Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Spreads - Chunky Peanut Butter

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
There's a war going on, a war that divides brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers. This is a divide that can cause conflict, cost money, and generally make people all over the world upset.  Crunchy or smooth, which peanut butter is better?

CC

Old Candy Critic Articles - Trick or Treats Part 3

I've decided to take down several old articles from the candycritic.org and re-post them here on the Candy Critic blog.  Over the next 3 weeks I'm posting an articles listing some of the many treats you might get this year on Halloween.

It's that time of year again, no not the time to dress up and walk around the neighborhood wearing ghoulish costumes, it's the time of year that candy is available at every store in major bulk. Isle upon isle of candy at every store, and come November 1st half off. If your a kid (or at least can still pass off as one) it's time to head out to the streets and experience all that is Halloween.

Before everybody gets out in their costumed getup and parents buy bags and bags of treats, here are some reviews of some Halloween treats. Kids this will help you decide which house should get multiple visits, and parents, this will help you decide which treats you should avoid giving out (either to avoid a good egging or to enjoy yourself). So as the selfless hero I am I will sample as many Halloween treats as I can, so you know how to trick or treat.

Slime Balls

Review:  Of all the gum that I have tried for this article, this one had to have the weirdest texture on the outside. It was really crunchy and bumpy, and it didn't taste to bad either. It was fruit flavoured, but as I have said before, I'm not really sure what kind of fruit it's supposed to be. Not too bad at all.

Chew time 13:25

What are the chances you'll get one:  It's small and cheap, so you probably will get one of these is your sac. Some people may even give you a couple, you'll need as many as you can get if you want to keep the flavor going.

Mini Hershey Bar

Review:  Simple and good, that is the best way to describe the Hershey bar. In this particular size it gives you just enough taste without over doing it. Hershey's chocolate is great quality chocolate without all of that waxy texture that many cheaper bars have.

What are the chances you'll get one:  Of all of the real bars on this list, this one is one of the rarest. In all of the candy I bought, particularly the real bars, this bar came fewest in my packages. This might just be a fluke or it might be a numbers thing, something to think about.

Mini Oh Henry

Review:  Oh Henry is one of those classic bars that mixes chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and a log of some sort of nougat caramel flavor. I'm not really sure what that stuff in the middle is supposed to be, but man is it good.

What are the chances you'll get one:  "Ain't nothing like the real thing baby." This is very true with this bar, and if your lucky enough to find a house giving out these gems your in luck. There a little more expensive than other Halloween treats, but for you folks giving out candy, it will insure no dirty looks from trick or treaters.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cup

Review:  Much like other peanut butter cups, the Pumpkin Cup is a great snack, but this one has a fun little face on the bottom. I did find it a little odd that the face was on the bottom, but I guess it has to do with how it was molded. The peanut butter was a little different tasting than the Reese cups, but good none the less, the chocolate was great as well.

What are the chances you'll get one:  I think that there is a great chance you would get these on Halloween. With a little extra Halloween spirit, and also a little cheaper than other brands of cups, it's appealing to those who have to buy a lot of treats to give out. Get 'em, eat 'em, worth cutting holes in a sheet.

Pumpkin Seedlings

Review:  When I bit into this treat I was expecting an average orange or regular flavor gum ball with not to much to talk about. I was wrong, simple it is not, when I bit into this treat my mouth was filled with little seedy things that were fun to eat. The only prediction I got right was that it was orange flavored. A great little surprise.

Chew Time: 5:46

What are the chances you'll get one:  Yes, you may get some of these, but don't be fooled, not all gums that look like pumpkins have that great center, so if you bite in and get the real thing, consider yourself lucky.

Pumpkin Pops


Review:  What says Halloween more than a lollipop shaped like a pumpkin, nothing I tell you! When I first tried it I was expecting a different flavor, maybe pumpkin, but I guess that would be kind of gross. The other cool thing was the shape, it's nice to have a fun shape instead of the standard lollipop shape. Yummy and fun, now that's Halloween in a nutshell.

Lick time : 20:23

What are the chances you'll get one:  Getting a lollipop on Halloween is pretty common, getting one of these may be a little less. I've noticed often when lollipops are attached together people won't buy them for Halloween, I guess it's too much work to cut them all apart.

Peanut Butter Cup

Review:  One of my favorite bars, the Reese cup blends chocolate and peanut butter perfectly. Recently I've noticed a lot of smaller candy makers imitating them as well, and as they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Peanut butter cups are not unique to Reese, but great none the less.

