The Ohio Hale's Potato Candy Recipe

(just so I don't lose this again!)
Grandma Ruth's Potato Candy

1 medium potato-peeled
2 packages 10x (Confectioners') sugar (2 lbs total) Divided
1 tbsp vanilla extract (don't use imitation!)
A Good Pinch of Salt (approx 1/8 tsp)
Food coloring (optional)
Peanut Butter- approx 1 1/2 cups - 2 cups

Boil potato until fully cooked (can be chopped up for faster cooking).

  Drain and put potato in a medium mixing bowl- not plastic! 

Mash & mix with 1 cup 10x sugar- potato will turn to liquid. 

Add 1 tbsp vanilla and a pinch of salt. 

Add food coloring of choice. There's no NEED to color this, it's just as good plain, but where is the fun in that?

 Mix well. My Dad always uses green, my brother always uses purple, Grandma Ruthie uses Green mostly and red sometimes, but never just red by itself, that would be weird. 

Slowly add 1 1/2  bags of 10x sugar (you may need the rest of that second bag if your potato is larger) until you get a firm pie dough consistency. 

You can dust your counter-top with more 10x sugar, or use wax paper dusted with sugar to contain the mess- bonus- you can use the wax paper to make rolling up easier. Either way, dusting the surface is needful as this stuff can stick like tar on a new car.

 Roll out- cut down as needed to form a rectangle roughly 1/4 inch thick. You don't necessarily NEED to make it a rectangle, that just helps it look nicer when you go to serve it in the end- no oddball bits at the end of the roll. Feel free to skip that part if you're only serving it to family- they won't care as long as it tastes yummy.

Smear peanut butter approx. 1/4" thick across surface (or more if you like lots of pb taste). 

Remember: Do NOT roll the wax paper INTO your roll, just use the wax paper to CONTAIN the roll. Nobody likes the taste of wax paper...

 Roll up, slice your roll in half so you have two shorter, easier to manage rolls, chill for at least 2 hours, then slice to serve. (Best when stored in an airtight container in the fridge, but storage isn't really an issue unless you make this when no one is coming over... and even then storage might not be an issue).

As you might guess, I got this recipe from my Dad, who got it from his mother, and there aren't many actual measurements in Grandma Ruth's cooking. (Grandma Ruth's cooking is UNBELIEVABLY GOOD- mostly because she's had so much practice at it that she no longer needs measurements- Karen, I think you've heard me whining & pitching a hissy when my sister calls to tell me she's eating Grandma's cheesy potatoes- they're so good that it's a crying shame to miss out.) I finally got the real measurements nailed down after consulting and sampling many other recipes, but while this always turns out very well, it just isn't Grandma Ruthie's level of good. I think she secretly adds cocaine or heroin, or maybe some nutmeg to the peanut butter...

Alternate makings:

You can also leave the peanut butter out and just roll it into balls, and eat like that or dip it into melted chocolate, but oh my goodness, I love the peanut butter!

You could also use nutella or a soy butter or some such nonsense if you need to substitute for allergy reasons or if you are some barbarian that doesn't like peanut butter. Savage. Who doesn't like peanut butter?! Even people that are allergic to it love the taste! There's just that whole puffy-gasping-probably-dying part...

How to (cheaply & easily) clean your makeup brushes

Cleaning your makeup brushes is one of the best ways to make the most of your investment. "Investment?!" you say?  Yes, INVESTMENT. If you are buying a decent quality brush, even if you manage to find it for a steal, you don't want to end up buying another in a year, do you? Quality makeup brushes can range in price from $5 to above $50 each. So why let them wear out early, why let them get caked up with old makeup, why deal with possible bacterial funk?  (ICK ick icky ick!) WHY PAY THAT MUCH AND NOT GET THE MOST OUT OF IT?? Especially when cleaning them is something you can do as you get ready for work?

You COULD buy brush shampoo. At $14.00 for a tiny bottle, I think that stuff should jump out of said bottle and curl my eyelashes for me. I prefer the penny option, which works just as well (I've used brush shampoo before, I know from firsthand experience).  No, that isn't a typo, it's a penny option.
(Okay, okay, it might be half a penny, or two pennies, I haven't sat down and figured out the per-tablespoon cost of vinegar. Math is for people with more patience.)

1. Fill a small container with VERY HOT WATER. The hotter the better, but don't go extreme and boil it- you want to be able to stick your fingers in it if you need to fluff the bristles.

2. Add ONE TABLESPOON WHITE VINEGAR.

3. Stick your brushes in, bristles downward. The best way to soak them is by using just enough water to cover the bristles and not enough to cover the metal part (ferrule) as this could start to loosen up the glue holding the bristles in. I personally have never had an issue with this, but not all brushes are created equal. Swirl them around, make sure the water is getting all the way through the thicker brushes.  Give them a light fluffing with your fingers if they are really caked with makeup. If you use a liquid foundation brush you may want to use a separate container for that brush.

4. Let them sit for 15-30 minutes, depending on how long it has been since you last cleaned them or how dirty they are. Go finish getting ready for work, go watch a show on your DVR, go deal with whatever that silence from the kids means. I set a timer so I don't forget. Because I'm very good at forgetting things in the short-term.

5. When your time is up marvel at the dirty water dump out your now icky water. Run your brushes under a hot water rinse, then a cold rinse.

 

6. Gently shake out what water you can. You can gently press out water from the thick brushes, but be careful not to use too much pressure as this will cause the bristles to break. Either stand them up to dry or lay them flat in a dish drainer. Just make sure that they can get decent airflow around them. You wouldn't want to lay them flat on the counter top as the water would collect in the side pressed against the flat surface.

7. Later in the day, or the next morning if you choose to clean them before bed, check to make sure they have dried thoroughly- I give mine a gentle shaking or lightly brush them against the side of my hand to get the bristles fluffed up and looking pretty if a few decided to cling together.

That's it. No really, that is all it takes, just some hot water, some vinegar and a few minutes of your time.  Repeat once a month for optimum brush life.

I should probably wipe off those handles with a damp washrag while I'm at it too.

ZOMG so many DRAW-ERS!!

SO I participate in several facebook online garage sale groups for Cheyenne (don't have one in Owensboro?, get on this, it's wonderful to get rid of extra stuff and go garage sale-ing without actually HAVING a garage sale or leaving my pajamas). And...you may recall that I was bitching at one point because when I moved my desk got cracked and prices for a new one...sheesh. And then what I was saving for a new desk went to the down payment on my car. But waiting paid off!!!!

I present to you the newest member of the household....

Holy Fark she's a heavy beast!

SO. MANY. DRAWERS!
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Yes, I did a crazy-assed happy dance)
(2 or 3 times)
:D