But it's not just cereal either, most morning pastries in Europe also contain loads of chocolaty goodness.
And if you happen to pick one morning pastry that lacks chocolate, Nutella (a European staple) is at your service.
CC
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Chocolate Breakfast In Europe
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sweets In Flagstaff
If you ever find yourself in Flagstaff, I have here a great listing of places that cater to the sweet tooth in all of us. In my travels and readings I've come across so many great sweet tooth meccas all over the world. My question is are there any places in the world that don't have at least one great sweet treat shop?
CC
Jimmy Fallon Cotton Candy Madness
I just checked out this clip of Jimmy Fallon totally screwing up the process of making cotton candy, and it was great. I don't know why, but for some reason every time you mix comedy and a cotton candy machine it's pure comedy gold.
CC
You Could Be In a Bazooka Joe Comic!
The folks at Bazooka Joe sent me some info on a great contest happening in two weeks in Toronto:"The “Bazooka Bubble Gum Blow-Off” will be taking place at Eaton Centre in Toronto on October 9th and begins at 1pm. Everyone ages 5+ is welcome to enter the contest. All contestants must register on site the day of the event and all minors must have a parent or guardian fill out a permission form.
There will be 3 different age categories:
5 to 10 years
11 to 15 years
16 years and older (adult category)
To the winner of each age category, we are planning to award a hot pink iPod Nano.
The three finalists will compete for one grand prize—the opportunity to be the first person ever on the planet to be written into a Bazooka Joe comic. The comic will go into circulation with the gum in Canada. The person will also win a huge supply of Bazooka Bubble Gum.
There will be music, giveaways (bubble gum samples, Bazooka Joe eye patches, t-shirts, etc.), and much more!"
CC
Great Bakery In Athens
Best of all the staff was attentive to us but not pushy. In our tired just having taken a really long walk state this was just the type of place we needed to recharge with a sweet snack.
Then it happened, after picking a couple of small treats (pictured above some baklava for me and Allison got a round nutty cookie thing) the lady told us that they where free. This is a brilliant way to keep customers coming back. We got a free taste of some very yummy snacks and we will be coming back, we will recommend this place to all of our friends, and I am plugging this place on my blog.
CC
Chocolate Tech
This December in Germany there will be a conference on "chocolate technology". It's pretty amazing how much the candy industry still has to room to update considering it's been around for thousands of years. I'd love to go to this show and see what the chocolate of tomorrow is going to look like.
CC
Friday, September 24, 2010
Some S'mores Techniques
I just read this article that not only waxes nostalgic about s'mores eating in the fall, but they also have some great suggestions on s'mores recipes/techniques.
CC
Ban On Sugary Drinks Includes Chocolate Milk
Florida is looking at banning all sweet drinks from their public schools. This ban would include chocolate milk, and some parents are complaining that chocolate milk should not be considered in the same category as other sweet drinks.
CC
The Folks At American Licorice Treat People Really Well
American licorice has on many occasion sent sweets to me for sampling and to just generally enjoy. They seem to care about me, their customers and according to this article they also care about their employees too. Their factory in Indiana was rated as the most healthy place to work in the whole state. You'd think working in a candy factory wouldn't be good for you, but strangely enough people who work in the candy business actually have their fingers on the pulse of health as well. Congratulations guys!
CC
Canadians Are The Number 1 Snackers
Or at least we tend to do it more often. Is that something to brag about? Well I think so, but it might be because I'm a Canadian and I'm also a professional snacker.
CC
Peeps Pumpkins Covered in Chocolate
I love the fact that the folks at Just Born have decided to extend the Peeps treats into more holidays than just Easter. See, traditionally Peeps were just little marshmallow chicks that you could really only get around Easter time. Now they have all kinds of treats for so many holidays, snowmen for Christmas, chocolate covered pumpkins for Halloween. What I look most forward to is when they decide to branch out into less mainstream holidays.