What are the chances you'll get one:  The good folks tend to give these out because they aren't cheap. Name brands aren't rare but are a pleasant surprise. If you get one of these ask the nice people if they would like you to soap someone's windows for them.

Mini Reese Sticks

Review:  Those people at Reese sure know there peanut butter and chocolate. This was a great little snack with their classic combination, the nice part being the originality. I just hope these things stay on the market because they taste great.

What are the chances you'll get one:  One of the biggest problems with name brand treats tends to be either the adults munch on them all night and give out the crap candy, or if they have kids, they munch on them leaving only crap, so getting these is a nice treat.

Mini Wunderbar

Review:  Often when you eat a smaller version of a chocolate bar you find the experience is very similar, with the Wunderbar I found a small difference. I noticed that unlike the large bar, the smaller amount of peanut butter and caramel gives it a different and pleasant sensation. I don't think it's any better, it's just different.

What are the chances you'll get one:  Real bar + Cheap candy givers = No chance

CC

Happy Halloween!!!

Today's the day were you get to dress up in silly costumes, beg people for free candy, and best of all they actually give it to you.  Now that I think about it, that pretty much describes every day of my life.

CC

Wednesday's Candy Links

I could bore you with the details of this article, but I think the title says it all "Eating healthy can include chocolate".

Salad + Candy Bars = Candy Bar Salad, that should have been obvious.

My I introduce to you, the "Tournament of Chocolate Bars", let the battle begin.

CC

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Spreads - Olive Paste

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
If you don't like olives, you can pretty much rest assured that you're going to hate olive paste.  If you love olives, this is really something you must try.  You normally don't think about olives as anything other than an accouterment to a salad or maybe a plate of pasta. As a spread it takes this great flavour so much further, and expands all the things you can do with olives.

CC

Halloween Candy Links - The Last One

If you love ice cream, and you also have too much left over candy (I don't know if that's actually possible), then here's your solution.

Mental Floss answers the age old Halloween question "Has Anyone Ever Really Handed Out Poisoned Halloween Candy?"

CC

Candy Art - The Best Placebos In The World

 I love the line that goes with these beautifully made sugar pills, "For hypercondriacs with a sweet tooth".
While I'm sure these wouldn't help you with any ailment, real or fake, I think they're just so beautiful.

Click here to learn more about these cute little pills.

CC

It's National Candy Corn Day!!!

I think it would be safe to say that this year is the year of the candy corn as well.  I've never seen so much internet and media buzz over candy corn.  Candy corn drinks, costumes, and baked treats are all over the place, more so than I've ever seen before.

CC

Tuesday's Candy Links

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, and you love large breakfasts, then I have good news for you.

While I'm a fan of Torie and Howard's (mentioned in the link) I'm not completely sold on the idea of healthy candy.

According to science, candy might cause aggressive behavior... information like that makes me really mad.

CC

Monday, October 29, 2012

Spreads - Nutella

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
I don't think anyone can argue that Nutella is now the king of all spreads, and it's also not just for bread either.  Personally my favorite way to have Nutella is on ice cream.  All you need is a simple flavoured ice cream (chocolate, vanilla or strawberry do very well) and a few spoonfuls of Nutella on top.  The ice cream freezes the Nutella so it has a slightly hard texture, but the minute it hits your mouth it melts back to it's original smooth texture.

CC

This Week In Candy

I guess the big news this week has to be Halloween.  This is a holiday that's really started to pick up steam all over the world recently.  There are more and more countries starting to trick or treat, and some that simply celebrate with a party and fun costumes.  It's also become an adult holiday as well as a kids holiday.  Crazy costumes in grown up sizes, and alcoholic drinks based on favorite Halloween candies.

I've never really been a huge fan of Halloween strangely enough.  Sure the candy's great, but I'm not a big fan of costumes, and I'm also not a big fan of lugging a bag all over town trying to get the candy.  Why should I lug this bag, in an uncomfortable costume when my parents had a bowl full of the stuff at home.  I guess my shyness and my laziness were much more powerful a force for me.

CC

Monday's Candy Links

Make a rainbow drink using Skittles and your microwave.

Fannie May is introducing chocolate covered strawberries, they say they're following a "trend".  A trend from more than 10 years ago maybe.

Apparently science is going to be able to figure out how bitter chocolate should be, I always thought taste buds were over rated.

