Logan's Candies Candy Cane-making Tour

I joined in a Meetup event last night that made my holiday season! We toured Logan's Candies in Ontario. They gave a candy making demonstration teaching their process for candy canes! In addition to hand-crafting exquisite confections, they also stock old-time treats you may not have seen in years. Their shop is a true feast for the eyes as well as the belly!

The tour began outdoors looking through the window, with our teenaged guide narrating as owner Jerry demonstrated the candy cane process. Both were personable with funny bits worked into the demo.

The corn syrup base is heated to a temperature of 340 degrees in a copper kettle. One batch will make about 400 standard-sized canes that are 10-12 inches long.

The golden syrupy mass is kneaded and split into two parts.

Dye is kneaded into the smaller section; Jerry was filling a custom order during our demo, making blue and white canes. The blue dye looked black until it was stretched.

Flavoring is added only to the larger, white section. The colored stripes of Logan's canes are always unflavored, with all the flavoring in the white stripes only.

The colored portion is set aside near a gas heating element that keeps it warm and soft, preventing hardening.

The flavored portion is then stretched and kneaded using a meat hook on the wall to clarify the caramel-colored corn syrup to a crystal whiteness. The muscle required is amazing! And you can tell from my lack of focus that this happened quickly too.

Logan's makes all their canes with one wide colored stripe and five thin colored stripes. Here's one small stripe held up for all to see, with several laid out behind Jerry.

All five small stripes placed onto the large flavored white block.

Rolling the big chunk, twisting the pretty ribbon.

Pulling and preparing to cut off a piece, to be handed to the roller standing next to Jerry. Jerry's wife was the final step in the assembly line, bending the canes into a hook or heart-shape.

The tasting samples, pressed by machine.

Jars upon jars of pretty ribbon candy: I see peppermint, cinnamon, cherry, green apple, watermelon, pink lemonade, root beer, spearmint, and three more flavors on hand!

the touring group from Meetup

If you go:
Logan's Candies
125 W. "B" Street
Ontario, CA 91762
(909) 984-5410

Have you ever toured a candy factory? Are there any other seasonal events that set the tone for you? Please leave a note on the blog with your comments.

Holiday Concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall

I just got my mailing from the LA Phil listing holiday concerts at Walt Disney Hall. Click here for their full holiday schedule. The one that caught my eye was the Holiday Sing-Along with two performances on Sat. Dec. 19th, at 1130a and 230p. Sounds like a fun special event.

Have you ever been to Walt Disney Concert Hall for any performance? Is there a live show that is part of your holiday traditions? Leave me a comment on the blog.

Rein-Dog

Cute & Easy Reindeer Ornament

I helped my friend Lori to make a couple dozen ornaments that she designed out of wine corks--aren't they cute!

These require only a glue gun so would be suitable for older kids. I thought I'd pass along the idea. Materials are under five items: wine corks, googly eyes, red puff ball for nose, brown or black pipe cleaners for antlers, a ribbon or tie of some sort for hanger, and a sharpie if you wish to draw on a mouth. You can add a bell around the neck or leave that off.

Lori hung one around a bottle of wine, and it made a great embellishment for an otherwise less-personal gift.

What ornaments have you made as a kid or with your own family? Please leave a comment on the blog.

Growing in the Garden

I haven't posted about the garden in several months because frankly nothing's been happening there. The fires in my area in September, while not directly affecting me, left the area so hot and dry for such a sustained time-frame that I lost pretty much everything.

The yard is slowly coming back in patches, but it will need to be re-sown in the spring. Anything else, if it lived, went into a sustained drought-survival mode. It'll be an exciting new year watching everything re-emerge from its coma, but for now, my space is decidedly dormant.

Except--a ray of hope: traditionally amaryllis blooms in the spring and around the holidays, making it a natural as the "Christmas flower." I have some unusual varieties planted along the side of my house, and I was given these gifts this week. They bloomed low to the ground as if to tell me they were forced to expend energy.

What's going on in your garden? Did you plant any fall bulbs for the spring? Do you mulch in preparation for dormancy?

Do you have a favorite Christmas plant that you bring indoors for the holiday season, like Poinsettia or Paperwhites? What are your favorite varieties? Please leave a comment about your experience on the blog.

Winter Craft Fair

My friend Lori's work building had their winter craft fair today. I participated last spring, investing in lots of materials and only made forty dollars. So today I had a much more low-key approach: I took what I had made at home, but didn't work myself into a frenzy preparing. This time I sold twenty-one dollars in pies, grape glaze, zipper pulls, and gift tags.

Lori had a beautiful display of handmade ornaments, and she sold enough to cover her supplies. My stuff rounded out her table, and I had a great time just hanging out with her.

Where do you go to buy handmade gifts, or do you make them yourself? Leave a comment on the blog with your thoughts.

Raspberry Cordial & Peppermint Liqueur

Years ago, during a Thanksgiving weekend at my brother's house, we made a couple of liqueurs for that year's Christmas gifts. I used the nicely corked and wax-covered bottles for gifts, and set aside a couple of the not-so-pretty screw top bottles for myself. Of course, I picked out the most perfect ones for my parents. When we opened the bottles at my folks that holiday, it was so awfully strong we poured it down the drain!

I am not much of a drinker, so the bottles I'd set aside were soon forgotten. I came across them the other day (FIVE years later) and cracked one open to see how it had aged. Yummy perfection! I'll be doing this again, and storing it myself for a long time before giving it away, instead of asking people to age it themselves.

We made two kinds--Raspberry Cordial & Peppermint Liqueur. We tinted the raspberry a nice shade of pink, and went with blue to indicate the icy peppermint. This is definitely something that takes a lot of advanced planning, to collect pretty jars and decanters from thrift shops or garage sales. A little goes a long way, so small containers are more than adequate. And because you likely won't be giving more than one bottle to the same person or household, they don't have to match, but can come in a variety of styles.

It was fun to embellish these with ribbons and beads, and to design the labels that I stuck to the back or bottom of the bottles.

Raspberry Cordial

2 parts Raspberry Juice
2 parts Vodka
1 1/4 parts Sugar

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. Store in large bottles for 22 days. Pour into gift bottles and seal.

Peppermint Liqueur

1/3 C White Sugar
1 (16 oz) Jar Light Corn Syrup
2 C Vodka
2 Tsp Peppermint Extract

In a 2 quart pan over medium heat, combine sugar and corn syrup. Heat until sugar dissolves, stirring regularly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vodka. Cover and allow to cool. Stir in peppermint extract. Pour into a sealable bottle. Makes 16 servings.

Have you ever made your own liqueurs or spirits? Given them away as gifts or kept for yourself? If you have an experience to relate please post a comment on the blog.

Needlepoint Ornaments

Thought I'd share my little collection of Christmas ornaments I've cross-stitched. They're done on plastic canvas, so they're rigid and strong. And the 14-ct size is large enough to be eye-catching on the tree. I cover the back with felt and add a "handmade by" tag. I've given a few away as gifts, but mostly I'm actually decorating my own tree. I keep these in a metal tin when put away, so they're all together--someday they'll make a keepsake hand-down. I manage to do four or so per year. The projects are small enough to fit in a pencil-holder or ziploc baggie, and are flat enough to slip into any bag. I take one with me wherever I go, and make progress in increments whenever I'm waiting around somewhere.

Do you have a "take-it-along" hobby similar to this? Tell me about it in a comment on the blog.

Z-Coil Shoes

(Chance & Claire were helping me take pics for the blog today)

People on set often ask me about my shoes. Because I work in television, I'm regularly on my feet for literally eighteen hours or longer straight. I've watched both my parents battle joint problems, and I also know the health statistics of those in my industry. My hip and one knee sometimes give me trouble, not to mention my back. So I'm all about whatever might lengthen my years in my profession. When a friend introduced me to Z-CoiL Footwear, I jumped on them.

They're expensive shoes, but so are any good athletic wear like Nike or Adidas. Unlike those, these are orthotically designed, and custom fit for individual support. The whole process takes about an hour. Its design reduces impact to the body and distributes pressure more evenly than traditional shoes; supposedly they reduce shock to joints by 50%. My uppers have lasted two years and it only costs about $50 to have the heel coil replaced, though the shoes are initially a couple hundred bucks.

[Info from their website] During the fitting process, they explain the design of the shoe, help you select the footwear that is most appropriate for your activities, and make sure the shoe is sized properly. Then you are asked to spend about five minutes walking around the store to experience the “feel” of this unique footwear. While you are walking, they check your toe room, arch support, heel fit, and shoe width. They also ask you to be specific about the pain you are experiencing so they can focus on those issues. Unlike most footwear on the market, Z-CoiL® shoes are adjustable. Once they examine the shape of your foot and the way you walk, they make a variety of footwear adjustments to provide the maximum support and comfort possibly all while you wait. They can adjust for flat feet, high arches, wide feet, bunions and corns, hammertoes, heel spurs, neuromas, and many other conditions that can be responsible for foot pain. They can also balance the shoes if you tend to over-pronate (feet roll in) or over-supinate (feet roll out). If you are experiencing joint pain, you may have developed a pattern of walking that is putting too much pressure on the affected joint. In many cases, they can make adjustments to the footwear to relieve pressure on the joint. [Info from their website]

Because of my mom's back and knee problems, I took my folks along this weekend when I needed a pair. My new shoes are the brown ones on the left (the "High Desert Hiker"); the grey ones on the right are my older pair that I've had for about two years--this week I got a new coil for them, basically having them re-heeled. I've been really happy with the performance of my old shoe, but I'm excited to have the additional ankle support of the new design. I do have mine fitted with my prescription orthotics inserted, so if you wear those, they can be accomodated as well.

My mom was trepidatious before seeing how the shoe was fit on me, but she did eventually try on and buy a pair with the "enclosed" spring. Since she's on her feet a great deal as a school nurse, I'll be looking forward to hearing how she's settled into the shoes when I see her at Christmastime.

The Torrance Z-CoiL store offers a ten dollar discount to newly referred customers. Click on this coupon, then print it out, or just mention my name if you go (they'll give me a referral credit as well).

Do you wear these or other specifically engineered footwear? Leave a comment on the blog if you have a favorite brand or type of shoes.

Vegan Jel Dessert

One thing we served this Thanksgiving was a vegan "Jell-O." My friend turned me on to this when I was trying to find a use for the turkey pan/mold. I told her I don't usually serve gelatin because I'm always wondering if I'm eating ground up cow hooves.

My friend is a long-time vegetarian who knew about this product, Natural Desserts Jel Dessert. Made by the Nutra Drink Company, it's gluten free, vegan, and all natural, containing no artificial colors or flavors. It was really yummy! The preparation was exactly the same as branded Jell-O. I tried the raspberry, but they come in about five flavors, and are available online.

Click on the image below to enlarge if you'd like to see the ingredients or nutritional information.

Are there any products you use for a specific diet? Please leave me a comment on the blog with your favorite recommendations.

Griffith Park Holiday Light Festival

14th Annual Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Griffith Park Light Festival December 4 – December 30, 2008
Light Display Hours: 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.

The DWP puts on a holiday light spectacle each year in Griffith Park, along Crystal Springs Dr. Pack the family, load up the cookies and hot chocolate, put the Christmas music on in the car, and make it an annual tradition to see the sights!

Be sure to check out the Addl Info page on the website for all the details. Certain nights are designated as "green" for walking only, and one night is designated for bikers. Additional attractions include live reindeer and train rides to santa. Bring a toy for the toy drive too!

Is this event part of your Christmas traditions? How do you attend--car, bus, walk--and how long does it take you? Leave a comment on the blog if you've experienced the crowds.

Thanksgiving Butter Plate

The small details often make the day in entertaining. I used my silicone muffin pan to make a butter plate for our Thanksgiving table.

I'd never tried this before, so I simply melted butter by the stick in the microwave, first for 30 seconds, then in 10 second increments after that, pouring the melted butter into the fall-inspired muffin cups, then letting it harden in the refrigerator. I think it would have looked nicer if I'd taken the time to clarify the butter. Also probably should have let it harden a bit longer before breaking them out of the mold, as it took off a layer from the top in some places.

The pictures look a little worse for wear since they were taken in my dark-as-tunnel kitchen after dusk.

In the end, perfection is futile, anyway--I forgot the tray in the 'fridge, forgetting to set it out on the buffet. If you'd like some leftovers, come on over. I'll offer you a hunk of butter.

Do you go to this level of detail for your large feasts? What are your tips or tricks? Please leave a comment on the blog to let me know how you celebrated the holiday. I promise not to comment on any food-coma induced ramblings if you'll ignore mine. ;o)

Still Tomato Season in CA

Can you believe I'm still getting tomatoes off my cherry plants? These were picked the day before Thanksgiving. This, despite the fact that I stopped watering altogether about a month ago when the watering system's timer broke. Since I'm not watering, I've gotten much less fruit, but that's alright with me as keeping up with the growth pace had become nearly impossible this summer. About half the plants have been pulled up, but the two cherry tomatoes--Isis Candy and Sun Cherry--have a will to survive. That's fine by me.

Solvang Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

I love the Dutch town of Solvang. They're having their Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Friday Dec. 4th at 5pm. Might be a great weekend getaway....

Gobble-Gobble Cake

I came across a cast iron Nordicware pan today for five bucks, so I couldn't resist--especially since I'm celebrating Thanksgiving in my own home for the first time this year. Now I can tell my dad I'm making him a turkey. Since I'm vegetarian, he'll be suspicious.

I considered using this as a butter mold, but it has a five cup capacity. Bit much for dinner for four people, eh?

My friend lost his beak when I un-molded him, so some frosting surgery is in order before I serve this. But I just love this little turkey's wings and tail feathers. I guess I need to learn patience enough to allow a cake to cool before upending it and hoping for the best. I just had to see how it turned out!

Anyhoo, my friend who's in weight watchers gave me an easy "Cake Doctor"-type recipe to try, that she says has a comparatively low point value. Take any boxed cake mix, white, yellow or chocolate--I used a Devil's Food chocolate--and add only one can of regular pumpkin (not pie filling). Nothing else. Bake as directed on the box. Unless you're shaping the cake into a turkey, in which case allow four times the recommended baking time.

Note to self: try new pan, or new recipe. Not both at once.

I leveled the cake by cutting off the excess "muffin" before inverting it, so I had some portion to sample--the pumpkin mix was definitely dense and moist, even more than a regular mix. I think if I do this again, I'll use a regular chocolate mix rather than the Devil's Food. It's a treat for sure, and easy to whip up at a moment's notice.

What will you be serving on your Thanksgiving table? Leave me a comment on the blog with your traditions.