Marguerite Bourgeois, canonized in the 80s, was recruited to teach young girls in the New France. She therefore moved there in the middle of the 17th century. She didn't want to be part of a cloistered group of nuns and so she formed her own sisters group teaching the poor and the natives. She attracted them by giving them candy.
We tried to make her candy on Friday. It's not easy. It's mainly made of molasses and corn syrup that you have to boil at a very specific temperature and then you pull it, like this.
Keld, who took the day off so I could go help, came when it was our kids's turns and tried it himself. It was sticking all over his hands...I should have taken a picture of that. (Okay, I wasn't better..)
When the tire has the color of gold, it's ready to be cut. If you wait too long, it gets hard and you can't cut it any more. If you do it right, it looks like this:
Then you wrap it in the paper to make a papillotte.
The older teachers told me that they used to do more than just tire to celebrate Sainte Catherine's day. There were raconteurs telling native stories and dance classes. Today, they make the candy and dress up...as native americans....
..or as nuns...
I didn't have anything special for Julia, she chose a châle that looked native to us.
She had a good time anyway, and so did we !!
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