Easy Homemade Gummy Candies, with NO Added Sugar

In my quest to create reduced sugar or sugar-free desserts and snacks - you know, when I'm not inhaling pumpkin spice s'mores - I stumbled across the wild and wonderful world of homemade gummies!  Did you know you can make your own gummy candy and keep it as sugar-free as you want?  Look at the adorable, gold-dusted gem gummies I made:

Almost too pretty to eat!  Almost.

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup fruit juice - I used blueberry (I accidentally photographed the French side! Merde)*
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (I used Great Lakes brand)
• 1 tsp stevia - optional (I buy Truvia)
• Silicone mold - optional (this is the gem mold I used)
• Edible gold dust - totally optional

*When choosing a fruit juice, just skim the ingredients to make sure there isn't any pineapple, mango or papaya juice because these juices will prevent the gelatin from setting unless the juice has been boiled.   Also watch fruit juice labels for added sugar and artificial color, if that's a concern for you.


How to make gummy candy:

Warm up the juice on the stove in a pot and once it's warm - not boiling - stir in the tablespoon of the gelain and whisk until it's dissolved.  Add the stevia and whisk until it dissolves, then pour into a silicone mold.  I used a small brush to dust mine with gold first.  I also put my silicone mold on a cutting board so it's easier to maneuver.  (Alternatively, you can double the recipe and pour into small glass bowls - it's the perfect consistency for that as well.)

Pop into the fridge for a few hours and, voila!  Gorgeous gems!  Perfect for a rock hound like me.

I've been experimenting with different liquids, methods and flavor combinations - including an orange chocolate gummy that is so delicious - but my homemade gummies keep getting eaten before I can properly photograph them!  I got about five minutes with these.  They're looooong gone.

I wanted to share because this easy homemade gummy candy is a good starting off point for anyone wanting to experiment; this "recipe" is foolproof. 



Have you made your own gummy candy before?  Any delicious recipes I should try?  Next time I'll share a few of my favorite concoctions  in one post - seriously, you'll need to try that chocolate and orange one. 

DIY Dolly Mix Valentine's Day Card + Treat Bag in One

In elementary school, I was the weird kid who brought homemade Valentine's Day cards to school while everyone else doled out Ninja Turtle emblazoned missives.  Frankly, I don't remember much about those years, but I do remember sitting at the kitchen table with my Mom, making those cards.  Hubby and I both have such strange work schedules that days of the week, and especially special occasions, often pass us in a blur, but this year I remembered about Valentine's Day and whipped up something cute for our niece and nephew:  homemade Valentine's Day cards + goody bags in one!

Adorable right?  These easy Valentine's Day card come stuffed with candy so I'm sure they will be a hit!  I don't think a tutorial is really necessary, but I'll outline the steps and supplies below just in case - you're at least going to want to know about the insanely cute, pint-sized Dolly Mix I used...

Supplies:

• Clear treat bags
• Stapler
• Ribbon (this polka dot one is adorable!)
• Treats (I used Dolly mix)
• Pretty paper
• Acrylic/craft paint (I used pale pink and gold)
• Small brushes
• Gold pen
• Paper cutter/scissors 

First I cut some paper to the same width as the bags with my paper cutter.  I folded it in half and then wrote a little message across the top with a gold pen (I also signed our names and "xoxo" on the back).  Then I added a row of hand-painted hearts and set the cards aside to dry.  It took quite a bit of practice on scrap paper to achieve the effortlessly perfect swoopy heart.

While I waited, I filled two treat bags with Dolly mix.  I went to the bulk store in search of heart shaped candies but stumbled across this British confection instead.  Apparently it's been around since the 1920s and I love that it (the Waterbridge brand, at least) uses completely natural flavors and colours. 

Look how teeny!

Sure, this treat packs a lot of sugar (and I feel guilty about that), but the pieces are small and made to scale for tiny little hands.  My hope is that they'll devour it more slowly!

Once the cards were dry, I slid a folded card over the top of each treat bag and stapled it near the bottom in two places.

I threaded a length of ribbon through the card and then wrapped it front to back before tying it in a bow at the front - the ribbon hides the staples.

Easy peasy!  A cute homemade card and sack of sugar in one!  Now I need to make sure that:

A. I remember to actually bring these treats to the kiddos on Valentine's Day
B. I don't crack open each sack, inhale the Dolly Mix, and pretend that I forgot V-Day again this year

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9 Peppermint Wreath Ideas

Since finally making a Halloween wreath, I'm a little addicted to DIY wreaths.  I like the idea of adding some personality to our condo-issued orange door.  I spent the other night looking for inspiration, then I spotted a peppermint wreath and my world fell apart.  See?  I genuinely did get on the red and white bandwagon, but I'm holding off on making this wreath until I can have a turquoise front door (stupid condo).  While I dream up another wreath idea, can we just take a moment to marvel at how many peppermint wreaths are out there?

Here are my favorites:

Left to right:
top: 1, 2, 3
middle: 1, 2, 3
bottom: 1, 2, 3

Speaking of copious amounts of candy . . .

I am thinking of giving up sugar in the new year, not as a resolution or a weight loss thing, but because diabetes runs in the family.  Not too long ago, my Dad's blood sugar was quadruple the healthy number (they actually thought the tester was flawed because the reading was so outrageous, so the company sent him something to use for a base reading and, nope, no flaws, just a scary big number).  Needless to say, he started making major lifestyle and diet changes.  And I think I should too, as a preventative measure.  I don't eat a ton of sugar as it is, but, really, do I need any?  So, wreaths might be the only way candy is stepping a tasty toe inside the townhouse, come 2013!  I'd like to keep my feet and hop off the train to diabetes-land (surely the opposite of this) while I can.  But I'm worried going cold turkey might make me crave it mooooore.

Has anyone given up on sugar (of course, bad starches like white bread and potatoes are goners too)?  Any tips?  And if I do give up sugar and make this wreath, what are the odds the neighbours will catch me licking it?

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