By Gum!!

I woke up the other morning and uttered “By Gum, I’m going to do it!”  After the words came out of my mouth I shook my head, laughed and said “by gum” where on earth did that come from!!  (Yes, I find myself very entertaining).  “By gum” for those that don’t know is a phrase from northern England, mostly archaic outside that area, and means something like “By God.” 


But it got me thinking about gum, naturally.  It is funny, I’m not a big gum fan.  I was taught by my Grandmother Kennedy that chewing gum was not lady-like, thus it was frowned upon.  Also, it is stereotypical (at least in the movies) that women who chew gum aren’t very smart, so more the reason not to, right?  But sometimes, just sometimes, it feels damn good to chew up a storm, and if you are lucky, open a piece of Bazooka bubble gum, read the invariably stupid joke that appears inside the wrapper and see who can blow the biggest bubble!

Actually starting tomorrow I am going to try to cut down on my sugar intake. It is true!  Easter season is behind us, and although I still have several bags of jelly beans and chocolate eggs stashed away, I need to get back on track and temper this habit of mine a bit.  But here is the problem, I love something sweet after a meal, it is going to take a lot willpower not to tear open something, anything.  I thought a way to control this would be to try sugarless gum as a way to get through that sweet craving.  So, if you see me and I am chewing on a piece of gum (you may need to look closely, I am a very demur gum chewer - old habits die hard), don’t think less of me, in fact, you should applaud my efforts for cutting back on my sugar!!  By Gum, I am going to do it!!

Let the Season Begin...

Let it begin – the best candy season of all!  The minute the box of Valentine chocolates are taken off the shelves, I start stalking the drug stores, Target, grocery stores, etc., waiting and watching for the season to begin!  You know it – I am talking about all the wonderful Easter candy.  I get quite giddy with excitement when I see the first bags of jelly beans nestled in the shelves waiting just for me! I admit it, I am an Easter candy junkie.   

The season is short so I permit this one little form of indulgence once a year, come on, I deserve it right?  I start with a bag of Brach’s spice jelly beans, then load up on the classic flavor, turn to Russell Stover’s pectin jelly beans, then back to the spice ones. And that is just the jelly beans, don’t forget about Cadbury’s mini-eggs, the marshmallow eggs, vanilla cream eggs, the list goes on and on.   

Nothing is off limits, and yes, I even will buy some Peeps. I tell myself they are an Easter tradition, every kid should have them in their Easter basket (that is correct, of course my children still get Easter baskets – well, some form of something stocked full of candy, I need at least an appearance that I am buying all this candy for someone other than myself, don’t I?). Back to Peeps, I but they every year, but my kids have completely eschewed them, refuse to tear back the cellophane, pull apart a Peep and lick the sugar off their fingers (hard to believe, but it is true).  But this year, this year, I am hoping the boys in their lives will exclaim with happiness “oh Mary, I love Peeps.”  Even if they don’t it is okay, I’ll let the Peeps rest in the back of a cupboard for a couple of months, then I’ll stumble across them, smile and tear them open. There is nothing quite as heavenly as a stale yellow sugared Peep!

Dear reader, I am sorry this post is so boring, nothing poetic, thought provoking or memorable – it is just a rambling about my obsession over Easter candy.  But you need to cut me some slack here, like I said the season is short, I need to enjoy it while it lasts! 

P.S.,  it isn’t quite as obsessive as it sounds, truly.  I have my limits. For example, when I open a bag of spice jelly beans I toss (or leave for Steve to eat, he isn’t fussy) all the gross colors (black, orange, and purple) and keep only the good ones.  I do have some self control!!

What Flavor is Pink?

My favorite candy season is upon us - actually it started the day after Valentine's day - Easter candy!!!  I need to devote a whole post to Easter candy, and will soon, but today, while enjoying a few "classic" Brach's jelly beans at work, I asked myself "what flavor is pink?" I love pink (and white, for that matter) jelly beans, but pink is not an easy color to discern like the red, green, orange or yellow ones are.  So naturally I Googled the question.

