Monthly Archives: December 2010

New Year Candy

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New Year celebrations are gearing up for all of us celebrating January 1, on the Gregorian calendar and candy has its rightful place as part of any New Year party. Colored candy is really hot and so are candy buffets. It isn’t too late to order bulk supplies of colored candy for a brilliant and super stylish New Year event.

Folks in the western world aren’t the only people who herald the New Year with candy. Those who celebrate Chinese New Year also do so with special candy arrangements which are part of the celebration and luck bringing rituals of Chinese New Year. This year the New Year falls on February 3. A traditional Chinese candy tray is called the Tray of Togetherness and it is arranged in a circle or an octagon. Every item on the tray represents good fortune and it is customary for adults who take candy from a Tray of Togetherness to replace the candy with a red envelope containing money. Sounds lucky right there!

Each of the candies is placed on the tray in 8 segments because the number 8 in China is lucky in the same way that 7 is in the West. The individual candy types each have a distinct meaning.

  • Peanuts – long life
  • Ginger – many good sons
  • Lotus seed – many children
  • Candied melon – growth and good health
  • Red melon seed – dyed red to symbolize joy, happiness, truth and sincerity
  • Lychee nut – strong family relationships
  • Chocolate coins- prosperity
  • Coconut – togetherness

Another Chinese New Year favorite is chocolate candy (of course) which is easily made and is a really special treat; great if you want to try something a little bit different.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups butterscotch chips
  • 2 1/2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
  • 4 cups chow mein noodles

Directions

  1. Butter a 9×13 inch dish.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in peanuts. Stir in noodles until they are well coated. Press into prepared dish. Chill until set and cut into squares.

Whether you opt to go with the very popular colored candy options or if you decide to try something new and put a distinct cultural spin on your New Year activities, candy is sure to make the occasion sweet!

Sweet as Candy: Short Film

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This New Zealand musical, short film has been hiding away for far too long, since 2003 to be precise. It’s a confectionary tale of rock n roll, marching girls and roller skates created by director, Kezia Barnett. Barnett is clearly a genius and of the movie has this to say, “Bubble gum pop is my passion, and layering, visually and with content, is my love.”

Not to be confused with the 2006 Hollywood film called Candy and directed by Neil Armford. That film is much deeper, way more serious and much less pink. This film, Sweet as Candy takes place in the pop plastic, milk bar universe of Bubblegum Valley. It is the love story of Blue and Candy. From the musical lyrics and interspersed dialogue we know that there are rumors that Blue has been untrue and Candy is clearly not happy about it. It doesn’t take long though, for the music and hair gel to overwhelm any feelings of despair. Blue arrives at the Paperdoll Diner (where Candy is waiting) in his mint Cadillac where he breaks into song and proclaims his love for Candy.  In fact everybody, Blue, Candy, marching bands and Blue and Candy look-alikes all break into song and dance.

The movie is very candy pink and candy blue which is a little overwhelming at times. The movie look and feel is actually very similar to the popular 2010 Katy Perry video, Candyland.  Especially the candy colored hair and clothes. The plot and the cinematography are nowhere near the slick perfection of Hollywood but for those who enjoy something a little different and fun; Sweet as Candy fits the bill.  So different in fact that it makes Wonka’s candy factory look normal. The icing on the cake; the movie was produced by Bubblegum Valley Productions. Sweet!

Candy Bar Controversy

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A man is suing the Toronto Santa Claus Parade after he was hit in the eye by a candy bar. The miniature chocolate candy bar was allegedly thrown into the crowd by a volunteer clown where it hit the man in his eye causing pain and permanent partial blindness. Despite the Canadian social safety net which would provide health care for any injuries sustained as well as unemployment insurance for loss of work, the man says the parade owes him $500,000.

The candy bar lawsuit was launched because the man claims that the clown should not have been engaging in an activity (throwing candy bars to kids) that they knew, or ought to have known, posed a danger to spectators. The candy bar claim also specifies that reasonable care should have been taken to ensure that spectators along the parade route were safe.

While there is no doubt of a general sense of sympathy for the man hit with the candy bar, the lawsuit is controversial because it calls into question the lengths required to ensure public safety at public events. There are certainly no other cases of candy bar maiming at Santa Claus parades in recent memory which begs the question, is an isolated incident involving one man and one candy bar, sufficient reason to end years of tradition? That is the possible consequence of the candy bar claim. If the parade which runs to a tight budget as it is, is required to compensate half a million dollars there is a good chance it will not survive.

Realistically it isn’t possible to anticipate every conceivable freak accident that can occur at an event, nor should that be reasonably expected. Apart from practical care by parade organizers, one might arguably suggest that the duty of self care must rest with individuals. If an accident does occur, well accidents do happen. The alternative is to be so wrapped in cotton wool that we will have to watch future parades from behind a Plexiglas wall.  The poor clown who threw the candy bar!

