Gumdropapalooza

In preparation for my daughter's birthday party this weekend, I've been doing two things:

1. Stressing out.
2. Making a mess.

Number two is directly related to number one. Or is number one directly related to number two? Either way, it's been crazy.

Last night I attempted to make gumdrops. I should say I attempted to make them WELL, as I did succeed in making them, but also, number two.

I wish I'd taken pictures.

Have you ever made gumdrops? If so, have you ever made them in too small of a pan? I have. And let me tell you, the results were disastrous.

I have a flat-top stove and the four cups of sugar and six packets of gelatin boiled out of the too-small pan and all over my stove. Black clouds billowed from my burner where the burned sugar crystallized on top.

Ya'll, it got crazy.

But, the end result, minus number 1, was this:

Goodie, goodie, gumdrops.

I made my husband try all of them except the blue. The yellowish color is lemon, the red is orange (I know, weird.) and the blue is peppermint. I've been told I was too light-handed with the extracts. So use more than you think you should.

Everyone likes them. Now we wait for them to crystalize and get ready for my little gumdrop's 3rd birthday party.

Goodie, goodie!