A friend of mine writes a weekly newspaper column.  This week she wrote about making English Toffee.  That reminded me of my recipe and that I would make this at Christmas time with my children.  (Our recipes turned out to be the same!)

I know that time is relentlessly marching forward (like the march in the Nutcracker Suite) toward Christmas.  Maybe you’re in a flurry of shopping, wrapping, caroling, and partying.  But, if you have some time, making this easy candy recipe with a grandchild would be a wonderful memory making activity.  Especially the eating part!

English Toffee
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
milk chocolate candy bar
½ cup chopped pecans

Combine butter, sugar and water in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Cook stirring constantly to 290 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Pour onto a buttered cookie sheet   Immediately place chunks of the candy bar on top and carefully spread the chocolate over the mixture.  Add chopped nuts pressing them slightly into the melted chocolate. When cool, break into pieces.

I have to share a funny thing our oldest son said at Christmas time when he was quite young.  He asked me to put on the Graham Cracker Suite music.  (He meant the Nutcracker Suite!)  Every time I think of his comment, I get a chuckle.  Kids say the darnedest things (to quote Jack Benny).

Cooking together with your grandchildren builds strong, lasting relationships.  Maybe you can start a tradition of making this candy during the holiday season with your grandchildren.  It will bring happiness, joy, and lasting fond memories of time with Grandma.

Digi-Gram

Grandma Ideas

The Christmas season often finds us in the kitchen making treats to deliver to family, friends and neighbors.  One of the treats my children like to make to share (and to eat!) was Oh Henry Treats.  This is a very easy recipe that you could make with your grandchildren that they could eat or take home with them.

If your grandchildren live far away, you can send a package containing this treat because it can make it through the postal system relatively unscathed.

Or, you could make them with your grandchildren and deliver a plate to a neighbor or someone in an assisted living center.

Oh Henry Treats

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
4 cups crispy rice cereal
1 large package milk chocolate chips
3 tablespoons margarine
1 cup salted peanuts (optional)

Bring sugar and corn syrup to boil.  Remove from heat and add peanut butter.  Stir in rice cereal and nuts.  Mix well. Press in a 9 X 13 inch pan lightly sprayed with vegetable spray.

Melt butter in the microwave 25 seconds till all melted.  Add chocolate chips.  Cook on 50 percent power for 15 seconds.  Stir chocolate mixture until all of the chocolate chips are melted.  Spread on top of the cereal treat pressed in the pan.  Let cool.  Be very careful that you don’t over cook the chips because they will harden and you won’t be able to spread the chocolate.

If you like peanut butter and chocolate, you’ll like these treats!
Digi-Gram

Grandma Ideas

Eager as a little child on Christmas Eve, I awoke several times in the night wondering if it had started snowing.  I listened hard.  Nothing.  But then, just how noisy can snow be?

First thing when I finally decided to get up, I dashed to the window and threw open the sash.  Okay, I peeked out the blinds.  Not one single flake.

The weather man said the storm should hit at 7:00 a.m.  It is now 10:30 a.m.   Snow?  No.  Wind?  Yes!  Wind and white (for white Christmas) might start with the same letter of the alphabet, but they are not the same thing.  Not even.  Somehow, I can’t imagine Bing Crosby crooning with his silky voice about a windy Christmas.  Bah, humbug!  That’s what I have to say about the weather.

At our book club this week, we were given some candy canes dipped in chocolate.  Instead of snarfing them down, I saved them so I could take a picture of them to share here.  (Click on the picture above to get a better view.)  I think making these candy canes would be a fun activity to do with your grandchildren. You could make them just to eat.  Or to hang on the Christmas tree. Or for your grandchildren to give to their friends.  Or to add to your place settings for your Christmas dinner.

To make them, melt some dipping chocolate (or possibly even chocolate chips) in a double boiler on your stove.  Then, dip the curved part of the cane in the melted chocolate, place on waxed paper to cool, and quickly add decorative sprinkles before the chocolate hardens.

Mmmm.. They are tasty.  I’m going to eat them while I’m waiting for the snow to come.
Digi-Gram

Grandma Ideas

Snow.  I think that is what is needed for a white Christmas.  Snow.  That’s what we don’t have.

However, if the weather man is correct (and how often does that happen???), we should have a big snowstorm tomorrow.  And several more storms next week.  So hopefully, we will have a white Christmas.

If you live in an area that doesn’t get snow at Christmas time — OR –  if you want to create an indoor blizzard with your grandchildren, you might want to take a look at my directions for cutting a snowflake. I’ve made a movie showing how.  I hope you can follow it because making six-sided snowflakes look so much lacier and delicate.

Let it snow! Let it snow!  Let it snow!
Digi-Gram

Grandma Ideas