I was suprised by the number of other inquiring minds out there asking the same question (including the additional question what flavor is white?).  Unfortunately, these were not of much help because they were focusing on Jelly Belly's and as you know, Jelly Belly has colored diagrams and flavor charts, so that was of no help.  So I decided to go to the source itself - Brach's website (yes, I know, DUH!!). 

Here is the answer:  Pink = strawberry and White = pineapple

I guess when you see it in writing it is a bit easier to identify the flavors, though the pineapple flavor was a surprise!  I admit, however, I am still a bit perplexed over pink!

There you go!   I don't know about you, but I feel a lot better now!!

Love

“There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time”

(Jane Austen – Mansfield Park)

I love this quote, I think it is quite true.  I love my husband, my children, my family, but I also love my friends, my pets, and sometimes even my job! Each type of love is different, but at the same time just as special and meaningful.  I savor and enjoy each form of love, it is truly what makes us whole. 

The same is true for my love affair with candy – I may love Coke and chocolate, but equally - yet differently love whatever is the flavor of the moment (currently, jelly bellys – naturally, as well as Hot Tamales and Nibs!).  But these forms of candy love couldn’t be more evident than at this time of year – Valentine’s Day!!

My dear sweet husband usually (hint, hint) buys me a candy heart full of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Oh, I love those red heart shaped boxes (I don’t even care if they are quite gaudy, the more the merrier!). The anticipation of what is inside, opening the box and savoring that wonderful chocolate smell then closely, yet quickly examining each piece in its own little nest and picking that first piece.  To start I usually seek out the round milk chocolate ones first - coconut or vanilla cream (those are my all time favorites), then venture out to square  - the caramels, or toffee ones.  But yes, I reluctantly share my box of chocolates, I have to, I am a Mom, that is what we do.  But love should be shared, admired over and celebrated.  My box of chocolates is just that: a celebration of love - love of my husband, love of being a mom, and love of chocolate!

The Magic of Christmas

This is a great time of year. It begins when the days get shorter and the light is different, it is almost like someone put a filter on the sun, but it is the beginning. Then Christmas lights start appearing in the neighborhoods, it snows even when the sun is shining. You know it, you can feel it, something magical is coming.

Like anyone, when I was young Christmas was something special, everything seem magnified, time suddenly slowed, it was simply that feeling of anticipation, waiting for Christmas day! I loved Christmas when I was growing up. One of my best memories is not one of parties or presents, but being by myself and feeling the magic of Christmas (the true introvert in me, I guess). I would shut the doors to the living room, turn off all the lights, except the Christmas tree, put Christmas music on the stereo, sing and act out the words to my favorite Christmas songs, including Winter Wonderland: “In the meadow we can build a snowman, then pretend that he is Parson Brown, He'll say: Are you married? We'll say: No man, But you can do the job when you're in town. Later on, we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire, to face unafraid, the plans that we've made, walking in a winter wonderland.” Looking back, I guess I was dreaming of the day I would be old enough to fall in love.

But dreaming aside, Christmas is also about indulging in all the wonderful Christmas candies. What makes this holiday so unique is that there are candies that only appear at this time of the year. Think about it – chocolate is available year round, jelly beans, ditto, candy corn – as I have mentioned seems to appear at all the major holidays, but not Christmas candy, just like santa, it comes only once a year!

My favorite? My all-time favorite? Ribbon Candy! I don’t even remember when I had my first taste of ribbon candy. I suspect it was at one of my grandparent’s house, but oh was I hooked! Candy that looks like glass, thin as can be, with colors different on the outside than the inside. How magical is that? Plus, they come in my favorite flavors, peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, along with lemon and orange. With Christmas just a few weeks away, I finally bought my first box (yes, there will be more than one). I just had to capture the beauty of this delicate candy with this picture so you can appreciate just how truly magical it is, just like this time of year!

Peppermint!!!

I’m sitting here trying to think of a creative opening to talk about peppermint candy, but I can’t because I simply and honestly love anything minty.  It is a fact of life. With a mint in your mouth anything is possible. I love how refreshing mint feels when you pop a piece of anything minty in your mouth, close your eyes I know you know the sensation!

