Not Sure What To Do Tonight

Well maybe staying at home watching Dick Clarke (or whomever they have doing it now) wouldn't be such a bad idea.  Particularly when you celebrate with a bottle of nice wine and a bar of great chocolate.  Wait a minute, don't know which wine goes with which chocolate, well the folks at Lindt have got your back.

Click here and learn about wine and chocolate pairings.

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More On Gene Codes and Chocolate

Leave it to Science to make my day.  Science folks are still working out ways to make chocolate taste better and grow better by charting out the cocoa genome.  I like that they make it grow better because that keeps chocolate reasonably priced and I'm not a rich man.

Click here to read more.

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Peeps Contest Is a Tie!

At Peeps Fest this year the art competition apparently ended with a tie.  I love Peeps art because it's nice to look at, creative, and yummy.  Peeps fest is still going on today with a celebration for New Years, so if you're in the area check it out.

Click here to read more about Peeps Fest and the art contest.

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3D Printers Are So Cool

I've been keeping up with all of the latest news and information about 3D printers because I think they're a really cool idea.  I was even more interested in 3D printing technology when I found out that many of them use sugar to build their creations.  Now it looks like edible 3D printing projects are going to be the next big thing and I for one can't wait.

Click here to read more.

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10 Trendy Foods For 2010

I have to say I'm kind of disappointed with this list of food trends from the Center for Culinary Development for the year 2010.  I'm disappointed mostly due to the lack sweets on the list, the only sweet trend of this year seems to be "Parisian Macaroons".  I also find that this list is a little snobby as well.  Most of these foods are really only trendy in those markets where you shop because you have a really trendy friend and you want to bring something to their pot luck party.  Many of the great new trends in cooking and eating seem to be left out, and I'm guessing because they're not super expensive.

Click here to read the list.

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Busted Using Candy To Smuggle Drugs

A man was recently arrested for trying to smuggle cocaine in Easter egg candies from Columbia to the US.  Had he waited a few months he might have gotten away with it.

Click here to read more.

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Look Out Monterey California

Apparently there's a food recall in your area.  Reori candy, made in India, has been recalled because it contains too much lead... wait a minute, I would think any lead is too much.

Click here to read more about the warning.

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Ladybug, Sprinkles, Needs Cupcake

Now some of you may have already seen this adorable video of a ladybug pushing around little sprinkles already.  However I have a suggestion, what about designing a line of cupcakes that are ladybug decorated.  Basically you get a bag of sprinkles with each cupcake and a frozen ladybug (this doesn't hurt them at all because they hibernate).  When you get home unleash your bug with the sprinkles for a little show and then munch away.  Best of all you can let you ladybug go into your garden and that's a great form of pest control.

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I'm Not As Big a Nerd As I Thought

I came across this photo of a pretty cool spaceship that's made entirely out of Gingerbread.  Apparently the ship is called the "Serenity" and it's from some TV show or something.  Great now not only am I a nerd, but I'm an out of touch nerd.

Click here to check out the ship.

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Early Warning For Chocolate Festival

I often don't get news of chocolate and candy festivals until it's way too late for me to get there.  However I just got news of the chocolate festival in Mustang Oklahoma and it's not until February 12th.  I still don't know if I can make it, but maybe a few of you can.

Click here to read more.

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Are You A Chocolate Snob?

I know that I am, and according to many facts and figures more and more people are becoming chocolate snobs.  Sales of high quality chocolates and chocolate treats are going through the roof all over the world.  Many say it's because of the global economic crisis (people can't spend on large things so items like candy do well), while I simply believe people are finally waking up to the greatness that is candy.

Click here to read about the great increase in the Scotland.

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How To Be a Super Hero

If I saw this ad as a kid I would have bought some Sweet Tarts.

Ad From Vintage Ad Browser.

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Hot Chocolate In San Fran

I never really think about San Fransisco as being a town that would have great hot chocolate.  I do know that San Fransisco has some of the best chocolate available in the US.  I think I just have a hard time imagining a city in California with a Zen for hot drinks.  Present me with the list of the top places to get hot chocolate in Minneapolis and I probably wouldn't think twice.  I'm sure this is just a personal bias, and next time I'm in the bay area I'll have to sample a few of these places listed in the article below.

Click here to read about great places to get hot chocolate in San Fransisco.

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Left Over Candy Canes

I came across a funny little video that offers a few suggestions as to what you can do with your left over candy canes.  You could follow these tips, or do what my family has done for years, pack them up with the Christmas ornaments and put them on the tree next year, repeat this step until your candy canes have liquefied.

