It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Ho, ho, ho! Here we are, just a little over a week away from Christmas and if you're like most people, you're just not feeling the holiday spirit. Am I right? Well, here's something to bring the magic alive.

What do you mean, what is it? It's Santa. Can't you tell?

At least that's what Russell Stover would have us believe. Just because you can't see Santa doesn't mean he doesn't exist.

Invest in a sweet future

I got an e-mail the other day from fellow candy lover, Ben. Here's a guy who's so passionate about candy that he's created a Kickstarter campaign to create a new candy biz. He asked if I'd share his info and it looks like a great idea. Take a gander here. We wish Ben and his posse lots of luck on this sweet venture.

Halloween 2014: The Recap

Remember this little guy?

Well, he has now reached the milestone of going to the orthodontist. Yes, that's right. Due to brilliant planning on my part, the Sugar Baby* got expanders put in the week before Halloween. In addition to a new toothbrush, an envelope full of wax and some little tooth-pokey things, he received this.

Now, take a good look at that picture. It meant to make you feel good, like, "Hey! I can still chow down on my Halloween stash." But what you're not seeing is what people really give out. Snickers, Milky Ways, Skittles, Laffy Taffy, Airheads, Butterfingers, Starbursts, Baby Ruths ... all the good stuff that you get a ton of.
Here's a picture of this year's haul:

(Note the glaring absence of Dum Dums. This is a Halloween first.) The doctor promised that he'd give kids $2 a pound for any Halloween candy they brought into him. At first, the Sour Patch Kid was excited and devised a plan to spend his new-found riches on a video game. Then he realized that he would probably max out at $2.50 and couldn't be bothered to bag it all up. It's now sitting in my cupboard where it will remain until next Halloween.

As per the annual Laws of Halloween, we started off with an early visit to Father John. This year we were his first visitors. Somehow the SPK managed to score three full-size bars.

I, on the other hand, was treated to a fantastic bag full of "breakfast," as Father John explained. It was Jacques Torres' chocolate-covered corn flakes and Cheerios. (No picture because I shoved those babies into my gaping maw the next day). Then it was over to Grandma and Pop Pop's before joining up with a wild band of about ten other eight-year-old boys.
Alex the Super Shopper promptly sent me a picture of her son's haul, and it was alarmingly mainstream, as well. No shampoo bottle this year. (Read all about that here.) Thank goodness, though, that my friend Susan sent a picture of something awesome from her daughter's trick-or-treat bag:

 

 

So there you have it. Halloween 2014 was certainly a success in that we didn't get a snowstorm or a hurricane and the Sour Patch Kid managed to score enough orthodontist-approved candies to keep himself happy for a week.

*In addition to being old enough to go to the orthodontist, he is also now old enough to know about this blog and the fact that he has been called the Sugar Baby for eight years. He is not happy about this and so, to respect his wishes, from now on he shall be called the Sour Patch Kid. *Sniff.*

Some good, some bad

I haven't posted in a long time because of so many annoyances-- my computer, Blogger, my domain name, the new kitty that attacks me whenever I put my hands on the keyboard. I figured I was done with this whole blogging business. But the fact is, I just have a soft spot for candy and I probably always will. I'll get all this techo crap out of the way eventually (the cat is another story); in the meantime, enjoy these candies that I've been stockpiling.

I absolutely loved this Fluffy Toffee bar made by Seattle Chocolates. I'm not exactly sure why I chose it, since I'm not a huge toffee fan, but I'm glad I did. This was perhaps the closest candy bar I've ever had to what I envision the bars in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory to be like. The chocolate was smooth and creamy, and the marshmallow was fluffy with just enough stickiness. The toffee added a nice texture contrast.

Then, there is this, which I HATED. I really wanted to like it, because I generally don't like Vosges chocolate and I was hoping that this would be the one. Unfortunately, it wasn't. There's a lot of flavor there, but it's a big mouthful of bitter and nastiness. (Call me unsophisticated. I don't care.)

