candy

Welcome Guest Author Penny Zeller

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Howdy, y’all! Penny here. I am so honored to be a guest again on Petticoats & Pistols. This time, I’m here chatting about A Heart’s Hope, my latest Christian historical romance. A Heart’s Hope takes place in 1881, and as I was writing the book, I discovered many interesting things about toys and candy from yesteryear.

When high-society socialite McKenzie Chesterton answers a rugged rancher’s mail-order bride advertisement, she later discovers the man she is about to marry has a young son named Davey. As such, she purchases a few fun items from the toy shops and candy stores in Boston.

One gift McKenzie gives Davey is a harmonica. Some sources say the ancestor of the harmonica originated in the 1780s. Others believe the forerunner came from ancient China’s sheng instrument. Some sources cite the origin of the harmonica as a way to help tune pianos. Regardless, the harmonica as we now know it grew in popularity in the 1800s, and was even called a “mouth organ”.

Marbles came into great popularity when mass production started in the 1840s. Glass marbles were the most common.

The jump rope has been a common toy for at least a few centuries, but did you know it was called “skipping rope” in the 1800s? Different sources have cited a variety of origins for the jump rope, and there may be evidence that suggests it was used in Ancient Greece. It is believed the Dutch brought skipping ropes to America.

Just as toys have changed through the eras, so has candy. McKenzie gifts Davey a chocolate bar. Did you know the first chocolate bar was produced in 1847 by Joseph Fry? Hershey didn’t begin chocolate production until around 1900.

Chocolate bars weren’t the only thing to come along in the 1800s. One of the more interesting discoveries was that chewing gum was first produced from tree sap in the 1840s. One of the first, if not the first, packaged box of chocolate was released in 1854. The 1890s are when the first batch of peanut brittle is rumored to have accidentally been created due to a wrong ingredient.

Topics like toys and candy from days past always provide entertainment while we authors conduct research. I once heard that authors research for hours just to write one sentence. As one who has written numerous historicals, that is certainly true.

I’m super excited about the release of A Heart’s Hope on June 16.

She’s from high society. He’s a humble rancher. Can an unorthodox marriage lead to love?

What happens when truths are disclosed, and McKenzie’s real reason for answering Noah’s advertisement comes to light? Will the fragile love that has begun to grow between McKenzie and Noah survive the truth? Can God take an unconventional situation and bring two lonely hearts together?

A Heart’s Hope is a heartwarming, faith-filled, marriage-of-convenience love story that shows that God truly is the Changer of hearts.

Go here to snag your copy of A Heart’s Hope.

I’m giving one lucky winner their choice of a paperback or ebook of A Heart’s Hope. (Limited to U.S. residents only).

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment in answer to this question:

What was your favorite childhood candy or toy?

Thank you for joining me today.

As a special gift, be sure to snag An Unexpected Arrival, a Wyoming Sunrise novelette, for free by going here.

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith-filled happily ever afters. Her books feature tender romance, steady doses of humor, and memorable characters that stay with you long after the last page. She is a multi-published author of over three dozen books and is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. Penny resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers at her website at http://www.pennyzeller.com

 

Favorite Things: Halloween Candy

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Orange, maize, brown background. Image of cup full of lollipops. Text "Favorite Things: Halloween Candy. Petticoats & Pistols"

For the past month, I’ve been at war with myself. Every time I walk into the grocery store, I’m weaving through towers of displays with every kind of Halloween candy imaginable. I push the cart around bags of Reese’s, only to be confronted with “fun-size” peanut M&Ms. *gulp*

I’m not buying it. Come on, Jill, stay strong!

Beads of sweat line my forehead. The cart slows. Maybe I slow. Who knows? But a sharp right turn leads me down the first row of delicious candy. Then the next one. And the next.

I’m pretty sure I clipped a digital coupon for 30% off. And, wait, is that a buy one get one free deal?

Before I know it, five bags of candy are in my cart.

I have no regrets.

Jill Kemerer at fall festival pretending to stir a steaming cauldron
I’m getting into the spooky season spirit at a local fall festival!

Candy, candy, candy! I love it all! (Well, not candy corn, although I will eat it occasionally.)

All this candy brings me back to my days trick-or-treating. We lived out in the country in mid-Michigan. My mom would usually drive my sister and I to trick or treat. We always stopped at Grandma and Grandpa B.’s house first. Good call on my mom’s part. Grandma would take a bag of mini Milky Ways and start dumping them into our bags. I loved her!

Then we’d head to various aunts and uncles and stop at Grandma and Grandpa D.’s house. Grandma usually made up little treat bags. She was a fabulous cook, so when I saw a popcorn ball, I got excited. Occasionally she’d throw in an apple or shelled peanuts, too. I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t into the healthy stuff. The apple and peanuts were probably the last thing I ate!

Another highlight was stopping at our babysitter’s house. Margaret would line a cookie sheet with full-size candy bars, and we could choose any one we wanted. Exciting times!

After we’d made all the stops, we’d head home and dump out our bags. Then came the negotiations. My sister and I had fun trading for favorite candy. My mom and dad always got my Mounds and Almond Joy bars. Coconut wasn’t my thing back then. I don’t mind it now.

I still love Tootsie Rolls. I’m sure it’s from my Halloween days. Oh, and Smarties–the little sugar candies. And Laffy Taffy, and M&Ms, and Twix, and Reese’s, and Snickers, and…

Oh, boy.

I have a problem.

What can I say? I love Halloween candy!

What’s your favorite candy? Were you allowed to trick or treat when you were young?

Have the best day!

My Favorite Christmas Candy

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. Whenever my BIG South Louisiana family gets together there is always, among other things, lots of amazing food. And that includes sweets. There are pecan pralines, coconut pralines, divinity, cookies, bars, fudge, fruit candies, brittles and novelty treats for the little ones like these gnomes and reindeers.

But one of my personal favorites is just plain old fashioned peanut butter fudge. Partly because it brings back such great memories for me. It is one of the first things my mom taught me to cook.  I remember her standing over me and my younger sister as we made batches of this sweet treat.  Sometimes it didn’t turn out quite right and we had to eat it with a spoon. And I’ll let you in on a secret – I actually enjoyed eating it this way and on a few occasions I deliberately sabotaged the batch so that it wouldn’t harden properly.  🙂

Anyway, here is the recipe – it’s very sweet so unfortunately I can’t eat it with as much abandon as I once did. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

 

Shirley’s Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 5 cups milk
  • 5 cups peanut butter (either creamy or chunky)
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

  • In a heavy 4 quart saucepan, combine sugar and salt
  • Stir in milk
  • Over a medium heat, stir constantly until mixture reaches a bubbly boil.
  • Continue to boil without stirring until mixture reaches a soft ball stage or 234 degrees.
  • Quickly stir in peanut butter until well mixed.
  • Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla – DO NOT STIR
  • Cool to 110 degrees.
  • Beat until fudge thickens and shine fades.
  • Quickly spread in a buttered 8” or 9” square pan.
  • Cool completely and then cut into squares.

So do you have a special treat that brings back memories for you?

I have several copies of The Holiday Courtship that I’d like to giveaway since I’m reissuing it under a new title and with a new cover so leave a comment and you just might end up with one of these.

 

Petticoats & Pistols