Click here for the tips.

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How Fair Trade Works... I Think.

I've never actually done much research into the details of how Fair Trade works and how it benefits the growers.  I came across this announcement on Candy and Snack Today that gives me a little bit of insight.  One of the main features of Fair Trade chocolate is that (as mentioned in this article) farmers producing the cocoa must get paid a set minimum amount for their cocoa beans.  I'm sure there are more stipulations to be labeled "Fair Trade" but this one is very crucial if you ask me.

Click here to read about Fair Trade prices.

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People Are Buying Chocolate With Their Heart

Apparently the trend of eco-friendly and socially responsible chocolate has exploded over the last few years.  At this point it's actually very profitable for companies to use only certified cocoa because consumers are willing to pay a premium for it.

Click here to read more about it.

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Chocolate Cures The Cough

More science research into how awesome chocolate actually is has uncovered that it may contain an ingredient that can cure a cough.  They're presently doing some final tests but soon a drug might be released containing one of the main ingredients found in cocoa that will help you with your cough. That makes me wonder, why in the world would you want this "cure" in drug form, got a cough, eat a chocolate bar.

Click here to read about the science.

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Extinct Cocoa Plant in Peru, Not Extinct Anymore

Most people don't know that there are in fact many breeds of cocoa plants producing different flavours of chocolate.  The best way to think about cocoa is to compare it to apples, we all know that there are several varieties of apples, with different uses and different flavours.  This, thought to be lost, strain of cocoa was devastated by disease in 1916, but was rediscovered recently in an isolated farm in Peru.

Click here to read more about it.

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What Are You Doing This Week?

If you happen to be in Pennsylvania today, tomorrow or the day after I suggest you go and check out Peeps Fest.  Best of all if you can make it on New Years Eve you'll get to watch a giant Peep drop for the new year.

Click here to read more about it.

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Candy Photos

This photo is a great example of how important colour can be in making a candy spectacular.

Click here to pick up a print, greeting card, or poster of this photo.

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Yesterday Was National Chocolate Day

I'm sorry I missed the official celebration, however I know I ate a bunch of chocolate yesterday because our leftover chocolate offerings from Christmas have been greatly reduced.

Click here to read a little about the holiday and few chocolate facts.

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Merry Christmas and Stuff!

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of the fine people who read this blog.  I've decided to take a few days off of blogging so I can relax and enjoy whatever it is Santa plans on bringing me.  You should probably do the same yourself.

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Two More Candy Stores To Mention

As I continue to plug any news or blog article that talks about a candy store, I thought I'd mention that I've decided to update the Candy Critic Map next month as well.  I'm going to start posting only candy stores that I've visited, and maybe give them a quick little preview.  I will not mention any stores that I've visited and didn't like, instead it's a kind of Candy Critic Approved list of places.  I will also except suggestions from other people that might want a certain candy store that they love on the map as well (I don't even mind if you own it).  I'll continue to post links to articles about any candy store that I read about here on the blog, in fact here's two links right now:

Here's the first article about a candy store I just read.

And here's another.

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Marzipan, Like It Or Not?

When I was a kid I was so amazed by marzipan.  I would go to the candy stores and just stare at the windows because to me it was the most beautiful candy ever imagined.  It was kind of expensive for a kid to buy so it wasn't until a few years later that I was actually given a piece to try.  I took a bite and was so disappointed you wouldn't believe it.  Why in the world would such a beautiful looking thing taste so bland.  To this day I still think marzipan looks fantastic, but it still falls short on taste.  What I need is an ugly piece of marzipan (that I don't know is marzipan) so I can try it out for just the taste.

Click here to learn more about marzipan.

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More Great Pictures Of People Making Candy

The article linked below has some great photos of people making candy.  It's become a bit of an obsession of mine, collecting pictures of people making candy.  I think it might be the holiday spirit, or at the very least the fact that one of the best looking treats to watch getting made is candy canes.

Click here to check out the pictures.

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Roundup Of Nestle Christmas Products

Many people simply assume that candy and treats all over the world are pretty much the same, I have some news for those people, they're wrong.  I've traveled all over the world and I'm often surprised by the new treats I find that are considered common in some places but not in others.  Even more interesting are the treats that I don't find in certain countries that to me seem like common every day things.  Trying to find a Dairy Milk Bar here in Athens is impossible.  A 5th Avenue Bar in Canada is available, but not that common at all.  In Japan and the US you'll be hard pressed to find an Oh Henry Bar ever.  If you want some more examples, check out this list of Nestle treats that are exclusive in certain countries for the holidays.  You can also find out a little back story as to why they're only available there too.

