It's So Good You'll Want it Twice

       It's so good you'll want it twice.  While working on the logo design for the Gemini Fudge Co. label, Eli said these words. My husband Andy and I looked at each other with astonishment and agreed that this was a perfect slogan for a delicious confection made by twins.  The name they chose for their company reflects their identity as well.  Ezra drew the Gemini twins on the logo.

     We had 10 batches of fudge that needed to ready by the Tuesday before Thanksgiving so we decided to divide up the cooking into several days.  Saturday and Sunday we made four batches each day and Monday we made two batches.  Amazingly, everything went very smoothly. 

     We quickly established an efficient routine, and I see the boys' skills in the kitchen improving each time we cook. I butter the pots and trays while the boys measure the sugar, open the butter, and open and pour the evaporated milk.  They have mastered using a lever type can opener on the cans of evaporated milk. This was tricky for them in the beginning, but they kept trying until they could do it.  While they stir those ingredients, I measure the vanilla, and peanut butter or chocolate chips that go in at the very end.  After it cooks for a while we start testing it to see if it is in the soft-ball stage.  They are really getting the hang of knowing when it's there.  

      The most challenging part of the process is pouring the fudge into the prepared trays.  There isn't much time until the fudge starts setting up so working quickly is imperative.  Like most children, saying, "Hurry up!" doesn't really help make things move more quickly! They are learning that they must scrape the pot quickly as I hold it.  My favorite part of this part of the process is that EVERY time we pour the fudge the boys start humming the song Pure Imagination from the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie. The waterfall of fudge looks just like the chocolate in the opening credits. This is one of my all time favorite movies, and we enjoy watching it together.  I just love hearing their little voices humming this familiar tune.

We have been able to integrate our fudge business into our homeschool classroom.  As I mentioned earlier, we've learned about marketing and advertising.  We've also had the opportunity to do lots of math problems.  I created word problems for them with the ingredients we are using. They've gotten lots of practice multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting.  They've also done some conversion of units like ounces to cups and teaspoons to cups.  It's been such a wonderful real life application of using math in everyday life.

We have already had a few people pick up their orders.  We are getting rave reviews! It's so encouraging for the boys to hear that people are enjoying the delicious fudge they have created.  One customer even placed another order because, you know, it's so good you'll want it twice!

Oh Fudge!

            As a homeschooling mom, I have the pleasure of spending a lot of time with my children.  Although there are days when tempers flare and attitudes are the pits, the struggles are worth the blessings. Right now, I am blessed to be in the midst of a new endeavor with my 10-year-old twin sons.  We have gone into the fudge business for the holidays!

            You just never know when inspiration will strike.  A few weeks ago we did a unit study on Judy Blume’s classic Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  It was so much fun!  We capped off the unit by making a batch of chocolate fudge since one of the main character’s nickname is Fudge.  If you haven’t read this book we highly recommend it! 

The boys have been my trusty fudge making assistants for years. This time they did it all by themselves with my supervision. I asked if they would like to try to sell a few batches during the holidays.  They readily agreed.  I posted a couple of photos on Facebook of the boys making the fudge and asked if anybody would be interested in purchasing some fudge from us around the holidays.  We were encouraged when five people expressed interest.  

            The next time the boys and I went to the grocery we priced all the items needed to make the fudge.  We priced them at two different stores to make sure we got the best prices.  One evening while waiting on the boys at soccer practice, I calculated how much it would cost to make chocolate fudge and peanut butter fudge.  I also looked online to see what fudge is selling for in candy shops nearby.  I realized that we could sell an excellent product well below retail cost while making a nice profit. 

            When I shared this news with the boys they got really excited.  They decided that our earnings should be directed to our Disney fund.  We’ve all been dreaming about going back.  I didn’t really know how much we would earn, but thought it would be a fun endeavor and an awesome learning experience for all of us. 

            Last week I got the word out through social media, texts, and emails.  We chose three dates and gave only two flavor options to keep things simple. The response we’ve gotten has been overwhelming! As of this writing, we have around 30 batches to make!

            What started out as testing the waters at the edge of the pool has become a cannonball off the diving board.  The boys are getting a taste of what running a business is like.  We created a name and are in the midst of crafting a logo.  Out of the blue one of them came up with an incredible slogan.  We’ve ordered packaging.  We’ve created a shopping list that includes 60 pounds of sugar! Today I announced we only have room for a few more orders and they are filling up.  Holy cow! This is getting real!

            As we make our way through this journey of fudge making I know that we will hit some roadblocks.  I know that it won’t all be smooth sailing. But no matter what happens, I will have two boys beside me building memories each step of the way.  And that’s what the journey is all about.