Posts
My cousin was a singer in a band when she was young, and "Candyland Town" was one of the band's big hits. The game Candyland was huge with us when we were little; it still is, even in electronic form. Of course, let's not forget Candy Crush. Candy and sweets are a huge part of our lives; Willy Wonka is everyone's godfather. I also remember the Raggedy Ann stories with cookies growing on trees, chocolate milk puddles, and cotton candy clouds; perhaps the architect of the their doll house was the one who built the witch's home in Hansel and Gretl, or he was Dr. Cookiestein who created the gingerbread many and who put visions of sugar plums in children's heads at Xmas.
Xmas is a time when candy defines the holiday. Think; candy canes, cookies, Yule logs and Christmas cakes, Christmas pudding, fruit cake, marzipan, fudge, ribbon candy, aforesaid sugar plums, it's mind boggling! Yet, it's not the only holiday.
Soon after comes Valentine's day with its heart shaped boxes and conversation hearts, then Easter, all jelly beans, Peeps, and chocolate eggs and bunnies. Candy is an acceptable gift for mother's day and Fathers day. Pop rocks and Tootsie Rolls in red, white, and blue containers define July 4th. Candy is thrown to kids during labor day parades, and Halloween, well, need I say more?!!
How healthy is all this? Many would say if it's covered in carob, it's fine. Too bad we can't channel Mr. Mooney, the late Gale Gordon, was a well known carob farmer. Hard candies have 15 to 30 calories, chocolates and truffles, 50 to 100 calories. A share inch of fudge, about 75 calories. Dark chocolate is now proven to be good for us, and people have drunk cocoa according to various recipes
longer than perhaps, coffee.
All things in moderation. Licorice has its medicinal values, I have a an old doll made of licorice, jointed, from our local Y and S Licorice company. I've preserved gingerbread dolls and candy dolls, bread dolls, and other dolls of edible materials for years. I keep many in an extra fridge so as not to attract mousie friends. It works.
My dream is to have glass fronted subzero to display them in some day.
I have to say, that candy is dandy, no matter what. It has a long historical and culinary tradition, and well, it just tastes good.