Click here to check out the list.

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Cancer Survivor Wants To See Candy

Many people argue about the health benefits that come with candy.  Some say that candy has no benefit at all, others say that it's loaded with healthy ingredients.  You can argue the science until your blue in the face, however you can't argue that candy brings a smile to many faces.  If you want proof that a candy inspired smiling face can be great medicine than read this article.

Click here and smile yourself.

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Microwave Homemade Candy

I don't normally like to post too many recipes for candy on this site.  I think it comes from my past experiences trying to make candy myself and my complete lack of patience while doing it.  This link however seems a little different.  It's a list of recipes for candy that you can make in your microwave, many of them not taking more than an hour or so.

Click here to check out the recipes.

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Christmas Candy Making

Watching these folks make ribbon candy makes my mouth water and my teeth ache all at the same time.

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Some Candy History

Neatorama has a great little piece about how some popular candies got their start.  It's pretty cool to think that some of these candies are more than 100 years old.  At the bottom of the article also includes a list of the top candies by country, I've tried every single one of them except France's number 1 candy, Hollywood Chewing Gum.  Trying this gum in a new mission in my life.

Click here to read the article.

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Another Candy Store

Just found out about another candy store in Edmonton Alberta.  Carol's Sweets looks like a nice place to pick up some of the classics and munch down on some unique treats too.

Click here to learn more about Carol's.

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More Tax = Smaller Candy

This might be a prediction for the future of candy in the world if a sweet tax is put into effect.  In Europe with the financial problems they've decided to restructure their taxing system (the VAT).  This is going to lead people to have to start spending more money on food (a higher food tax) as well as higher prices for manufactures.  So apparently some candy companies are going to start shrinking the size of their treats in order to deal with the financial issues they're going to have to deal with.

Click here to read about candy bars getting smaller.

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Are Large Companies Improving the Lives Of Cocoa Farmers?

I've had this debate with many people, and I used to have a really strong opinion on the matter, but I want to know.  Are chocolate bar companies improving things for cocoa growers or making them worse?  I've read many articles (like the one linked below) that mention all of the work many large companies are doing in Africa and all over the world to improve the quality of cocoa as well as the quality of life for cocoa farmers.  It seems like they're doing good work and that their improving the methods by which they get their main product.  The problem is I still read about the problems that persist environmentally and with the conditions that many cocoa farmers live.  Should I feel guilty every time I eat chocolate?

Click here to read the article.

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Another Candy Maker

In my attempt to promote every article I ever read about candy shops here's an article about Califronias Beerntsen's Candies.  Good news is that they're apparently doing well this holiday season.

Click here to read about them.

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Santa's List

See that pink slip of paper in Santa's good and naughty list.  I'm sure that's a special note next to my name making sure that he knows that not only have I been good, but that I also love candy.  I bet it is.

Ad found on Vintage Ad Browser.

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Better Looking You

A new candy claims that not only is it fairly healthy for you, but it also claims that it will make you more beautiful.  It contains all kinds of health type products such as vitamins and other "beautifying" chemicals.  The thing is, in my opinion, candy has been making people more beautiful for centuries now.  Just look at the smile on any person when they eat a really good piece of chocolate, now that's pure beauty.

Click here to read about this new candy.

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Patsi Cola Candy Store

In my attempt to promote every single candy store that I read about, here's an article about a little store called Patsi Cola.  It looks like a nice little place with a very strange name.

Click here to read about Patsi Cola.

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Young Girl Helps Candy Maker in Guatemala

A young girl in Andover (Kansas?) heard about a group of women in Guatemala that needed help with their chocolate business.  They wanted to start producing chocolates on their own instead of just exporting the beans to other countries, which is often what happens in Guatemala.  The problem is this kind of business is not easy to start, financially.  So the young girl contacted them to find out what they needed.  She then helped them out more than they could possibly imagine.

Click here to find out more.

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Remember 2010?

Well according to a new survey M&M pretzels ranks high in the things we remember most about 2010.  Personally the "thing" I remember most about 2010 is that cookie I had at the airport this summer when I flew to Greece, that was one tasty cookie.

Click here to read more about this list.

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Chocolate Store In New York

A store known as the "Chocolate Library" looks like it could offer one of the best collections of chocolates I've ever read about.  Apparently they focus on importing chocolate from all kinds of smaller chocolatiers in the United States as well as some from around the world.  Sounds like a chocolate dream.

Click here to read more about them.