CC
Hey Look It's an Ice Cream Cone Making Robot
And the giant smiley head doesn't make it look at all creepy. Not to mention the skimping on the portions, come on robot ice cream guy, you're a machine you don't care if your boss yells at you for making the cones too big.
CC
Thursday, September 23, 2010
What The World Needs, Is More Pez
For the first time Pez is going to be made in more than one location. Before the only Pez factory was found in New York, but now they've just opened a new plant in Hungary as well. More Pez for us all, YAY!
CC
Finland Planing To Tax Candy
I always thought of Europeans as being really liberal and easy going. I also thought of them as being great lovers (and experts) in candy. I can't understand why in the world they would want to tax chocolate, candies and other sweet treats. It just seems wrong.
CC
New Wonka Store Just Opened In New York
The first ever Wonka store just opened in Toy's R Us at Time Square, and it looks fantastic. I love Wonka treats and what better place to have a candy mecca than in a toy mecca. I am a little surprised they didn't open the first store in London, since the company started there. I also hope they open up more of these, in particular it would be nice to have one in the ground floor of my apartment.
CC
Pairing Foods A Shopping Trend
I just read this article about how grocery stores are setting up products (such as chips and pop) in such a way that they pair up well and entice people to buy both. The only reason I posted this article is because the other day I was in a grocery store and I saw the greatest pair up ever. Cling wrapped to a bottle of cheap wine was a package of spaghetti. They where sold as a pair, and for 3 Euros a great way to start a cheap date.
CC
If You Live In South Carolina Then Cancel Your Plans For Tonight
Cancel you plans and head out to the "Death by Chocolate: A Chocolate and Champagne Affair" at the Crown Plaza resort. The event is a chocolate tasting extravaganza and it all goes towards the local Girl Scouts. Now what ever happened to just selling cookies?
CC
Battery Acid VS Sour Candies
I just read this article comparing the level of PH in certain candies to that of battery acid. Now I'm not a marketing guru or anything but I imagine that if you told kids that certain candies where as powerful as battery acid you'd probably sell more treats.
CC
Little Known Fact About Wrigley's Gum
I think Wrigley's should use start using the slogan again to sell more gum.FREE ICE CREAM TODAY AT CARVEL!!!
If you have a Carvel Ice Cream shop anywhere within a reasonable driving, walking or short flight from you, go right now. Today, all day, they're giving away free ice cream... Stop reading this and go!
CC
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Great Looking Old Fashion Candy Counter
I just read about a place in Kansas City called Lauren Alexander that has just installed a great looking classic candy counter. Nothing makes me feel more nostalgic about candy than an old fashion candy counter.
CC
Chocolate Crops Saved By Ugly Toads
Apparently in Indonesia there is a problem with a parasite known as the "yellow crazy ant" (you can't make names like that up) that is non-native and killing off other ants that are good for cocoa plants. So a research team has discovered that a certain breed of local toad, that loves eating these ants, is the best answer to making sure cocoa crops stay healthy. Nature is just so strange and wonderful all at the same time.
CC
Best Ketchup Bottle Design Ever
Look at this awesome ketchup bottle that we found at the restaurant 'Gourmet Burger. I 'can't understand why this is not the standard for ketchup bottles instead of just a red tube. Do people not know that ketchup is made from tomatoes, is this something we're trying to hide? This does lead to one question though, if a ketchup bottle is supposed to look like a tomato, what should a mustard bottle look like?CC
Doritos Finger Nails
I'm always on the look out for strange and wonderful images involving candy, or at the very least snack related. I scour the internet daily for stories and photos of candy and every once in a while I come across a picture as cool as this.CC
Happy National Ice Cream Cone and White Chocolate Day
I'm thinking the best way to celebrate this would be to eat an ice cream cone with white chocolate ice cream.CC
A List of The Most Dangerous Food Ingredients
Yahoo has posted a list of what they call the 9 "most dangerous food ingredients". While I do agree that limiting your intake of foods suggested in this list is a good idea, I don't think I'd call them dangerous. Dangerous food to me is food that claims to be healthy but is in fact not at all. A bad fad diet is much more of a problem than an ingredient that should be reduced in your daily intake.
CC
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
New Wrigley's Gums... I Want Samples!
Gum flavours are really starting to get sophisticated. Back when I was a kid we thought that peach flavoured gum was as strange and wonderful as it might get. However the folks at Wrigley's have just come out with a new series of gums based on classic deserts.
CC
Top Global Brands
I just checked out this list of the top 100 global brands in the world and I was a little shocked by the lack of candy companies. Sure Coca-cola was number one but the highest ranking non-drink candy manufacturer was Nestle at number 57. Companies like Cadbury and Kraft didn't even make the list at all.
CC
The Food Channel Announces Some Trends in Snacking
Chips are going gourmet, snack cakes from the past are more and more popular. These are just some of the trends coming from a new poll looking at some of the most popular treats in the US. The one that impressed me most (and makes me say I told you so) is that apparently smaller portion sizes are becoming more and more trendy. This is great news, as I've always said, it's better to go with quality over quantity, you'll always be more satisfied.
CC
Some Bazooka To Sample
The nice folks at Bazooka just sent me a bag of gum to sample. They also tell me that they have a big event planned for early next month, so stay tuned.CC
Haribo Truck, Haribo Truck, Haribo Truck!
Do you know what makes me so happy about this Haribo truck? It might have been full of Haribo stuff.CC
New Candy Related Book
I've just heard about this new book called "The Candy Shop War" that sounds a little like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and a little like "Harry Potter". I'm a big fan of books about magic, and you pretty much know how I feel about candy, so I might give it a try.
CC
Today Is National Pecan Cookie Day
And I don't have a picture of a pecan cookie that I can post, however I do have a picture of the tools that will be eating one this afternoon.CC
The Biggest Continents Biggest Candy Store
A resort in Singapore has just opened the largest candy store in Asia. It apparently has a huge selection of treats from all over the world as well as the largest lollipop tree in the whole world. I think a trip to Singapore might be in order.
CC
Monday, September 20, 2010
Lawrenceville Knows How to Deep Fry
Apparently the Lawrenceville state fair is a hub of deep frying... well anything. They've attempted many candy treats (although they say the deep fried Klondike Bar is in the future) and apparently they're known for a special twist on the deep fried pickle.
CC
Chicago Treat Tour
This article below features a tour of some Chicago spots to feast on treats. Eli's Cheesecake World and Long Grove Confectionery Chocolate Factory seem particularly interesting to me.
CC
Get Ready For The Annual Genoa Candy Dance
The good news is there is both candy and there is a dance (although I'm not really sure if it is candy related). The bad news is apparently they're scaling back on the varieties of candies available this year, and I'm not really clear as to why.
CC
Are All McDonald's The Same?
The main difference however is that McDonald's in Canada (and maybe the US) don't put tomatoes on any of their burgers at all. The tomato is one of my favorite garnishes and I'm so happy to find a few burgers here that grant me that fine fruit.
CC
It's Not Just About Taste, Texture, or Novelty...
Although these are important parts of eating food, or in my case candy. Some new research is looking into what other factors may play a role in how we enjoy (or don't enjoy) eating certain foods. The most interesting addition is that of sound which explains my love of munching bags of chips during rock concerts.
CC
Pot Ice Cream
This is what I don't understand about North American culture. The police raid one house because they sell cookies laced with Marijuana, then another place advertises its new pot laced ice cream and it's OK. I know the technicalities are that one is for medical purposes while the other is illegal. I also know that each province and state has different laws regarding medical use and such. My question is this, have you ever stolen a scoop from your parents carton of ice cream when you where a kid? The biggest complaint about drug dealers dosing up sweet treats is that kids might get their hands on it, how is this stuff any different. I'm not pro or con marijuana, I am however pro consistency in stupid reactions.
CC
Friday, September 17, 2010
Texas State Fair Treat Preview
Apparently every year in Texas they have a great contest in order to find not only the best treat in the State Fair, but also the most creative. This years contestants are enough to make me drool in my ten gallon hat. Some entries of note; Fried chocolate, Deep-fried s’mores Pop-Tart, and Texas fried Frito pie, I'm sensing a theme.
