Paul Rudnick, You're My Hero

This afternoon I received an email from my sister asking me if I had ever heard about the guy who only eats candy.  She told me he wrote a book called something like "Living for Sugar, and Sugar-Coated Goblins."  Of course, being the librarian that I am, I Googled the phrase and found out that while "living for candy, and sugar-coated goblins" is not the name of a book, it is the title of a NY Times article written about author Paul Rudnick.  Turns out Mr. Rudnick does have a book out but it's called "I Shudder: And Other Reactions to Life, Death, and New Jersey."  I haven't read the book but of course I now have to. There are Peeps on the cover and it's endorsed by David Sedaris, win-win.  
 
Back to the NY Times article, the focus of which is how candy comprises most of Mr. Rudnick's diet yet he's healthy, happy, and still retains a full set of teeth.  Paul Rudnick is living the dream.  Read all the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/dining/28Rudn.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1.  You can also check out photos of Mr. Rudnick's house that looks like something out of the Addam's Family - double awesome. 

While at the NYT, be sure to also check out the Diner's Journal Blog post "Sweet and Sour" where Mr. Rudnick discusses some of his favorite and least favorite candies.  Without giving away everything, let me just say that he likes Hostess Sno Balls and dislikes "gourmet" candy.  Paul Rudnick, you had me at "Sno Balls."

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/sweet-and-sour/

Wonka Sploshberries Gummies

I was very excited to find these new Wonka Sploshberries Gummies at Target over the weekend. I assume they are part of the new Wonka "Gummies" product line which includes Sour Puckerooms and Sluggies, however the Sploshberries are not listed on the gummies page at wonka.com. The Sploshberries come in four shapes and flavors - raspberry, blueberry, goji berry, and cloud berry. Raspberry and blueberry I had covered, but I was unfamiliar with both the cloud berry and the goji berry. To my surprise, both are real. Cloud berries are an edible, amber colored fruit that grow in the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they are mostly confined to Canada, Alaska, and a few northern states like Minnesota and Maine. The goji berry is the popular name for the wolfberry. Goji berries grow in China, Mongolia, and the Himalayas. They carry claims of possessing "superfruit" cancer fighting properties, along with other health benefits. Am I crazy to picture Oompa Loompas in the Himalayans picking these rare berries for this candy? I love the thought, but I'll have to ignore the fact that neither goji or cloud berry juice are listed ingredients.


The "splosh" in Sploshberries comes from the dab of fruity gel filling found at the center of each piece. The candies actually have three components. There is a gummy top, a dense marshmallowish bottom (which is kinda of similar to the white part of a peach gummy ring), and a fruity filling. Each piece is also decorated to resemble its namesake. Judging by the photos I viewed online, the goji and cloud berries really do look similar to the real thing. But of course the most important question here is, how do they taste? I surprised myself by really liking the Sploshberries. At first thought, gummy and fruit filling didn't appeal to me but the gummy portion is not at all slimy and holds up nicely to the fruit filling. I think the marshmallowish bottom also contributes to a tougher chew which I prefer. The flavors were also very nice. As I mentioned earlier, I have no point of reference for the goji or cloud berry, but like the raspberry and blueberry, they all just tasted fruity.

I like these candies. They are fun, eye-catching, and taste good. And if I want to imagine they were created for me by Oompa Loompas, that's an added bonus.

Kiss M&M's

I've never been a big fan of the band Kiss, but I have to admit, the detail found on these Kiss M&Ms' is pretty cool. Each candy is stamped with the likeness of one of the four instantly recognizable Kiss members. I have yet to see the Kiss M&M's in person, but if you're interested in picking up a bag, you'll have to head to Walmart because that is the only place they are being sold. So grab your screaming toddler and head over to Walmart for a piece, more like pieces, of pop culture!



The Metal Misfit already has a bag. Check out his blog for more pics and details.