See's Fudge

One of our family's favorite treats is See's Fudge. I've been making this fudge for years and years. I couldn't even tell you how many pounds of fudge I've made since I started making and sharing this fudge with our family and friends at Christmas.

The recipe was given to my mom when I was a child. I don't know if it's really a recipe from See's or not. It has a smooth creamy texture and is delicious and quite popular with my family and friends. 

Here's what you need to make this delicious See's Fudge recipe. You can also include chopped nuts if you'd like. An important note: make sure to measure out your ingredients BEFORE you begin cooking the fudge on the stove.

After measuring the ingredients, butter the stock pot and 13 x 9 inch pan.

Before turning on the burner, add the evaporated milk and sugar.

 Stir to combine.

Turn the burner on to medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly. I also scrape the sides of the stock pot as I stir. 

As soon as you start to see bubbles forming (see the little bubbles in the pot below?), set the timer to 8 minutes. It's important to set the timer as soon as you start to see bubbles forming and not wait until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Continue to stir constantly. 

Look  at all of those bubbles! That's what you want. Keep stirring constantly.

When the 8 minutes is complete, remove stock pot from burner. Add the butter and marshmallows first.

Stir until they are mostly melted.

Add chocolate chips. 

Stir to combine.

Add vanilla and stir again.

Immediately pour into prepared 13 x 9 inch pan. 

You'll need to work fast because the fudge will start to set up quickly. Spread in the pan and place in the refrigerator.

Let the fudge set up in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, remove the foil insert from the pan and cut into squares. Enjoy!

See's Fudge

**Butter pan (13 x 9-1/2) and sides and bottom of heavy large stock pot (I use an eight quart stock pot)

Ingredients

1 lg. (12 oz.) can Carnation Evaporated Milk
4 cups sugar
2-1/4 more or less cups Kraft miniature marshmallows
1-1/3 cubes butter (1/2 cup + 1/3 cube butter)
12 oz. (2 cups) Nestle Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 plus or minus cups walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Pour evaporated milk into buttered stock pot. Add sugar and stir together. Turn burner on to medium setting. Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring sugar and evaporated milk to boil. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, set timer for 8 minutes. Do not wait for a rapid boil before setting the timer. Set the timer as soon as bubbles begin to form. Boil for 8 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add butter and marshmallows. Stir together until mostly melted, then add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir well and add 1 tsp. vanilla. Immediately pour in pan and refrigerate.

Makes about 3 lbs.

Note: For easier cutting of fudge, I line the 13 x 9 pan with heavy duty foil and then butter the foil at the same time I butter the stock pot. Simply pour the fudge into the foil-lined pan and refrigerate until firm. Once you're ready to serve, remove the fudge block out of the pan and cut into pieces. Wrap any remaining fudge in foil and place back in the refrigerator.

Thanks for stopping by!

 
© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

San Francisco Marriott's Pink Punch

This delicious punch is one of our family's favorite beverages. We make it on special occasions and holidays.



San Francisco Marriott’s Pink Punch

Ingredients

1 quart cranberry juice (I use Langers)
1 quart pineapple juice (I use Dole)
1-1/4 Cups sugar
2 quarts ginger ale, chilled (I use Canada Dry)

Directions

Refrigerate juices and ginger ale. When ready to serve, combine juices and sugar in large container. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add ginger ale, stir and serve.

Note: You can also mix the juices and sugar, mixing until the sugar dissolves and then place in the refrigerator. Then when you are ready to serve add the ginger ale to the juice mix.

Serves 20

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Deserving Family Gets Christmas Makeover

This is such a beautifully moving video. I just had to share it with you today.

Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

A Savior Is Born—Christmas Video

I love Christmas! It's such a wonderful time of year. I'd like to share this special Christmas video with you today. It's a perfect way to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season.

Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum ~ Part 1

The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum is located on the campus of Brigham Young University. It's a beautiful museum. Some of my family members and I visited the museum while I was in Provo attending the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy as an official blogger in July.

Today I'd like to share some photos from our visit to the museum.

This is the center atrium on the main floor. The museum consists of three stories. By the way, admission to this museum is free. How awesome is that!?

Quote from Job 12:7 above the door to the hallway that leads to exhibits: "...but ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee: and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee"

Another photo of the door and hallway leading to exhibits. The doorway is so beautiful with those grand columns.

If you look closely at the photo above, you can see The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum Mission Statement on the wall. I took a close-up photo of it and here it is.

In case it's difficult to read, here is what it says:

The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum Mission Statement

The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum at Brigham Young University is a dynamic repository and trustee for a remarkable group of biological collections. These collections are used to celebrate the role of Jesus Christ as Creator, while enhancing student learning and mentoring and promoting faculty teaching and research. They also serve as a unique venue for inviting the public and scientific community to explore and contemplate intricate biological relationships and processes

The "Into Africa" exhibit.