CC
A Look At Swiss Chocolate
This article is a very detailed and comprehensive guide to Swiss chocolate. As I would agree with this author, Swiss chocolate is some of the best in the world. Now that I'm living a little closer to Switzerland I hope to have a chance to sample many Swiss chocolates from the source.
CC
Main Chocolatier and His Award Winning Chocolates
I always like to hear success stories of small time candy makers doing well. This article is about a man in Main that's built himself a big following and a few awards in the chocolate making business. One of the great details that he incorporates into his treats is fresh locally found items such as blueberries and locally made beer. This is a great way to make creative and high quality treats if you ask me.
CC
Cocoa DNA Discovered
Have you ever seen "Jurassic Park"? How about "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"? Well imagine both of those movies merged, now imagine that it's not a movie, it's reality. Science has apparently broken down the cocoa genome and will soon be able to build bigger, better, and faster cocoa plants. The future is here and it'll either kill us or make us invincible.
CC
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Greener Packaging = Better Packaging?
Bellow is a very detailed article about some of the greener measures many candy companies are taking with their packaging. What I want to know is, are those cardboard trays that chocolate bars used to come in green? Those things made eating chocolate so much easier and would often result in less broken chocolate bars due to their patented chocolate bar saving technology.
CC
Lindt Is Blogging
I know a lot of companies use Twitter and Facebook to promote their products but very few seem to use blogs. I think this is a shame because I often want a little more information about new products as well as a forum to ask questions about products. A blog is a great way to do this. If anybody else knows of a candy company with a blog let me know about it.
CC
Hot Tamales Contest Has the Best Name Ever
"Hot Tamales Hot Seats Sizzle on the Sea", so you can assume it will be warm I guess. You can also assume that someone with a lisp, like Sylvester the Cat, might spit a lot while saying this.
CC
California Candy Recall!
If you've found yourself enjoying a "DaiJyoBu Ginger Candy" you might want to read this article. Apparently some of them (imported from China) have been found to contain lead. I'm not sure what one does after they may have consumed lead, but I'd recommend not going for seconds.
CC
Cellophane And Chips
Boing Boing posted this great ad explaining the virtue of eating chips wrapped in cellophane. Best of all is the tag line they put on the bottom.CC
Cereal Swaps
The today show recently featured a collection of cereals that they deemed to be unhealthy. Then they featured a bunch of cereal substitutes that are "better for you". I was skeptical at first, then they suggested I throw away my "Chocolate Chex" cereal and switch it for "Cookie Crisp"... I like this idea.
CC
High Fructose Corn Syrup Re-named
Corn over the last few years has started to get a really bad rap. In particular high fructose corn syrup is not well liked by many people. In an attempt to change the image of this sweet syrup, The Corn Refiners Association has decided to try and change the name of the product to "corn sugar". I'm not really sure how this will help that much, unless a majority of the people in the world are idiots... are you an idiot? Maybe a better plan, if it is possible, is to make an argument as to why high fructose corn syrup isn't as bad as people say.
CC
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Great News, Worse Pun Ever
The US candy industry has decided to pledge a whole lot of money to end child laybour in Africa on cocoa plantations. This is great news and even if chocolate goes up a little in price because of it I'm still in support of the plan. I can't however support the horrible pun used in this article on paragraph 2. "But it is a bitter reality that the main ingredient in chocolate, cocoa..."
CC
New Dairy Milk Bliss
Cadbury is set to launch a new milky chocolate bar this October called the Dairy Milk Bliss. From what I can tell it will come out in Europe only so far but it will probably get around pretty quick (now that Kraft owns Cadbury). The most interesting part of this release isn't the bar itself but rather the nail polish promotion that's going with it. Apparently they plan on releasing a set of nail polish colours that I can only assume will be white and brown.
CC
Best Baklava Ever!
