Tag Archives: candy

A Lesson in Gobstoppers

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Gobstoppers to teach science, what a concept! The entire class is given a gobstopper to suck and told that they are sucking away the layers of the planet. The first layer is the earths crust, easily recognized as gone from the gobstopper when the outer color of the blue planet is breached and the students have revealed the outer mantle. This layer is thicker than the earths crust and represented by a change in color which changes again when the student reaches the inner mantle.

At this stage the students have learnt the three outer layers of the planet and are associating this experience with sucking on candy. The lesson is appealing to the tactile, auditory and visual learners in the class which means every student is getting this in the learning style that suits their character, and the geology lesson isn’t over yet. The students now reach the outer core, again represented by a change in color, the gobstopper globe is now approximately half the size it was when it was whole and the texture of the core is softer than the mantle.

As the student sucks nearer to the center the globe will continue to become softer and change in color and soon students will come to the inner core of the globe and their gobstopper. Here the texture of the gobstopper and the earth globe becomes soft and malleable. In the earth globe that is because the temperature has risen to 10 000 degrees Celsius. In the gobstopper it is simply because the delicious gummy center, and the end of the lesson, has been reached. Who is the first student in the class that can say what this inner core is made of and why it is softer and hotter than the outer core?

Glucose – We need it!

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Glucose, the sugar used to make candy, is an essential nutrient for the human body. It isn’t just necessary for energy levels either, glucose is critical for maintaining healthy body function, it is as important as other nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals. In fact it is the most important of all the carbohydrates that the body requires and most people don’t even realize that glucose is a carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are the main dietary source of glucose. Rice, potatoes, bread, tortillas, cereal, milk, fruit, and sweets are all carbohydrate-rich foods. Many fruits also contain good glucose levels. Some people experience a condition called hypoglycemia which means that they don’t have sufficient glucose in their system. Symptoms of this can include fatigue, shaking, dizziness or fainting. Lollipops and suckers are particularly pleasant sources of glucose that have the added benefit of feeding glucose levels in the body slowly and steadily over a period of time.

So what exactly are carbohydrates? They are the superior short-term fuel human beings need because they are simple to metabolize and better for us than fats or amino acids. Glucose is the most important carbohydrate because the level of glucose is used as the main control for the central metabolic hormone, insulin.  But it isn’t just humans that use glucose; it is used as an energy source in most organisms, from bacteria to humans.

Candy isn’t the only source of glucose but it is, for many people, the most pleasurable source of glucose. Let’s face it, there aren’t many of the body’s requirements for health and well-being that are such a pleasure to ingest while providing the body with an essential and health promoting nutrient. For anyone needing an occasional energy burst and especially for those people prone to hypoglycaemia, candy is an excellent source of glucose available in a flavor and texture to suit anyone and everyone – guaranteed!

Valentines Day Candy

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, chocolate fondue for two anyone? A special trend for a unique and romantic date is chocolate fondue by a roaring fire. Fruit can be used for dippers but my personal favorite is marshmallows. The chocolate remains smooth and creamy over the fondue flame and is good for hours of candle/fire lit romantic banter.

The recipe:

7 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons lukewarm water

4 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons cherry or orange liqueur

1 tablespoon sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Marshmallows

Whole fresh strawberries

Thick slices of banana

Directions

In the bowl of the fondue pot combine the chocolate and water. Stir over warm water until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Add the cream, liqueur, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Place the fondue pot over the fondue flame and arrange the fondue forks, fruit and/or marshmallows on a serving tray. Using the fondue forks spear a fruit or marshmallow, dip it into the chocolate sauce and enjoy!

Of course if you haven’t got time for this kind of Valentines Day effort, or if the relationship isn’t that intimate –yet, chocolate and candy are tried and true courting success. Excellent Valentines Day chocolate/candy choices include: pink or red milk chocolate hearts, valentine gummi sanded hearts, Peeps vanilla or strawberry cream hearts and of course chocolate roses. Or, what about conversation hearts candy? These are still my personal favorite because they recall the most innocent days of childhood when love was pure and uncomplicated. Those little hearts shared by friends with the words I Love You, Be my Valentine, I’m  Yours, I Hope, and a raft of other gorgeous little sayings that mean so much.

Say I love you with chocolate or candy and you are sure to get it right this year. Whether you choose a very adult romantic chocolate fondue for two, or the more playful conversation hearts which are certain to make your true love smile, you won’t go wrong with candy on Valentine’s Day.

Candy – not Candy

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So you thought that maybe candy was just a sweet, tasty, confectionary treat, desert and briber of small children?  Wrong! Candy, perhaps because of the allusion to the sweet confectionary treats we all love, has been the favored name of everything from cars to cologne. Candy in literature, film and music has been used in titles and lyrics perhaps more than any other item that comes to mind. Consider for instance the number of books and novels called candy:

Candy (novel), a 1958 novel by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg

Candy (Kevin Brooks novel), a 2005 novel by Kevin Brooks

Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction, a 1998 novel by Australian writer Luke Davies

Candy Candy, a Japanese shojo manga and anime

Candy (manga), a Japanese yaoi manga

Candy (magazine), a Filipino periodical

Or the bands:

Candy (band), mid-1980′s American power-pop band

Candy (Malaysian band), a Malaysian all-female rock band

Candy 66, a Venezuelan alternative metal band

The Candy Band, an American punk-rock group for children

Candies (group), a Japanese vocal group

Candi & The Backbeat, a Canadian pop band

Songs by far outweigh any other kind of candy name use, apart from confectionary candy of course! Check out this impressive list.

“Candy” (1944 song), popularized by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford

“Candy” (Aggro Santos song), featuring ex-Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt

“Candy” (Ash song)

“Candy” (Cameo song)

“Candy” (H.O.T. song)

“Candy” (Iggy Pop song), with Kate Pierson; covered by Killer Barbies

“Candy” (Ken Hirai song)

“Candy” (Koda Kumi song)

“Candy” (LL Cool J song)

“Candy” (Mandy Moore song)

“Candy” (Paolo Nutini song)

“Candy (Drippin’ Like Water)”, by Snoop Dogg

“Candy”/”Molly’s Lips”, a split single by The Fluid and Nirvana

“Candy”, by Bikini Kill from Revolution Girl Style Now!

“Candy”, by Enon from Hocus Pocus

“Candy”, by Foxy Brown from Broken Silence

“Candy”, by Luv Unlimited, featured on DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6thMix and 7thMIX

“Candy”, by Morphine from Cure for Pain

“Candy”, by The Presidents of the United States of America from The Presidents of the United States of America

“Candy”, by Will Smith from Big Willie Style

“Candy-O” (song), by The Cars

“CANDY♥”, by Riyu Kosaka from begin

“Hard Candy” by Madonna

Candy characters also abound in the world of entertainment which include such notables as DJ Candy, a character in the video game MySims; Candy (Dave The Barbarian), a fictional character in the American animated television series titled, Dave The Barbarian; Candy Smiles, a character from Cory in the House and finally, Candy, a character from Of Mice and Men.

And speaking of film, let us not forget the great candy movies like Candy (1968), a film based on the Southern and Hoffenberg novel and Candy (2006), a film based on the Davies novel of the same name. Candy Lane created in 2003 is a short film made in New Zealand that is filled with candy color and candy names. The world of books and entertainment is full of candy named media and characters and that’s because candy is a universal symbol of fun, flavor and frivolity.

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.

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!