Christmas Baking? not so much

*kind of a long read...but stick it out!!*

Since we were supposed to be getting a HUGE snow storm (1-2 inches, haha), I decided that I would spend Saturday making Christmas goodies. On Friday night, I bought out Wal-mart's baking aisle and came home loaded down with all the necessary items needed for a day of baking and candy making with the boys.

Round 1: Saturday morning rolls around and I decided to start with the "made in the microwave, seriously simple and seriously delicious" peanut brittle recipe (quote taken right from the top of the recipe). Well, obviously the microwave used to test this recipe was not the same wattage, voltage, whatever as my microwave. The first step is to mix the sugar and corn syrup and then cook it on high for 5 minutes. Easy enough, no problem. The second step is to add the peanuts and butter and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Thinking I would play it safe, I set the timer for 3 1/2 minutes. When the timer went off and I anxiously opened the door of the microwave, I discovered a SCORCHED and VERY STINKY peanut creation. Oh, it smelled bad. I scooped it all out into the sink onto a piece of foil and then quickly added water to the bowl so the sticky stuff wouldn't stick. BAD IDEA!! The bowl cracked and then cracked some more. Wow. That was bad. When I tried to put it into the trash can after it cooled off, it shattered.

Round 2: I decide to try this "seriously simple" recipe out one more time. I mix the sugar and corn syrup in plastic mixing bowl. VERY BAD IDEA. When the timer went off after 5 minutes, the bottom half of the bowl had melted!!!! I couldn't believe it. Now, I have oozing melted-plastic-caramel-like stuff covering the bottom of the microwave. I didn't even know what to do. My husband told me to let it harden and then we could chip it off. Wow, so much for the chocolate covered peanut brittle.

Round 3: I decide to make this wonderful pretzel-Hershey Kiss-M&M yummy that my friend Sue introduced me to a few years ago. It's really easy (haha) and the kids can help me. This is now our third Christmas to make them. I preheat the oven to 350 because doesn't everything cook at 350? The kids and I lay out all the pretzels on the cookie sheet and then perfectly center an unwrapped Hershey kiss on each pretzel. Then, I put them into the oven so that the chocolate can melt just enough to push a festive red or green M&M into the center of the chocolate. Well, this time the chocolate just wasn't melting. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, so I called Sue in Maine. We decided that I must have old Hershey's Kisses. After a few more minutes of talking, she asked me what the oven temperature was. When I told her, she laughingly told me that it was supposed to me at 200 degrees. DUH!!! I was burning the chocolate instead of melting it. Fun times. I ruined that complete cookie sheet of at least 50 pretzel thingies. Maybe I should make these things more often than one time a year. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

Round 4: Kyle, Ian, Nate, and I start on another cookie sheet of pretzels. I lowered the temperature to 200 degrees. Everything worked out just like it was supposed to! I was so excited. To get the chocolate to harden quicker, I put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator. I cleaned up the kitchen because I was FINISHED with my baking adventure for the day. All that just to get one tray of anything edible. Well, a long while later, I went to get Caden some milk from the refrigerator. Well, I am not kidding when I write that the cookie sheet did a somersault out of the refrigerator dumping all edible goodies onto the floor!!!!

I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. I am not a bad cook/baker, seriously.