I found an interesting video about the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum online. It's narrated by Matt Meese, one of the stars of Studio C. To watch the video, click on the link below.

Bean Museum - A Sneak Peek with Matt Meese

The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum also has a YouTube channel. You can check that out by clicking HERE.

I'll be sharing more photos from our visit to the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum in a future post.

Thanks for stopping by!

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Spiritual Thought Sunday ~ Jesus Christ Knows How To Help Us

I currently teach the adult Sunday School class in our local ward (congregation) at church. This year's course of study is the New Testament.

As I was preparing my upcoming Sunday School lesson, I came across this wonderful quote that I'd like to share with you today. It's a quote by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland described why Jesus is able to succor those who are tempted: “When Christ bids [us] to yield, to submit, to obey the Father, He knows how to help us do that. He has walked that way, asking [us] to do what He has done. He has made it safer. He has made it very much easier for [our] travel. … He knows where the sharp stones and the stumbling blocks lie and where the thorns and the thistles are the most severe. He knows where the path is perilous, and He knows which way to go when the road forks and nightfall comes. He knows this because He has suffered ‘pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind … that he may know … how to succor his people according to their infirmities’ (Alma 7: 11-12). To succor means ‘to run to.’ … Christ will run to [us], and is running even now, if [we] will but receive the extended arm of His mercy." “To those who stagger or stumble, He is there to steady and strengthen us. In the end He is there to save us, and for all this He gave His life. However dim our days … may seem, they have been a lot darker for the Savior of the world (“Therefore, What?” [Church Educational System Conference on the New Testament, Aug. 8, 2000], 9; si.lds.org).

As I read this quote, I was particularly struck by the definition that "to succor" means "to run to." The thought of Christ running to help us is so comforting, so touching, so wonderful.

I'm so very grateful for Jesus Christ and for His divine mission here on earth. I'm thankful for His loving kindness and mercy.

Thank you so much for stopping by.


© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Spiritual Thought Sunday ~ A Beautifully Moving Hymn

I was watching BYUtv yesterday and happened to catch the last half of the wonderful movie "17 Miracles" by T.C. Christensen. I've seen this movie before and I love it. It's powerful and moving. It's based on actual events that took place as the Willie Handcart Company traveled from Iowa City, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1856.

One of the musical pieces that accompanies the movie is an arrangement of the LDS hymn "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul" sung by Dallyn Vail Bayles.

I love it and want to share it with you today. I found this video of Dallyn Vail Bayles singing this inspiring hymn. It's from his album "Prayer."

"Savior, Redeemer of My Soul" Lyrics

1. Savior, Redeemer of my soul,

Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,

Whose wondrous pow'r hath raised me up

And filled with sweet my bitter cup!

What tongue my gratitude can tell,

O gracious God of Israel.

2. Never can I repay thee, Lord,

But I can love thee. Thy pure word,

Hath it not been my one delight,

My joy by day, my dream by night?

Then let my lips proclaim it still,

And all my life reflect thy will.

3. O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.

Change frowning foes to smiling friends.

Chasten my soul till I shall be

In perfect harmony with thee.

Make me more worthy of thy love,

And fit me for the life above.

Text: Orson F. Whitney, 1855-1931

I'm eternally grateful for Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer of my soul. I love Him.

Thank you, dear reader, for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed listening to this beautifully moving hymn.

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Dinosaur Bones at the BYU Museum of Paleontology

As I mentioned in a previous post, I visited several museums on BYU's campus last July. One of the museums my family members and I visited was the BYU Museum of Paleontology.

The museum is open Monday through Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM. Admission is free.

Here are some pictures from our visit.

Unfortunately, I don't know the names of the dinosaurs in the photos above and below.

But I do know the name of this dinosaur with the very large teeth. It's a Torvosaurus tanneri.

And this dinosaur in the photo below is a Gastonia burgei.

The very large dinosaur with the long neck and tail in the photo below actually doesn't have a name yet. The informational plaque said "Not yet named."

The dinosaur on the right in the photo below is a Monoclonius crassus and the one on the left is a Triceratops horridus.

This is one big seashell! It's called an Ammonoid.

This is a Megatherium americanum, also known as a giant ground sloth. 

Here's the informational plaque about the giant ground sloth.

Near the entrance of the museum is this poster about James A. Jensen, also known as "Dinosaur Jim."

Below the poster is this plaque about him.

I'll share more photos from my visit to another BYU museum in a future post.

Thanks for stopping by!

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved