Candy is made, it's almost Christmas

Many years ago, there was a candy shop in Duluth, which was owned by my maternal great-grandfather. Though it has been closed for decades, the candy tradition has been passed down through the family. Every Christmas, we start churning out sweet treats by the pound, which is what I was busy doing this weekend.

My sister and I happened to have the same weekend free — anyone else have totally insane December schedule this year?! — and we enjoyed spending the time with our mom. We all use the same core recipes: English toffee, caramel, and chocolate covered cherries, but over time we've each developed our own twist. Mine is sea salt toffee with dark chocolate. My sister likes to add turtles to her selection, and my brother's family has ventured into the white chocolate territory. Last year, my mom found the old family recipe for butterscotch, which was pretty good. I would not be sad if those became a regular feature!

You're probably wondering if I'm going to share some candy recipes in this post. Nope! They're a family secret, but if I see you over Christmas, you're welcome to some toffee… as long as it holds out.

Making candy didn't leave much time for anything else, but I did get my nasty knitting project done. It only cost me another interchangeable cable and carpal tunnel. Just kidding. I hope. While the needle did break, I'm thinking any damage to me is temporary. The project turned out well, though, and I'm looking forward to showing you after Christmas. The pattern was one I've been wanting to make for a while, so it feels good to get it out of my system.

Just a few for things to finish up, and I will be ready for Christmas!

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