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Monday, December 18, 2006

Wide Awake With Jones Soda -- Dessert Pack

I have been taking this long winter's nap thing waaaaaay too seriously. After two weeks of nodding off in the car (not while driving, sillies!) waiting for CheesePuff to get out of school, nodding off for several hours in front of the TV before resigning to go to bed where I would sleep until the very last second and still feel tired through the day, I think I may have finally caught up. At least, in sleep. Now it's time to catch up with this blog thing.

Jones Soda Dessert Pack


While visiting family for Thanksgiving I was feeling brave and had hoped to find a Jones Soda Thanksgiving pack. I mean, what is family for if not to help you taste weird food?? You know you've done it... "Err... this tastes weird, here, try it!"
Sound familiar?

A trip to Target was my only opportunity to look for Jones (there was turkey-ing to be done, after all) and all I found was this Dessert Pack. Sheesh, all set to finally indulge in the weirdness of Jones Turkey and Gravy soda and I have to settle for Banana Cream Pie.

Jones mostly won me over not with flavors in the Dessert Pack, but the pack itself.


I love that it looks like a 1950's stove, complete with oven handle, top burner, and racy emblem.

The flavors in the Dessert Pack are interesting in their own right, I mean, who else has Key Lime Pie flavored soda or Banana Cream? But really, I was hoping for a little more weirdness... they couldn't come up with Pumpkin Pie or Mincemeat? Perhaps I should
offer some suggestions. (Actually, I think they did have Pumpkin Pie as one of the Thanksgiving Pack flavors last year.)

The flavors to be found in the Jones Soda Dessert Pack are: Key Lime Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, and Blueberry Pie. Many of the flavors were a little watery and I think with a slightly stronger flavor, I would have been satisfied... with Blueberry Pie, especially.

Cherry Pie was the big loser of the pack with 3 thumbs down. It had a scent and taste of Marascino cherries, which as everyone knows, go on top of a sundae, not in pie. I think a standard cherry flavor soda would have been right. They missed the mark, here.

Apple Pie had a nice apple scent and was slightly tangy with no hint of vanilla or cinnamon (Coof thought she tasted nutmeg).

Banana Cream Pie had an artificial banana scent, which I happen to enjoy and a flavor similar to banana flavor taffy.

The big winner of the pack was Key Lime Pie. Virtually no scent but a nice tangy, true-to-life Key Lime Pie flavor. This too could have been slightly more powerful, but really enjoyable, overall.


Finally, as promised earlier, Santa on a Harley



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Monday, December 11, 2006

What's Going On?

You may recall last year at this time I moaned and complained that there were simply not enough hours in the day to do everything I wanted to do (echoed recently in my Thanksgiving post). It is with a heavy heart that I must confess I've again swamped myself with projects and a completely illogical to do list. However, so that you all don't think I've abandoned you, I will offer an abbreviated listing of what's on my mind to tide you over until I can post in a more proper manner, with photos!

1. I made a multitude of Gingerbread Houses for CheesePuff's Brownie Troop and there were very happy girls.
2. Mr.G, the pickiest of all eaters, was fed Cornish Hen and liked it!
3. I still have gross candy reviews to share.
4. Elaborately painting a young girls' bedroom in a rush is a bad idea.
5. Paula Deen is trying to take over the world with bacon fat.
6. The producers of Sandra Lee's show need to stop her from making a complete fool of herself and tell her that chestnuts are not the same as water chestnuts.
7. My Thanksgiving trip was loads of fun, tasty, and we saw Santa on a Harley.
8. I'm really tired of cleaning my kitchen and throwing away food because of a pantry moth infestation... hopefully that's all cleared up now, but just to be safe, buy stock in Rubbermaid because I'm buying them up like crazy!
9. I had virtually no Thanksgiving cakes to decorate but my portfolio of Christmas/Winter/Hanukkah cakes are growing exponentially.
10. CheesePuff is learning to cook and has made Lasagna and an Apple Pastry braid.
11. It's barely the second week of December?!? I'm already due for a long winters' nap.




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Sunday, November 19, 2006

Giving Thanks

Way back a year and a half ago I began reading blogs. Just one at first, the blog of a friend I knew from another venue. It was pretty cool. He talked about food and how to prepare food and his trials at culinary school and he had such pretty pictures! Then on his blog I found links to other blogs, most all of them about food. These people talking about food with their pretty photos all making me drooly and tickling my urge to cook. And cook I did.

Then it hit me. "Hey!" I said to myself, "I cook. I like to talk about food. I can figure out this digital camera-upload thing." So I began to blog. Sometimes talking about food or joining in food-related gatherings like IMBB, other times talking about goings-on in the garden or strange dreams I wanted to share. Eventually coming to this gross candy thing I'm doing now.

The more I think about my previous blog posts the more disjointed it all seems. Sort of the ADHD of blogging. Or maybe it's because I'm just so darn interested that it's hard to write about everything in a cohesive way. Interested. That's right, I said interested. Not interesting because that sounds braggish and I try not to be quite so self-absorbed. But how unself-absorbed can one be while blogging?

I read on another blog that to be really successful, one should blog daily. Is that right? I see a lot of blogs out there that are updated once a week or less. Do I really need to pressure myself to blog? Blogging should be one of those fun hobbies I employ, not a chore to be muddled through because I may have readers who have expectations. Do you have expectations? If I simply stopped blogging would anyone miss me? Of course there are some who would miss me and that's why I continue to blog in my disjointed, incohesive way.

Now that I have my what's my place in the blog universe questions of humanity out of the way, let's get to the thankful part. I'm beginning my Thanks Giving early because one of the things I'll be giving thanks for is a vacation to Florida which will hopefully keep me away from the PC or at least the rigors of blogging for a few days.

A short list for that which I'm Thankful:
Vacations where I don't have to spend a lot of money. You think I'm joking but I'm quite serious.
My family for all their weirdness, quirkyness, food adoration, spontaneity, light-heartedness and their ability to put up with all of these traits in me.
Stacy for being my friend all those years, hopefully she'll come around again one day and "Young Frankenstein".
Food Network for feeding my desire to learn to cook in those early days.
Other Bloggers for feeding my desire to read about food adventures beyond just looking at recipes.
Spam for never apologizing for what it is and never trying to be something else.
Marshmallow Peeps for being so darn cute and fun.
Dr. Seuss, Chuck Jones, and Boris Karloff for making "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" what it is.
Cows for giving milk, cheese, yogurt, and a comfortable, homey feeling when they are outstanding in their fields.
Breakfast cereal and Saturday Morning cartoons for helping me become the demented adult that I am.
Halloween for giving me an outlet for this adult dementia.
Alex Anderson for giving me the courage to charge ahead and make quilts even when I don't know what I'm doing.
Chico's for making clothes in sizes women want to wear. (zero to four!)
Festal Foods for publishing the best Pumpkin Pie recipe, ever.


And finally, again I'm thankful for my Family. They are my everything. If I had no job, no hobbies, no books they would be it. My joy, my laughter, my annoyance, my hope, my grief. All of them.


Now that we have all the mushy-gushy stuff out of the way, let's get back to the gross-out because I am, of course, thankful for that too.



Witches Brew Foaming Gum

Oriental Trading described it as Magical Mouth Foaming bubble gum. It has three distinct layers, the first layer is flavoring. The Green ball is Green Apple flavor with a nice green apple scent. The dark Purple ball is Grape. Below the flavored coating is the gum layer which has no remarkable flavor aside from that of typical bubble gum. Inside the gum layer is the foaming powder center. It has quite a bang of tangy citrus flavor (my mouth is watering now just thinking of it) with the promised foaming action, which lasted quite a long time and was very enjoyable.

I'm not normally a gum-chewer and I don't allow CheesePuff to have gum (though I know her step-sister sometimes sneaks it to her) so I didn't get her input but I really liked this gum. It also provides a decent bubble.




Count Blacula Bubble Gum

Another Oriental Trading find. I really like the white vampire face on the dark black gum ball. Unfortunately, that is about all I like about it. Neither the coating or the gum itself has a particulary good flavor. It is too sweet with chemical overtones from the coloring (which did give me a nice black tongue). The ball started out very hard to chew and as it softened, it simply got sticky then broke down and was never good for bubble-blowing. Quite a disappointment after the Witches Brew gum.



Skull Pops

Oriental Trading has a hit with this. A skull shaped lollipop with delicious vanilla flavor and a large amount of grape flavor Pop Rocks-style candy inside the pouch to dip the sucker into. I think the photo only shows a small amount of the popping candy compared to the amount I actually had in my pack.



Monster Hand Pops, Monster Head Pops and Mummy Pops

Three more from Oriental Trading. These are all basically the same pop in different shapes. A nice variety of fruit flavors. (I didn't taste one of each once I realized they were similar.) They are not a typical hard lollipop. The texture reminded me of the coating on Skittles. Quite tasty and very fun shapes.


A final word of Thanks to you, dear readers. Without you, none of this candy-tasting, cupcake-making, and yammering-on incessantly about it would be any fun at all.


Happy Thanksgiving. Save me some stuffing.



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Monday, November 13, 2006

Graveyard Ghoulees


Graveyard Ghoulees Fruit Gummees by Juicee Gummee
That's a lot of 'ees.

These are nice soft gummies with a good chew and great flavors. Each spooky shape has its own flavor which I like a lot.
Bat - Strawberry
Skull - White Grape with Vanilla
Pumpkin - Orange
Spider - Purple Grape
Worm - Orange and Berry (or Watermelon?)


The large outer bag is much more fun than the individual bags, which was sort of a let-down. I visited the website and found a lot of fun gummy products (I'll be looking for the jelly-filled gummy cupcakes!) as well as a number of unusual food items. None of them had descriptions but I can guess that the items are marketed toward Hispanic folks.


This is a really good candy and I would definitely buy the smaller packs I found on the website but the giant Trick-orTreat pack wasn't as fun as I wanted it to be.



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Sunday, November 05, 2006

Jones Soda -- Halloween Style

Jones Soda, the company that brings us Thanksgiving in a bottle with flavors like Turkey & Gravy, Wild Herb Stuffing, and Brussels Sprout with Prosciutto has branched out to now include a few Halloween flavors. I haven't been brave enough to try the Thanksgiving flavors yet but the Halloween Flavors I found were not especially frightening.






My local Target carried 12-ounce bottles with various Halloween Theme photos on the label.
Monster Mojito was very sweet with a hint of mint.
Creepy Cranberry was really delicious. Slightly tangy cranberry flavor was very refreshing. CheesePuff thought it was sour but I didn't think so.
Lemon Drop Dead was much better over ice than straight out of the bottle. Out of the bottle I got a very odd lemon-rind flavor but this was reduced when I enjoyed it over ice. Slightly sour lemon flavor soda.




I received a few 8-ounce cans from Kadavar in Washington State. I don't think my Target carried these or they would have been in my stash.
Berried Alive was a sweet berry flavor that Puff & I both enjoyed (but neither of us enjoyed it enough to finish the can after tasting it).
Spider Cider tasted much like apple cider.
Candy Corn was the perfect Kid treat. Super sweet candy corn flavor that Puff loved. The soda was bright yellow in color and consequently, so were Puff's teeth afterward. A great addition to a frightful costume, if one desired.



I found out through the website that Jones makes a variety of other non-soda treats as well: Popsicles, Lip Balm and Carbonated Candy. The Carbonated Candy is a small disk, similar to a breath mint with freckles. It has a mild fizzy quality on the tongue that the label calls Tongue-Tingling Flavor Boosters and is slightly reminiscent of soda. The website says they can be dropped into Jones Soda so I tried a Fufu Berry candy in a small amount of my Lemon Drop Dead soda. It was an interesting change, but not enough to make me go out of my way to use up my candies this way and not enough to endure the length of time for the candy to dissolve in the soda.


We should expect to see the Thanksgiving Packs of Jones Soda out within the next week or so. Pick them up as soon as you see them. They are Limited Editions and only available for a short time during Thanksgiving.


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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Happy Halloween!!!

This is it... my big day. I have plenty of Candy surprises in store for the next few months but today I thought I'd offer some Tricks and Treats for your enjoyment.

10 Things That Sound Dirty on Halloween, but Aren't ...
1. So, What'd you get in the sack?
2. Once you get under the sheet, start moaning and groaning!!
3. Just hop on that broomstick and ride it!
4. Those small suckers are gone in a few licks!
5. I got the best piece from that house.
6. Quit screwing around on the porch!!
7. Stick your hand in and guess what you're feeling ...
8. It was so filled and heavy, I had to use TWO hands!!!
9. They'll suck you dry if they get their teeth in you.
10. I bobbed and bobbed, but couldn't get my mouth around it!!!




Why don't skeletons like parties? They have no BODY to dance with.



Why can't mummies go on vacation? They're afraid they'll relax and unwind!



Why did the ghost cross the road? To get to "THE OTHER SIDE"



What happens to a fast witch on a slow broom? She flies off the handle!



What do you call a ghost with a broken leg? Hoblin Goblin.



What happens when a ghost gets lost in a fog? He's mist!



Why couldn't the witch get pregnant? Her husband had a hollow weenie!

Why is Halloween a hillbilly's favorite holiday? Pump kin.

Top Ten Reasons Why Trick-or-Treating is Better Than Sex
10. You are guaranteed to get at least a little something in the sack.
9. If you get tired, wait ten minutes and go back at it again.
8. The stranger you look, the easier it is to get some.
7. You don't have to compliment the person who gave it to you.
6. The person you are with doesn't fantasize you're someone else, you already are.
5. If you get a stomach ache, it won't last nine months.
4. If you wear leather and chains, no one thinks you're kinky.
3. Doesn't matter if kids hear you moaning and groaning.
2. Less guilt the next morning from over-indulging.
1. If you don't get what you want at one place, you can always go next door to get more!!



Boo!



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Sunday, October 29, 2006

Chef Ghoulicious Pantry of Candy



One pantry item I forgot to get a photo of is Chef Ghoulicious Can of Worms: Squirmallicious Gummy Earthworms. These are similar to other gummy worms that I'm sure you have seen around. Ghoulicious worms have a tangy crystal sugar coating similar to that of Sour Patch Kids, but not as sour. The taste and texture of Ghoulicious Worms have a sort of foamy quality that remind me more of Marshmallow Peeps than other gummy worms. Eat Me Orange worms are orange flavor; Water Wiggler light pink worms, watermelon (tasted like strawberry to me); Very Scary Cherry dark pink worms, cherry flavor and chewier than other varieties. Overall, quite tasty.


Box of Boogers Tangy gummy Boogies that look & feel real!
Similar texture to the Gummy Earthworms. These are quite large and if they "look real" I'm afraid of their owner! Snottermelon dark green boogies are watermelon flavor; Sour Green Boogy light green boogies, green apple; Lemon Loogy yellow boogies, lemon-lime (these were the most tangy of the flavors and I liked them best). mmmm... Boogies!


AbbieNormal Bag of Brains Abnormally Large Gummy Brain! 'Candy That Tastes Smart' Similar again to Marshmallow Peeps without the sugar coating this time. These are about the size of a fist. Frontal Lobe Berry is blue raspberry; Water on the Brain is watermelon. The scents of these are very appealing and they have very strong fruit flavors.

These are made again by
FLIX candy, the makers of Lip Pops and Projector Pops.


I would like to thank Kadavar of our
Brainnn Candy Contest for sending me some of these items as well as other items I'll be reviewing soon.



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Saturday, October 28, 2006

Fear Factor Candy



Let's begin this disgusting romp through the candy world of Reality TV with the Sour Cherry Chuck Bucket. The package describes these as, "Gummy Coagulated Balls in Candy Blood Ooze" and warns, Proceed at Your Own Risk.

The little bucket contains two small packets; one contains the Coagulated Balls, the other bag contains the cherry Ooze. The package doesn't explain how these are to be combined but maybe the balls are to be placed in the bucket then the blood ooze is to be poured over them then given to your unsuspecting little sibling or nerdy neighbor to play your own version of Fear Factor at home.

The cherry Ooze was somewhat boring, barely any cherry flavor and was sort of oily in taste and texture. The Balls are very cherry-ish scented gummies. CheesePuff thought these were really good. I thought they had a stronger cherry flavor than the Ooze but still not all that great.

Test Tube Acid Bath is a gummy shape suspended in sour liquid candy. Sour Cherry flavor has a large gummy worm and Sour Blue Raspberry has a gummy shark. The gummies were not particularly gummy, I suppose they were beginning to dissolve a bit in the liquid. The liquid itself is tasty, sort of a refreshing sourness in the flavors described.


Here you can see a better photo of the
Gross-out Gummy Platters. I've been eating candy for a long long time and I have eaten candies that I thought were not as tasty as I'd hoped they would be but those were no comparison to these platters.
The flavors available are:
Gummy Spaghetti: slimy candy worms with candy coagulated blood balls (flavors are lemon, lime and tropical fruit)
Gummy Breakfast: candy liquified liver, protein shake, duck egg and silk worm cereal (flavors are sour grape, strawberry, butter and chocolate)
Gummy Pig-out Platter: mmmm... pig parts (flavors are bacon and other amazing flavors)
I tasted the Gummy Pizza: crunchy candy fish eyes, worms and stinky cheese (flavors are cheddar cheese, lime, tomato and spicy pepperoni). I thought they were kidding about the stinky cheese but my taste buds told me otherwise. The candy chemists did their job well and I could not finish this candy. Cheesepuff took one sniff of it and ran away! I can't imagine what the other flavor combinations are like. The only all-fruit flavor looks like the Gummy Spaghetti and after tasting the Gummy Pizza, even the fruits have me a little leery of tasting any more of this candy.





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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Battle of the Bugs -- Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters vs. Oriental Trading Crunchy Candy Bugs




Oriental Trading Realistic Crunchy Candy Bugs come in two varieties as shown in the photo. These have a really great fruity aroma. The gummy body is tangy but not sour. I couldn't pick any specific fruit flavor, I would just describe it as fruit. The candy shell is slightly softer than a Necco Wafer but with approximately the same texture. The shell had a slight chemical taste, I presume from the food coloring used.

Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters have two in each package. These have a sweet aroma, more like sugar than fruit. The gummy body was sweet and tangy but not particularly fruity. The Roach wing covers have the same texture as O.T. Bugs with less chemical taste. HP Roaches did leave a brown smudge in the bottom of the package tray which added to the gross-out factor.




Severed thumbs up for both of these.




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Monday, October 23, 2006

Purple Cow -- Blueberry Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icicng


"I never saw a Purple Cow Cupcake
'bet you never thought you'd see one
But I can tell you anyhow
I'd rather see than be one"
(especially the hanging out in a 350 degree oven part -- YOWCH!)


Happy Birthday, Aunt Tossie!

Blueberry Cupcakes
2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake tins with baking papers. Place the butter in a microwavable bowl and microwave 1-2 minutes, just until melted but not boiling. Whisk in the brown sugar. Let cool to lukewqrm temperature, about 4 minutes.
Whisk the eggs into the butter-sugar mixture. Add the milk, vanilla, salt, and baking powder; whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Fill each baking cup two-thirds full. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

This cupcake recipe is adapted from Sara Neumeier's book, Cupcakes Year-round. This book has great recipes but the format could use a bit of standardizing with a Table of Contents so that when I'm looking for a specific recipe, I don't have to flip through the entire book looking for it.


Mascarpone Icing
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. Mascarpone cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar

Beat butter until light and fluffy then add Mascarpone and vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape the mixing bowl thoroughly and slowly add powdered sugar.


This creamy Mascarpone icing is the perfect complement to the slightly tangy blueberry cupcake. I was pleasantly surprised that the cupcakes didn't taste as much like blueberry muffins as I had expected.


When I was a little tiny baby, my Aunt Tossie cared for me while my Mom went off to work in the coal mines at 3M. From the stories I've heard, it is only by small miracles that I survived the care of my dear Auntie. I know she loves me but expect to get such a pinch the next time she sees me. Everyone join me in whistling "Happy Birthday to You" and doing a birthday jig for Tossie.


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Sunday, October 22, 2006

Jolly Rancher -- Frutas Enchiladas

My Spanish is a little rusty... Fruit Enchiladas?



Tamarind, Lime and Mango flavor lollipops with a Spanish flair.

I bought these pops at my local Big Lots store in a Halloween multi-pack. I have seen Tamarind mentioned many times as a Hispanic sweet flavor and without reading the package carefully, I tossed a big bag of these babies in my cart. I figured I would give the Tamarind a try and if I didn't like it, there was always Lime or Mango flavors left to soothe my sweet tooth.

