The commute into work today was horrible!  It took me an hour to get home in blowing snow last night, this morning was cold, but bright sunny skies and it took me 45 minutes to get in!  I expected to see an accident, but nothing!

I had planned to stop at the store to get chocolate milk, because I brought my secret ingredient recipe to work today: peppermint marshmallow!  I set up a “hot chocolate bar”  in our lunch room and heated up the chocolate milk in the crock pot, and put cups, the marshmallows, whip cream and extra peppermint candy canes on the side.  It was a big hit!  I’ll get to the recipe in a minute. . .(since a lot of people asked me today “how do you even make homemade marshmallows?”)

Breakfast:

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1 double yolk egg (I’m lovin these!)
• 1/2 ounce herbed goat cheese
• 1 ounce sliced deli ham
• splashes of Tabasco

For lunch I had the last of the split pea soup, with carrots, cucumbers, 1/2 honeycrisp apple (my last one!) with ranch dip:

Now onto the BSI Recipe!  This weeks hostess is Ashley @ http://sweetandnatural.wordpress.com/2008/12/08/blogger-secret-ingredient-week-15/

Peppermint was the Secret Ingredient this week.  It dawned on me that Hannah has been asking for homemade marshmallows recently, so why not make them peppermint?   It seems like a long process, but the actual hands on portion is only about 10 minutes.  And the flavor combinations are endless!  Could you imagine vanilla/cinnamon, banana extract/semi sweet chocolate marshmallows!  I may have to try those!

Peppermint Marshmallows

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cornstarch
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages of unflavored gelatin
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Put water into stand mixing bowl.  Add gelatin and let sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, add syrup, sugar, candy canes and salt and under medium heat, stir until everything is melted, even the candy canes.  It should look bubbly like this:

When its all melted, add this mixture to the water/gelatin and using my wisk on my KitchenAid, pour the melted sugar into the bowl and turn on high and walk away for 15 minutes, just let it roll.  When you come back, you’ll see this!

Because this is VERY sticky, I lined my 13×9 pan with foil, making sure to get a good corner.  Then spray REALLY WELL with Pam.  The next step is to sift the powdered/sugar cornstarch mixture into a separate bowl.  Sprinkle this mixture generously over the foil, about 4 tablespoons.  Next pour the mallow mixture into your pan and use a spatula (or your hands!) covered in Pam and press evenly.  Sprinkle 4 more tablespoons of the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture over the top.  Reserve the rest.

Let it set overnight.  The next morning, invert on a cutting board.  Using a knife that has been run under hot water (I used my bread knife) slice into squares.  Then roll the cut pieces in the remaining powdered sugar mixture so they are evenly coated, shaking off the excess.

The great thing about this is that they take a long time to melt and float on top of a steaming cup of hot chocolate!  Good thing I am diabetic otherwise I don’t think I could eat just one!

The finished (messy!) product!

Tips:  Don’t use gelatin that has an expiration date of December 1997!  Luckily I had fresh ones in my pantry too!

Okay, got to run, my lunch break is almost over.  Tony and I plan on watching a William H. Macy movie I’ve never heard of, and he’s seen part of and thought it was interesting.  We are taping Top Chef to watch later.  See you at dinner!