Sugar Babies!!

I don’t know, but I think Sugar Babies are an esoteric type candy – they aren’t well known, or are they?  I don’t really care, because you know what?  I really like them.  (This picture is from my desk, enjoying a bag of Sugar Babies at work).   They are the offspring (hah!  Pun intended) of Sugar Daddy, a caramel lollipop.  I am not a big fan of Sugar Daddy, I don’t get the point of a caramel lollipop, but the little Sugar Babies are different!  Yes, they still are a caramel of sorts, but they have a nice sugary coating over the caramel.  I find them to be the best when they are fresh, so stay away from the ones in a box and instead look for the ones in a bag (they stay fresher in a bag, I swear!).  If you have never tried them, you should!  They are definitely a refreshing change from chocolate or jelly beans.

I think in my very first post I talked about taking out my candy jar and filling it with candy for my grandchildren  someday - well guess what?  Since writing that very first post I am a grandmother to two beautiful babies – Lucy and Ed.  My very own Sugar Babies (as they are so sweet!!).  While they may be babies today, I can’t wait to spoil them with sugary treats in the not to distant future!  I believe it is my duty as a grandmother to spoil my grandbabies as much as possible and give them treats they may not otherwise get at home!  I am so looking forward to the day when Lucy and Ed come over, go directly to the hidden drawer of candy (shh, their parent’s won’t know about it) and delve into something sugary, soft and sweet.  Could anything be more simple or sweet?

(Don’t worry kids, I promise not to introduce them to Coke (duh, the beverage) until they are at least 6 or 7.)

All in a Name

As humans we tend to indulge ourselves from time to time.  Be it alcohol, ice cream, comfort food or candy.  Whether it is to drown our sorrows, cope with whatever is going on in our lives or a way to relieve negative energy and increase positive feelings.  When we feel sad we turn to what gives us comfort and likewise when we are feeling happy we may celebrate with a drink, birthday cake, etc. 

When I am feeling blue or not quite on my game I often turn to candy to make me feel better.  It is a way to cope and to cheer myself up.  I still practice moderation, but it usually lifts my spirits and life seems a bit brighter. 


I don’t think it is a coincidence that one of my favorite “feeling blue” pick me ups are Chuckles – you know – the sugar coated jelly candies in five different flavors.  The name itself makes you smile.  And that by itself truly is a step in the right direction!  My research didn’t reveal why they are called Chuckles, except I learned the inventor’s wife came up with the name.  Okay, whatever! 


Each package contains five pieces of candy always in the following order: cherry, lemon, licorice, orange and lime.  But just because they come in that order doesn’t mean you must enjoy them that way.  I think anyone who has eaten Chuckles before has their favorite flavor.  And as everyone knows, you always save the best for last, right?

I’m staring at a pack of Chuckles right now trying to decide which flavor I always save for last.  It comes down between cherry and licorice.  The cherry is sweet and happy whereas the licorice is a bit richer and darker.  So now I just realized the order I eat Chuckles is in direct correlation to my mood!!  Wow, who would have figured that?  I am going to have a chuckle over that right now (literally and figuratively!).  And today, I suspect cherry will be the last one standing.

Candy Update and Tootsie Rolls!!

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Wow, I haven’t updated my blog for a long time!!  Don’t for a minute think that I haven’t been indulging in my favorite past time, of course I have, but with one exception!  Shortly after jelly bean season I decided to try to give up sugar to see how it would make me feel.  Everyone swears they feel better after cutting out sugar.  So I did it!  I did surprisingly well at first, but after 5 days I really started to feel funny, I wasn’t feeling better like everyone swear would happen, in fact I felt progressively worse each day.  By day 7 I decided enough was enough and realized that my body is so used to sugar that it started to shut down without it!  So from here on out, I will always have something sweet near by (my sweet husband notwithstanding), my life depends on it!

But part of the reason I haven’t updated my blog is because I am rather consistent in my arsenal of candy.  I enjoyed Easter candy season as always (I made sure to stock up on those jelly beans you can only get once a year), and now it is salt water taffy season and am delighted to see that my source now sells bulk vanilla and banana salt water taffy (my two favorite flavors) so I have been enjoying that.  In fact, Candyland has a maple bacon flavor – oh is it good, you should try it!!  And as always, I have jelly bellys in hand, mints and occasionally circus peanuts.  I wouldn’t call this a rut, but rather my version of comfort food!

I recently added tootsie rolls to my candy stash.  You may balk at this and think it is a poor man’s version of chocolate, but I assure you it is not.  It is the best of both worlds – it has a chocolate flavor, it is chewy and best of all it is very low in calories (about 23 calories each) so you can get your sugar fix without guilt (that is if you feel guilty about consuming candy, which as you know I don’t).  Plus, there is something so nostalgic about Tootsie Rolls, isn’t there? I think as we age there is a natural pull to remember our youth and for me in the pile of sweets I have enjoyed throughout my life there is a brown, red and white wrapper with a chocolate log inside of it.  And quite simply, it puts a smile on my face!