When I tasted the Tamarind pop, I was under the impression that the Tamarind itself was what made this pop spicy. After a big spicy surprise with the Lime pop, I read the ingredients list and each of the pops has chili powder.



Don't think I'm cruel here, but I let CheesePuff taste the Mango pop, because she is my taster-helper. Her reaction, "They ruined a perfectly good candy with chili powder!" That was pretty much my sentiments about these pops.

The Tamarindo flavor pop has a spicy, musky scent and a sweet, tangy and spicy flavor that I thought was really bizarre at first but it grew on me a little even though it was too spicy for me to finish.

Lime flavor was a really real Lime flavor, not "American" Lime candy flavor. Very enjoyable in a different kind of way.

Mango flavor pop has a slight of Mango aroma. I wouldn't say this has a true Mango flavor but it was still very good.

I can't imagine choosing these as a treat but they were fun to try anyway. Perhaps if I were hosting a Spanish-theme party, these would be a fun addition to a gift pack.


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Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Monster Lip Pops

Finally found 'em.



The two on the left I found at Michael's Craft Store. The two on the right I found at Target. They have quite a different look don't they? I'm guessing that's Target's special packaging. Both are made by FLIX (the same company that makes the original Lip Pops). I did notice that the Target Pops were available in Green Apple as well as the Blue Raspberry and Watermelon flavors that I've found at Michael's. I haven't seen Green Apple in any of the Michael's Lip Pops.

I don't have a photo, but I also found some Halloween Projector Pops (I talked about those here). They have a lollipop similar to a Push-Pop and in the Pop handle there is a small lighbulb that shines a selected shape. I only found Pops with a ghost projection. The ghost image is kind of cool but at short distances (say, a few inches from a surface), otherwise it just becomes a red blob.

I believe I sent the Projector Pops along with the Brainnn Candy Prize Baskets so maybe one of our contestant-friends will let us know how the Pops tasted.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Happy Year-and-a-Half-iversary, Bloggity

Since I totally flaked on Dear Bloggity's actual Anniversary date (April 16) because it was still tax season (the last tax day was actually April 18 this year in Maryland) and Mr.G was suffering through foot surgery... I decided to celebrate at the half-year instead. Because as we all know, my schedule is so uncluttered at this time of year. HA! So keep a watchful eyeball out for those gross candy posts... they're a-comin' I assure ya!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Brainnn Candy Contest -- The Final Countdown

I don’t think our missing contestant is going to surface so let’s just hope she’s okay.



Yes we have a winner!
Three winners, actually… well heck, you’re all winners in my book!


Here are the answers for Round 3


1. Name the cracker company who for years had a recipe for Mock Apple Pie on the box back. (1 point)
Answer: Ritz Crackers (MrG found this recipe for me recently and I may have to surprise him with one of these tasty treats!)


2. Name the movie from 1966. Horrible acting and laughable special effects elevate this story of a family ensnared by a satanic cult a notch above your average bad horror film. Highlights include a Satan-like character who can’t stop laughing; the dreaded hounds of hell (or are those mangy dogs with big ears glued on?); and Torgo the monstrous henchman, who you know is evil because he has giant knee caps (a sure sign of the devil’s work). Yes, there’s even a catfight between gals in sheets! (2 points)
Answer: Manos: The Hands of Fate (Lordy what a treat this movie is!)


3. Fudgie the Whale is a versatile ice cream cake in the shape of a whale and was originally decorated as such, over the years the shape was adapted for holiday uses. The Easter Bunny could be depicted by using the whale's body as the face and the tail decorated to be his ears. Other characters, like leprechauns and Santa Claus were depicted in much the same way. Fudgie the Whale was often promoted around Father's Day, using the slogan, "For a whale of a dad." Name the ice cream company that developed Fudgie the Whale. (1 point)
Answer: Carvel (Remember a barely coherent Tom Carvel asking you to buy his ice cream cakes?? He must have been the idea man behind MrG’s favorite, Cookie O’ Puss.)

4. The first of these was built in 1936, and was 13 feet long. It cost $5000 to build, and was made in Chicago. The most recently built one is 27 feet long and seats 6. Its V-8 engine is definitely needed to power this thing, and looks like it not only needs lots of gas but could give you lots of gas too! What unique yellow and orange item is this? (2 points)
Answer: The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile


5. This West Point attendee is considered to have popularized detective fiction as well as creating poems and stories of a more macabre nature. A rose and a glass of Cognac are left on his grave every year by a mysterious fan. (1 point)
Answer: Edgar Allan Poe


6. Name the cool ghoul TV personality who performed autopsies on Jell-O. He also hosted a weekly horror movie show and recorded a song which cracked the US Top 10 chart in the 1950's. (1 point)
Answer: John Zacherle


7. This Hollywood legend plays a doctor brought back from the dead, kept alive by drinking human blood. This may be the first film character to pet white furry animals as an indicator of insanity. The white stripe in the hair was also a clue. Who is this actor/actress? (2 points)
Answer: Humphrey Bogart


8. Name the cartoon from the 1970's that featured Dracula, a Witch, a Werewolf and a Mummy living together in a haunted hotel cracking jokes and singing songs to warp little impressionable minds like mine. (1 point)
Answer: The Groovy Goolies and they all lived at Horrible Hall




Then we had the tie-breakers for the Prize Baskets

For Jademage and Food B*tch

1. Who is MrG.?
Answer: My husband
2. Who waits with CheesePuff while my cupcakes bake?
Answer: Jar Jar Binks
3. In which of the United States did I grow up?
Answer: Wisconsin
4. Guess the dollar amount, without going over, that I recently spent on gross candy at Oriental Trading Co.(closest dollar amount wins).
Answer: I’m afraid to tell you but JadeMage was closest (without going over) at $114.95
5. Since I don't get many Trick-or-Treaters, what will I be doing with all the gross candy from Oriental Trading that I can't possibly eat? Be specific.
Answer: Sorry, you folks are not getting this candy… I’m selling it on Ebay.


For Hauntedwoods and Kadavar

1. Who is CheesePuff?
Answer: my daughter
2. What is the name of the pinball machine in my basement that CheesePuff is playing in one blog photo?
Answer: Space Invaders
3. Which Brainnn Candy contestant is my mother?
Answer: Coof
4. Which other Brainnn Candy contestant is a blood relation to me?
Answer: AJTossie is my aunt
5. There are two other Brainnn Candy Contestants that I have met in person. Name one of them.
Answer: Mbabes and Talulah Bankhead






Round 3 had a total possible score of 11 Points while the tie-breaker round had a total possible score of 5 Points for each group.

Here are the final scores:

JadeMage -- 35 points (First Prize)
mbabes -- 27 points
miss lapin – 25 points
Talulah Bankhead -- 13 points
Coof -- 22 points
Food B*tch – 34 points (Second Prize)
Kadavar -- 30 points (Third Prize)
Hauntedwoods/Adam -- 29 points
Rabbitch -- 25 points
AJTossie -- 3 points


Does anyone recall the mystery prize I talked about at the beginning of the contest? We have a winner of that too! Our winner is AJTossie for all her smart-alleck guesses. Everything from Young Frankenstein being offered WD40 before retiring for bed, to Little Lulu Goes to Hawaii as an answer to the Groovy Goolies Q. Her Prize? (and this was MrG’s idea) Chocolate covered ants! Just what she always wanted.

