Dakota Caramels, A Rumford Complete Cookbook Recipe

These Dakota Caramels are a perfect addition to make up as part of your holiday treats.

Growing up, my mom always made a large assortment of holiday treats from baking cookies, making caramels and toffees, and preparing chocolate coated treats. I loved to help her with  them, especially my favorites. We would make up trays of a mixture of all the goodies, and deliver them around to our neighbors. This Dakota Caramels recipe reminds me of  those times making all the holiday treats.

The Dakota Caramels recipe is on page 208 of the Rumford Complete Complete Cookbook. Below is a photo of the recipe.

They have a delicious sweet molasses-nutty flavor to them.

Here is my version of the recipe:

Dakota Caramels, A Rumford Compelete Cookbook Recipe

Ingredients for Dakota Caramels:

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup molasses
1/4 lb grated chocolate (I used semi-sweet)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Directions for Dakota Caramels:

Put all the ingredients, except the nuts into a large pan. Cook at a medium to high heat to bring mixture to a boil. Stir often and continuously boil to bring mixture to a Firm Ball level, 244 to 248 degrees F, on a candy thermometer . After reaching the firm ball level, add in the chopped nuts and stir them in. Then gently pour the mixture into a greased baking sheet and let cool. Cut into bite sized squares when cooled. Wrap each square in wax paper to store.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

This old fashioned recipe is easy to do and the caramels have a great blend of flavors.

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

.

Christmas In The Country Reveal 2015

The Christmas decorations are down as the holiday season has come and gone. I love the joy the holiday season brings! We are in a fresh new year and it's exciting to look forward to a new year as well.

This is my second year participating in Christmas In the Country, a secret gift exchange among bloggers! It's a fun way to give and receive a gift and connect with bloggers.

This year my gift was from Katherine over at Katherine's Corner. I'm glad this exchange linked me to finding her blog and shops on Etsy! An inspiration! I enjoyed reading some of her posts! Katherine really took heed of my cues for the exchange and built her gift on my favorite colors mason jar blue and chartreuse green and the fact that I crochet!! She gifted me a crochet caddy, a crochet hook wallet to store a variety of hooks in, and some super comfy and fun socks!! I love everything and have been using them since they were delivered!! The crochet caddy and hook wallet is super helpful as I take my crochet projects when traveling. I look forward to bringing it along on many trips!

Love everything!!

Fun and cozy socks

Crochet hook organizer

Crochet Project tote - already carrying with my current projects

In addition to receiving a gift, it was equally as fun to put together a gift!! Head over to Home on The Range Exchange to find out what I sent to Lori.

Christmas in the Country Gift Reveal

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Today, I'm going to share with you something fun I participated in this holiday season. I love participating in gift exchanges, so when I saw that one was organized by COUNTRYLINKed, Diaries From the Dirt Road, This Unchanted Rhoade, and The Ranchwife Chronicles, I was excited to sign up and participate. The exchange is called Christmas in the Country for ag and country bloggers. I thought it would be fun to come in touch with some new blogs to follow and read from across the country.

After signing up to participate, the lovely ladies from the above blogs paired everyone up with a "secret Santa" which remained anonymous until they received their package. We were given the person's likes/dislikes, the link to their blog, and links to other social media they use. This is what we used to put together our gift to send. Homemade goodies and gifts as well as locally made items were encouraged.

So the day came when there was a package at my door. I had ordered several things online for Christmas gifts, so there were several packages during the season, but seeing this package was so exciting! My gift came from Rachel over at Texas Ranch Mama, who I have enjoying following her busy ranch life in Texas! I received this Case IH burlap pillow that Rachel made, a mason jar soap dispenser that she made, coffee, and Ghirardelli chocolates! We are Case IH family so the pillow is perfect and has found a great spot on my antique bench in the living room. The mason jar soap dispenser also is perfect for my style and sits nicely by my kitchen sink with hand soap. The coffee is from one of Rachel's local coffee shops in Texas and who doesn't love Ghirardelli chocolates! (the photo is minus a few that I ate before the photo :) ). Love everything in my Christmas in the Country gift package! Thank you Rachel!

It was equally as fun to send a package! Check out Kirby's blog 15009 Farmhouse to see what I sent her. I have enjoyed following her blog and IG and watching her farmhouse come together, its going to be beautiful!

This was so fun to participate in and I look forward to it again in 2015!