If you knew me in real life, you would know that very little shocks me. I’m one of those people who finds things like comic strips and stand up comedians funny, but rarely laughs out loud. Every once in a while, though, something comes along which makes me not only laugh, but laugh long and loud enough to justify sharing it with my friends. In this case, as the cause of my endless laughing was a candy, I felt compelled to share it with the wider Candy Addicted world.

I am, of course, talking about gummi lighthouses.

The thing that perplexes me, of course, is that I have no idea why anybody would think about making a gummi lighthouse in the first place. The whole gummi animal thing makes sense to me – fish and bears and little tiny people are kinda cute. Gummi fruit is a total no-brainer – because it makes logical sense to make a candy look like the flavor of fruit it is. Random shapes like rings and squares and soda bottles also make sense. Lighthouses? Yeah. Not so much.

One wonders if this is some sort of subliminal message. (You’ll have to click on the link below to see what I mean.)

For the purposes of not harming small children in the making of this article, a photo of the actual product can be found at this link:

• Gummi Lighthouses at joeydevilla.com

(Thanks to Bob at http://pfdebate.com for the tip – no pun intended)

Bertie Bott and Beanboozled have nothing on these beans.

Is there anything sweeter in this universe to look at than George Clooney’s beautiful mug? (Ladies, am I right?) Well there is one thing, it turns out, thanks to the Jelly Belly Candy Company. The gourmet jelly bean manufacturer commissioned artist Roger Rocha to create a mosaic likeness of the Academy Award winning actor using 10,000 of their tasty little beans. And the two-time “Sexiest Man Alive” has never looked so delicious, featuring Cotton Candy cheeks, Buttered Popcorn highlights, Cantaloupe laugh lines, and Coconut teeth. Really gives unprecedented meaning to the notion of “eye candy,” huh?

The artwork – and generous gift to female Candy Addicts the world over – was on display at Jelly Belly’s gifting suite at the Luxe Hotel in Beverly Hills for the duration of Oscar week, where it was to remain until its donation to a charity of Clooney’s choosing. On an unrelated side note, all of my paperwork for nonprofit status has been filed.

A little research quickly revealed that Jelly Belly has a history of bean portraiture, much of which is displayed in their online gallery. From “Famous People” and “Icons & Other Cool Stuff” to “American Historical and Political Figures,” there’s a little something for everyone here, but none make me salivate in quite the same way as the former TV doctor.

• Jelly Belly Museum of Bean Art

Case in point: Willy Wonka substituted cherry and lime with pineapple and mango in its popular Runts candy this past year with less than stellar response. Mango is a highly unusual flavor to see as far as candy goes, although I found the Runts version to be adequately pleasing. Pineapple, while usually popular enough, is executed horribly for Runts. Both the shape and the flavor are crude representations of actual fruit and it is not very pleasing to the eye or the tongue.

So why would Wonka replace two original (and in the case of cherry, very popular) flavors for two that lack the quality or recognition to fill their void? Who’s to say? Though the “¡Sabores Nuevos! Piña Y Mango” emblazoned on the package would appear to speak volumes about the decision to include these new flavors.

This isn’t the first time that changes have been made to the Runts lineup. In the late 90’s lime was replaced with two flavors, watermelon and blue raspberry (both originally from the short-lived Tropical Runts). So in effect four flavors were lost to make room for pineapple and mango. Another variation called Rock N’ Runts came a little later comprised of the offending pineapple, lemon, watermelon, raspberry, and grape.

While many find the substitution of lime and cherry to be a travesty, my aggravation goes a level deeper. To me Runts are the last bastion of the fruit flavor flag previously carried by Wonka’s legendary Wacky Wafers. There are many fruit flavored candies on the market, but none were as fine as the versions found in Wacky Wafers. Something that Runts shared with the now discontinued Wacky Wafers were the carryover of both the banana and the orange flavors (unfortunately, strawberry didn’t make the same transition).

Now if I were going to make a change to Runts, I would look to the past. I would reintroduce Runts with the Wacky Wafer lineup using those flavor versions of green apple, strawberry, watermelon, orange and banana. A change like this (although still omitting the much loved cherry) would be met with more open arms by the public at large than the inclusion of a poorly translated pineapple and the less than popular mango.

I can’t fault Nestle/Wonka for trying to cater to the Hispanic demographic as it continues to rise in prominence across the country, but there has to be a better way than experimenting (poorly) with such a popular product. Instead, embrace the past with a line of Wacky Runts with the flavors used in Wacky Wafers, and reintroduce Tropical Runts with Pineapple, Mango, Lemon, Lime, and Cherry. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

• Play the Runts Collector Game
• Wonka Homepage

Buy Runts Online:

• at Candy Direct
• at Amazon.com

For a quick, sugary burst of instant gratification, you simply must check out the expertly curated collection of Peeps dioramas over at Asylum.com. We’ve long enjoyed the candy-related content Asylum offers (the other stuff is pretty good too, but who wants to read anything that’s not about candy, hmmm?), but this recent article earns them the status of Candy Darlings, no question. Collected therein are photos of Peeps in all kinds of crazy situations: Lord of the Peeps, Sgt. Peeper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Peep Jousting, Peep Brulee, and my personal fave, Peep Show.