Prize winners should be keeping an eye on their mail carriers for signs of gross candy sneaking for the next couple of weeks (hopefully no deliveries take that long!).



I want to thank you all for playing and for making this a lot of fun for me. From the emails I've received, it sounds as if you all had a lot of fun too.

I have a bunch of new gross candy to be reveiwed so keep a watchful gummy eye out for that.


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Sunday, October 01, 2006

Brainnn Candy Contest -- Round 4???

I have had a wonderful time with this contest, compiling the questions and crossing my fingers that my clues would not make Googling those answers too easy. When I dreamed up this contest I had no idea how difficult you all would make it for me.

Currently, we have one contestant who has been with us all along and suddenly has not submitted answers. I'd like to just stall a little longer with the answers to Round 3 to give that last contestant a chance to get those answers in.

In the mean time, let me explain the title of this post. We have two contestants tied at First Place and two contestants tied at Second Place. Since I only have 3 Prize Baskets, we'll need to have a tie-breaking round. Jademage and Food B*tch are tied at 31 points each after Round 3. Hauntedwoods and Kadavar are tied at 28 points after Round 3. I will be posting questions to be answered by those four contestants only. Jademage and Food B*tch will receive one set of questions. The higher-score between those two will receive the First Place Prize Basket. The lower score between those two will receive the Second Place Prize Basket.

Hauntedwoods and Kadavar will receive a separate set of questions. The higher score between those two will receive the Third Place Prize Basket. Now, be prepared you four. These will be obscure questions that will most likely be guessing unless you read my blog and can recall tidbits of my personal life that have shown up here.

Each question will be worth one point.
Email me your answers at brainnncandy@yahoo.com
I will post scores as your emails come in (in pairs). Changing answers will not be allowed. You get one shot. Answers posted in the comments section will be disqualified.
Here we go. Hopefully we can hash this out in one final round so we won't need to do this again.

For Jademage and Food B*tch

1. Who is MrG.?
2. Who waits with CheesePuff while my cupcakes bake?
3. In which of the United States did I grow up?
4. Guess the dollar amount, without going over, that I recently spent on gross candy at Oriental Trading Co.(closest dollar amount wins).
5. Since I don't get many Trick-or-Treaters, what will I be doing with all the gross candy from Oriental Trading that I can't possibly eat? Be specific.



For Hauntedwoods and Kadavar

1. Who is CheesePuff?
2. What is the name of the pinball machine in my basement that CheesePuff is playing in one blog photo?
3. Which Brainnn Candy contestant is my mother?
4. Which other Brainnn Candy contestant is a blood relation to me?
5. There are two other Brainnn Candy Contestants that I have met in person. Name one of them.


Good Luck one more time!

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Alien Drool Sour Liquid Candy



Sour liquid candy with an eye-dropper style dispenser. Varieties available are Red or Green with no mention on the label what flavors these colors might offer. We tried Red which had a scent I would describe as cherry-ish. The flavor was sort of a cherry or strawberry.

The label warns
DRIP ONLY in your mouth, or back in alien's nose..
Not the best design for sharing, it could be messy with kids.

This candy was not as haltingly sour as
Skitz-O-Frantic. Both are made by Generation Foods. Generation Foods' website is interesting only in that it shows more of their candies available. There are no games or downloads.
Our Bunny readers might find
this interesting.


Some Brainnn Candy Contest winners may find this in their prize pack.


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Sunday, September 24, 2006

Brainnn Candy Contest -- Round 3 aka Final Round

You kids are just too darn smart for your own good... Is this contest over yet...? Oh wait a minute! I think the last month has all been a dream and I'm waking up to find Bobby Ewing in the shower even though I thought he was dead... So the candy is mine all MINE ha ha! Erm, perhaps I haven't fully wakened from my dream after all.

The Answers From Round 2

1. Just as every Elvis fan longs to visit Graceland, SPAM fans worldwide now have their own pilgrimage to make. Name the place to visit the 16,500 square-foot Spam Museum (whew! That’s a lotta Spam). (1 point)
Answer: Austin, Minnesota (on Spam Boulevard!)


2. Barrett Hansen has spent the last 30 years introducing us to songs like, “Dead Puppies”, “Shaving Cream” and “Fish Heads”. By what moniker do we typically know Barrett? (1 point)
Answer: Dr. Demento


3. Dear old Dad. His wife was hacked to death in one film, and drugged and abducted in another. One daughter was one of the few not hacked to death in one classic film, and screamed her way through several other slasher flicks. Another daughter began as a model in Kotex ads. His photo was used on the cover of the Beatles Sgt Pepper album. In an early featured role he uttered the memorable line “Yonda lies da palace of my fadda da Caliph”. He is also quoted as saying, “The secret to a long and happy life? Young women’s saliva!” In keeping with the food theme, he is referred to by a would-be male lover as a snail (edible) in a classic movie. Who is this gift to food and horror movies? (2 points)
Answer: Tony Curtis


4. Jack The Ripper has appeared in a number of films, but only one rated 4-star. Name this silent-film classic. (2 points)
Answer: Pandora's Box
Some of you guessed Hitchcock's The Lodger. The Lodger featured a character referred to by some critics as a Jack The Ripper-type but the character in Pandora's Box is named Jack The Ripper. In The Lodger the killer's name is Jonathan Drew and he is also referred to in the film as The Avenger.


5. Speaking of Jack the Ripper, one of the worst rock singers of all time put out an album called “Hands of Jack The Ripper”. He was so bad that appearances by musicians, Ritchie Blackmore, Keith Moon and Noel Redding couldn’t salvage even mediocrity for this deadly album. Who is this artist? (1 point)
Answer: David Edward "Screaming Lord" Sutch (no relation to Screaming Jay Hawkins)


6. This fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and its formidable thorn-covered husk. Its flavor could be described as a rich custard highly flavored with almonds, but there are occasional wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. And its odor best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia. (1 point)
Answer: Durian (nobody was fooled here and I didn't expect anyone to be, I just love the descriptions)


7. One of the scariest movies of all time spawned one of the worst sequals of all time. In it, Richard Burton belches out the oh-so meaningful line, “Kokumu, help me find Pazuzu.” (This film is just one of many to contribute to Burton’s receipt of a Golden Turkey Award for Lifetime Acheivement of Bad Acting.) That’s not descriptive enough? Okay, check out this [edited] description I found on IMDb: Please tell me that I didn't see James Earl Jones in a big locust suit. Why is Africa made of fiber-glass? Why is Richard Burton made of stone? Oh, God. They couldn't have made this worse if they had scripted it so. Oh, wait...they did. Well, for all its faults at least it's not a desperate attempt by a major studio to milk whatever money they can out of a pre-existing hit by combining a-list actors, and a controversial visualist director, with a hastily prepared screenplay that shares little of the spirit and intelligence of its predecessor, producing a boring, although often laughably pious bastardization of something far, far greater. Oh wait....it is. If you're a fan of bad movies, you have reached Zen here. If you're a fan of the original, run, just run and don't look back. Run with your arms flailing into the night as the preview audiences surely did in 1977. (1 point)
Answer: Exorcist II, The Heretic


Round 2 had a total possible score of 9 Points. Here are the scores so far:

JadeMage -- 20 points
mbabes -- 16 points
miss lapin -- 17 points
Taulah Bankhead -- 13 points
Coof -- 14 points
Food B*tch -- 20 points
Kadavar -- 17 points
Hauntedwoods/Adam -- 17 points
Rabbitch -- 18 points
AJTossie -- 1 point (and yes, you ARE still eligible for a prize so keep those answers coming!)



