Cold and flu season, that is.
Do you remember the old commercial for cold medicine that featured a family of huge, red noses? That's us. We have been a group of pathetic snifflers this weekend, and all semblance of household caretaking has gone right out the window. No laundry, no errands, no meal planning, no cooking...only pitiful shuffling between the medicine cabinet and the tissues, with vague worries about whether 5 hours in a row of Christmas specials would turn my kids' brains into mush.
On the upside - it looks like we're all on the mend. Which means I can get back to the real business at hand: Christmas.
I've pulled out my various clippings of favorite Christmas recipes, and stumbled on one I haven't made for a while: peppermint bark. This is an old Martha Stewart recipe, and truly could not be easier (or more fun for your kids, for that matter - give them a meat mallet and let them go nuts breaking up the peppermint).
Peppermint Bark
Melt 2 pounds of white chocolate (I use white chocolate chips) in the top of double boiler, or in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Place 12 candy canes in a plastic bag and crush into 1/4 inch pieces with the smooth side of a meat tenderizer. Stir chopped candy cane and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract into melted chocolate. Remove from heat, and pour mixture onto an 11x17 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Chill until firm; break into pieces. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