Being here in Greece I've decided to start a new quest in life, I want to find the best Baklava ever. Now for those that are unfamiliar with baklava, simply put it's phyllo pastry, nuts, and honey baked into a super yummy sweet treat. It comes in hundreds of varieties each with a taste all its own. Above is the newest front runner in my quest. I purchased this delectable treat in a little bakery in Hydra about two hours from Athens (by boat). It was just the right amount of sticky and the phyllo pastry was so rich it blew my mind.CC
Kraft Presents Interactive Vending Machines
Kraft is set to test out a new series of vending machines that are totally interactive. Each have touch screens offering consumers information on ingredients, new campaigns and maybe even entertainment. This all sounds like so much fun, but what I want to know is if these new vending machines will also let me know when one of the treats is stuck in such a way that if I buy one, two will come out?
CC
Fine Wine and Chocolate Event In Boston
If you're into chocolate, I imagine you are since you're reading this blog, and you're also into wine, then head over to the Wine and Chocolate event in support of the Stoneham Theater. I love it when candy can help out the arts.
CC
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Asheville Area Mountain State Fair
Every single time I find an article about the food at a state fair I just can't help but drool. I know that 90% of the stuff they talk about isn't healthy on any diet, but deep fried everything and giant portions of meat just sounds so yummy.
CC
People Like To Touch Their Food
According to this article people like to see and touch their food before they buy it. Basically people would rather buy food in person, then to buy food on the internet or through catalogs. I have mixed feelings about this, first of all I love exploring candy stores and have yet to gain the same feeling browsing an online store. However some things are just not available in stores and I hate to think about all the people touching my food.
CC
Best Chocolate Box Ever
While reading an article about chocolate, Ramadan, and dates, I saw a picture of what could possibly be the most over the top chocolate display ever. Does eating your chocolate out of a giant ocean liner really improve the experience?CC
Atlantic City Candy Show Ending Today
Today is your last day to check out the 'Candy, Gift and Gourmet Show' in Atlantic city. Apparently they have all kind of treats and demonstrations guaranteed to make you drool.
CC
Monday, September 13, 2010
Chocolate Shop In Napa
I've just been updating the "Candy Critic Map" to show all the great places around the world to buy chocolate, candy, ice cream, and sweet baked treats. I'll be updating it will all kinds of stores including this one I just read about in Napa.
View Candy Critic in a larger map
View Candy Critic in a larger map
CC
Candy Fusion
I'm sure you've heard the expression "fusion" before in regular cooking, it's when two styles of cooking mix together in order to create a super dish. Well "candy fusion" is pretty much the same thing, however it seems to happen less often. That's why whenever I read about an industrious candy maker fusing two types of treats together I get excited. In the case from the article below it's classic chocolate making and Indian spices fused together. It sounds wonderful.
CC
Happy National Peanut Day
Without the peanut we couldn't have so many snacks... like these giant Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for instance.CC
Gummy Bears Laced With Drugs
So I come across this article that's talks about a recent drug bust where several gummy bears where found to be laced with LSD. The article reads as if this is a new and disturbing trend in the drug world. I agree that it is disturbing, just because little kids might mistake them for regular gummy bears. But I'm guessing that this isn't the first time this has ever happened, I'd even guess that this sort of thing happens often.
CC
My First Greek Food Addiction
After being in Greece for a matter of days I already discovered the food I'm going to miss most of all when I leave. They're called Koulouri and they're kind of like a cross between a bagel and a soft pretzel. So far I have only eaten them plain, but I feel that a little cream cheese, nutella, or tzatziki could only make them better.
Craving Godiva In Istanbul?
Godiva has apparently opened its first shop in Turkey. If you've never tried their treats I highly recommend it no matter what country you live in.
CC
Jane's Chocolate Find
My friend Jane recently came across a chocolate shop in Peterborough Ontario with what can only be described as some of the best looking treats ever. Here's what she had to say:
"These chocolates tasted as good as they look.