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Sugar And Your Teeth

So you just polished off a 20 lb chocolate Santa Clause and you're thinking that your doctor and dentist bills are about to go through the roof.  Well I've got some good news for you.  According to some research, when it comes to sweet treats and your teeth quantity has very little to do with how your teeth might be affected.  If you eat a whole bunch of sweet treats all in one sitting it may in fact do less damage than if you stretch it out over time.  So after eating that 20 lb Santa at least your dentist should be OK with you.  Your doctor on the other hand...

Click here to read more info.

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Quality of Chocolate

I have been arguing for many years now saying that the quality of chocolate in some places is in fact lower than the quality of chocolate in other places.  Now every time I say something like "chocolate bars in England are made from a better quality chocolate than those in the US" I get complaints like you wouldn't believe.  Most of the arguments I get either give examples of the few US brands that do use high quality chocolate, or an argument that chocolate companies design their bars for the tastes of each region so American chocolate is not worse but caters to American taste.  So at this point I am only going to give you my opinion and not any hard "fact" about chocolate.  I prefer the chocolate used in most European chocolate bars over those in the US.  I even prefer the chocolate used in Canada over the US.  In my opinion these countries tend to use more cocoa and better quality milk ingredients thus making a bar that I prefer.

Click here to read another article about cocoa content in the US.

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There's Something About a Gummy Bear In Nature

It's as if they belong, back in their natural habitat.  Among the other gummy creatures.

Photo from our friends at bewarethecheese.com.

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Video and Photos Of Candy Open House Are a Disappointment

As I've mentioned about a million times on this blog I love watching people make candy.  I don't like actually making candy myself, just ask Allison, but I love watching people knead, stir and twirl sugar into all kinds of candy creations.  You'd think that if a candy store was having an open house and a news team was there to document it they would have all kinds of great footage of the magic of candy making.  The link below is a great example of how not to shoot this kind of event, it's boring and basically shows about 10 seconds of actual candy making footage, from a distance.

Click here and be sad.

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Cupcakes Are Not PC

There's a bit of a situation going on with the folks at Duncan Hines apparently.  They made a commercial that some are saying portrays a racists stereotype.  Others are saying that by making the leap and saying that this is racist is in fact more racist than the commercial itself.  I have little to no opinion on the matter because frankly I find and singing cupcakes to be offensive and disturbing either way.

Click here to see the commercial and read about the controversy.

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More About Athens Coffee Time Donuts

A few weeks ago I wrote about discovering that Coffee Time Donuts (a chain from Canada) has a few locations here in Athens.  Well today I decided to break down and pick up a donut to compare.  Now you might wonder why I would have to even think about buying a donut in the first place.  Well the fact that they cost about 1.50 Euros is pretty much the main reason.  That's more than 2 bucks in Canadian.

So today curiosity took over and with Allison's heavy encouragement we bought a donut.  We decided to go with a simple chocolate sprinkle in order to give it a fair comparison.  They had a few "fancy" flavours, but it wouldn't be fair if I couldn't compare it with something I'm familiar with in Canada.  As it turns out it's really not that bad or that different.  The only real difference is in the texture.  The Greek donut was a little bit fluffier than I remember the Canadian version being.  It's not surprising as I've found many Greek versions of baked goods to be a little fluffier than their original counterparts.  This is good to know, if I ever do get totally homesick, I know where to turn.

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Kit Kat Factory Gets Bigger

It's great news to hear about any candy company expanding.  That means that the candy business is doing well and the recession isn't adversely affecting the business that badly.  That's all great news, but what I really love about the article linked below is the photo of the Kit Kat truck.  For some reason I think it looks really cool.

Click here to see the photo and read the article if you want.

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Sugar Tax, Might Not Work

Well Duh!  I could have told you that a sugar tax on beverages, or candy wouldn't work.  Although people do think about the price of foods such as sweets, with the huge range of treats available there's always a treat that will fit into any budget.  If you make sweet treats expensive people will just resort to finding a cheaper sweet treat.  If you want to control obesity in the world you have to change the way you look at the problem.  Hidden sugars in "healthy foods" and teaching people about portion controls will work much better than simply increasing the price.

Click here to read more about the sugar tax issues.

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Chocolate, Vancouver, and The Internet

This article I came across in the Vancouver Sun has some great information about chocolate, and the kind of chocolate that you can find in Vancouver.  I've actually never been outside of the airport in Vancouver and I kind of regret it.  It sounds like they really have the chocolate business down.  This article also talks about something called the Chocomap.  It's a website that shows you how to find a great chocolate shop wherever you might be.

