In the October 2009 edition of Fast Company there is a graphic displaying candy facts which I wanted to share:

• “The U.S. candy manufacturing industry includes about 1,600 companies, but just 2 (the Hershey Co, and Mars Snackfood U.S.) make 15 of the top-20 selling chocolate candy bars.
• Americans will spend almost 6 billion on Halloween and the average will spend $20.39 on candy.
• It takes 252 liks to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop
• 93% of kids go trick-or-treating
• There are 22 M&M colors
• M&M’s are the most popular cholocate candies in the US with an annual sales of almost $425 million
• Halloween is responsible for almost three-quarters of candy corn’s annual sales
• Only 26% of homes give out full-size candy bars.  Fun-size Snickers bars are the most popular Halloween candy.”

I took the Starbucks VIA Coffee Challenge this morning on my to the airport.  If you are not familiar with VIA Coffee, it is basically a new gourmet instant coffee developed by Starbucks.  The beauty of Via is you can make it anywhere you have hot water.  The challenge is running from October 2nd through the 5th and allows customers to see if they can determine which cup of coffee is brewed and which is VIA.  I was able to tell the difference.  Via wasn’t as bold, meaning it didn’t have as much coffee flavor as the drip coffee to me but it was still good for instant coffee.  I bought a 3 pack of it yesterday to keep in my computer bag so wherever I went I would always have access to some half decent coffee.  The Starbucks I went to had two friendly employees offering the samples and gave tips on storing coffee, pairing coffee, and they were getting lots of feedback on what everyone thought of it.  I don’t know how successful the coffee will ultimately be but I appreciated Starbuck’s effort to promote a new product.  I took a picture with my iPhone of the display (yes I am a nerd).  Have you taken the challenge yet and if so, what did you think?

Julie gave me some toasted seaweed and the stuff isn’t half bad.  The first bite is the worst because it tastes like the ocean smells but then you get acclimated to it.  Seaweed is a “super food” and some of its benefits are it gives you shiny/healthier hair, keeps the mind sharp, keeps skin looking young, preserves good eyesight, improves gum health, strengthens teeth, maintains healthy thyroid function, eases colds, prevents allergies, fights free radicals, stunts tumor growth, boosts energy, enhances cell regeneration, lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation, normalizes cholesterol levels, supports bone health, keeps nails strong, fuels weight loss naturally, aids in digestion, promotes liver health, detoxifies heavy metals, helps prevent cellulite, supports kidney health, and supports prostate health.  Source: http://www.oceanvegetables.com/

I had marble soda for the first time last night and I loved it.  So the gimmick is there is a marble inside the soda…get it…marble soda?  The marble doesn’t actually come out of the bottle but as your drinking it you think you’ll swallow it.  You can see the blue marble about 3/4 of the way up the bottle in the photo above.  I have no idea what the bottle actually says (probably “Pepsi”) but if you know please leave a comment.  I give marble soda a thumbs up.  I got my new camera delivered today and I’m really happy with it so far.  I’ll blog more on that later but this picture was taken with it and as you can see it is going to do a great job for me.

Gary sent me this recipe because he knows I love my breakfast of champions food…Pop-Tarts!  OK I’ve been given a hard time for eating them so I have cut way back but man they are tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cold water for mixing
• 1 cup homemade preserves/jam from organic fruit such as apple, apricot, cherry, wild blueberry, cherry, mango or your favorite fruit flavor
• Powdered sugar
• Note: Choose an organic store bought jam if you don’t have time to make your own.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the flour in a bowl with the salt, sugar, and cut the butter into small pieces. Work the flour and butter together with your hands, until the mixture is well blended. Sprinkle the water over the mixture to smooth out the any small irregular clumps. Work the dough vigorously until it is relatively smooth. You may also use a food processor, if desired. Wrap in plastic and let the dough rest 30 minutes.
2. Roll out the tart dough on a cold lightly floured surface. The dough should be about 1/8″ inch thick. Cut rolled out dough into 3″ by 5″ shapes, using a postcard as a visual gauge. (For smaller tarts, simply use a smaller measurement.) Cut 8 rectangles, and use a pastry scraper to place 4 bottoms onto cookie sheet lined with parchment. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of jam onto the center of each pastry of the 4 bottoms. Place the 4 pastry tops onto the jam centers, aligning the corners. Press the edges with a fork, until each tart is closed, working around the entire rectangle. (These may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen.)
3. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tarts are golden brown. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.