We're snowed in, and if the weatherman is right, we'll be snowed in for the next few days.

Little ones can get pretty stir crazy if they are cooped up indoors, so I've been busy coming up with ways to keep them busy...

 Today, we made Molasses on Snow Candy. You can find the recipe on page 192 of The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker. We decided to make a half-batch because we didn't have enough molasses in the house to make more.


Step one: Asher measured 1/2 cup dark molasses (i.e. all the molasses we had left in the house) into a liquid measuring cup.


Step two: We combined the molasses with 1/4 dark brown sugar in a 2 quart saucepan. (Don't use a smaller pan, the mixture needs room to boil). Stir the molasses and sugar together over medium heat, until it comes to a boil.


Continue to cook and stir the bubbly mixture for 5 minutes. Mixture is ready when a small amount dropped in a glass of cold water turns solid, like this:


This picture didn't turn out the greatest, but you get the idea...


Meanwhile, fill several cake pans with fresh, clean snow. This was Asher's favorite part!


You can store the pans outside until you're ready to poor the candy. Bring the pans inside--being careful not to dump snow all over the kitchen floor!--and set them on the table. We chose to cover the table with an old towel to catch any melting snow.


Drizzle the mixture into the snow, making whatever shapes you'd like!


We learned that you need to do this part rather quickly. If the molasses mixture cools, it becomes hard and stringy, and difficult to pour. When it hits the snow, the molasses will harden almost instantly, and become candy! We enjoyed some of it right away, and put the rest in the fridge to save for when daddy gets home.


Be sure to keep a wet washcloth handy, for all those little, sticky fingers...

HAVE FUN!!