CC

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Spreads - Noir Noir

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
For all of you Nutella fanatics out there, this is a spread that you must try.  I've only ever seen it in Belgium, but it might be available in some specialty shops elsewhere.  Basically what you have here is Cote D'or chocolate in a spreadable format.  To any candy fanatic that idea is probably making you drool uncontrollably.   I'd like to recommend that all these candy fanatics of the world sample this awesome delight, but most of them stopped reading after the description.

CC

Halloween Is Coming, So Here's Our Halloween Review

I have to admit that I feel a little guilty about this treat being our Halloween review.  It's not because it's not tasty or creative, in fact I think it's very creative, I just have a moral dilemma about treats that aren't "Halloween" themed, but are instead "fall" themed.  I hate the fact that there are people out there who feel it's not politically correct to make candies that have ghosts, goblins or witches on them.  Don't get me wrong, I don't hate you if you make fall themed treats, I just don't like it when you make fall themed treats instead of Halloween treats.

Click here to read our fall/Halloween review.

CC

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Spreads - Mustard

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
If I didn't become a candy connoisseur, I think I may have gone into the mustard connoisseur business instead.  It's one of those condiments that you never really think about that much.  There are millions of varieties of the stuff, each more unique than the next.  Best of all the cheap yellow stuff is really tasty, so you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy the flavour.

CC

Friday, October 26, 2012

Spreads - Molasses

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
Have you ever heard of the great molasses tragedy in Boston in 1919.  A drum of the stuff exploded, covered a large area in black sticky goo, and several people lost their lives.  The first time I heard about this incident  I have to be honest, it seemed a little funny.  Imagine people running from a really slow wave of sugary goo.  Then I thought about it some more and realized that some people might have been cornered, and suffocating in this black tar like spread would be really horrible.  So I apologies to those that suffered this fate, and I promise never to chuckle at the idea of a giant, really slow, wave again.

CC

Halloween Candy Links - Part 8

Here's an interesting infographic about what treats people want for Halloween.

Still not sure what to hand out, well the Today Show has some statistics on the most popular treats in the U.S.

If you want to make a more informed choice, here's 25 random facts about some of your favorite Halloween treats.

CC

Friday Candy Video - Candy Corn Animation


I love this cut out animation commercial for Brach's candy corn.  I'm also one of those weirdos that actually like candy corn.

CC

Friday's Candy Links

Candy flavoured beers are not new, but beer flavoured candy made by people who make candy flavoured beer, that's news.

Is it blasphemy in the UK to eat the likeness of a royal?  I wonder if William and Kate know?

Here's a new expensive coffee trend with a hint of chocolate and mint, oh... it's also passed through the bowls of an elephant.

CC

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Spreads - Mint Jelly

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
When I was a kid, my mom used to give me mint jelly for my lamb.  It was the only way I would eat it, because I hate lamb.  While eating this slice of bread covered in mint jelly I came to a new conclusion.  I don't like mint jelly either, it's probably just better than lamb, but not much.

CC

Classic/Creative Candy Advertising - Jack-o-Lemon

I would have never thought of Fisherman's Friend as a Halloween treat, but it makes sense. You're walking around on a cold night wearing just a thin costume, a cold is a very real possibility.

I found this ad here.

CC

It's National Greasy Foods Day!!!

I think the best way to enjoy a day like National Greasy Food Day, is to take it from our Lithuanian friends.  Throw anything you might want to eat, like this bread, into a deep fryer, then cover it with cheese.  As an added bonus you can also add bacon.

CC

Thursday's Candy Links

News - There's a hold up at the 7-11. Candy news - They only stole candy.

"Cadbury cuts chocolate bar size without changing price"!!!  I think a protest in Bournville is in order.

Burger King is going to help you celebrate the Christmas holidays this year.

Good news for those paranoid about your teeth, some candies are better for your teeth than raisins.

While this article focuses on the fact that a brand of chocolate croissant in Greece has been recalled due to bacteria, I'd like to focus on the awesome name given to this chocolate croissant.

CC

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Spreads - Mayonnaise

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
I once heard that mayonnaise is not the killer ingredient that most people think it is.  People often say that you have to be really careful about how you store and serve mayonnaise because it can spoil quickly and cause you to be sick.  According to some scientist, modern day mayonnaise is in fact almost never the problem with food poisoning.  They ran tests on mayonnaise and found that in some cases mayonnaise would actually kill some harmful bacteria.  So if you get sick from a turkey and mayonnaise sandwich, it's probably the turkey.

