Hard Tack Candy Family Traditions

Growing up I always remember the hard tack candy in my grandmothers candy dishes at Christmas time.  Although I can not remember how it got to those candy dishes I do have some family members who have told me about the great times they had making it and how it was a great family tradition. So last year with so many other things I started doing I decided it was time to go into the candy making business.  We made batch after batch of hard tack gave it to coworker, friends, and family and boy was it a hit!  One of my nieces asked uncle Denis how did you make this candy?  So with that one little question I decided it was time to get the family tradition going again and teach this next generation how to make some candy.  Tomorrow we will be gathering and hopefully start a tradition that will last for years.  Tonight I did a trial batch to make sure I did not forget anything from last year and it turned out just right.  I thought I would share my recipe and maybe in a few days a video on how we do this.  Get out there and spend quality time with your family make some new traditions.

 
Hard Tack Candy
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup (I use Bob White Crystal White)
2 cups sugar
1 small jar flavoring (3.7ml)
Food coloring
Powder sugar (for dusting)
Butter (for cooling dish/pan)

Butter cookie sheet and lightly and coat with powder sugar, set aside. Combine water, corn syrup, and sugar in pot over medium heat.  Slowly stir mixture dissolving contents.  Mixture will come to a rapid boil watch candy thermometer closely and to prevent burning.  When mixture reaches 300 degrees or "Hard Crack" remove from heat, add flavoring, and coloring.  Mix well and poor onto prepared cookie sheet.  As this is cooling use scissors to cut into small pieces and toss with more powder sugar if needed.

Procrastination and hording

My thought of the day is do you think procrastination and hording are linked in any way?  I have always procrastinated task.  At times I am better and get on track at times I am way worse.  I also find that there are allot of people out there like my self who like to build, garden, fix things have this same problem. I some time blame my procrastination on wanting to make everything perfect.  I am in the middle of building a kitchen and have dragged my feet for two years because I want every drawer shelve and cabinet in the perfect place.  I also blame my organization on this procrastination.  I guess this is where hording would come in to play.  People like my self see everything with a value and an use.  We collect unused materials and always have a plan for them in the future.  The biggest problem is if you can not find it when you need it or it makes your life harder because it is in your way it is useless to you.  So I have realized this over the last few months and I am taking steps to clean my basement, clean my garage, and finish those projects I have been putting off.  I do believe it is very important to teach our children not to waste and how to repurpose and save those things we need but maybe I can start showing them if I do it in a organized fashion it will be more efficient.

Quick tour of basement/stopping my hoarding

My first video blog I will continue writing but will be adding video blogs into the mix.  This is a quick tour of the basement and the start of my wood shop.  Once again organization will hopefully make this large collection of tools, wood, and other parts useful and save us money.  I do believe it is extremely important to be organized if you are a homesteader or a prepper.

Homemade Wood Whistle

Spending quality time with my wife and children is extremely important to me.  Today my daughter and I spent some time in my work shop making some whistles.  They are very crude and basic but the work well and the kids love them!

Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (Ralph the Elf)

Remember always have fun with your kids that is the most important thing in the world.  You can never get the lost time back!

We are all building a legacy

Why do I want to create and share my skills? Mostly for my children and the society they will have to grow up and live in.  So many skills have been lost over the years.  People no longer make their own things or even have hobbies.  I am hoping that if I spend more time creating, growing, and building my children, neighbors, and family will learn and want to have some of these skill themselves.  What do you want to be remembered for?  Your xbox skills or the fact you grow the best tomatoes, build the coolest Christmas presents, or can fix just about anything.  I know what I want to pass on to this and many generations to come!

The urban farmer is it possible?

So my life long dream was to be a farmer.  I believe what intrigues me about farming is providing for your self and the extreme self reliance.  On any given day as a farmer is a gardener, butcher, framer, excavator, blacksmith, and so many other amazing things.  The farmers of the past were connected with the land utilized all their skills and made something out of nothing.  Today most people rely on money for all their needs.  We develop one skill set to make money to purchase our needs.  What happens when that one skill set fails you?  This is why I am trying to keep my many skills I have acquired through out the years and be a urban type of farmer.  Is this possible?  Is it feasible?  I have no clue but I am willing to try!

I watch videos on YouTube and read blogs of people buying huge chunks of land and moving of to a homestead, but I can not do that.  As fun as that would be many things hold me back.  Property is extremely expensive and with out a huge savings you are going to find your self in the woods broke.  Having two children family and education is extremely important.  The school district I am in now can provide my children with great things and a bright future.  A strong family unit is also important, I believe my wife and I instill strong values in our children and teach them many thing most importantly love.  I also think the extended family is important to aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great grandparents can teach your children so many things! Living in a remote area would isolate my children from these opportunities and I am not willing to do that.

Over the last weeks I have realized your resources and supplies are only useful if they can be found.  I have drove myself nuts for years looking for things for hours so my first task as a urban farmer is to become organized.  If I am going to build and repair things I need a clean shop space where I can find my tools.  I have worked on this over the last week and it is well on its way. It is amazing what a couple hours a day of sorting can do for you.

I will continue working towards my goals to become self reliant so I can hopefully pass on as many skills as possible to my children!