Click here to read the article.

Click here to check out Chocomap.

Easter Is Coming To Christmas Town

Apparently some stores have decided that it's just about time to set up their Easter windows.  Now don't worry, it's not that they figure they would get a jump on the holiday.  Apparently some stores have found that Easter treats make great stocking stuffers.

Click here to read more.

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Cadbury Is Coming Back to Israel

Apparently in 2002 Cadbury attempted to enter the market in Israel but failed.  I guess with Kraft at the helm and a strong performance on bringing in some gum products they've decided that they might try it again in 2012. I'm glad they're trying to expand, it's one of the good points that I feel the Cadbury/Kraft merger can really build on.  Hopefully Cadbury will continue distributing a high quality product to all kinds of new places, like the USA... or Greece maybe?

Click here to read more about Israel.

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Gum And Posture

Stand up straight!  Can't do it?  Try doing it while chewing on some gum.  According to science, gum chewing can actually improve your posture and allow you to stand still better than while not chewing gum. Strange you say?  Well there's science reasoning to back it up.

Click here to read the science behind gum chewing (you'll have to scroll down a bit).

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Bonus on This Weeks Review

After writing this weeks review I was munching on a few of the extras and I noticed something kind of disturbing about these marshmallow Mr. Clause's.  First of all the only colour one finds on these treats is pink and white, thus implying that Santa might be naked.  This fact is only made more true when you look at his middle region.  It's kind of disturbing.

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This Holiday And Hand Made Treats

It really appears that the Christmas holidays is really becoming the holiday for hand made treats.  I've come across so many articles, and companies that are really creating some great looking sweet treats for the holidays and best of all many are made with such great care.

Here's an article about a company called Zoe's Chocolate Company.

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Christmas Review and It's National Hard Candy Day

I'm not sure which of these makes me happier.  I love holiday themed treats so the idea of eating a marshmallow Santa is kind of cool.  But I also like a hard candy now and again, so National Hard Candy Day is pretty thrilling too.  Well I guess I'll just have to celebrate both evenly.

Click here to read the review.

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History of The Stocking

The Lindt blog just poster an interesting piece about the history of stockings at Christmas time.  Strange that a tradition about doing laundry can lead to getting chocolates in bright red socks.

Click here to read the history.

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I Love Watching People Make Candy

Any opportunity I have to head to a candy store and watch the artists work their magic I take.  I even love just looking at photos of people making treats.  Something about a warm glob of molten sugar all brightly coloured and twisted makes my mouth water and the artist in me squeal with delight.

Click here to read about a candy maker and check out the photos too.

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Rice Krispies Sleigh

I just read about a sleigh in the lobby of Motor City Casino that is apparently made up of Rice Krispy treats covered in chocolate.  I'm sure it probably tastes absolutely spectacular and it looks cool too, but I wonder how much it weighs?  I mean Rice Krispy Treats are really light, so I would probably guess that I could lift this whole display all by myself.

Click here to check it out.

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The "Hoff" Likes Chocolate

David Hasselhoff visits the chocolate museum in Munich and it's big news.  The interview from the link below is a little strange, but the chocolate factory (in particular the crazy gadgets going behind Mr Hasselhoff) look spectacular.  I should also mention that Mr Hasselhoff mentions that this museum is the "only chocolate museum in the world" and I would just like to correct him.  There are in fact many chocolate museums of different sizes and contents scattered all over the world and all of them are well worth checking out.

Click here to check out the video and read the article.

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It's National Maple Syrup Day

I find this kind of strange.  I assume that this "National" day is in fact an American National day.  The thing is maple syrup is kind of the national food of Canada.  So we don't really need to celebrate it on a particular national day, instead we celebrate maple syrup all of the time.

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Cookie Monster is so Awesome

I recommend joining the facebook group because this would be the greatest SNL night ever.

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Did You See Jesus?

Apparently spotting the image of Jesus in various fast foods is very common, or so the folks at Metal Floss think.  They've created a list of 10 junk food incidences that have lead to spotting the man who's birthday is quickly approaching.  My personal favorite is the Kit Kat Jesus.

Click here to check them out.

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The Future of Global Treats Looks Good

BBC has a great article all about some of the small technological feats and ideas that have helped shape a new global food industry.  By example, you can now order chocolates from India have them shipped to the US and not have to worry about them being melted when they arrive.  This is in part to advances in packaging technology and also in the way we ship things around the world.  It's a pretty amazing thing, take advantage and try to order a treat from someplace exotic.

Click here to read more.

