But I'm kinda bummed. I had to postpone the party because I just don't feel well enough. I don't want to get anyone else sick, nor do I want to clean the house and go grocery shopping for cake ingredients and a pinata. It's still just a cough, with fatigue, not even any congestion, and no fever. But I feel so blah.
Blah to the point that I'm also bummed to have missed my seasonal flu shot today, advised not to have it since I feel so under the weather. Probably the last chance I had to get one. And we were getting it at Mama's office, which would have been fun to go down there and meet her for lunch. Now it's just me and the kids at home. And they are bored stiff with my sick routine.
There was a lot going on this week--lunch with Mama, my birthday party, then the kids' holiday party at Mama's office and a cookie swap. I'm hoping I feel better enough (and not contagious) for those last two on Thursday and Friday. Plus my family birthday celebration this weekend which was to include a day in the city.
On the bright side, lots of friends have emailed with offers of support and help; one of them just dropped off some soup. And the kids and I managed to make orange-apricot pate de fruits, which, because it is boiled forever, I figure will withstand any germs. I won't handle it again til I'm well. But it looks very good and the spoon tasted delicious (no I didn't double dip!). And there's lots of special tv shows about baking--cookie swaps, gingerbread house contests, holiday cakes--and about music--Riverdance, Andrea Boccelli, lots of holiday concerts in gorgeous European locals (the Priests and also Celtic Women, not my favorites but good enough)--though I usually don't like most of what's on or watch any tv (except what the kids watch), there are some things for me to veg out to. And Mama has been a dear, doing all the cleaning, lots of cooking, coming home a bit early and leaving late, plus doing everything on Sunday as I lay around in bed.
So, all told, I should be well soon. There's care and incentive enough . . . .
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Orange-Apricot Pate de Fruits
*I doubled this from the recipe in my book because I needed extra but didn't have 2 jars of orange marmalade so I added apricot too. The amounts below are for a single, not my doubled, batch.
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup orange marmalade
vegetable oil for coating pan
superfine sugar for coating the candy.
Oil an 8" square pan. Set aside.
In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup water. Let the gelatin soften at room temperature until needed.
Combine the remaining 1/3 cup water and the sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Place over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.
Add marmalade and stir until it melts into the syrup completely. Add the softened gelatin and stir until the gelatin dissolves completely. Return the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and pour the syrup into the prepared pan. Place in the refrigerator until the candy is set, at least 4 hours.
Cover the cop of the candy with superfine sugar. Use a wet knife to cut the candy into small squares. Using a narrow spatula dipped in water, carefully remove one square at a time and cover each one completely with additional superfine sugar. Store the pate de fruits in layers, separated by wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
*Note: The book says you can do just about any fruit that you can find 1 cup of jam or marmalade for.
Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Candy Book (I love his ice cream book, too!)
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