Yael's Yummies: Candied Peanuts and More

Again, I have not met my own promises and more than a month has gone by since my last post.Excuses- moving, heavy work load, etc., etc., etc. So, that's it for promises to myself! Whenever I get to it, I get to it- maybe I'll be more diligent without the "promises" hanging over my shoulder.

Passover is a few days away and I have been busy shopping and preparing, even though this year we will be a small intimate group for the Seder. Just my husband and the three girls and they have all told me not to go overboard with food. Yeah- right- a Jewish mother not going overboard with food? Or any mother for that matter?! I spend a lot of time looking for new and innovative recipes, but when push comes to shove, I know my girls are waiting for the traditional food I always make. So the matzo balls are made and frozen, chicken soup goes in the pot and on the stove tomorrow, as well as the chopped liver and charoset ( a mixture of chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and wine, resembling clay- a reminder of the mortar the Israelites, as slaves in Egypt, used to build the buildings). The only thing a bit different this year is the meat. I bought a veal shoulder roast and now I have to figure out what to do with it. I've been searching around for an appealing (and easy) recipe, but have yet to come up with something interesting. If anyone out there has any suggestions, PLEASE send them along my way!

In the meantime, as usual, I concentrate on dessert. What can I do- my sweet tooth and my love for baking always get the upper hand. So far I made a jelly roll (unfilled and frozen until Monday morning), yummy tasting cookies from Smitten Kitchen, which were very easy and fun to make, the famous chocolate caramel matza crunch that I have made for years and never knew it came from Marcy Goldman at Better Baking, and some candied peanuts from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. I also used his adapted recipe for the matza crunch, but added some Heath Bar bits on top which I had laying around, begging to be used.