THE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE IS A HIT

When we were young marrieds with only one wonderful child--Kraut, Phil's mom sent us a box full of Christmas tins. Inside were wondrous treats. Russian teacakes, English toffee, sugared walnuts, Christmas cookies, fudge, and maybe divinity, neither one of us can remember for sure.

With each tin we opened our eyes got bigger. We couldn't imagine someone loving us so much that she must have worked hours and hours and hours and then spent bookoo's on postage. We foolishly didn't take pictures or probably didn't properly thank her, either. Only now, thirty-something years later do we appreciate the many ways she mothered.

I have always wanted to do the same kind of thing for my children so a couple of years ago I started. I only gave them tins with a few things, not the vast array that Phil's mom did. This year I decided they could choose three items: fudge, Russian Teacakes--hoping none of them would choose those--the time spent making Russian teacakes is astronomical, English toffee, Muddy Buddies, and a few other things, my brain--which has been loosened from all the coughing--is refusing to remember the list.

So, early on I tentatively asked Gilmore Girl.

"Little White Cookies. That's all I want, lots and lots of Little White Cookies," she said. We have always called them "Little White Cookies," because we are so darned clever.

"You're only getting the normal amount," I grumbled. "No one else is getting any. I just decided. They are too much work."

Then I mentioned to The Soap Queen that I wasn't making Russian Teacakes .

"Are those the 'little white cookies?'" she asked.

"Yes," I said, thinking that would be the end of the conversation.

"Oh," she said, with actual stars in her eyes. I swear, ACTUAL stars. "Those are the best."

And since I adore The Soap Queen I said, "Okay, I'll make them for you but no one else."

Then I talked to The Brown Dot. "Mmm," he said. "Are Russian Teacakes on the list?"

I put my head in my hands. "I don't think so," I said with a muffled voice.

"Because," he said, "those are my favorite and I DIDN'T GET EVEN ONE LAST YEAR?"

"From the whole tin?"

"Yes, not one! The greedy people that live at my house," he muttered under his breath.

Now, I know his kids and wife are not greedy people and he probably got his fair share but in his mind he got none so I sighed and said, "I'll make you Russian Teacakes."

I haven't even approached Lord Bumhampten and his charming wife Nurse Giggleswitch nor have I asked Her Excellency of Mousehole and The Boarder. Nor have I even started on Russian Teacakes because they are such a hands on cookie and a person who coughs twelve thousand times a day shouldn't be making them.

So, after great swigs of cough syrup and after long time perusing of the Internet in search of a recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge I attempted making that. It is verrrrry sweet but also pretty darn good. And I now have tins of this stashed in the cold garage awaiting delivery. It's easy. Can be made in ten minutes flat. I love something that can be made in ten minutes. Flat.

Gilmore Girl came in today to see if her bum toe needed to be to be "cranked" and she stopped by after her appointment to see if I was dead or should simply be shoveled in a hole and covered up with dirt to stop the coughing.

I wasn't dead. And I wouldn't tell her where the shovel was. Then I gave her a tin of peanut butter fudge to take home. "Don't even say the words 'little white cookies' to me," I said.

"But..." she said."

I gave her "the look" and she said no more. She's waiting until I cougheth no more and then she will say plenty. I know her.

So, to make a long story short...oh, wait, it's too late for that. Well, anyway, she took her peanut butter fudge home and her husband, The Mighty Hunter pronounced it good.

Recipe here.