just a spoon full of sugar

Martha always knows how to cheer me up! In between reviewing all of my Mandarin notes and listening to my Mandarin lessons, Martha showed me how to sweeten the deal by making my own candied mandarins! (I couldn't resist!)

Without the properly advised "very sharp paring knife," it took me more than the 45 minutes Martha instructed it would take me to peel four lemons, three oranges and two grapefruits. The prep time also included bicycling to a fruit vendor, waiting for the vendor to reappear (but, where did he go? wasn't he just here a second ago?), then searching for the perfect fruits amongst his bevy of the almost-frozen variety (it's pretty damn cold out). I am certain I paid more for the grapefruits than I should have, but with all the waiting and searching and bicycling and having-to-have-them-ing I was doing instead of studying, those citrus gems were mine nonetheless.

And now, in their boiled down, sugared form, they are my sweet, bright, tart, gummy-like goodness. Covered in chocolate, too.

They also make for a citrusy twist to martinis (I saved the simple syrup that resulted from the recipe just for that purpose).

Little rays of sunshine bursting out of a cloudy day.

boiling away in simple syrup

sugared and waiting to dry

just a little chocolate next...