Get ready for Round 3

1. Name the cracker company who for years had a recipe for Mock Apple Pie on the box back. (1 point)

2. Name the movie from 1966. Horrible acting and laughable special effects elevate this story of a family ensnared by a satanic cult a notch above your average bad horror film. Highlights include a Satan-like character who can’t stop laughing; the dreaded hounds of hell (or are those mangy dogs with big ears glued on?); and Torgo the monstrous henchman, who you know is evil because he has giant knee caps (a sure sign of the devil’s work). Yes, there’s even a catfight between gals in sheets! (2 points)

3. Fudgie the Whale is a versatile ice cream cake in the shape of a whale and was originally decorated as such, over the years the shape was adapted for holiday uses. The Easter Bunny could be depicted by using the whale's body as the face and the tail decorated to be his ears. Other characters, like leprechauns and Santa Claus were depicted in much the same way. Fudgie the Whale was often promoted around Father's Day, using the slogan, "For a whale of a dad." Name the ice cream company that developed Fudgie the Whale. (1 point)

4. The first of these was built in 1936, and was 13 feet long. It cost $5000 to build, and was made in Chicago. The most recently built one is 27 feet long and seats 6. Its V-8 engine is definitely needed to power this thing, and looks like it not only needs lots of gas but could give you lots of gas too! What unique yellow and orange item is this? (2 points)

5. This West Point attendee is considered to have popularized detective fiction as well as creating poems and stories of a more macabre nature. A rose and a glass of Cognac are left on his grave every year by a mysterious fan. (1 point)

6. Name the cool ghoul TV personality who performed autopsies on Jell-O. He also hosted a weekly horror movie show and recorded a song which cracked the US Top 10 chart in the 1950's. (1 point)

7. This Hollywood legend plays a doctor brought back from the dead, kept alive by drinking human blood. This may be the first film character to pet white furry animals as an indicator of insanity. The white stripe in the hair was also a clue. Who is this actor/actress? (2 points)

8. Name the cartoon from the 1970's that featured Dracula, a Witch, a Werewolf and a Mummy living together in a haunted hotel cracking jokes and singing songs to warp little impressionable minds like mine. (1 point)




Do Not Post Answers in the Comments Section -- You must email me your answers. Use an email address you already have for me or you may email brainnncandy@yahoo.com . Answers posted in the comments section will be disqualified.

Questions are numbered and your answer must also have the corresponding number. Simply number each answer as such: 1. Licorice Nibs, 2. The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, 3. The Tournament of Roses Parade, etc. You may change answers later if you wish. You may Google answers but as some contestants found out, some websites contain incorrect information, so be careful! Your last answer will be counted as final. You may email your answers until the following Sunday when the next round of questions will be posted as well as the answers from the previous round and the points tally. Each question will be followed by a point value for each correct answer. Each correct answer emailed to me will be awarded points and the person (living or dead) with the most points at the end of the contest will win the fabulous prizes described here.




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Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Big Stuff Lip Pops


Lollipops

Made by Flix Candy. The website says of Lip Pops, "After the candy is gone, the mouth remains as a toy"
No snickering from the adolescent boys!
Flix also makes Spooky Lip Pops with faces like a Werewolf, Alien or Monster. Many of the lip shapes are the same as the standard Lip Pops but some of the colors change to be more Monster-like.


Available in Wild Blue Raspberry and Watermelon Cooler. There are also lip-color choices of pink or red. We tried the Wild Blue Raspberry and the flavor was a decent blue raspberry; not too sour, not too sweet. The texture of the Lip Pops pop was not exactly like a Ring Pop, but similar. It was also about the same size as a Ring Pop but rounded rather than the jewel shape of Ring Pop.

This is what you'll look like when you eat a Lip Pop. Not a bad addition to that Gomer Pyle costume for Halloween.


I found tons of fun stuff on the Flix website and I hope to chance upon some projector pops. I bought my Lip Pops at my local Michael's Craft Store. They did not carry the Spooky Lip Pops or I would have brought them for show-and-tell.

Some Brainnn Candy Contest winners will receive Lip Pops.



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Sunday, September 17, 2006

Brainnn Candy Contest -- Round 2

You have done well, Grasshopper.

Congratulations to all our players! I thought this was going to be a tough round and it was for some (we had two contestants drop out) but others are driven by the want for weird candy.

I apologize for not having any additional candy reviews this week to add to the prize packs but it's been the week from hell around here and I foresee next week will turn out much the same. It's Girl Scout Cookie time, you know!

The Questions and Answers from Round 1
1.
Young Frankenstein travels to his grandfather’s castle and is greeted by Frau Blucher. Upon retiring for the night Frau Blucher asks if Dr. Frankenstein (that’s Frunkensteen!) would like a Brandy, warm milk or... this drink. (1 point)
Answer: Ovaltine

2.General Mills is cool because they make breakfast cereals featuring Count Chocula (a chocolatey Dracula), Frankenberry (a strawberry Frankenstein), and Boo Berry (a blueberry ghost). Name the cereal that General Mills once made that featured a Werewolf as the box icon. (1 point)
Answer: Fruit Brute

3.Mystery Science Theater 3000, a cult television comedy series featuring a man and his robot sidekicks who are trapped on a satellite in space and forced to watch particularly bad movies, especially (but not limited to) the science fiction genre. The gimmick of the show is that the man and his robots make a running commentary on the film, making fun of its flaws and wisecracking their way through the film. Name both of the men who hosted the show at different times during its 11-year series run. (2 points)
Answers: Joel Hodgson (played by Joel Robinson) and Mike Nelson (played by Michael J. Nelson)

4.In Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Cary Grants’ character is forced to stay at work all night in an attempt to write an advertising slogan for what food? (2 points)
Answer: Wham! Ham (If you ain't eatin' Wham!, you ain't eatin' ham!)

