Fifteen Pounds Of Fudge Later

Well, I have one of the fudges made. Took me two days as I did one batch each day. I love Peanut Butter Fudge and in earlier years, Maryann always made it by herself except for when it came time to get it out of the pan. I never realized how much work it was until, under her direction I started making it. First of all, you are talking about over thirty minutes of stirring, which can get to be pretty monotonous until the little hot bubbles jump on your arm and you have to keep adjusting the heat so the temperature of the fudge will still rise, yet not boil over. When it reaches a soft ball, then is when the real activity starts. Adding the vanilla and standing back, otherwise you can easily get burned, then adding the peanut butter and stirring, it in. Getting it into the big pan, holding the cooking pan with one hand and spooning it out with the other, well, I don't know how some of these women do it, but they must be mighty strong, as I have real difficulty doing that. You can't waste any time here either as the fudge will harden before you are ready to have it harden.

I don't think most husbands realize how hard some of the jobs their wives do are, unless they have to do it themselves. Also, most husbands may not realize how strong their wives have to be to do some of the things they do.

I just have the chocolate fudge to make now and that is a snap.

Years ago I used to make Peanut Butter, Maple and Vanilla Cream chocolates also. They were very good, but again very time consuming and a lot of work.

I was talking to Yvonne Eastman's daughter this past summer down at Swanson's where she was selling homemade peanut butter fudge - Quite an undertaking for a little girl - When I asked her what she found the hardest about it, she and I both agreed the long, long stirring time.