If Asylum’s gallery of Peeps pics is just enough to cruelly tantalize you, don’t forget to check out Washington Post’s Peeps diorama contest. And if, after all that, you’re still craving a Peeps fix, relax. Peter Cottontail’s coming to make a marshmallow deposit any day now…

• Asylum’s Peeps Gallery
• Candy Addict’s Extensive Peeps Coverage

marshmallow, Peeps, Easter, photos

“Peeps Are A Girl’s Best Friend” is the title of the winning entry of last year’s Peeps Diorama contest. Yes, you heard me right. There’s such a thing as a Peeps Diorama contest. The folks over at the Washington Post have started this yearly contest showcasing the favorite Easter treat to test the creative skills of Peeps lovers alike.

The gallery of the diorama entries is truly impressive to look at with different themes ranging from social commentary to playful puns and pop culture references. It’s really fun to see how Peeps fans decided to use their favorite candy as an artistic medium. Don’t like feeling left out of the fun? This year’s contest is now open for submissions, so be sure to check it out. Please let us know if you plan to enter. Also, don’t forget to share which diorama from last year is your favorite!

• WashingtonPost.com’s Second Annual Peeps Diorama Contest Article
• WashingtonPost.com’s Peep Show Winner’s Gallery

Easter, Peeps, marshmallow, creative, funny

On Saturday, my wife and I took our six year old daughter to Astronomy Days at the local museum. Since I’m a geek and love all things Sci-Fi, I have a special place in my heart for astronomy and hope to pass that on to my daughter. Astronaut Roger K. Crouch, Ph.D. was the special guest speaker. He was a phenomenal speaker – very informative, entertaining, and quite funny. Did you know he applied once a year for 33 years to become an astronaut? Talk about perseverance!

I had no plans on finding anything candy-related at Astronomy Days to write but but lo and behold, in the middle of Dr. Crouch’s speech, he showed the picture you see above in his presentation. Turns out that picture was the Astonomy Picture of the Day on one April 1st.

Just goes to show – candy is everywhere.

Mars, chocolate

Total Chocolaholics, such as myself, know that there is no shortage of books about chocolate. I’m pretty much an expert on the history of chocolate, and I’ve pored through dozens of cookbooks detailing how to temper chocolate, cover anything in chocolate, bake with chocolate, and so on. So, it’s a little exciting to come across a book about chocolate that doesn’t explore the same old tired subject matter.

The Chocolate Guide: To Local Chocolatiers, Chocolate Makers, Boutiques, Patisseries & Shops – Western Edition is an eclectic sort of tour through the western part of North America. There are luscious color photos on every page, chronicling the sumptuous sweets to be had from Mexico City to Vancouver. There are a few recipes, sprinkled here and there, and lots of engaging personal essays about peoples’ passions for chocolate, but mostly this is a guide to the varied chocolate shops in the West. (There are plans for Eastern and Midwestern editions in 2008, so nobody gets left out!)

It’s impossible not to be inspired to take a chocolate road trip spanning hundreds of miles and millions of calories. Even the most knowledgeable aficionado will discover rare gems: The Nestle Chocolate Museum in Mexico, the Gigantic Chocolate Fountain at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, a Chocolate Suite at a retreat in British Colombia. You can bring your friends some souvenirs: chocolate perfume, a set of cocoa-hued pearls, even a professional chocolate melting pot. And there are just so many amazing little chocolate shops, it’s a little overwhelming.

The Chocolate Guide is comprehensive, but not all-encompassing. Not that it claims to be. Some entries are nothing but photos – if you want to buy chocolates from Marceline’s in Disneyland, you’re on your own, because there’s no phone number, web address, or anything, just photos of luscious fudge. Other purveyors are just listed in the index, which is unfortunately put together in a way that I can’t make sense of.

OK, so I would have liked to see an alphabetical index, but that’s a teeny little flaw in what’s otherwise a very neat little book. Pick one of these up for the chocolate lover in your life – pronto.

• The Chocolate Guide at TasteTV.com (download a free excerpt!)

Buy The Chocolate Guide online

• at Amazon.com

chocolate, book

At the All Candy Expo earlier this year, I happened upon this Wii Candy Dispenser protected behind a glass case and I had to stop. It was at the Au’some Candies booth along with a bunch of their other Nintendo-themed candy. The company showed it to me behind the glass so I never actually got to touch it but I did take the picture you see above. It looks like it dispenses blue disc candy from the top… maybe using one of the controller buttons? Perhaps these will be easier to find than a real Wii (curse you Nintendo)!

