My Favorite Time Of Year

Going to Jamaica at the beginning of December kind of messed up my schedule as far as doing candy this year, so we did it when I got back, which means it was closer to christmas and that meant staying really busy. Work is crazy, shopping isn't done -not even thinking about wrapping yet, making candy, christmas parties etc. I probably could go on and on but making candy is something I look forward to every year, I absolutely love this tradition. We literally could not do it without Grandma and Grandpa Tuttle they open their home up to us for the space, the meals provided are great like always, and we keep grandpa on his toes, there is absolutley no slacking on this job lol. I try and spend at least one night at their house because then I can work from sun up to sun down. This year also while I was on vacation my mom and grandma molded mints, made pecan logs and did a bunch of stuff beforehand and let me tell you it's a good thing they did cause we never could have gotten everything done. We seem to do more and more each year which we need to stop, it's so much work and not enough time, but boy my mouth was watering preparing all of it because they are so delicious. I don't have all my ingredients in front of me at this moment so i'll have to add it later, not that it really matters to anyone I just like to humor myself with it lol. But it came and gone like Life in general and I enjoy it more and more every year, so thanks grandma and grandpa, mom, my sis Lyndi, and cousin McCall and her son Tait for joining in on the festivities. Can't wait for next year.

This is Grandpa's favorite part where he gets to lick the pan clean of all the caramel.

Grandpa does this BEST, and it's definatley needed between cooking and cleaning up messes.

I know right?

my sis being a kid and playing with her chocolate again

OOOHHH I hope when me and scott get older that he will be so kind like my Grandpa and rub my feet too after a long day in the kitchen

This says PREGNANT all over her face

Lol I know it looks like a pile of Poo but it's actually better it's Peanut Clusters

Well I hope everyone who got some enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed making it. Happy Holidays!!!

Grandma Blackham bakes sugar cookies and decorates them at Halloween every year with the grandkids and they love this family tradition she has started. They always have flour all over them, they each have their own unique ideas as far as decorating their cookies, and they usually have a little dough left over that they play with until its absolutely sticky. It's great family time, and we appreciate Grandma and Grandpa for having us in their home. Love You Guys!

MASTERPIECES

CANDY CANDY CANDY

Can I just tell you how excited I am about this post! I'm pretty pumped because I look forward to this tradition my family does every year, and that's Making Homemade Candy. My grandma has been making candy for about 50 years now, I about fell over when she told me that, thats almost double my lifetime. Talk about a tradition with generations. I love this time of year so much not just because it's christmas but because I get to make candy and eat lots of it. We usually do it out at my grandparents house cause her kitchen is big enough for all of us and she has all the cool gadgets we need to make it so successful, and I most the time end up spending at least one night there so we can get up early and continue the cooking. Not only do I enjoy making it but I enjoy giving it too others for them too enjoy also, and in the end that's the best reward of it all. The candy is what we would give to all scotts people at work, and as of this last year my work, then our close friends and neighbors for christmas. It takes alot of product, time and over the years money to do all this. Theres about 4-5 of us who split the candy amongst ourselves, but if you want the candy you have to help with it, that's the only rule. So this time I decided to keep track of everything we used, time, product etc. and was shocked with what we came up with, here's the breakdown: 4 days of work, 16 lbs. Butter, 50 lbs. Sugar, 20 lbs. Nuts, 2o lbs. Milk Chocolate, 9 cans sweetened condensed milk, 64 oz. dark karo syrup, over 1 gallon karo syrup, 8 boxes waxpaper, 20 trays, at least 6 pre-made meals cause the factory workers do have to eat lol, $500.00, and if we cross our fingers hard enough GOOD WEATHER cause that's key to great candy, and hopefully a hot bath with a good massage in the end, notice I said Hopefully cause it normally doesn't happen. Talk about a good weekend. With that being said what was made is: 3 batches of chocolate covered pretzels, 4 batches of mints, 3 batches of peanut brittle, 5 batches of turtles, 2 batches peanut clusters, 9 batches caramels, and 1 batch of pecan logs, and we eat so much of it along the way that by the time we get it home we don't want anymore so that works out perfect. I can't thank my grandma enough for showing and teaching me how to do something she's enjoyed all her life and is very good at because without her and my grandpa none of this could be possible, and I'm going to give credit where credit is due because all the years in the past except this year my grandpa has ran his tail off for all of us nagging women and cutting chocolate and running trays and everything else and it's nice to have is company around cause he makes us laugh and sometimes cry (cause were laughing so hard) and just those memories shared I will carry with me for the rest of my life. This year he wasn't able to help much because he had fallen on some ice and injured his back so we got to wait on him and serve him his meals, so service was given back and his time of need. We love you grandpa and hope you get feeling better. Candy is very time consuming that's why we plan it for 4 days cause you have to do all the cooking in 1 day so there is no moisture in the air for when you dip with the chocolate. That's just a little tip grandma taught along the way, love it!! It comes and goes so fast that I truly do enjoy the time I have there, and I can't wait for the many years to come doing it. Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa, I love you very much.


my mom molding the mints

just got done with a batch of peanut brittle, now onto the next batch, we don't mess around notice my mom washing, my cousin Joslyn drying dishes, and grandma at the stove already started on the next batch and of course me taking the picture

PERFECT batch of peanut brittle, one of the easiest candies too make, but also one of the most dangerous because of the temperature it has to cook too, love those grandma tips!!

There's the whole fam damily molding the mints once they were set up.

It's dark outside and were still going strong

Dipping

Peanut clusters

my sister and her daughter Ashlynn eating all the caramels, how could you not there Delish

watching Avatar while we wrap caramels

And last but not least, grandma wanting to cry cause she is so SICK of cutting wax paper out, we kept telling her she was done and then found out she wasn't. Doesn't help either when you have arthritis in your hands, oh grandma your such a trooper.