Sweet Tooth Haven

David Sedaris

I rarely laugh out loud when I read or listen to audio books, but David Sedaris gets me every time.  He was on David Letterman last night and read a bit of his new book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames.  Enjoy.

The Cycle Chic Manifesto

Zakkaliciousness over at Copenhagen Cycle Chic has a manifesto I totally agree with.  Not that I am a fashionista - far from it, but I do think biking should be about getting around town in regular clothes.  No spandex for this gal!

Copenhagen Cycle Chic - Bike Advocacy in High Heels: The Cycle Chic Manifesto.

While there check out some of the photos of bicyclers in Denmark.  This where my obsession with acquiring a city, or 'sit up and beg,' or Dutch bike comes from. The desire to ride in comfort without worrying about speed.

Cadbury Fever

Easter is on the way with Peter Cottontail bringing all the jelly beans and chocolate bunnies you could want.  There are two Cadbury chocolate Easter treats I cannot get enough of.  Unlike Halloween's candy corn, these goodies are not available year round.  As a result, I hoard them.  I put bags and boxes in my cupboard so when Easter is forgotten, I can still get my fix.

The Cadbury Creme Egg.  Who came up with the idea?  The concept is undeniably gross. Image the board meeting: "How about a candy that imitates eating a raw egg, even down to a yolk colored center."  And everyone agreed!  Regardless of awaking salmonella fears, I love the combination of the chocolate shell and creamy filling.  Its ooey gooey and definitely satisfies my sweet tooth.  In fact, it's so sweet I cannot eat more than one a day or I burn out.  You know you want some!

I obsess over Cadbury Mini Eggs even more than the creme eggs.  I do occasionally get tired of the super sweet creme eggs, but never these. I seriously can't stop buying them.  When at the store the purple bags call to me, "We'll be gone soon," and "Just one more bag."  I've always been a fan of M&M's.  I think these are better.  Maybe it's the extra crispy shell.  Maybe it's the larger size giving you more creamy milk chocolate at the center.  Maybe it's the limited availability.

Lake Champlain Chocolates

Two years ago this October, my sister got married at The Wawbeek Inn at Lake Saranac in upstate New York.  We decided to fly into Burlington, Vermont to stay overnight before taking the ferry across Lake Champlain into New York. 

While looking through a guide to the Burlington area, I noticed there was a chocolate factory.  I had never heard of Lake Champlain Chocolates, but the idea of factory tour and samples drew me in.  Unlike Rebecca-Ruth, the tour was more a history of chocolate than a trip into the actual factory.  Despite our disappointment with the 'tour', the factory store was well-worth our time.  The only problem was deciding what to get. The section of factory seconds provided a less expensive way of getting more variety.  Everything we got was delicious, and each of us had our own favorites.

Three days later when we were heading home, the taste of the chocolates was a distant memory.  There was no option but to stop by for more.  When I got home and my chocolates had disappeared, imagine how surprised I was to see an entire display of Lake Champlain Chocolates at the Whole Foods Market.  How could I not have noticed this before?  More common than not, I return from grocery shopping with at least one bar of chocolate.  Today's choice was the milk chocolate caramel you see above.  Yummy!

Baked Rice Crisps

Just so you know, I don't always go for the sweet snack.  I don't discriminate.  I love salty, crunchy snacks too.  My current favorite:  Sour Cream and Onion Crisps.

I found these a couple weeks ago at Trader Joe's.  They're made with rice.  They're baked.  They have 60% less fat then potato chips. They have 10 grams of whole grains per serving.  Despite all those things, they are delicious!  Super crunchy and addictive.  I seriously cannot stop eating them.  I am not alone.  Whenever I buy a bag, the cashier tells me how much they love them.  Trader Joe's also carries a Sea Salt and Pepper flavor that is quite tasty as well with a bit of kick from the pepper. 

For those of you without a Trader Joe's in your area.  I did some searching and I think I found a source!  Here's what I came up with:  Mr. Krisper's Baked Rice Krisps.  The nutrition information and ingredients are almost identical.  I haven't tried them, but my guess is they are identical or very close to the Trader Joe's Crisps.  Amazon sells Sour Cream & Onion, Sea Salt & Pepper, Barbecue , and Nacho.  They come in packs of 12, but the bags are quite small with 4 servings each.  Usually I buy 2-3 bags when I shop at Trader Joe's.  And that's just for 2 people.  I'm thinking about trying the barbecue.  I added them to the snacks and sweets page at Sweet Tooth Essentials.

Candy Corn

People either love it or they hate it.  Whenever Halloween's coming I can't resist candy corn.  They are overly sweet and fairly waxy, but I love them and toss them in my mouth by the handfuls.  Although available year-round, I never really crave candy corn until I see the orange and yellow stripes in a prominent Halloween display.  Maybe this annual craving is due to fond memories of all the free trick-or-treat goodies, or maybe I'm just a sucker for marketing.  Halloween decorations were up at the craft store today and I never even remember putting the bag in my shopping basket, but I got home and there they were!

For those who crave candy knowledge: Did you know candy corn was invented in the 1880s?  Did you know that October 30th is National Candy Corn Day?  Learn about the history of candy corn and how it is made.

Flaunt your candy corn addiction in this candy corn Halloween costume!

Or just buy some Candy Corn and savor the sweetness like me.

Chocolate Pudding, Yum, Yum

I'm not vegan. I don't drink soy milk and rarely eat tofu.  I normally consume copious amounts of dairy products without regret.  However, my mom has severe allergies to milk; so when I saw these soy pudding snacks I decided to taste test them for her. They are fabulous.  Creamy and chocolaty.  I'm addicted. I don't think I like 'regular' pudding this much.  Don't ever buy them.