Today was R's last day of 3-year-old kindergarten. While she was perfectly happy to say goodbye to her teacher, assistants and friends (she is going to a different kinder next year), I felt quite sad. I really hate goodbyes, and I'm not happy about the speed with which time marches on while my brain struggles to catch up. And of course at this stage of the year time compresses even further, with whole weeks rushing by in what feels like minutes. Before you know it the year is over and you're taking the kids back to school for term 1, hoping the rest of your life doesn't rush by like the final episode of Six Feet Under (in which the characters' futures unfold in fast forward, right up to their deaths. Best final episode of a TV series ever. And definitely a contender for best TV series ever).
Now how did I go from talking about kindergarten to musing about death? I do apologise. What I really wanted to say was that R and I had heaps of fun making candy cane chocolate (a.k.a. peppermint bark) as end-of-year gifts for her teacher and two assistants. This stuff is fantastic for making with kids because it involves a couple of super-fun things: smashing up candy canes and sprinkling smashed-up candy canes onto melted chocolate. I based mine on this recipe but really, no recipe is required. Here is what we did:
- Smashed up a 170g packet of large candy canes (sealed inside two plastic bags; bashed repeatedly with the base of a little milk-boiling pan. You could also use a hammer or a rolling pin)
- Melted a packet of white chocolate melts in the microwave; stirred til smooth; spread out on baking tray covered with baking paper
- Sprinkled half of candy-cane mixture on top, pressed in lightly with back of spoon
- Once chocolate had cooled, broke it into shards.
R did the smashing and sprinkling; I did the melting and spreading. Then we repeated the process with a packet of milk chocolate melts and the remainder of the smashed candy canes. She enjoyed it a lot, and K is looking forward to making a batch to give to his teachers for when school wraps up next week.
Oh, and it looks pretty and tastes rather good too!
Hi Marisa,
ReplyDeleteI would love to swap with you. Could you send me an e-mail so that we can get in contact?
Have a nice day,
Kristel
My daughter finishes Prep at the end of the week and I am finding myself feeling incredibly sentimental, not to mention the feeling of life being in fast forward.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, the final day of prep is an emotional one for the parents. If it's any consolation, it gets a bit easier as the kids get older. My son's about to finish grade 2 and I'm not anticipating needing a box of tissues (although after a few days of school holidays I may well need some...).
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