CC

Halloween Candy Links - Part 7

What could possibly improve candy corn, why not make it hard to get at?

I know I've already told you that candy prices are on the rise because of the bad crops this year, but here's a clever way to write about it and make it relevant to Halloween.

So you're a grown up and you have some extra treats left over, here's some perfect boozy pairings for those treats.

It appears that Australia is getting into the Halloween spirit, soon the whole world will learn how cool this holiday can be.

Once again there are some dentist out there that will pay you cash for your candy.

CC

Stuff I Want To Try

Valrhona's Dulcey  - Valrhona - It claims to be the first "blond" chocolate ever, and I don't know what blond chocolate is. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

CC

Old Candy Critic Articles - Trick or Treats Part 2

I've decided to take down several old articles from the candycritic.org and re-post them here on the Candy Critic blog.  Over the next 3 weeks I'm posting an articles listing some of the many treats you might get this year on Halloween.

It's that time of year again, no not the time to dress up and walk around the neighborhood wearing ghoulish costumes, it's the time of year that candy is available at every store in major bulk. Isle upon isle of candy at every store, and come November 1st half off. If your a kid (or at least can still pass off as one) it's time to head out to the streets and experience all that is Halloween.

Before everybody gets out in their costumed getup and parents buy bags and bags of treats, here are some reviews of some Halloween treats. Kids this will help you decide which house should get multiple visits, and parents, this will help you decide which treats you should avoid giving out (either to avoid a good egging or to enjoy yourself). So as the selfless hero I am I will sample as many Halloween treats as I can, so you know how to trick or treat.

Chocolate Cat

Review:  Waxy that is the best way to describe the chocolate. Funny that would be the best way to describe the cats face.

What are the chances you'll get one:  Madame Fortunas prediction:

"You will receive many chocolate treats some good most bad you must choose wisely."

Chocolate Pumpkins

Review:  This is one of the most versatile holiday treats in the world. You may remember these treats as the Christmas balls you got last year, or Easter balls from the spring. No matter what the holiday, getting these things is inevitable. The advantage is that there great, simple but great. My only peeve has to be the wrapper, some of them are a pain to get off and sometimes wrapper fragments remain. I tell you nothing is like biting on a piece of tin foil.

What are the chances you'll get one:  I have to say that the chances of getting these is pretty good. At least if not furring Halloween another holiday will come. How happy you should be depends on how many you get, if someone gives you one ball, egg them good.

Chocolate Skull

Review:  The best way to look at this candy is it's shape. Seeing as it's made up of pretty simple, cheap chocolate, the shape is the most interesting part. The chocolate is not horrible, it's just not the best. There is probably enough wax in it that you could stick a wick in it and set it ablaze.

What are the chances you'll get one:  You probably will get some of these on your trick or treating experience, and they aren't worth complaining about, but don't rush back for seconds either. If you can try and trade up for something better or fool someone into trading a bunch of Count Blaculas for it than take that opportunity.

Chocolate Witch on a Stick

Review:  I wonder why people put chocolate on a stick. Really it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it happens all the time. Here is an interesting thing I've noticed, most of the time the only chocolate on a stick is cheap chocolate, and this is no exception. It's not that it's particularly bad it's just not high quality. The greatest part was the design engraved in the chocolate, it was a funny witch face, and hey that's what Halloween is all about.

What are the chances you'll get one:  I'm willing to bet you won't get one of these for Halloween, only because I paid 2 bucks for this treat, which means there is little chance any person would give these out for free. If anybody is planing to buy these to give out I recommend just getting a case of real chocolate bars, you'll be the hit of the season.

Double Crisp Witch

Review:  With a name like that, what could you possibly expect. It's basically a chocolate witch with rice crisps in it. Much like the other Palmer Chocolates it looked great, unfortunately the chocolate is fairly cheap and not that tasty. It's not bad but it's nothing special.

What are the chances you'll get one:  Being an inexpensive candy to buy, you will probably get one of these. It would make a great trading item if you get more than one, but it will take a few to get something like a name brand chocolate bar.

Mini Crispy Crunch

Review:  Yummy Cadbury chocolate with a crunch peanut brittle type innards. We can say “innards” only because it's kinda scary and reminds you of Halloween. Crispy crunch is the best chocolate bar of this kind and if you get a few you'll enjoy them.

What are the chances you'll get one:  Getting anything by Cadbury is a treat, so if your lucky enough to get one of these gems, eat it up before someone bigger than you takes it away.