The independently owned chocolate shop showcases the artistry of chocolate making. They had some traditional standbys like caramel and mint but many of the truffles available were unusually flavoured. I only picked out 4, but they had about 20 available, and choosing was difficult. I can't wait to go back and pick out a few more.
From left to right:
Chai Tiger - Chai Tea: they got the spices and black tea notes of this one exactly right, and the texture was so smooth.
Aztec - 4 peppers: In some ways this was a very traditional dark chocolate truffle, but it had a hot spiciness that accompanied the dark chocolate flavour.
Madras - curry/coconut creme: I would have never put curry and bitter sweet chocolate together, but it works amazingly well. It was more of a savoury experience instead of sweet.
Polar Bear - White Chocolate: White chocolate through and through, I don't know if it was good, because someone else ate it! I'd give them the benefit of the doubt."
CC and Jane
Worlds Largest Chocolate Bar
It's official, an Armenian candy company has produced the worlds largest chocolate bar, apparently beating out an Italian company that got the record in 2007. Apparently they're going to break it up into little pieces and give it away. My dream would be to take the first bite right out of the bar, unbroken.
CC
Friday, September 10, 2010
Greatest Name For a Bakery Ever
Cake Monkey is a California based bakery that sells sweet treats and also has the distinction of having one of the coolest names for a place producing sweet treats ever. They appear to sell classic treats, however they also sell "pimped" up versions of classic treats like Ho-Hos and Pop Tarts.
CC
Frito-Lay Trucks Are Going Green
I love it when treat companies make changes in their production to better the world. I only love it when they make changes and these changes don't affect the product itself. I'm not saying you can't change the product, I'm just saying that I better not notice the change. The folks at Frito-Lay have decided to start using electric trucks for delivering their products. See, great for the environment, yet no change in chips, good job Frito-Lay!
CC
New Candy Related Facebook Game
It's called "My Sweet Shop" and the idea is to make treats from scratch and sell them to (fake?) people. Now I'm fairly new to this Facebook game world (I've never played Farmville) but I've decided to give this game a try and see how it goes.
CC
What I Saw At The Airport
I was particularly disappointed to see this collection of "British" candy available at the airport. Most appeared to be treats that are available in Canada as well. Worst of all they charged a premium for them without offering some truly uniquely British content.
The one shinning grace for my airport adventure was this absolutely massive M&M advertisement I found.
CC
No Milk Chocolate
I just read this article about Callebaut offering a no milk chocolate bar and I think it's a great idea. However it made me think a little about how we use cocoa and why it's always paired with milk. I think I want to start hunting down new ways people use cocoa without the addition of any milk. The only one I can think of off hand is that some Mexican chefs use cocoa in their guacamole and that works really well. Are there any other uses of cocoa that you can think of?
CC
One Bag of Marshmallows Please
Do you like Lucky Charms cereal, but those pesky bits of cereal keep getting in the way of the crunchy marshmallows? Well fear not, now you can buy a whole bag of the floaty coloured bits with no trace of any kind of healthy wheat guaranteed.CC
This Summer At Candy Critic
Here at Candy Critic this summer we're going through a few changes and hopefully going to update, create, and even expand, on all kinds of fun candy content. Our first major change is that we've relocated ourselves into Europe, more specifically Greece. Don't worry though, we'll still be reviewing and writing about treats from all over the world. We're also going to be focusing on a few print publications which we hope to role out in the next few months, namely a calendars and books. We also have grand plans on updating the look and feel of Candy Critic and making it a little cleaner and easier to surf. None of these new changes are going to affect the blog or the site and soon we will be back to updating with a new review every week.CC
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Funnel Cake Logic
Here's the thing about funnel cakes, they look great, they taste great, but they're always filled with regret. My best guess is that funnel cake regret comes from the quantity one generally eats. Funnel cakes are massive, and since they look good you often figure you're in for a yummy huge treat. However the minute you get to or near the end chances are you're about ten seconds away from barfing. The folks at Boing Boing posted what I imagine is the best ad ever to help out with funnel cake regret. It's sure to make you skip the funnel cake and maybe go for a corn dog or candy apple.
