logo

The Global Domain Name (url) Families.com is currently available for acquisition. Please contact by phone at 805-627-1955 or Email for Details

Mother-Daughter Holiday Bonding

My daughter is just six years old, but she’s already got eye-rolling down to a science. I know this because I am typically the one she practices on. Only in her mind she’s not practicing, she’s dying–a little bit inside–each time I embarrass her by, well, being her mom.

I do things like remind her to put on her hat when I drop her off at school in the dead of winter (eye roll), tell her that she is not allowed to play unless she cleans up her room (double eye roll), and sing songs from the radio during carpool (quadruple eye roll with a high-pitched scream on top).

Fortunately, there are also many times when I am her favorite person in the “whole, wide, humongous, kamongous, world.” Typically those times include two things: crafts and food.

My little Martha Stewart wannabe completely readjusts her attitude when she is focusing on an art project. A sense of calm overtakes her body and she is a pleasure to be around. It’s the same way with food, which is why I love the holiday craft that I’m about to share with you.

If you are looking for a way to erase the mother-daughter tension that has built-up in the chaotic days leading up to Christmas, then schedule time to bond over these simple candy ornaments.

CANDY ORNAMENTS

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon flavoring oil

Gel food coloring

Powdered sugar

Cooking spray

Directions:

Lightly spray cookie pan or the cavities of clean, dry candy or cookie molds with cooking spray.

In a 2-quart saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Bring mixture to a boil, without stirring.

Continue to cook the syrup until the temperature reaches 260 degrees on your candy thermometer.

Add food coloring, but do not stir. The boiling will incorporate the color into syrup.

When temperature of the mixture reaches 300 degrees, remove from heat.

After boiling action has ceased, add flavor oil and stir.

Pour mixture into lightly greased cookie pan. Allow to cool, but do not refrigerate.

When the mixture is partially cooled poke a hole in the ornament with toothpick or wooden skewer.

Continue to cool.

Decorate with icing or leave as is and hang on tree with ribbon.

Related Articles:

The Santa Threat

Pervert Ruins My Daughter’s Christmas Tradition

Christmas Showdown: Parents vs. Toy Packaging

Rich Parents Doing Away with Expensive Holiday Gifts

Parents and Christmas Firsts

What Do You Do With Pictures of Other People’s Kids?

Holidays and Family Dysfunction

Santa vs. Generous Grandparents

Keeping Your Kids Safe During the Holidays

This entry was posted in Holidays by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.