Horror Eyes

Review:  If you had to give out the award for most average gum ball, you might just have a winner. The flavor is a mystery fruit flavor, and the look is great, how can you not have fun eating an eyeball. The flavor doesn't last to long but I really didn't expect it to.

Chew time 7:26

What are the chances you'll get one:  Bet you bottom dollar that you will get one of these, or something similar, in your treat bag this year. Maybe with enough you might get some good chew time on them, so don't be too peeved if your bag is full of candies that look back at you.

Mini Fusion

Review:  The Cadbury Fusion did something that no other Halloween name brand chocolate bar has done so far. It taste better, well different, than the full size version of itself. The small size really creates a nice mix of crisps peanut butter and chocolate. The caramel is nice too.

What are the chances you'll get one:  First rule of candy, chances are you will not get a real chocolate bar at your average house. So statistically you probably won't get one of these. The second rule, the house with the best candy will always remember you if you come back for seconds. (UPDATE!  The Cadbury Fusion bar no longer exists, if you happen to get one, throw it away, it's very old)

CC

Wednesday's Candy Links

Here's a list of "24 Things To Stuff Into Cookies", and I can give you my list of 1 place to stuff these cookies... My mouth.

So you just dropped a cookie on the floor, that's OK you have the 5 second rule.  Well maybe not.

I was going to read this whole article, but I think I got enough off of the headline, "It’s official! Chocolate is good for you".

CC

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Spreads - Marmite

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
Of all the spreads I taste tested for this article, this was the one that I could not finish.  I took a bite and a half, and had to get rid of the rest.  Some people tell me that I spread it on way too thick, others claimed it was because I didn't toast the bread.  I'm thinking it had something to do with the fact that Marmite is gross.

CC

Candy Art - Cereal Boxes That Will Keep You Up At Night

Guillermo Fajardo has created what I can only describe as the most disturbing cereal boxes I've ever seen.  I love the fact that Count Chocula is pouring blood into his cereal.
I find this Trix Rabbit to be the most disturbing, and I'm not sure I understand his roller skates.

Click here to check out some of Guillermo's other cereal related creations.

CC

It's National Boston Cream Pie Day!!!

I have to say that my biggest regret when I visited Boston was not trying a slice of Boston Cream pie.  In fact I can't say that I've ever tasted Boston Cream pie in my entire life.  I've eaten many a Boston Cream donut, but I've never had this cream in a pie.

CC

Tuesday's Candy Links

Bad news for chocolate lovers, it appears some of the cocoa harvests might be lousy this year.

Three trends in chocolate bars from Mars, little bars, gigantic bars, and seasonally themed bars.

There's a new study that says if you leave the skins on your peanuts when you make peanut butter, it's better for you.

CC

Monday, October 22, 2012

Spreads - Maple Syrup

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
In Canada putting maple syrup on bread is a fairly common practice.  Putting maple syrup on bacon, sausages, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, cake, fried eggs, chocolate, fudge.... is also a common practice.  So basically Canadians will put maple syrup on anything.

CC

Halloween Candy Links - Part 6


I came across this video on Boing Boing, those guys are huge fans of the new Doctor Dreadful toys, and so am I.

As always, TCHO is offering some really good looking chocolate treats this Halloween.

Think you know your Halloween themed cereals?  Why not take the quiz.

AV Club is taste testing some Halloween themed candy.  They tried to stick to pumpkin flavours, but it didn't work out.

CC

Baking This Weekend - Chocolate Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting.

I've decided to start regaling you fine readers with my weekly baking experiments.  Some of them are success, some are flops, but now you'll get to see them all take shape.  I'm going to try and keep baking something every week, sometimes I'll repeat a recipe, other times I may step out and make something new.  I'm not really sure how this is going to go, but what the heck.
This week I decided to make chocolate cupcakes from scratch.  I did a little research on the internet and came up with a really basic recipe.  Most recipes I researched claimed I could make a batch of cupcakes in 30 minutes.  I think this is totally possible, if you have all the ingredients pre-measured, all of your tools out in a line, and multiple bowls ready to work.  A more realistic time frame is about an hour or so.
After my hour I managed to put out some pretty good looking cupcakes.  They rose perfectly and tasted fantastic.  I think this recipe worked pretty well for the first time.
I whipped up a batch of cream cheese icing to top them, also from scratch.  For those of you still buying icing from a can, you really should know that there are only 4 ingredients in most icings and it's super easy to make.
Allison also made a batch of cupcakes as well.  She took her mothers cake recipe and modified it to be sugar free and low carb.  The results were pretty amazing.
I also learnt that buying a cool measuring spoon that sticks to your fridge, can be a bit of a problem when your baking powder comes in a metal can.

