This Weekend Brought To You By the Letter M

The Rodeo Princess lost her grandfather last week, so she flew into Colorado for the funeral in Mayberry, after which she rented a car to come spend a few days with us during her time of mourning. We did our level best to keep her distracted from her grief, including dragging her along to Saturday's gender reveal.

We also put her to work, because nothing delays grief like staying busy. Will she eventually have to deal with her sadness? Absolutely. But, for a couple of days, she got to enjoy love and companionship from the people who will be there for her, no matter what, and that goes a long way in fortifying one's resolve.

After the gender reveal, we sat down to make mints for Oscar and Emily's upcoming anniversary party; this kept our hands busy, while allowing time and space to reminisce about the Rodeo Princess's grandfather and other folks that we have lost along the way. Shanti joined us in the effort, so she got to hear a lot about our extended family while learning the tradition of mint-making.

These mints, along with wedding cake, mixed nuts, and frothy sherbet punch were the menu at many a wedding reception back in my childhood. Mom's large Catholic family provided a lot of opportunities to enjoy the combination and I am looking forward to recreating the experience at the party for Oscar and Emily. 

The recipe is simple: cream cheese, powdered sugar, and mint and vanilla extracts. That's it. The ingredients are mixed together, forming a Play-Doh-like texture. The dough is then rolled into marble-sized balls, coated in sugar, and pressed into silicone molds, forming different shapes. For this event, we used rose, bell, and heart shapes.

The mints dry for twelve-twenty-four hours and can then be frozen or stored in a cool place until serving.

After making the mints, we celebrated with dinner at the Chinese restaurant in Hooterville, before calling it a day.

On Sunday, I made a large batch of grainy mustard; the last batch I made went quickly, with both Mom and Oscar returning empty jars to me for refills. I was happy to oblige.

This week, I am wrapping up the details for the fundraising concert for Not So New Job; ticket sales are low and slow, so I am getting a bit nervous. Let's hope the next topic of conversation that I write about, starting with the letter M, isn't mental breakdown.