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A Deal Is A Deal

Apparently the folks at Just Born had a deal with their employees.  They told them that if they increased their sales this year that the whole group of them would enjoy a nice trip to Hawaii.  However if they failed to increase the sales the whole group of them would have to take "trip to the nation's arctic tundra".  Well they didn't increase their sales this year, so apparently it was off to Minneapolis for the crew.  Now I don't mind the idea of setting up a deal like this for your employees, however I do object to the idea that Minneapolis is considered the "arctic tundra" even by American national standards.  Maybe they're forgetting that Alaska is a state as well?

Click here to read more about it.

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Learn About Apples

Although I'm not a big fan of fake apple flavours, I am a huge fan of apples for cooking and apples to eat.  The problem I often come across is that when I'm at the store I only know what to do with a few of the varieties available.  I often find myself crunching into a really sour apple, or attempting to cook one that turns into instant mush.  Well fortunately I came across this great chart that tells me all I need to know about how to use an apple.

Click here to check out the chart.

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Robbery In Progress, Man is Armed With a Cup Of Cocoa

Now it may seem funny to think that a man held up a convince store and assaulted another with a cup of hot cocoa but actually that stuff can be really hot.  It's also a shame to waste any amount of that hot drink on something stupid like a robbery.

Click here to read more.

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What Do You Know About Holiday Treats?

I just finished "Do you know about holiday sweets" quiz and I scored remarkably low.  I blame the fact that most of the questions where geared towards health, which I frankly don't really think about that much.  Also many where about Christmas treats that I don't normally eat.  Yes, I know it's shocking, but there are several Christmas treats that I don't really go for.  Fruit cake is a great example.  I also don't really go for fancy holiday drinks, in particular treats from chains such as Starbucks.  I enjoy a hot chocolate now and then, but a little whipped cream and nothing else is good for me.

Click here to try the survey out yourself.

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It's Chocolate Covered Anything Day

I thought that maybe for this awesome holiday I would try and figure out what food in the entire world is the best covered in chocolate, but I couldn't think of just one.  So I thought I'd try and think of a single food that would taste worse covered in chocolate, and once again I came up with nothing.  So tragically I have nothing really interesting to write here on the subject of things covered in chocolate.

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Chocolate Santa?

I'm not really sure where the chocolate Santa came from.  Is it a tradition from another country?  Maybe it's a rip off from Easter's chocolate bunny?  It's not that I dislike eating a chocolate Santa, I just don't understand them.

As always this ad was found on Vintage Ad Browser.

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Pretending To Eat Candy May Lower The Cravings to Eat More

I've heard some strange ideas in my day but I have to say that pretending to eat candy in order to lower the actual amount you eat is one of the stranger ones.  CNN published a story all about some new research into this subject, and it's fairly interesting. I'm not saying it won't work, it just might, however I can guarantee one thing.  If you pretend to eat candy you will feel paranoid about other people seeing you pretend to eat candy.

Click here to read the CNN article.

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Waffle Keyboard

Those words alone should make the mouth of any breakfast loving computer nerd water, but the fact that it's a reality makes the world that much better.

Click here to witness the Waffle Keyboard.

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It's National Cupcake Day!

Stop reading this and eat a cupcake, I am.

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This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

I just read an article about a 7 year old kid that suffers from ulcers because he has consumed too many soft drinks and chocolate treats.  People will read this article and assume that the candy industry has to change, well I disagree.  The parents of this world have to change. I had access to many sweet treats as a kid, and I never went this overboard.  Most kids and parents, I know, value a healthy diet yet unfortunately a few parents and kids do stupid things like this and ruin candy for the rest of us.

Click here to read the article.

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Don't Bite Into That Chocolate Yet!

Over the holidays (and around Valentines Day) people get inundated with boxes of chocolates.  A box of chocolates can be a wonderful treat for anybody, that is unless you're kind of picky about what you might find in the center of the treats.  Forrest Gump relished the idea of not being aware of what flavour might pop out of any given chocolate, but you might not be the same.  It may not seem obvious, but in fact there are methods to finding out what's inside each treat in a box of chocolates.

Click here to find out what might be in the chocolate you're about to eat.

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Christmas Is Really Coming Quick

Here's a fun Christmas themed photo from our friends at bewarethecheese.com.

Click here to buy a post, greeting card, or print of this photo.

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Chocolate Cockroaches For The Holidays

Apparently it used to be a strange Victorian tradition to eat chocolate cockroaches over the holiday. Although I think it was focused in the US, in particular Illinois. I should make it abundantly clear that they're not talking about chocolate covered bugs, but instead about chocolates in the shape of bugs.  I should also  mention that this was a novel trend and that people in Illinois or other Victorians, where not just crazy.