CC
Lollipops That Look Like Cigarettes In China
Chupa Chups has released a package of lollipops that's supposed to look like a package of cigarettes in order to try and convince smokers to quit and take up lollipop eating instead. Unfortunately many people are complaining that it influences kids to take up the bad habit. I have a difficult time believing that eating candy that looks like cigarettes really influences people to start smoking at all. In fact I'm convinced that what makes people want to smoke is cool kids, you know, the ones that smoke.
CC
3D Skull Cake Pans
I'm always happy when home cooking and my love of death metal music can come together into one sweet little snack. Not Martha has a demonstration using a cake pan that's shaped like a skull sure to entertain friends and family, particularly if one of your family members is Alice Cooper.
CC
Jones Soda Is At It Again
I love Jones Soda, in particular I love their Fufuberry soda. But every year the folks at Jones come up with a weird and wacky flavour that probably taste really bad. A few years back they offered a case that had all the flavours found in a Thanksgiving dinner, and this year they're offering Bacon and Pizza flavoured soda. I can't say I've ever tried any of these strange flavours, and I can't say I'm that interested either, it seems to be way more gimmick with a guaranteed gross result.
CC
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
A Better Way To Eat Waffles
Sure the grid system has worked in the past, it traps the syrup and butter just right. But what about fruit, you can stack it on but it really doesn't settle perfectly. Well some inventive folks just came up with a better plan, it's a waffle iron with the option to make waffle cups as well as regular grid waffles. This idea, called the waffler, is the perfect answer in my quest to eat more ice cream for breakfast.
CC
Caffeine In Soda
I came across an interesting post that "claims" to list the caffeine content of many soft drinks. The post argues that Diet Coke should not be so high in caffeine, however I disagree. I'm not sure if caffeine leads to any kind of weight gain and frankly that's what "diet" sodas are all about. It's not that they're healthy, it's just that they contain little to no sugar. What shocked me is the amount of caffeine in Barq's Root Beer, since I thought it was caffeine free.
CC
Last Month Was National Inventors Month
You may be wondering what that has to do with candy, well I'll tell you. Candy, and sweet treats, require really creative manufacturing methods in order to mass produce many of the fine treats we all eat today. Most large candy companies have to invent machines in order to create their treats because of the unique issues they deal with making their creations. The link below showcases some of the greatest inventions at the "National Museum of American History". You'll note the last two are sweet treat creators.
CC
I'm Not The Only One That Doesn't Understand Candy Tax
It appears that no one really understands the candy tax system. More importantly no one seems to be able to define what is candy and what is not. Here at Candy Critic we have probably the most loose definition of candy ever, and it gets us some slack. I'd love to contribute into defining candy for the US federal government but frankly that might be a conflict of interest since I'm generally opposed to the idea of taxing candy over other foods.
CC
Great Food Names of US Cities
The Village Voice has posted a list of 50 cities in the US that have food names. Cities of note are Cocoa Beach, Goobertown, Chocolate Bayou, Pie Town, and Ding Dong.
CC
Marshmallow Sauce
The other night my friend Marc had me over for what I can only describe as a spectacular meal. Marc is one of those home chefs that I think could really make it as a pro chef (that's why when he invited me over I couldn't say no). He presented the dinner party with a summer thanksgiving spectacular although one particular dish stole the show. It was this brown gravy looking sauce, however it's not gravy at all, it's marshmallow sauce. Apparently it's a simple mix of marshmallows, butter and brown sugar. Now what would one put marshmallow sauce on? Supposedly you're supposed to put it on mashed sweet potatoes. At this particular dinner party we extended its use and pretty much put it on everything, including the pie for desert. Truly a memorable meal.CC
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
So You Just Finished A Tin Of Altoids Sours
Sure it was a good time sucking those little candies down to nothing, but what now? Well if you happen to be a little industrious you might want to check out this link with instructions on turning your little empty tin into a mini barbecue.
CC
Pop Shop Lime Ricky
Lime Ricky is my favorite flavour, and although it's not around as much, you can still find it here and there. No more Pop Shop stores anymore so you have to search it out.
