. (The guys are keeping their fingers crossed, for sure.)

My quest for food led to some sweet potatoes in the bottom of the pantry. Unfortunately, about half of them had turned to primordial ooze while I was gone, but there were a couple of edible specimens left. (Jeff and I have been trying to figure out for a several days why we kept catching whiffs of something rotten. We checked under the couches and beds - even the fireplace - looking for a mouse the cats had left behind, all to no avail - at least that mystery is solved.) Luckily, the vegetable drawer yielded a large onion, a jar of minced garlic, and another of crushed ginger. Voila - time for soup. I diced the potatoes and onion, added a heaping spoon of garlic and ginger, and filled the pot with just enough water to cover the veggies. The taters cooked until they were tender but not mushy, since I like to retain some texture in the soup even though I smoosh the potatoes around. Next I added a can of creamed corn, plenty of black pepper, and a little sea salt. This simmered for about ten minutes before I turned off the heat and added a cup of sour cream. Yum.

In addition to finding dinner fixings, I managed to put together dessert as well. While the potatoes boiled I made toffee. (Mom and I were discussing it this morning, and I've been thinking about it all day!) My favorite recipe is the Almond Butter Crunch from an ancient copy of Better Homes and Gardens. Basically it requires one cup of butter, one and a third cups of sugar, one tablespoon of corn syrup, and three tablespoons of water. Melt the butter, add the rest, cook and stir over medium heat to hard crack stage. That's it. I should probably add that I don't cook mine all the way to hard crack stage because I like it just a little softer and less likely to stick to my teeth. The recipe also calls for a cup of rough chopped toasted almonds added to the candy before pouring, melted chocolate for topping, and another cup of finely ground nuts to go of top of the chocolate. While I always put chocolate on mine, the nuts are non-essential in my book. (Truthfully, the recipe has a little overkill on the almonds. I like them best finely ground and added to the outside, but not mixed into the toffee at all. That way it keeps that smooth, buttery texture I love in the candy.) In addition, the easiest way to add the chocolate topping is to sprinkle chocolate chips (or a chopped up Hershey bar - especially Special Dark) over the candy right after you pour it. Wait a couple of minutes, and then use a knife to spread around the melted chocolate before putting the pan in the fridge to set.

My mouth is watering thinking about that toffee, so as soon we're finished here, I'm breaking it apart for t.v. time. Do you think the guys will notice if I don't mention what's in the tin?