Santa May Have His Helpers... But So Do I

It all began at sign up. Sign up for helping in class. My first assignment was to cut spider bodies and assemble some bags with legs and such for a project. Easy enough - all completed with little problem whilst watching "crap" TV. Actually I correct that I was watching Knights of the South Bronx - I recommend it, it's a cute feel good film. 

ANYWAY - while that was easy enough - the real mission came later because I also was signed up with caramel apples to bring. My first thought - ok I will make some apples. My second thought - okay I will bring some cut apples and dip. My later thought - oh hey look at the list, that is already on there and I did sign on for caramel apples not dip, so I will again make some apples. :-) 

Making apples would not seem terrible, except, she has 40 kids in her class. So just start adding up 40 apples + 40 sticks + at least 10 bowls of caramel + + +....  I entered the store with a mission - find the stuff I need, make my way to the preparation area (AKA Grandma's House) and get to dipping. All done in an hour or so right?  

Well - yeah, not so much in an hour - but we had a system by end of night. First the washing and the sticks - quick and painless, except I had to ban grandpa because he stuck them in the wrong end of the apple. I am anal - I can't help it.

Then into the freezer (this works - the caramel sticks instantly to a cold apple). Then on to the caramel -  oh hey wait, they are all individually wrapped. FABULOUS. Enter 8 working hands (grandpa was allowed back in-ha ha) and a couple of hours later - 40 CARAMEL APPLES.  They unwrapped, I melted and dipped and sprinkled and chilled - so on and so forth until we were done. 

I was SO thankful for the extra counter space / fridge space / help. I am not quite sure I could have completed such an undertaking by myself in my counter-deficient space, unwrapping bags of caramels (well at least completed and still slept last night).  

Today was Morgan's Halloween party at school. The apples went over well. I did learn a couple of things though: 

(1) Waxed paper on bottom may seem a good idea, but when the caramel softens the paper doesn't want to come off. Guess I should have sprung for the non-stick tinfoil for $2 more. Apologies to the children who may or may not have ingested some extra wrapping today.

(2) Caramel apples are like magnets to each other. Next time (if there is one) I have to figure out a better spacing system.


(3) It's always worth it when it's for your child. :-)