Gooey-Goo

One of my favorite pictures in a Dr. Suess book is of Gooey-Goo.  And sadly, right now I don't even remember which Dr. Suess book Gooey-Goo is in.  But, today, I finally got to live my dream of touching Gooey-Goo.  This is how...

"In Which We Try To Make Pulled Taffy"

Today Miss R was reading in one of her Raggedy Ann books (or was it Raggedy Andy?) about the dolls making pulled taffy.
"Can we make it?"  she asks.  To which, I reply, "Not today." as I always do.  I had a slight sting in my mind...why do I always say no?
So I took the kids out swimming in our kiddie pool and when we came in, I said, "What should we do now for fun?"  (Trying to be a fun mom, without having to make taffy!)
Miss R of course, "Can't we make that taffy?  It would be so fun!"
Oh, how can I keep saying no to her?  So, I said, "Yes..." a little reluctantly. (And now I'm so glad I did!)
I found a recipe in my Little House Cookbook for pulled candy.  I'm assuming that's the same thing.  I actually had all of the ingredients on hand.  So, we measured, we stirred, we boiled, we tested the candy for hard balls in a glass of water, we poured, we let cool, and then, GOOEY-GOO delight!  We pulled and pulled and the taffy just sort of took on gooey-goo form and we laughed and we pulled and pulled.  And pulled and pulled.  By now the baby was crying in his pack n play and I was full of gooey-goo, so he had to wait.  We pulled and pulled and pulled some more.  (I don't have any pictures as I was full of gooey-goo!)  FINALLY, the FIRST pan was finished and set to cool and harden.  Then the second pan...pull, pull, pull, pull, hush the baby, pull, pull, pull, and finally the second pan was finished.  I have no idea if we made it correctly.  I have no idea what it should actually look or taste like.  So, we will never know if it was a complete disaster!  But I do know I'm so glad that I said "Yes" to Miss R and put aside the housework and the schoolwork for awhile.  And I learned some things about making Gooey-Goo in case any of you would like to make some with your four children *almost* 7 and under. (Or in case I ever say "yes" to this project again!)

1. Halve the recipe.  You probably don't need two pans and making the baby cry through one is enough.
2. Your kitchen floor and counters will get gooey-goo all over them.  So be prepared.
3. You need butter.  Lots and lots of butter.  This helps the gooey-goo not stick to your hands while you are pulling the taffy.
4. Remember it's about the process not the product!  (At least in our case!)
5. Remember to have fun and make those precious memories with your precious blessings!
6. While you are pulling and getting entangled within the gooey-goo, try not to think of what Ma Ingalls would be saying if she could see you now.  Unless you can laugh at yourself.  Then, go ahead!

Now I am off to take a nap!!  Hopefully our gooey-goo will harden into some sort of edible candy by the time we wake up!