5.Which ice cream company’s website includes a page dedicated to ice cream flavors that were not popular sellers called, The Flavor Graveyard? (1 point)
Answer: Ben & Jerry's

6.This flowering plant smells of rotting flesh to attract flies which pollenate it. (1 point)

Answer: I was looking for voodoo lily(Amorphophallus bulbifer). Jademage clued me in that there were other flowers that smelled of rotting flesh as well (aren't we lucky to have such variety of carrion flowers???) but I will only accept flowers that smelled of dead things AND were pollenated by flies. Those are: Stinking Corpse Lily, Dragon Arum, Skunk Cabbage (MrG's favorite, btw), Dead Horse Arum and Putrid Flowers of the Indian Almond. I will not accept Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus Titanium, or Titan) because it is pollenated by carrion beetles and not flies (despite what some websites might suggest).

7.William Shatner stars as Marc, a soldier of pure heart who has just returned home injured from the war. He becomes the target of Kia, a beautiful female demon, who has become bored with taking the lives of corrupt men. Kia sets out to seduce Marc, but ends up falling in love, angering her sister demon and forcing her to summon the master demon to wreak revenge. Name this movie, the only film shot entirely in the artificial language of Esperanto. (This is a toughie, we'll award 3 points for this)
Answer: Incubus (hey, *I* thought it was tough but most everyone got this one)


Round 1 had a total possible score of 11 points. Here are the scores for this round, in no particular order:

JadeMage -- 11 points
mbabes -- 9 points
Miss Lapin -- 10 points
Taulah Bankhead -- 7 points
Coof -- 9 points
Food B*tch -- 11 points
Kadavar -- 10 points
Hauntedwoods/Adam -- 10 points
Rabbitch -- 11 points
AJTossie -- 0 points, but still in the running!



Get ready for Round 2

1. Just as every Elvis fan longs to visit Graceland, SPAM fans worldwide now have their own pilgrimage to make. Name the place to visit the 16,500 square-foot Spam Museum (whew! That’s a lotta Spam). (1 point)

2. Barrett Hansen has spent the last 30 years introducing us to songs like, “Dead Puppies”, “Shaving Cream” and “Fish Heads”. By what moniker do we typically know Barrett? (1 point)

3. Dear old Dad. His wife was hacked to death in one film, and drugged and abducted in another. One daughter was one of the few not hacked to death in one classic film, and screamed her way through several other slasher flicks. Another daughter began as a model in Kotex ads. His photo was used on the cover of the Beatles Sgt Pepper album. In an early featured role he uttered the memorable line “Yonda lies da palace of my fadda da Caliph”. He is also quoted as saying, “The secret to a long and happy life? Young women’s saliva!” In keeping with the food theme, he is referred to by a would-be male lover as a snail (edible) in a classic movie. Who is this gift to food and horror movies? (2 points)

4. Jack The Ripper has appeared in a number of films, but only one rated 4-star. Name this silent-film classic. (2 points)

5. Speaking of Jack the Ripper, one of the worst rock singers of all time put out an album called “Hands of Jack The Ripper”. He was so bad that appearances by musicians, Ritchie Blackmore, Keith Moon and Noel Redding couldn’t salvage even mediocrity for this deadly album. Who is this artist? (1 point)

6. This fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and its formidable thorn-covered husk. Its flavor could be described as a rich custard highly flavored with almonds, but there are occasional wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. And its odor best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia. (1 point)

7. One of the scariest movies of all time spawned one of the worst sequals of all time. In it, Richard Burton belches out the oh-so meaningful line, “Kokumu, help me find Pazuzu.” (This film is just one of many to contribute to Burton’s receipt of a Golden Turkey Award for Lifetime Acheivement of Bad Acting.) That’s not descriptive enough? Okay, check out this [edited] description I found on IMDb: Please tell me that I didn't see James Earl Jones in a big locust suit. Why is Africa made of fiber-glass? Why is Richard Burton made of stone? Oh, God. They couldn't have made this worse if they had scripted it so. Oh, wait...they did. Well, for all its faults at least it's not a desperate attempt by a major studio to milk whatever money they can out of a pre-existing hit by combining a-list actors, and a controversial visualist director, with a hastily prepared screenplay that shares little of the spirit and intelligence of its predecessor, producing a boring, although often laughably pious bastardization of something far, far greater. Oh wait....it is. If you're a fan of bad movies, you have reached Zen here. If you're a fan of the original, run, just run and don't look back. Run with your arms flailing into the night as the preview audiences surely did in 1977. (1 point)


Do Not Post Answers in the Comments Section -- You must email me your answers. Use an email address you already have for me or if you have not already registered, you may email brainnncandy@yahoo.com . Answers posted in the comments section will be disqualified.

Questions are numbered and your answer must also have the corresponding number. Simply number each answer as such: 1. Licorice Nibs, 2. The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, 3. The Tournament of Roses Parade, etc. You may change answers later if you wish. You may Google answers but as some contestants found out, some websites contain incorrect information, so be careful! Your last answer will be counted as final. You may email your answers until the following Sunday when the next round of questions will be posted as well as the answers from the previous round and the points tally. Each question will be followed by a point value for each correct answer. Each correct answer emailed to me will be awarded points and the person (living or dead) with the most points at the end of the contest will win the fabulous prizes described here.

You may now commence with the Googling.





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Sunday, September 10, 2006

Brainnn Candy Contest -- Round 1


So, you think you're pretty smart eh, punk?

Before I begin the formalities, I'd like to say, "Thank you" to all the nice folks who signed up for this goofy ride. You make this the E-ticket of blogging. (*sniff* ahem!)

Now to the boring stuff you need to know...

In the interest of fairness and fun, I have decided to change the system for answering the questions (I just like to keep you guessing).
Do Not Post Answers in the Comments Section -- I know, I went through a lot of rigmarole trying to acquaint some of you with posting in comments, but I realized that it will be more fun to keep everyone guessing the answers until next week. This also gives those late-sleepers an equal chance at winning.
Instead, you must email me your answers. Use an email address you already have for me or if you have not already registered, you may email brainnncandy@yahoo.com . Answers posted in the comments section will be disqualified.

Questions will be numbered and your answer must also have the corresponding number. Simply number each answer as such: 1. Licorice Nibs, 2. The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, 3. The Tournament of Roses Parade, etc. You may change answers later if you wish. Your last answer will be counted as final. You may email your answers until the following Sunday when the next round of questions will be posted as well as the answers from the previous round and the points tally. Each question will be followed by a point value for each correct answer. Each correct answer emailed to me will be awarded points and the person (living or dead) with the most points at the end of the contest will win the fabulous prizes described here.



Now for some really non-boring stuff you'll want to know...

We had quite a few late entries. Enough that it pushed us past the requirement to include a Third Place Prize Pack! So, here are the prize packs you'll be playing for (this does not include any candy reviews I may do before the end of the contest which will likely be thrown in for good measure later).
In The First Prize Basket: Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters, a Bug Factor Lollipop, sour Ear Wax Candy, and an Alien Glow Pop plus a Harry Potter Chocolate Frog [comes with a Collectible Wizard Card], Lightning Pumpkins Gummie Candy, Captain Muddy's Bug Tube and Tweezers, Mentos Sours, Bug City Candy Tarts, Skitz'o'Frantic Candy (you know you want to see how sour it really is!), Gummy Fishies, and Smarties (because you can never be too smart).
The Second Prize Basket now contains: Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters, a Bug Factor Lollipop, an Alien Glow Pop, Captain Muddy's Bug Tube and Tweezers, Junk Mouth Candy Spray, and Alien Drool Candy.
Third Prize Basket holds: Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters, a Bug Factor Lollipop, Lightning Pumpkins, H&R Block Tax-ing Mints, and War Heads Sour Candies.