CC
The Folks At Red Vines Have An Idea
The new campaingn from the folks at Red Vines is a nice way to try and bring the world together. Best of all it gives you a chance to fly around the world yourself. Here's what they had to say:
"American Licorice Company Announces Red Vines World of Sharing Contest to Spread Positive Messages Around the Globe
Interactive Website Where Every Message Left Helps Grow a Chain of Red Vines Licorice that Circles the Planet and Enters Users to Win Prizes including a $5,000 Voucher for a Trip Around the World
BEND, OREGON, Aug. 27, 2010– American Licorice Company, one of the original licorice manufacturers in the US candy industry, today announced the Red Vines World of Sharing, an interactive contest designed to spread positive messages around the planet. Every person who leaves a positive message on the website will help to grow a giant chain of Red Vines® Licorice that will circle the globe beginning and ending at the Red Vines candy factory near San Francisco, CA. Every message is also automatically entered to win weekly prizes as well as the grand prize of a $5,000 voucher good for a trip around the world. Submissions in the contest will be accepted starting today.
The Red Vines World of Sharing uses an innovative mash-up of Google Maps that allows visitors to hover over the planet and zoom down over the locations that the Vine is crossing as it circles the globe. Highly integrated with Twitter and Facebook, the site enables users to easily log in using their email or Facebook Connect and leave whatever short positive message comes to mind. As the Vine goes around the world, it will award users 240 4 lb. jars of Red Vines Licorice, 24 Prize packs with Red Vines Candy and Gear, and one grand prize."
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Home Made Ginger Ale
Boing Boing editor Mark Frauenfelder has posted what looks like an actual simple recipe to make your own ginger ale at home. This is one of my favorite pops and this recipe looks easy enough that I think I may give it a try.
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Stay Puft + Caffeine = :)
This isn't really a new trend, more of an old trend that doesn't seem to be quiting at all. Today you can find caffeine in just about anything, from candy to water, and now you can find caffeine in marshmallows. I think it's a pretty good idea, and I'll tell you why. Ever been out camping with your friends? You sit by the fire roasting marshmallows and generally doing fun things. But it's already dark and getting late, and maybe you're tired. If you just pack it in for the night then you'll leave an un-attended fire and that's not good. You need something to keep you up long enough to watch the fire and keep the forest safe... Caffeinated Marshmallows.
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Crystal Jellybean Skulls
Boing Boing is selling some great looking crystal jellybean skulls in the Boing Boing Bazaar. I'm not sure what one does with a "crystal jellybean skull" maybe a fancy and tasty biker ornament, or a gift for the undertaker with a sweet tooth.
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Monday, September 06, 2010
Microwave Popcorn's Got Me Down
I really don't understand the true science behind microwaves. I've taken a food science class and I understand the principle to the point that the microwave excites molecules causing them to move faster thus generating heat. I also understand that popcorn is basically a kernel of dry popcorn with a drop of moisture in the middle that explodes when the moisture is heated up.
What I don't understand is how my microwave stopped being able to pop popcorn. Are the molecules not moving so much, is there some kind of leak? Should I be worried about my health? I thought that maybe it had something to do with me being "thrifty" with my choice of popcorn, but Redenbacher has failed me now too. I have three more bags and no new microwave in sight for the near future, dare I try again?
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Friday, September 03, 2010
I May Be Turned Off Skittles
I'm not sure if this is the best way to advertise your product, but I guess some people are OK with milking a giraffe.
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Thursday, September 02, 2010
Pixel Ad From the Past
The coolest thing about this Whitmans candy ad is the fact that it looks like an 8-bit style ad from today.CC
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
The Future... Today
For reasons I don't want to talk about I've just tried Wrigley's 5 gum. In particular I've just tried the new flavour change variety. I've been reading up on the trend started with this gum and I think flavour change could turn into a really big trend. I love the idea of flavour changing gummies, chocolate bars, or just about any kind of snack.CC
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