Little House: Molasses On Snow Candy

We had to go purchase something that typically does not live in our pantry.

Brown sugar.  Gasp!

But . . . we needed it for school.  Can I claim to need Starbucks for school?

Since we have been blanketed by snow and ice for what seems like several weeks (not that I am complaining . . .  it makes me feel like I am in Colorado  . . . kind of . . . except Colorado doesn’t get continuous snow like this on the front range) --

. . . . as I was saying, since we have been with snow it seemed fitting to make Molasses-On-Snow Candy Little House style, which we read about in Little House in the Big Woods.

Typically, you would use maple syrup to create candy.  However, even if we HAD a tree, we wouldn’t have any sap (the tree doesn’t run in December/January).  And since we are forgetting that there normally is maple syrup in our refrigerator, we had to use brown sugar . . . which we pretended was really cooked maple sugar because it is easier to store and transport. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark molasses
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 or more pie pans  or skillets
• saucepan
• heatproof pitcher
• glass of cold water

Directions

• Collect some fresh snow.  Avoid any snow that is yellow or brown.  {Insert smile.}

• Combine molasses and brown sugar in a saucepan.  Choose a large enough pan that will allow all of this sugar to boil up.

• Needless to say, bring contents to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

  

• Soon after the liquid comes to a boil, test the syrup by drizzling some from a spatula into a glass of cold water.  You want the syrup to be around 245 degrees Fahrenheit.

• If the syrup clouds the water or remains formless, then you need to heat the mixture longer.  BUT if the liquid forms a ball, circle, disk etc. then act fast!
• Pour hot syrup into a small pitcher.

• Grab your snow.

• Go to work pouring the hot liquid onto the snowy surfaces you created in your pie pans.

 

• Don’t try and achieve perfect, circular candy.  Won’t happen . . . unless you are an experienced candy maker, I suppose.

• When candy has become hard, place it on top of wax or parchment paper.

• I found that you will have lasting result by placing it in the freezer.

 

Enjoy . . . . I will warn you . . . the Molasses-On-Snow Candy has a rather strong flavor.

 Other Little House posts on Granola Mom:

• Music, Lincoln Logs, and Lapbooks
• painting a wood fire with marbles
• making an orange peel snack
• making a log cabin with popsicle sticks

Resources to supplement your Little House learning:

Perhaps My Favorite Time of the Day

A little habit that has crept into our nightly bedtime routine, besides practicing Awana verses and family devotions, is the gathering around to listen to the Hottie Hubby read Little House on the Prairie. 

Originally, they boys and I were reading a chapter during the day.  But we talked about it so much, that we sucked the Hottie into our pioneer world. 

Granted we I  haven’t watched nearly as much TV (The Biggest Loser or The Amazing Race – are they even on anymore?) since moving to our new house), but  I find that instead of trying to rush the kiddos up to bed to indulge in my viewing pastime, I find myself prodding the Hottie to get the kids moving so that we can read Little House on the Prairie.

We’ve been building log cabins, counting wolves, learning about Indians, and tickling our ears with some of Pa’s fiddle music.  While listening to some fantastic music from Dale Cockrell’s music project, we’ve learned how to build a well, put out a chimney fire, and build a barn. 

I discovered Pa’s Fiddle Project when looking for age-appropriate activities to enhance our learning.  The addition of music to our lap book provides an inter-disciplinary approach to our learning . . . and the boys love it! 

And get this . . . Dale’s project of capturing all of Pa’s music began much in the same way, our nightly reading has become a sweet routine:

My son Sam was eight when he and I began reading through the Little House books at bedtime. As we read along and came upon songs that I knew, I would sing them and Sam often joined in. Yet there were still many tunes I didn’t know. Both Sam and I wanted to know all the music, for the singing was always fun and the stories seemed incomplete without the soundtrack.

Out of a bedtime ritual thus was born The Pa’s Fiddle Project, dedicated to re-voicing the 127 songs embedded in the Little House books and making this great American music available once more to all.

We have been enjoying, Happy Land,

  and

Arkansas Traveler,

which you can purchase over at Dale’s website or by clicking on the pictures to order through Amazon. 

Trust me . . . you’ll be hearing more about Pa’s fiddle music from me – get this over 127 songs are mentioned in the Little House books!  And why will you hear more about Dale’s work?  Well, I contacted Dale to see if he would send me some a sample of his work and he graciously obliged, even though he was in the midst of wrapping up a huge project and going on vacation.  Because I am grateful, I really would love it all if you took the time to sample his music out and even purchase it for your Little House on the Prairie study!

P.S. Stay tuned!  I’ll show you our lapbook as it progresses!