CC

This Week In Candy

I was asked last week how I could eat all of this candy and still be kind of skinny.  This is not a rare question for me at all, every time I do an interview for a magazine or newspaper or even just meet someone new, they always ask this question.  The answer is simple, portion control.  I eat the amount of sweet treats that my body can handle at that given time.  If I'm out and about a lot I find that I can eat more treats.  If I'm at home writing or working on my computer I find I can't eat as much.  Even when I do eat sweet treats, I don't tend to eat that many, or as many as you might think.

I also pay attention to what I'm eating habits.  My belief is that the biggest problem with obesity in the world comes from foods that are dishonest.  Sure candy can sometimes be dishonest, I've seen gummies that are full of sugar claim to be fat free, like that makes a difference.  I also know that some foods that we think are healthy can be just as bad for you as foods we know aren't.  Yogurts that are full of sugar, granola bars that are filled with carbs, and restaurant sauces that are laden with sugar, just to name a few.  While I may eat a chocolate bar now and then, I tend to eat my salad with oil and vinegar and not a store bough dressing.

Well now that I've cleared that up, this week I have a few things going on.  The spreads project is still going strong, and I'm glad a few of you seem to like it.  I've also decided that I'm going to start blogging about my baking experiences as well, let me know what you think of that.  Finally, I'm thinking of starting a podcast, I have a few ideas and I think it might make for good listening fun.  If you have any ideas of what might make a good podcast about junk food, sweets, or candy, let me know.  I'm also trying to come up with a good title for the podcast as well.

CC

Monday's Candy Links

Did you know that the kid on the Cracker Jack's box is a real person, did you know that he had the image from the Cracker Jack's box etched into his tomb stone?

While they say that stevia makes chocolate better for you, it also makes it much more expensive to manufacture.

CC

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Spreads - Lemon Curd

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
What exactly is a lemon curd?  I know what cheese curd is, but how does one get a curd out of a lemon?  If you've never tasted lemon curd before, it's pretty much the same stuff you put into a lemon meringue pie.  If you've never tried a lemon meringue pie before, then I can't really help you.

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Fruit and Spice Review

I'm no expert in the area of organic fruit or vegetables, so whenever I get a treat that's organic I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for.  Are organic products better for you, health wise?  Do they taste different than non-organic products?  I just hope that organic is some kind of marketing ploy, and I hope that someone can give me some hard facts on the subject.

Click here to read the latest organic candy review.

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Saturday, October 20, 2012

Spreads - Ketchup

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
Most people consider ketchup to be the bottom rung of condiments   You'll never find ketchup at a fine restaurant, and it's considered bad form to ask for some at a classy dinner.  I don't get it, why is ketchup a "bad food".  Sure the bottled stuff has a fair amount of sugar, but why aren't companies making a unprocessed version.  I want to see a classy ketchup, and I want to smear it all over my scrambled eggs.

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Friday, October 19, 2012

Spreads - Hummus

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
When I presented this idea to some friends, they told me that hummus is not a "spread".  Well I don't agree at all, hummus is spread on all sorts of things, maybe not bread, but pitas, meats, and vegetables for sure.  I probably eat more hummus than just about any other spread, excluding butter.  And here's a surprise, it's actually very tasty on white bread.

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Friday Candy Video - Kit Kat at Every Door


When I first watched this commercial I thought that these kids were getting Kit Kat bars at every house in one neighborhood.  That would be so great.

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Friday's Candy Links

The idea of putting something between two cookies was one of the most revolutionary concepts in cookie history.  In San Francisco they celebrate this idea with a great deal of reverence.

What's your opinion on this whole "Stevia" as the newest and healthiest sugar substitute.  I have to admit, I'm warming up to the idea.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Spreads - Honey

I just finished an art piece for bewarethecheese.com's fine art gallery "Senses". For this piece I had to photograph, and eventually eat more than 40 different spreads.  I've decided to post a little something about each spread that I sampled.
I think honey might be the oldest spread in the world.  It's one of the only processed food that requires no human intervention to make.  Nature will pretty much take care of everything, so it seems like people have probably been eating this for a very long time.

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