Archive: Candy
Let's Celebrate -- Winter Has Begun!
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, winter begins at 1:35 p.m. today. What this means is that today is the darkest day of the year, with the sun setting at 4:49 in Washington. (In Chicago, it's even earlier, at 4:22!) But don't let the darkness get you down. For those of us in the seasonal affective disorder club, the winter solstice is a day to celebrate, because it means that starting tomorrow, the sun will set later and later, bringing us closer to those longer days of sunlight and playing outside yet again. So, let's do a little dance. A little nosh wouldn't hurt, either. I'm thinking something tropical. Mango champagne cocktail, perhaps? I just got my hands on two new titles that are putting me in the mood for a little cha-cha-cha: "Mambo Mixers" by Arlen Gargagliano and "Latin Chic" by Carolina Buia and Isabel C. Gonzalez. "Mambo" is...
By kimodo | December 21, 2005; 10:55 AM ET | Comments: (1)
The Chronicles of Gingerbread
It was a two-day affair, this gingerbread-building business. I've detailed the steps in a mini-diary of sorts, with pics to give you the full flavor of the experience. Thursday afternoon/evening Weather: Flurries and freezing Nancy and I took kids Ruby (10) and August (6) to pick out gum drops, red hots and jelly rings for decorating. We also picked up a box of nonpareils (remember those?) for the roof shingles. Between homework and making dinner, I showed the kids how to make the dough, a fun lesson in measurements and math and learning what ground ginger actually smells like. They were more interested in watching "The Santa Clause," with Tim Allen, than cutting the gingerbread into house shapes, so Nan and I decided to venture forward without them....
By kimodo | December 19, 2005; 09:25 AM ET | Comments: (2)
Sugar High
I want CAN-DEE! Don't we all at this time of year? There's something about the season that makes us swoon for sugar, especially when it's cooked and hardened into shapes and sizes that take us back to our kiddie days. For the past few years, I've tried my hand at making my very own confections, and I gotta say, it's a helluva good time. Call me a geek, but I get a big kick out of transforming plain ol' sugar into sweet lickable, in-your-teeth-able treats....
By kimodo | December 13, 2005; 10:15 AM ET | Comments: (9)
