Greetings to all!

What would Little Jesus eat?

The birth of the candy cane is thought to be in 1670 A.D.

We feel that the information below is far more important:

2 cups sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1/2 c. water

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

red food coloring

Cook sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar to a very hard ball stage (use candy thermometer: 250 to 265 degrees F.). Remove from heat and add peppermint. Divide into two parts and add red food coloring to one part and mix well. Once it is just barely cool enough to handle, the candy must be pulled and turned on itself over and over until it is no longer clear.Pull pieces of each part to form ropes and twist red around the white to make candy canes.

Preparation: approximately 45 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

Greek Mint Myth

props for our holiday greeting, view it at the website

Our 2010 greeting mocks holiday hullabaloo and phony sentiment. We are in the habit of asking "what is the mythology or backstory?" We share what the Greeks thought:

Minthe, a naiad nymph was beloved of Hades. Displeased with this liaison Persephone trampled upon Minthe, crushed her and ground her into dirt. From Minthe's gore sprung the sweet smelling mint plant -- gnarly, growing close to the ground and destined to be trod upon.

Minthe, before and after Persephone's wrath.

Props for Nurture

Searching for inspiration, odds for any of these eager foods is about 1 in 8.

Nurture Rituals

Meat 'n Potatoes from Consuming Passion

Wiping up from Consuming Passion

We just posted the Lunchbox Series on the website. Here are two nurturing rituals which are legible as diptychs.