The Magic of Candy Cane Lane

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The spirit of Christmas is alive and well again this year in the street that has affectionately become known as Candy Cane Lane. The street in Edmonton, Alberta began putting up Christmas decorations nearly 50 years ago. At that time five families participated in the festivities which became almost a ritual beginning in the late fall with the securing of steel rods in the ground. This had to be done early because the ground would freeze over by December and the steel rods were necessary to hold up the giant snowman that would come to be the symbol of Candy Cane Lane.

Once the five families had completed preparations they would get together for a few drinks and a Light Up the Lights celebration. These families fondly recall the Christmas carollers that always seemed to end up at the door of the party on ‘light up’ night.  No need for a snow machine on Candy Cane Lane, the street has enjoyed snow at Christmas for as long as they have been decorating the houses.

Today Candy Cane Lane has earned an international reputation for Christmas spirit and although the street has grown and the population increased, there isn’t a house on Candy Cane Lane that doesn’t join in the festivities. Candy Cane Lane has grown from five houses to eight blocks of houses that participate in the Christmas cheer. Every house on the street does it a little bit differently but common themes on Candy Cane Lane are lights on trees and houses, displays in the front living room,  cut out snowmen and Santa’s, candy canes and at one house, the front walk is covered with the bottoms of bleach bottles which are painted and lit to look like giant red and green gum drops.

Some of the residents of Candy Cane Lane are unable to decorate their own houses but not to worry, on a street where Christmas spirit rules; volunteers help these folks out with decorations and labor. The icing on the Christmas cake – the street decorations raised 17,000 kilograms of food for the food bank last year and they expect to do the same or better again.

Amazing Edible Art Around the World

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Andy Warhol would love it! His most famous paintings have long been favorites of contemporary artists to reproduce in a number of extraordinary and unconventional ways and often the artist’s tool is candy. The latest creation of Warhol art revisited is on display in London and depicts his famous Marilyn Munroe now created from sugar coated chocolate candy. Newly introduced blue Smarties were used for Marilyn’s blue eye shadow.

Although the texture and consistency of candy make it a favorite amongst pop artists there are some other fascinating food substances being used to create art. Architects Byard Dovell White used 5,000 cans of sliced bamboo shoots and stuffed vine leaves to create a can sculpture. The work of art was designed for a design/build competition for charity.

Another innovative team used multiple types of breakfast cereals to create an amazing mosaic of President Barack Obama. Hank Willis Thomas and Ryan Alexiev used Honeycomb, Life and Froot Loops to create the three dimensional image. Thomas is a sculpture who uses his art to deal with contemporary issues like race, identity, history and class as influenced by a consumer culture. He particularly wanted to depict the president.

Tofu, cabbage, ginger, lotus roots, coriander and sweet potatoes were used by artist Duoqi to recreate the famous Vincent Van Gogh self portrait. The unusual creation was displayed at the Paris-Beijing Photo Gallery from 2008 to 2009 as part of an exhibit titled, The Vegetable Museum.

Toast was the sole ingredient in a huge mosaic masterpiece by Ingrid Falk and Gustavo Aguerre. 3,053 slices in shades of white, tan, ochre, beige, rust and black toast were assembled to create an original and truly captivating image of a toaster. The variance of shade in the toast required the artists to precisely toast the pieces to varying degrees.

As stated though, candy is a great art medium and a favorite amongst contemporary sculptors and renderers of famous works. Jean Zaun is no exception. His rendition of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is painted on a white chocolate base which is bordered by a dark chocolate frame and finished with a confectionary glaze to create a stunning replica of the famous portrait.

A candy artistic innovation made from 1,000 M&M candies also captivates while eliciting a smile from its viewers. Ironically the image is a depiction of rap singer Eminem (pronounced m&m). The huge portrait created by candy artist Enrique Ramos weighs eight pounds and measure 40 x 30 inches. It aptly sits amongst a lint portrait of Lady Diana and a gumball portrait of Michael Jackson.

City of Sculpture Festival

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For those used to seeing their jelly babies about a half an inch tall the latest installation at the Marble Arch in London comes as a bit of a shock. Larger than life jelly babies now grace the prestigious site in a highly acclaimed resin sculpture titled, Jelly Baby Family and created by artist, Mauro Perucchetti. The extraordinary statue of seven colored jelly babies was unveiled on December 13. The pop artist describes his work as the embodiment of family unity. He also says the sculpture depicts the multicultural aspects of contemporary society, especially in metropolitan centres like London.

The sculpture has been erected as part of the Westminster Council, City of Sculpture Festival. The festival attracts pieces from the most illustrious artists and galleries in the world. Jelly Baby Family weighs 3.2 tonnes and stands over fifteen feet tall. Perucchetti’s sculpture is just one of many creative works that will be on display on Park Lane during the festival.

Besides Jelly Baby Family, exhibition viewers can expect to see a fifteen foot child’s hand pushing a black Fiat Cinquecneto. The car featured in the sculpture titled, Vroom Vroom was artist, Lorenzo Quinn’s, actual first car. The sculpture was created to reflect the child within all of us. The hand is a focal point of many of the artists works because he says, the hand is a symbol of human power, the power to love, hate, to create or to destroy. Quinn is highly acclaimed and has in the past produced pieces for the Vatican City and the United Nations.