Click here to read about the roaches.

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A Brief History Of Candy

The most brief history of candy I can give you is this:
There was life.
They ate candy.
Gummy Bears are sold.
Candy continues to be awesome.
This might be a little too brief for you, the link below has a slightly more detailed account of the history of candy.

Click here to read a brief history of candy.

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What Are You Doing On June 21st?

Well apparently in Bell Buckle Tennessee they like to celebrate the tasty Moon Pie.  Mental Floss created an interesting list of some of the stranger food festivals all over the US and this Moon Pie festival made the list.  Most of the other festivals listed are less brand specific and more about food preparations and ingredients, but even the Road Kill festival sounds strange enough to check out.

Click here to read the list.

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Pillsbury Chocolate Souffle

They say that the souffle is one of the hardest deserts to make in all of cooking.  It requires perfect timing and must be served with most care in order for it to stay all puffy.  So it was really surprising to see that Pillsbury decided to give souffles a try, and even more amazing to see that it only takes one minute... in a microwave.

Now I'm sure fine pastry chefs all over the world might see this snack and either dismiss it or dis it as an impossible idea.  I even thought so myself.  I didn't doubt that it would taste good (as it does), I just doubted that it would be a nice souffle.

After it's required one minute in the microwave it did rise a little.  The thing is I would probably want to call this a lava cake over a souffle.  The center was good and gooey but it didn't really have the cake texture of a real souffle.  Don't get me wrong, I love this treat, I just wouldn't call it fine dinning.

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Hershey's Is Heading To England

It's strange but on this blog I seem to focus on the idea of treats coming from England to the US and Canada as opposed to the other way around.  It's strange because British (and all Europeans) have a great sense for treats and might enjoy some new snacks.  The only problem I can see is the fact that European treats tend to be a lot smoother than US treats and I'm thinking the US companies might have to tweak their recipes overseas.

Click here to read about Hershey's coming to England.

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Natural Candy Find

Many people that want to eat natural foods don't know that you can still find a large range of candies to suit your tastes.  One person, from the article linked bellow, just discovered that even chocolate covered marshmallows can come all natural.  Candy is pretty amazing if you ask me.

Click here to read  more.

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Retro Candy, What Makes It So Great

For years science and psychology has attempted to bridge the connection between food and memories.  It's not that they're looking for the connection, it's already there.  What science is trying to find is how and why this connection works.  Once they do millions of dollars will be made in the candy and food industry, but until then we have great memories and childhood candies to remember.  This article is all about those memories, and those candies that we all remember.

Click here to read the article.

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Foodie's Gourmet Gift Guide

Fox Chattanooga has posted a very detailed list of items that any foodie would love to get this holiday season.  I'm not hinting or anything, but I'm a foodie, and I consider all of my readers (both regular and occasional) to be my friends.  Hint, hint.

Click here to read the long and detailed list.

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Some New Stuff From Allan Candy

Sure the candy canes sound interesting and the Butterscotch candy sounds cool, but what I want to know more about is the "adult-only Allan's Candy Cane Lady Martini".

Click here to read all about Allan Candy's new stuff.

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Today Is National Cocoa Day

I assume that they mean hot cocoa, the stuff you drink, and not the bean itself.  In my opinion hot cocoa is the best hot drink on the entire face of the planet. It's only made better by the addition of other great sweet treats, in particular donuts on the side, and marshmallows conservatively scattered on the top.

Click here to read about a store in Asheville that has their own way of making the stuff.

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Free Candy At The Mall

I went to the local mall this weekend in order to make sure none of my family would hate me (i.e. Christmas shopping) and I got a nice little assortment of free candy.  Both where completely random and both tasted absolutely yummy.

Along with my Jelly Bellies I also got their latest catalog of flavours.  So that made this free candy giveaway entertaining and educational.  I sure hope this is a regular thing here in Athens.

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Less Sugar In Cereal

I noticed a few articles recently announcing that General Mills was going to lower the amount of sugar in their cereals.  At first I thought there was something fishy going on because I had recorded this information a while back in this very blog.  Then I learned that they have in fact decided to lower the sugar levels again.  It's probably a wise move to do it gradually in chunks.  First of all they're loyal cereal eating fans may not notice the change if it's done gradually.  Secondly it allows them to create headlines many times over.

Click here to read more about the sugar reduction.


Here's an article that claims kids don't care about sugar in cereal.

