Easy homemade suckers

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Once upon a time, I pinned on Pinterest a pin for making homemade suckers using Jolly Rancher candies. When you clicked on that pin, it didn't lead to the actual directions (as I've found the case to be with many a Pinterest pin), but the photos made it seem simple enough that further directions weren't necesary.

The photos also made it seem like a sweet and simple project Bubby would enjoy. So we tried it.

Bubby and Mac both enjoyed it. Well, Mac mostly sampled the Jolly Ranchers while Bubby and I did the work. Here are the directions—which will be here for a long time to come, just in case you choose to pin them on Pinterest for returning to later.

What you need:

  • Jolly Rancher hard candies

  • sucker sticks

  • parchment paper

What you do:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place candies in sets of three in spots on the parchment paper that will allow for a sucker stick to extend from the candy grouping once candies are melted in the oven.

Bake for about 5 minutes or until the candies are melted.

Remove from oven and immediately press sucker sticks into each candy puddle.

Cool completely and remove from parchment paper.

Two notes: 1. Use parchment paper, not wax paper for lining the baking sheet. I used wax paper and much of it stuck to the suckers. Then I made a smaller batch using parchment paper and the suckers came off the paper beautifully. 2. Bubby and I decided three Jolly Ranchers per sucker made for a large-size sucker requiring lots of sucking, so we plan to use only two Jolly Ranchers per sucker going forward.

Today's question:

What is your favorite candy?

Unexpected reminder, plus the GRAND Social

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Most grandmas are just as dedicated to making the most of our grandmother role as we were to our role as mother when raising our kids. We want to be outstanding at the job and continually strive to build lasting memories and magical moments.

I admit to it. For instance, I always pack my Grandma Bag full of creative, crafty and fun things I hope will have a profound impact on Bubby and Mac when I visit them—at least as profound as arts and crafts for toddlers can be. Which is why I found it so interesting that of all the things we've done together so far during my current visit with my grandsons, it's been the making of popcorn in the air popper, for a movie night, that Mac found most pleasing. No, he found it downright hilarious. The anticipation of the popping and movie snack to follow elicited the greatest grins and loudest giggles I've so far witnessed in my youngest grandson during this stay.

Those over-the-top giggles and grins reminded me that it's the little things that matter most, the unplanned moments and the simplest of things that can best touch hearts—and funny bones—often far beyond what my jam-packed bag of tricks may be capable of. I'm going to do my best to remember that during the three full days I have left with my grandsons as well as long after my return home. In terms of being a grandma, in terms of life in general.

And in other news, welcome to this week's GRAND Social. Thank you for joining me!

How it works:

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