Making Chewing Gum

Yesterday we had a mother/son date at the Green Corner Store...for ice cream from Loblolly (the soda fountain inside the Green Corner Store).  Loblolly makes EVERYTHING - ice cream, waffle cones, syrups.  Most ingredients are local and devoid of corn syrup or gluten.

After eating our sweet treats (I had a brownie sundae with raspberry sauce, he had a waffle cone and vanilla Italian soda = all very delicious!), he perused the store and found this Chewing Gum Making Kit.  I've linked to Amazon, but it is $3 cheaper if you get it locally.

He was just a little bit excited about making gum today.

Above, contents of the box - chicle (gum from the rainforest), powdered sugar, corn syrup, powdered flavoring and a plastic bowl for mixing.  Below is a close up of the gum before melting.

You are to either microwave or float said chicle in boiling water.  The instructions said the bowl could melt in the microwave so I opted for boiling water.

Next, add corn syrup.

Stir to mix then pat out on the powdered sugar.  I used wax paper on top of my cutting board because I didn't know how sticky this gum would be and if it would come off my cutting board.  It was rather sticky so be sure to use a disposable spoon.

 Roll it out flat like pie crust.  There were two flavors included in the box - peppermint and tangerine.

 He used a pizza cutter to cut the gum as well as tiny cookie cutters.

 He hummed and sang the entire time he was in the kitchen.  He was so excited.

The taste and texture?  Surprisingly good.  The flavor leaves quickly but the gum is still fun to chew.  John Isaac said, "I definitely think it was worth $12, don't you Mom?"  He knows I'm a tightwad.  I agreed and later, in between songs, he reiterated the same point.

If you find yourself with an extra $12 and are looking for a fun experiment, let me recommend gum making to you.  - Julie

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

A few years ago, I read this sweet story of friendship between two young girls in 19th century China.  Both girls endure foot binding yet they are from different economic backgrounds.  I have recommended it to several of my friends but I think it would also be an interesting read for young girls with vivid imaginations and interested in Chinese history.

Description from Amazon:
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, an “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together they endure the agony of footbinding and reflect upon their arranged marriages, their loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace in their friendship, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their relationship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Also found in the Central Arkansas Library system.

Missionaries Who Perished at Hands of Boxers

The Christian and Missionary Alliance has a webpage of missionaries who were martyred as a result of the Boxer Rebellion.  The biographies are concise and interesting.

Getting to Mars

Anne Coletti recommended that I post this link to a video of getting to Mars.  Fascinating!

Or you can watch it below.

Memory Work Review Crossword, Week 6

You can download it here.

Little Rock Airshow

We went to the Little Rock Air Show today.  Good clean fun.  John Isaac in black below with his bud, Gramm in white, watching paratroopers.

Sister mostly enjoyed it - especially the stickers.  But not the loud jets.

I'm not sure Brother could choose a favorite part.  Below he's pretending to be a sniper.

One of the highlights for me was going inside this plane from WWII and the Berlin Airlift.  Recently I read Daring Young Men:  The Heroism and Triumph of the Berlin Airlift.

The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly the closer.  We don't have the endurance (yet!) to stay all day.  It was a fun day anyway!

If you missed it today, the show will still be flying Sunday.

Memory Work Review Crossword, Week 5

You can download it here.