Kerry Beal

Thought there was still production in NY state.

Yes they are!

Hubby and I have discussed visiting the factory - the rug rat interferes but one day for sure!

It was a beauty! Apparently about half the price of a similar item being sold in Florida that was not nearly as beautifully refurbished!

He loves the stuff as much as I do - but watches the budget more than I.

You have to love eG - this arrived at @patris's place on Monday from a fellow eG'er who suspected it might have a use in this project. Too late for this - but I'll be giving it a try next time around. It's an alcohol lamp used in dental applications to melt dental wax in fine spots. I managed to pull the wick out of the hole in my attempts to shorten it - and it's too fat and layered to get back in easily - but I have managed to pull the middle of the wick up and that seems to be working at this point. I'll keep working on the wick issue!

Lol - he rarely leaves the house! This sucker is going to require real estate.

Before I left the hotel room - I asked the maid to come in and have a look at all the stuff I was leaving - with the thought that if she seemed upset I'd lug it back to a thrift store on my way out of town. On the contrary - she was thrilled, ran across the room and gave me a big hug! So she was up 3 pots, a mason jar, basil, tarragon, eggs and milk. Oh yeah - and a great big heavy plate! One of my favorite parts of this long drive is the piece along the river on Highway 15. I have a bit of a thing for Stickley furniture - particularly the inlaid pieces. I had to stop at the store in Shomoken Dam and admire this particular piece. Couldn't convince the hubby to let me bring it home via text message however. Lunch was the same as yesterday - not quite as attractively packaged. So I am home - sitting in front of the TV with a cuppa. I have unpacked the cheese, butter, burrata and 2 packages of those Sugar Bomb tomatoes that I picked up at Wegman's in Buffalo (oh yeah, got some chuck eyes as well). Also the blister peanuts and cereal bars from Trader Joe's. The blister peanuts will be make into the candied peanuts mentioned earlier. I was given several packages of the Ruby Chocolate that @patris had obtained from TJ's - they had no more today. I'll make a few easter things with it. I has as yet not brought the Control Freak out of the car - nor the other things that's in there which I neglected to show you - a 3D printer that I bought from a fellow on ebay.

As close to eggs Bennie as I'm going to get with no bread component. The cheese muffin that I had picked up a few days back was not really salvageable. This was 5 minutes at 85º C - next time 4 minutes I'd say.

They will still have to import this one - but from Canada!

Egg yolks in the ones I make

Hmmm - I had plans for eggs Benedict - but we shall have to see.

I know there are - but I had a rather large Negroni that I took down to the reception after the trade show in one of the paper coffee cups from the room and driving didn't seem like a good idea.

Decided to have a little more fun with the Control Freak - had picked up some russet potatoes yesterday at Wegman's - cooked in milk and butter for around an hour. No masher available so mashed with a fork. Added back some of the milk and butter they had been poached in. Reheated the hollandaise left over from yesterday - better than extra butter.

Things seen at the show today - stuffed cocoa pods. Little conche suitable for 2.5 kg of chocolate, the Perfect automatic tempering machine, enrober and cooling tunnel. Very well priced relative to other machines.

Apparently I didn't post my lunch earlier. They were serving a lunch downstairs - but I had all this lovely stuff from Wegman's.

Likely not while I am here - but I did get involved with showing someone how to use the EZtemper with their Control Freak to temper here.

And I've got to say I'm loving the Control Freak - we get 15 minute breaks and I can come up to the room, boil a pot of water and make tea, and be back down there with time to spare.

The Back to Basics talks this morning at the PMCA are all around sugar crystallization. Eye rolling from the presenters and the audience occur around the concept of non-GMO. Also frustration around how you replace corn syrup (because in the US the term glucose is not among confectioners) with other acceptable doctors to prevent crystallization. My favorite line from a presenter today - discussing the trend towards adding a lot of protein to various products - "pea protein - for those who like that wet dog flavor in their confections"!

Met @lancastermike for breakfast - we were going to go to the chocolate shop we had been to before - but it’s closed on Monday - instead we went around the corner to the Dolce Vita Italian Bakery. I had an apple crumble square - mike had a toasted bagel.

I've had it for 24 hours. I like it so far.

Well I did spend a good part of the day obtaining stuff to improvise with. The last thing I picked up was the plate - I was out to get booze and realized that I had nothing to put my dinner on.

We chocolatiers are always up for meeting eG non chocolatiers. We are a little like the JW's that way!

Let's do it

I had some - then I had some more...