I first knew I was seriously hooked when one summer we were on one of the famous Kennedy summer vacations – driving somewhere packed in the car.  My Dad and my Mom in the front seat with one kid between them, then the rest of us piled in the back. Think of it – 4 stinky boys all next to one another. Suddenly I remember smelling something minty – the car came alive with the smell.  I was clamoring to find out what it was.  It turns out my Dad had popped a Rolaid in his mouth (who wouldn’t driving that clan of crazy kids).  Oh, how I wanted whatever it was he had. I totally didn’t realize that what he was eating was really a chalky gross mess!  How could something smell so wonderful and taste so poorly (yes, I did sneak one later when no one was looking). 

From there my minty love affair has continued for decades. I always have something minty with me, gum, Mentos, those soft peppermint balls (Have you had those? They are the best, they simply melt in your mouth! Try Bob’s Sweet Stripe Soft Mint Candy), and with the holidays approaching Brach’s Peppermint Christmas Nougats.  My love for mint also extends beyond candy – chocolate mint ice cream, mint cookies, mint brownies, even mint jelly!

With the holidays approaching peppermint is at the forefront – don’t you just love seeing the first batch of candy canes appear in the stores? It gets the senses reeling, something magical is coming. It is the time of year when I don’t try to resist temptation – these special sweets are with us for such a short time!

Quite simply, as long as there is a Coke in the fridge, something minty nearby, I am complete, there is nothing more I need!

My True Obession Revealed.....

Have you noticed I have been skirting around the most obvious thing in my life that I love the most (outside my family, friends of course, blah, blah, blah).   I don’t know why I have been waiting, maybe because the candy du jour takes precedence, or once I reveal my true obsession you will all quit reading, or maybe I was simply holding on to it just to whet your appetite, I don’t know. 

But ask anyone who knows me what I love most in this world – the one thing I truly can’t live without – they will say without hesitation:

COKE and CHOCOLATE

It is true, I love Coke. This is difficult because people may think I am talking about the drug, not the soda, but trust me, it is the soda I love!  There is nothing quite so satisfying as opening a bottle of Coke (true connoisseurs know Coke is best in a bottle – my pick – the 12 ounce plastic bottle) taking that first sip and feeling the burn as the carbonated bubbles explode in your mouth. I’m telling you, nothing and I mean nothing gives me greater pleasure! Given the choice between a glass of fine wine and an iced cold Coke – I would choose the Coke! I tend to guzzle it, I know I should savor every sip, but I can’t, I simply can’t!  Despite this addiction, and I admit, it is an addiction (just ask anyone), I do limit myself to one Coke a day (two, only on very desperately bad days). I used to ration myself to one a week, but decided the hell with it, I’m getting old, I deserve to indulge myself.  Oh, and never, ever Pepsi, it is a simply a sin if you do.

Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Coke has medicinal properties. One of my truisms that I use with my children is that Coke Cures Everything – it does, this is the truth. Feeling sad, open a Coke, feeling nauseous – well that is a no brainer, hung over – same thing. Coke Cures Everything. It does, simple as that.

But Coke is best when enjoyed with a lovely piece of Chocolate – my other true obsession.  Over the years the type of Chocolate I reach for first has changed, in fact, changed multiple times. Back on Grotto Street I used to walk up to the candy store (called the Popcorn Place). They had this mint fudge that was to die for! Then for a while my chocolate obsession was in the form of a chocolate iced cookie at S.A. I know, right? I had the timing of when the truck would deliver a fresh batch down to the minute. For many years it was Butterfingers, then Baby Ruth’s, M&Ms and lately it is English Toffee.  Today Steph and I went to a candy store called Sugar Sugar in Minneapolis – we were like kids in a candy store (well, duh, we were!) I came away with a lot of fun treats, but my favorite – sea salt caramels in milk chocolate and dark chocolate!

Well, there you have it. There is nothing left to say, well until the next time.