Celebratory Marshmallows

After I stumbled across a recipe for homemade marshmallows I dashed right out and bought a candy thermometer for the first time.

I was a bit intimidated by all the information in the recipe, but when I finally got down to it I was delighted to discover it was easier than it sounded. And what better way to spend the afternoon than making marshmallows that would be eaten either in celebration or consolation after the mid-terms?

After mixing up all that sugary goodness they had to "set" for some hours, and a little confectioner's sugar cuts down on the stickiness. Be prepared, I'm going to interrupt this delightfully fluffy post with a paragraph of politics next...

There was a lie going around that armed Black Panthers were campaigning for Stacey Abrams in her governor run in Georgia and roaming the streets intimidating voters.  The truth was that a small group from the Atlanta charter of the Black Panthers carried weapons while protesting voter suppression last weekend, days before the election. Some of them carried Stacey Abrams signs as is their right. The group said they were not officially represented by any party. No reports were made that they approached polling places or intimidated voters.  And yet there are multiple web pages claiming that the "story is real". Please folks, check your news sources and only believe reputable news outlets.  The websites I saw carrying this story when I googled it were not actual news outlets...unless you count Breitbart. Which I don't.

Lick it quick, it firms up fast!

And now some excellent news - Florida had 12 amendments on the ballot.  Twelve! A few passed and a few failed. One amendment gives voters the exclusive right to decide whether a new casino can open in the state. It takes that right away from the Florida Legislature, which has failed in recent years to reach an agreement on the issue.

After they were firm I cut off long slices with a knife
and then cut into cubes with a scissors.
Now I just need to make some homemade hot cocoa!

But the best amendment that passed in Florida was amendment 4 which restores voting rights to former felons who served their sentence, including parole and probation, with the exception of those convicted of murder and sexual offenses. Currently, former felons must wait at least 5 years after completing their sentences to ask the Florida Clemency Board, made up by the governor and the Cabinet, to restore their rights. Florida was one of four states whose constitution permanently disenfranchised citizens with past felony convictions and granted the governor the authority to restore voting rights according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The others are Kentucky and Iowa, where lifetime bars remain in place, and Virginia, where the governor has promised to restore voting rights on a rolling basis.

Marshmallows were DELICIOUS and so glad they were in celebration of all the great election news instead of in consolation! Recipe made 1.75 quart container full, and you need less than half of the confectioner sugar mixture to coat them than what the recipe says.  Next time I'll try to make flavored marshmallows, but first I need to make some hot cocoa to go with the ones I have!