Survival Food (Nuts, Twigs, Bark, and Chocolate)

Hello, everybody!!

We've been having a wonderful time here as we head on into the middle of summer. We homeschool year round but we do take a bit more time off in the summer, so the kids are making good use of these long days!

This is at our local water park. Yup, that's a slide where you crawl up into the frog's head and slide out his tongue. Isn't childhood wonderful? You grow up and think, "That's weird. Why would I do that?" But kids are thinking, "I've ALWAYS wanted to slide down a frog's tongue!!"

 

 

Edna was telling me that she was yearning for something sweet. Something from long ago. She tried to explain what she meant but it sounded really odd. Chocolate bark? Peppermint bark? I thought maybe Mr. Perky the coffee maker had rattled her beaters with all his camping stories. I didn't think she wanted bark.

 

But then my sister told me that 'bark' was a type of candy. (This is my expression. "Wha-WHA?") Just when I thought I knew everything.

So, this is what we needed to make Edna's bark (which I still think of as survival food, now that I know there is chocolate involved.)

oil
parchment paper
2 cups crushed peppermint in a ziplock bag
peppermint flavoring
one bag of white chocolate chips
2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips

About a 1/4 cup of oil goes into the chocolate chips. Into the microwave, 30 seconds at a time. Keep stirring, adding more time until it's melted.

My sister is pouring the chocolate on the sheet. You can tell this because if I was the one pouring the chocolate, it would be in my mouth.

Spread the chocolate onto the parchment paper. It helps to have someone hold the other side. Someone reliable. Someone who will not 'accidentally' stick their fingers in the chocolate and then need to 'wash them off'. Not saying I did that. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. *checks mouth for melted chocolate*

 Let the chocolate set for a few hours. It needs to be somewhere cooler. Don't expect it to set in 100F weather. :) Kitchen fails are tasty, but we have a plan here. On to the next step.

 White chocolate chips melted and then add the peppermint pieces. Also, a few drops of peppermint flavoring. You can also use orange flavoring and it's just as delicious. Don't ask me how I know this. But don't all those little brown bottles look the same?

 Spreading on the white chocolate peppermint. MMMMM...

                           Smooth to the sides and put it somewhere cool to set up.

After it's set you can gently break it into bite-size pieces. Oh, who are we kidding??? Make them BIG pieces so we don't have to embarrass ourselves by reaching out for the plate 28 times.

So, Edna and I had a lovely cup of coffee and some peppermint chocolate bark. I think I'll try raspberry white chocolate next time. Which just might be tomorrow. There doesn't seem to be any left!

 

I know. This is what happens when you make candy in a house with six kids. You have to eat it fast! Or make more. I do both.

 Until next time!