Au’some Candies has a few other new Nintendo candies coming out soon too. One of them is the Mario Kart DS Candy Container seen at left. It’s a stack of black tires about 6 inches high and it’s filled with candy. On top is a removable kick-ass Mario Kart on top about the size of a Matchbox car. Freakin sweet! (I have one and it’s great!), These are in stores now.

• Comprehensive list of Nintendo Candy
• Au’some Candies

Buy Nintendo candy online:

• at Amazon.com
• at Knuckle Sandwich Toys

Nintendo, video game

It takes Hannah Mendelsohn twenty minutes to drive from her Juneau, Alaska home to the grocery store and back. When she started creating patterns with M&Ms on her living room coffee table, she had no idea she’d need so many.

“I kept going to the store and buying more [M&Ms],” Mendelsohn said. “I probably went to the store at least five times. I did a little bit at a time.”

Mendelsohn, a 21-year-old medical assistant, separates M&Ms by color and arranges them in intricate patterns on any flat surface she can find. The result is a surface completely covered with M&Ms, no space between them. Mendelsohn arranges the colors in bright geometric patterns. She said this hobby first took root when she developed a love for chocolate.

“I mean, if we’re going anywhere, basically I’m going to pick up some chocolate,” she said. “Movies? Chocolate. Forget popcorn. Gas stations? I always make [my fiancée] run in for a candy bar. I love my chocolate. Love it.”

She realized she could use chocolate to exert some creative energy when a high school teacher passed out M&Ms to teach Mendelsohn’s class about probability.

“I would always put the M&Ms on my desk and sit there and rearrange them all over my desk,” she said. “People would give me their M&Ms and I’d make shapes. I guess that’s kind of where it started.”

After that, Mendelsohn indulged in her hobby occasionally. She made small pieces with vending-machine-sized bags of M&Ms, but she rarely photographed them. That is, until she undertook the coffee table project.

While she watched Law & Order and CSI in the evenings, Mendelsohn and a friend separated M&Ms by color.

“When I first started the design on the coffee table I had them in little cereal bowls because I only had one or two bags [of M&Ms], but after awhile I had way too many M&Ms,” she said. “After that I put them in gallon bags.”

Mendelsohn said she positions M&Ms in patterns without a set plan.

“It’s always ad lib with me,” she said. “If it doesn’t look good, you can always take it off, know what I mean?”

The M&Ms aren’t glued down, but Mendelsohn said she didn’t encounter many obstacles while putting her piece together.

“There were a couple of times when I was frustrated when people would accidentally bump the table and [the M&Ms] would kind of move a little, and that would kind of throw things off,” she said. “When I feel like there’s too much of one color in a place, I’ll slowly take it off, but I don’t think I’ve ever messed up, really.”

She said after working with M&Ms long enough the temptation to eat them disappears.

“I tell you, it’s hard. After a while, you kind of get tired of them, because after putting it together you’re eating the broken ones and the ones you’ve touched too many times,” she said. “But after a while, it’s like you have probably touched one seven times and it’s been sitting out on the coffee table forever. You don’t want to eat it.”

Mendelsohn’s dog, a 14-year-old Chihuahua-dachsund mix, picks up the slack.

“She eats the ones that fall on the floor,” she said. “She loves chocolate. You know how they say dogs aren’t supposed to have chocolate? If that was true she would’ve been dead so many years ago.”

It took her a week and a half to finish the piece, working two or three hours a night or more.

“After that, it lasted a day,” she said. “We had a couple of people over. It was a big feat, and then all we did was take some pictures.”

She said the artwork came off the coffee table much faster than it went on.

“After a while you’re, like, ‘Where am I going to put my feet?’” she said. “You can’t put your feet up. You can’t put your dishes on [the coffee table].”

Mendelsohn transferred the M&Ms she used for the piece to gallon bags, sorting them by color. She used them for her next project, a Thanksgiving turkey.

“I needed more space because the coffee table is too skinny, so I moved everything off our kitchen table and started putting it there,” she said. “Thank goodness we don’t use it to eat! Otherwise, my fiancée would be very upset with me.”

She said people often ask her if she has laminated her designs to make them permanent.

“I tell them, ‘No, it’s chocolate,’” she said. “It would either mold, or… I don’t know. They do make jewelry out of Peeps. There has to be some way I could preserve the M&Ms and make them a wall piece.”

Her friends have suggested she contact M&Ms’ parent company, Mars, Inc., about doing company-commissioned artwork to advertise and publicize the candy. Mendelsohn, who plans to start nursing school in January, doesn’t plan to follow through.

“Then I wouldn’t be a nurse!” she said.

• Mendelsohn’s Gallery of M&M art

art, M&Ms, chocolate, Mars, mms, Alaska