Ground Control To Major Tom

Don't be insulted on my behalf -- I bought her that shirt

Ben Zoma says:
Who is rich?
The one who is appreciates what he has…

(Talmud—Avot 4:1)

Appearances and actions can be misleading.  My sweet Tinky has drifted though life as if on a cloud with a silver lining.  Nothing phases that child (shouldn’t say child, she just turned 21).  She takes everything at face value, not because she can’t see beyond any facade, it’s just because she’s a happy kid (yes, I know, 21 is not a kid).  There is no pinch of salt in her life. For those of you who don’t know her, watching her go through life with a constant smile on her face, no worries to furrow her brow, it can be disconcerting.  She gives off a certain space cadet demeanor, or, as we say in Israel, you might take her to be an astronaut.

According to urbandictionary.com:

space cadet:  n. A person who tends to space out often. He or she does not respond when directly spoken to. The space cadet is not necessarily a person of low intelligence or a heavy drug user, but rather one who is so easily lost in reverie that he or she loses all awareness of the surrounding physical world.

Reverie.  Yes, my Tinky is lost in reverie.  But that’s as far as it goes. Yes, sometimes we have to pull her down to Earth, but that kid is sharp. She knows what she wants, and she knows how to get it.  Not the most stellar of students (learning disabilities and our family’s own Annus Horribilis may have derailed her), she drifted along on that cloud for a bit, but now she’s on the right track.  Her mission in life?  To make the world more beautiful, one person at a time. She’s got a great sense of humor (I like to think she inherited that from me).  She laughs loudly and loves fiercely.  And just like that astronaut she may seem to be, she’s gravity proof — she can bounce back from anything, with a smile.

Tink is a fan of the simple things in life.  She lives and studies in Jerusalem, and when she comes to visit us for Shabbat (when the boyfriend isn’t home from the army, and her huge circle of friends isn’t getting together, or she just wants her mommy to spoil her) she has a few requests for the menu…

“Mom, when I come, can you make sure we have Ju-Boy’s roast potatoes?  And make sure he makes a lot of dafdafet (Hebrew for loose pages, what she calls leek).  And some of his steamed broccoli… and don’t forget to tell him to make some cabbage the way I like it.”  Wait a minute, I see a pattern here.  Isn’t there anything I make that she likes?  And then she says the magic words, “Mom, can you make me your fudge?”

My recipe for fudge?  It’s so simple, so easy, I’m almost embarrassed to give it to you.  Almost…

Incredibly Simple Fudge

• 1 can (400 ml or 14 fluid oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 300 grams (12 oz) dark chocolate
• 1 dash vanilla extract

1. Break the chocolate into pieces  (Israeli chocolate is conveniently marked in little squares) and place in a microsafe bowl.  Add the sweetened condensed milk.  There is no need to stir.
2. Nuke in the microwave for 3 minutes.  If you are micro-wary, you can do this in the top of a double boiler, constantly stirring until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla and stir until smoothly combined.
4. Spray an 8″ x 8″ pan (20 cm X 20 cm) with vegetable oil or line with parchment paper (I use parchment paper).  Pour in the fudge while it’s still warm and pour-able.  Tip the pan to make sure the fudge gets into all the corners evenly.
5. Chill in the refrigerator for about two hours, or even overnight, if you have the willpower.  I have seen kids (and adults) watch the fudge set like some people watch paint dry.
6. Cut into squares, serve the masses, and smile as the compliments come your way.

Don't forget to lick the bowl!

Sometimes it’s so simple to be so happy.