Craving the Sweets

Delicious cupcakes!!!

I haven't very much to say right now.

It's a muggy, heavy day that is grinding down my energy and enthusiasm. Although I have a dull headache, the main thought dominating my mind is an intense desire for sugar, chocolate, and milk.

And, if I don't get some sweets mighty soon, there's going to be trouble!!! ;-)

Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal (2012)

Well, here's a video that doesn't quite capture my mood, but it has an appropriate title.

"Sweet Tooth" by Marilyn Manson

Enjoy!!!

The King of Pez Heads

Elvis Presley Pez candies

But do the candies come in a fried peanut butter and nanner flavor? ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Baskets Full of Easter Joy

Rose O'Neill's Kewpie Dolls celebrate Easter

Candies and colored eggs, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps, these are the yummy treats that make Easter second only to Halloween in gustatory delight. If I liked peppermint, then I'd give the Silver to Christmas, but rich Cadbury creme eggs beat them every time. Santa gets a Bronze. ;-)

Now, a good Fourth of July barbecue shouldn't be overlooked, nor should fresh Thanksgiving pies, but, for the intense sugar rush, they just don't compare.

So, we're back again, celebrating a standard holiday. Long time readers may remember that I don't really care about such festivities, which is still the case, but I'm no party pooper or Scrooge. I can find something interesting to celebrate on any day, for numerous occasions, and one of the purposes for which I blog is to share these special events with you. Nevertheless, since our society marks today as a "holiday", it's only neighborly of me to express my best wishes to all.

The Easter Bunny greets children at the Del Amo Shopping Center.

Therefore, may joy and prosperity be yours throughout the year. May you find happiness and reason for gratitude on every day. May you find the strength to overcome any trouble that you may face and the cleverness to make the most out of any good fortune that you receive.

Happy Easter!!!

The World Looks Mighty Good to Me

"Whatever it is I think I see becomes a Tootsie Roll to me!"

Inventions in foodstuffs are notoriously hard to properly date, but today is as good as any to celebrate the creation of the Tootsie Roll in 1896. These chewy chocolate-like rolls have sweetened the palates of children for many generations. Sticky and dark, they've kept many a dentist in secure occupation as well. ;-)

I was never a Tootsie enthusiast. Although chocolaty, they were not actually chocolate bars, and, in my youth, I wouldn't settle for anything less than the real deal. Moreover, the gooeyness never appealed to me, as it clung to my teeth in a viscous tar-like manner. Yuck!!!

Nevertheless, Tootsie Roll commercials filled the airwaves between cartoons throughout my childhood. The famous jingle from 1977 will probably be floating around in my brain long after important memories fade with age.

"Tootsie Roll, I think I'm in love with you!"

Turkey Time

Turkey with candy tail feathers. Yum!!!


It always annoys me how the seasonal decorations jump straight from Halloween to Christmas, skipping Thanksgiving in the mad rush to fuel consumer enthusiasm. After all, you don't generally sell costumes or gifts for Turkey Day. And, therefore, we go from pumpkins to snowmen overnight.

Well, in defiance of this trend, here's a photo that I took in late November. ;-)

Anyways, we can give thanks for our happy situations regardless of the date. And it's always a good time to have a fine meal.

And music.

Amusing Guitars

The "Don Ho" ukulele made of shells and plywood by Joann Yates


I was over at the Long Beach main library a little while back. A few of the walls were decorated with assembled guitar images. It looked to be a school child project, but it caught my fancy.

I figured they would make for a nice post. After all, who doesn't like "pearly shells" and jelly beans. ;-)

The "Blue Bayou" made out of blue jelly beans


Fun stuff!!!

Dying for Chocolate

Chocolate skeleton on a chocolate electric chair at Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio


The previous two posts were based on a daily theme, Friday Flowers and Silly Saturday. So, I began to wonder about about today's theme. Then, I remembered that Sunday already has a topic, Spooky Sunday!!! Yeah, it's been a while since I did one of those posts, but they've always been popular with the readers.

So, I figure that we can dust off the concept and put it back into use, especially for Halloween.

Moreover, I have some photos from my tip to Las Vegas that I would like to share with you all that fit the theme. At the Jean-Philippe Patisseries at the Bellagio and the Aria, there were plenty of Halloween-inspired chocolate sculptures to admire and desire. Yum!!!

This trapped ghoul hasn't realized that it can eat its way out of the chocolate coffin.


Although I normally focus on more "highbrow" forms of sculpture, these sweet constructs were wonderfully crafted. From candy Thriller zombies and Michael Jackson to chocolate Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, there were plenty of pop culture Halloween icons formed out of sugary materials. But I was more interested in the large scale works.

For instance, the Electric Chair Skeleton is made of 35 kg white chocolate, 30kg dark chocolate, 1.5kg rolling fondant, and took two people 70 hours to create!!! That's some impressive chocolatier work.

Chocolate Pumpkins and tombstones


Anyways, let's look at a few more photos and listen to a couple tunes. And let's welcome Spooky Sunday back into our weekly schedule. ;-)

Candy Apples

Candy apples featuring images of Merida from Brave

One of the worst things about getting old is giving up on various delicious treats, scrumptious culinary delights that sweetened childhood and granted sugary solace through the trials of early adulthood. Now, as middle age advances, these caloric comforts do greater harm than good. It is a bitter goodbye to my darling desserts.

But diet and exercise are the necessities to a healthy lifestyle. Yeah, I know that I've made these promises here at Paideia before, but this time I mean it. ;-)

We'll see how it goes, but I'm getting too old to keep on eating like a kid. So long, dear candy apples! Farewell, chocolate chip cookies! (Of course, pumpkin pie is still allowed a seasonal visit for the Autumn holidays.)