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Cool Minty Review Today

Why in the world did I choose to do a cool minty review this week.  All over most of the world temperatures are dropping and people are hoping to get into warm nooks and crannies to cuddle up with loved ones, and I do a review of something that cools you down.  Actually I've noticed that there are many mint candies available for Christmas, candy canes being the most obvious, and they cool you down when you should be feeling warmer.  That's a little strange don't you think?

Click here to read the latest review.

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The Best Candy Store Is In Montana?

ION Television decided that it would make a series called "The Worlds Greatest" and they decided that the Sweet Palace in Montana is the "Worlds Greatest" candy store.  Now I've never been there before so I don't want to judge, however this place must be pretty spectacular because I've been to some amazing places in my life all over the world and the "Greatest" candy store is a pretty big tittle to wear.

Click here to read more.

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Watch Popcorn Pop

I can't stop watching this super slow motion movie of a single kernel of popcorn popping.  It's beautiful and it makes my stomach growl.

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Do You Find Yourself in Morris New Jersey?

Well lucky for you there are a whole mess of places where you can cure your sweet tooth.  Even luckier for you I happened across a list of all of these sweet shops.

Click here to check out the list.

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Unrefined Sugar

You don't really hear much about un-refined sugar now a days particularly in candy making.  Now I'm not sure about the science, but from what I understand making most candy snacks with un-refined sugar is difficult, if not impossible.  That was until now.  Apparently some scientists in India have developed a way to make chocolate bars using un-refined sugar.  I'd be interested in taste testing it to see if the sugar crystals feel any different.

Click here to read more about it.

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Another Small Candy Store

I will keep on promoting any candy store that I find.  In this case it's a cute little family run candy store in Schuyerville that makes all kinds of little sweets.

Click here to read more about it.

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Watch Them Make Candy Canes

I just read this short article about a Cape Cod candy store that makes it's own candy canes.  The article is OK, but the photo gallery is spectacular.  I love watching candy get made, particularly when I can sample it and I don't have to clean up after.

Click here to read the article and check out the gallery.

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Flavour Forecasts For 2011

McCormick has just unveiled the latest flavour forecasts for 2011.  The idea behind this flavour forecast is that they take food trends, polls, and other random information and collect it into a list.  This list contains all of the flavours that will be super trendy over the next year.  I have to be honest I always read the list, and it always ticks me off.  First of all I never agree that these flavours are future trends, most often they're already around and nothings that new at all.  Secondly I think it limits the creativity of food makers that might try and follow this list in order to stay hip and on top of things.

Click here to read more about the list.

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Baseball and Gingerbread

In my continuing coverage this week of crazy gingerbread houses that I've discovered on the internet I present you with a replica of Fenway Park in Boston.  Now it looks a little crude compared to other gingerbread houses I've seen, but the gummy bears playing baseball is a great touch.

Click here to check it out.

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If You Live In Ottawa You Could Win Some Free Candy!

My friends at "The Candy Store" in Ottawa and the blog "Fishbowl" have put together an amazing contest with what can only be described as the candy prize of a lifetime.  The prize is a huge basket of candy treats collected from the folks at "The Candy Store" (one of my favorite candy stores in the whole world). Entering is really easy and in no time you might find yourself in sugar bliss.

Click here to learn more.

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Cure For All Sicknesses Found In A Candy Store

A new store in British Columbia (Uptown to be exact) called Candy Cures has decided to be a little creative with the way they theme their shop.  Rather than go with the standard candy store looks (there are far fewer than you might imagine) they've decided to theme their candy store with a hospital motif.  The idea being that candy can cure any problems.  It looks spectacular and like it would be a lot of fun to shop there.

Click here to read more about it.

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Classic Canadian Company Expands Online

The Canadian famous east coast candy maker Robertson's Candy decided that they would explore the idea of expanding their presence on the internet.  Since then they have started to ship candy all over the world.

Click here to read more about them, and try the chicken bones, they're fantastic.

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It's National Pastry Day

I have to be honest, I'm not really sure what a pastry is.  It may seem simple, but when you step into a bakery I challenge you to define all  the products you're looking at as either pastry or not a pastry.  Sure some might be simple, but I imagine that some are really in a grey area.  So what defines a pastry?

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What's Inside Your Christmas Cracker?

Has there ever been a time when Christmas Crackers had candy in them?  As long as I've ever known Christmas crackers contain one paper crown, one cheap toy, and one loud bang.  However I get the idea that in the past they may have contained more, maybe even sweet treats.  Am I wrong about this?

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