Jelly Belly Family and Vroom Vroom are just two of sixty world class pieces that are on show. The sculpture styles displayed reflect the many genres of sculpting including traditional and contemporary styles. The city hopes that the exhibit will enhance Westminster’s reputation as a cultural hub.

This Westminster area of London is known for famous art exhibits, galleries and museums. The project is also a push to support art projects in the city ahead of the Olympic Games. Funding and support for the exhibit is provided by the city council and local galleries including the Halcyon.

Hot Tamales Competition

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Stop the press another huge candy competition set sail and the winners have been decided. Two lucky people, winners of the Hot Tamales Competition, will sail on the Caribbean seas in January 2011 for a cruise featuring the entertainment and sounds of Sister Hazel. The competition was part of a series of concerts, promotions, and hot tamale and concert giveaways. The hot tamales competition and the promotions which are continuing throughout the United States are being run by the makers of the candy, Just Born Inc. To enter the hotly named Sizzle on the Seas competition entrants needed only to visit the hot tamales facebook page and follow the instructions. So easy!

Just Born are the company that make hot tamales and they are part of a great American candy tradition. A tradition that was born in 1910 when Sam Born immigrated to the United States, from Russia. Sam was a candy maker by trade who used innovative technology to produce chocolate sprinkles and the hard chocolate coating for ice cream bars. In 1923, Born opened a small candy-making and retail store in Brooklyn, New York where he advertised the freshness of his candy as candy that had been ‘just born.’ Not long after this clever and witty entrepreneur opened his Brooklyn store he invited his brothers-in-law, Irv and Jack Shaffer, to join him in the business. The company run by these three men thrived in spite of the economic depression of the 1930s and, in 1932 they moved their base to Bethlehem, PA and that is where they stayed. To this day they make some of the world’s best candy.

You see Just Born Inc don’t just make hot tamales, they are also the makers and purveyors of other candy favorites like Mike and Ike candy, peanut chews candy and zours fruit candy. Their current company policy goes like this, “We believe we are part of a larger whole which includes our families, our organization, and the community of neighborhoods in which we work and live and to whom we bear responsibility and loyalty.” That’s a cool company policy by anyone’s standards. So join in the fun, support a great brand, participate in their promotions to win some amazing prizes, and enjoy your hot tamales!

The Santa Claus Parade

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Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without the Santa Claus parade and candy canes. No matter where in the country you live, rural or urban, chances are you recall sitting curb side, sucking on a candy cane and watching with fascination as the floats (or tractors and farm animals) rolled past in all their glory. It was a time when glittering costumes worn by red cheeked children and adults, so proud to be in the parade smiling and waving, sparkled reflected in children’s eyes alight with wonder. Clowns walking on hands bounding down city streets and handing out candy treats to awestruck children. Is there ever again a time of such youthful wonder?

A Santa Claus parade is one of those rare occasions we enjoy together as adults and children. It is also a time when local communities unite, not just to watch but also to participate. Major sponsors donate freely of time, money and staff when stores could be open and cash registers ringing. As such the parade, regardless of religious denomination or belief, represents a time when the very best of our communities and ourselves are apparent.

The Santa Claus parade and Christmas candy canes are a tradition founded upon Christian belief its true, but here again the goodwill of whole communities is apparent. Every parent regardless of culture, belief or ethnicity is welcome and represented at a Santa Claus parade. Every child regardless of the ideologies of their parents, is offered a candy cane and a bellowed Ho Ho Ho from the big guy himself. Again, this event, perhaps more than any other, represents the combined goodwill of communities and should be cherished. Technology being the wonder that it is even allows us to have a taste of the parades of other towns and cities. The Santa Claus parade and candy canes: It’s Christmas!

Hard Candy Fitness

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Well it has finally been done and by Madonna no less! The music superstar has combined fitness with pleasure, in her newly introduced and now open to the public, Hard Candy Fitness Center. Madonna is a well known fitness fanatic, of course she is – how else do you look that good in your 50s.  The first Hard Candy Fitness Center was opened in Mexico City (in the exclusive area of Bosques de las Lomas) on Monday by the Diva herself who cut the ribbon and opened the doors in front of throngs of fans. Not sure if they were keen to exercise or just get a look at the mega star – I suspect the latter? For a special few there was the opportunity to enjoy both the fitness and the star, as Madonna herself led the first aerobics class.

The Mexico sight is one of 10 international sights on the drawing board including American based locations. Once the Mexico fitness center has been operating for a time; all systems have been tested and excellent system and standard levels have been achieved, the other sights will then go live as well. Madonna herself had a big influence in every aspect of the gym from the design to the music and class choreography. She has created, she hopes, routines and themes which will be fun, motivational and inspirational. The gym itself wants for nothing. It is a massive 30,000 square feet and equipped with every device needed by even the most demanding gym junkie.

When asked about how she determined the name for her fitness centers, which is also the name of her 11th album (Hard Candy) she explained that she liked combining the concepts of hard body with eye candy, hence Hard Candy. She is quoted as saying, “It’s a sexy name that gives you the opportunity to have fun and to build strength as far as the imagination will allow.” Well, we love it!