I’m guessing most of you are familiar with the current party dance song if you’ve been to a wedding or holiday party recently or listen to the radio: Whip Nae Nae! (I dare you not to wiggle when you hear this song!)
So taking on this twist, I made 12 aprons for a Holiday Cookie Swap my daughter-in-law hosted last night. ( and I can’t wait to share more on the amazing party she threw when I get a chance!)
For now, gotta BOP BOP BOP to wear off those cookies! 🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Making Old-Fashioned Hard Tack Christmas Candy is more than just “making candy.”
It is an opportunity to pass down family holiday traditions.
It is an opportunity to create memories.
A chance to spend time with those you love,
and a way to make a homemade Christmas gift.
So when my daughter-in-law, Colleen asked if we could make hard tack candy this year, I was so excited!
It has been quite a few years since the days when I was about her age and my mother-in-law taught me.
My sister-in-laws and I got together every year with my mother-in-law to make hard tack candy around this time (Thanksgiving weekend), so that the guys could take a bagful in their pockets for their annual deer-hunting trip, which always opens the Monday after Thanksgiving in our neck of the woods, and we would have plenty to enjoy and share as a special homemade gift.
The recipe is quite simple, but also a bit messy, so we were very fortunate to have an extra helper this year in Charlie, who kept the floor lickety-split clean from any powdered sugar, butter or flying candy that hit it!
Colleen and her sweet sister, Katie, caught on amazingly quick, and we ended up making 10 batches to split between the three of us.
We were happy with our results, and now the tradition has been started for the next generation.
I hope you will give it a try!
There is still plenty of time to make this sweet treat and create some memories with a new family tradition.
Here’s our recipe:
Ingredients:
Mix water, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Heat to boiling and boil until it reaches 300 degrees F (hard tack) on a candy thermometer (takes about 20 mins).
While that is cooking, prepare your cutting station. Cover counter or table with an old tablecloth. Pour powdered sugar directly onto the tablecloth and spread around. Amply butter three dinner plates and place on table amidst the powdered sugar. Sterilize scissors or kitchen shears in a pot of boiling water.
When the mixture reaches 300 degrees F, remove from heat and add food coloring and oil flavoring. Stir until combined.
Pour onto prepared buttered dishes, dividing evenly between the three. Let it cool for up to a minute, then begin gently pulling with scissors to edge of plate. With buttered hands, begin to pull and cut it off into the powdered sugar. You can snip a little at a time, or pour off large dollops into the powdered sugar. Let cool slightly and turn over to assure both sides have powdered sugar on them, but do not allow the powdered sugar to mix INTO the candy. Snip with shears into bite-sized pieces. Place in a colander and shake off excess powdered sugar. Spread out on a platter to cool completely. Store in air-tight containers, mason jars, or Ziploc baggies.
A couple of pointers:
I hope this was helpful. Any questions, let me know.
What is your favorite flavor?
Do you have a favorite holiday cooking or baking or crafting tradition?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Yesterday I shared the beautiful celebration of this adorable and perfect pair, Candace and C.J. at the bridal shower I attended for Candace this past weekend.
And, as promised, here is the “Perfect Pair” gift basket I made as my gift for them.
It was so much fun trying to think of perfect pairings to include in this gift basket.
I am sure there are so many more pairs you can think of, and you can customize the gift for your “perfect pair.”
Some things are simply practical, and others I found on Candace’s gift registry.
Does anything “pair” better than peanut butter and jelly?
A pair of gloves just made perfect sense.
I also had fun creating all the pear/pair tags with a variety of watercolor wash colors…
and thinking of little things that would make their home cozy and special.
Pen and paper… will they scribble little love notes? create shopping lists? wish lists?
A fun bag or basket pulls it all together and adds to the fun and practicality of the gift.
If you are looking for a fun and creative bridal shower gift, consider this idea for your perfect pear pair!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
I had a ball trying to think of fun four-letter words with Scrabble tiles to make these DIY Scrabble coasters as Christmas gifts for family and friends.
I really wanted to share them before Christmas, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise for the recipients.
They would also be cute birthday, Valentine’s, new home, and anniversary gifts too!
I simply purchased a couple of sheets of cork tile, glued Scrabble tiles in a 4×4 pattern onto them with E6000 glue, hit them with a spray of clear polyurethane spray, then trimmed with a utility knife. Voila! Cute handmade gift!
I bought bags of Scrabble tiles at Amazon, but if you have time, you can start scouring Goodwill, second hand shops, and garage sales for used Scrabble games cheap to get the tiles. You might also just find yourself wanting to play this classic game again, too!
Cheers & Hugs
Jodi
PS. If you want to make these and need further directions, there are some great Youtube videos or other DIY sites you can check out by simply searching Scrabble Coasters.
the creative life in between 