However, I do have some standards, and so I just couldn't get into this: Rockin' Nut Road Snickers. It was supposed to be all marshmallowey and nutty, but instead it just tasted like a big chemical mashup. For the record, the Sugar Baby enjoyed it.

Old skool almonds

I got an e-mail from Alexandra Super Shopper the other day. She wanted to know where she could get jordan almonds.

Here, now, is a rare insight into the inner workings of my mind. Upon seeing or hearing the words "Jordan almonds," my thoughts zip through a time tunnel back to grammar school. We are on a field trip to Radio City Music Hall, and we're about to see "Pete's Dragon." The lobby is packed with school kids and we've got money to spend at the concession stand. It's there that I see a box of beautiful pastel-colored candies. I've never seen anything like them. I must have them. And so I buy them-- for an outrageous price, I'm sure-- and I settle into my velvet seat, getting ready for the movie to start. I take out a pink almond and marvel at its loveliness. I pop it into my mouth and crunch on it. Um. Wait a minute. This doesn't taste like an M&M, I think. I really thought it would taste better than this. My first Jordan almond was a disappointment. I should've gone for the Kit Kat.
And then I zip back to the present moment. Turns out Alexandra is having a shindig to celebrate all sorts of milestones, including her 20th anniversary. She writes:

"When we were married (many moons ago) I was the typical Italian bride -- I had to have Jordan almonds as favors for our guests. One of the women I worked with made me my favors -- the almonds wrapped in netting. (I remember as a little girl, my parents bringing home favors - little plastic umbrellas filled with almonds and wrapped in netting with a personalized ribbon always comes to mind or some other plastic trinket shape ... but always with the almonds)."

Ah yes, the ubiquitous wedding favor. Jordan almonds and netting. I, too, remember getting little plastic swans or wishing wells filled with the sweets.

I wonder if there will ever be a Jordan almond renaissance? Will brides ever do away with the grand favors of today for the simpler, sweeter treats? Something tells me no, which makes me sad. Every kid should have a memory of five precious almonds wrapped in creepy netting.   

Easter review

The Ice Cube Queen sent me an e-mail on Easter. She was dismayed that I had no coverage of Easter candy. What can I say? Better late than never, that's what!
The Easter Bunny did indeed visit our house and left the Sugar Baby a basket filled with Starburst jelly beans, a tube of orange M&Ms that looked like a carrot, a mini carton of Whopper's malted milk eggs, a "Snapsy" bunny, which you break into pieces, and this:

a bag of Russell Stover Iddy Biddy Bunnies.


Look how cute!

The Easter Bunny also scored big points with these: two cans of "Kidffitti Spray Chalk."

Now I'm just taking a guess here, but I think the Bunny must've thought these were a good idea at the time. But I'm guessing he didn't really think things through, considering 1) it's like training spray paint for a future graffiti artist and 2) the big sticker on the cap that says, "REMOVE CHALK WITHIN 24 HOURS WITH A BRUSH AND WARM SOAPY WATER." So yes, I spent the latter part of Easter scrubbing the back patio with soap and a brush. And guess what? It didn't really come off completely. Color me surprised.

A wee bit of candy

It's almost time for St. Patrick's Day! I made these little pots of gold for the Sugar Baby's class. I couldn't do chocolate coins because of allergies, so I figured butterscotch discs would be a close second. In a rare moment of forethought, I bought the little pots back in November at Target after Halloween.

I'm back ... with Circus Peanuts!

Okay, I'm back. I think. I had some computer issues and was just feeling burnt out, but I think I'm back and rolling now. I've been scrolling through the hundreds of pictures on my phone trying to make heads or tails of all the food pictures I have. There's a lot of catching up to do.
Over the holidays, the Sugar Baby took all the empty Amazon boxes and set up his own candy(and medieval weapons) store. Sadly, it's gone out of business since then. His prices were way too high ($1 for a Tootsie Roll!) and the rent was pretty expensive.

I've been kicking myself for not buying these peppermint Circus Peanuts. What was I thinking? I would have loved to have tried them. Did any of you come across these over Christmas?