We will also have one very special prize. The requirements for winning this prize will be known only to MrG and me until the end of the contest and the prize itself (if won) will be revealed at the end of the contest as well. The requirements for winning this prize are such that, they will be emailed and time-stamped from me to MrG prior to the contest so that no foul play can be called later-on.

And Finally, The Questions For Round 1

1.Young Frankenstein travels to his grandfather’s castle and is greeted by Frau Blucher. Upon retiring for the night Frau Blucher asks if Dr. Frankenstein (that’s Frunkensteen!) would like a Brandy, warm milk or... this drink. (1 point)

2.General Mills is cool because they make breakfast cereals featuring Count Chocula (a chocolatey Dracula), Frankenberry (a strawberry Frankenstein), and Boo Berry (a blueberry ghost). Name the cereal that General Mills once made that featured a Werewolf as the box icon. (1 point)

3.Mystery Science Theater 3000, a cult television comedy series featuring a man and his robot sidekicks who are trapped on a satellite in space and forced to watch particularly bad movies, especially (but not limited to) the science fiction genre. The gimmick of the show is that the man and his robots make a running commentary on the film, making fun of its flaws and wisecracking their way through the film. Name both of the men who hosted the show at different times during its 11-year series run. (2 points)

4.In Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Cary Grants’ character is forced to stay at work all night in an attempt to write an advertising slogan for what food? (2 points)

5.Which ice cream company’s website includes a page dedicated to ice cream flavors that were not popular sellers called, The Flavor Graveyard? (1 point)

6.This flowering plant smells of rotting flesh to attract flies which pollenate it. (1 point)


7.William Shatner stars as Marc, a soldier of pure heart who has just returned home injured from the war. He becomes the target of Kia, a beautiful female demon, who has become bored with taking the lives of corrupt men. Kia sets out to seduce Marc, but ends up falling in love, angering her sister demon and forcing her to summon the master demon to wreak revenge. Name this movie, the only film shot entirely in the artificial language of Esperanto. (This is a toughie, we'll award 3 points for this)


Now, you know what to do, Dog... Bust a Move!
Email your answers anytime through next Sunday, 9/17 when answers will be revealed and points tallied.



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Saturday, September 09, 2006

Brainnn Candy Contest -- Last Chance For Sign-up



Tomorrow begins the first round of trivia for the Brainnn Candy Contest so drag out those skull caps... er, thinking caps and get ready. Look for the first round of questions to show up around noon, eastern.




The zombie is taunting you with it. He knows you want the brainnns.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Junk Mouth Candy Spray



Spray and Stay Tongue Stainer

Made by the same company as Skitz-o-Frantic. Available in Blue (Sour Cankerberry) and Green (Watermelon Wasteland). It had virtually no scent inside the bottle. We tried the Watermelon Wasteland and it was nearly the same flavor as Skitz-o-Frantic Apple, slightly sweeter (thank goodness!) and more liquid-y.

The more you spray, the more it stains the tongue but I wouldn't be particularly worried about staining with this. CheesePuff had 4 or 5 sprays (she didn't want any more after that) with almost no tongue staining. I had slightly more staining with 8-10 spays and the staining didn't remain more than a couple of minutes.

Like Skitz-o-Frantic, this is a good novelty candy and I would be more likely to buy Junk Mouth than Skitz-o-Frantic because I preferred the less-sour spray. Despite what the cartoon on the bottle shows, it left no bad breath.



Winners of the
Brainnn Candy Contest might find Junk Mouth in their prize pack.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Sour Skitz-o-Frantic Candy



Crazy Liquid Candy x2



Two separate but equally sour liquid candies in one tube. The one we tried was Green (Apple) and Blue (Tropical Punch). Red (Strawberry) is also available. The blue was only slightly less sour than the green but tasting the candy from the separate compartments is difficult.
CheesePuff's eyes watered when she tried this candy even though she was warned that it was sour.

This is a fun novelty candy but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it just to enjoy as a candy treat.



Some Brainnn Candy Contest winners may find this in their prize pack.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Brainnn Candy Contest



Help me break-in my new format by joining me and a few zombies as we host a Trivia Contest!

Beginning Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006 I'll be posting trivia questions about food, candy, horror, movies... (whatever I can come up with, really) to try and stump you (get it, zombie... stump...?) ahem, I'll do my best not to keep that up. You can answer the questions via comments and the first person to correctly answer each question will receive points (I haven't figured out all the details yet but I'll be as official and fair as possible). The person with the most points at the end of the contest will win an actual prize!

I will ask additional questions on Sunday, Sept. 17 and Sept. 24, 2006 and you may attempt to answer questions until the end of the contest on Saturday, Sept. 30, when winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded.

In order to receive your prize(s) you must register for the contest. Email me fabulous_cheesebabe[at]yahoo[dot]com with "Brainnn Candy Contest" as your subject line and let me know what name you will be playing (commenting) under. No need to give me all your snail-mail details now, I'll just need that if you win. You may register at any time before the end of the contest but, the more people who register early, the bigger and better the prizes get. So, if I only get 5 folks who register before the trivia begins, we'll have one First Prize winner. 10 folks who register before the trivia begins will ramp up to one First Prize and one Second Prize winner. 15 early registrations will result in one First Prize winner, one Second Prize Winner and one Third Prize winner. More early registrations means better prizes too, so tell your friends to register early. One registration per email address, okay? Let's not get greedy here... it's mostly about the fun.


Mr.G has agreed to be the impartial judge so if I screw up a question or there is some debate over validity, he'll give the final call. This contest will be open to everyone except Mr.G, who will probably help me select a few questions.

So what kind of prizes are you playing for? The First Prize Basket begins with Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters, a Bug Factor Lollipop, sour Ear Wax Candy, and an Alien Glow Pop (you see the Zombie at the top holding one). More to be (hopefully!) added soon but that's all up to you folks.


Once again, email me fabulous_cheesebabe[at]yahoo[dot]com with a subject line of Brainnn Candy Contest and don't forget the underscore (_) between fabulous and cheesebabe. Just include the ID you'll be using in the comments section so I can accurately award points as the trivving begins.


Update 9/3 - We now have enough registrants to allow First Prize and Second Prize! The First Prize Basket now holds:Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters, a Bug Factor Lollipop, sour Ear Wax Candy, and an Alien Glow Pop plus a Harry Potter Chocolate Frog [comes with a Collectible Wizard Card], Lightning Pumpkins Gummie Candy, and Captain Muddy's Bug Tube and Tweezers.
The Second Prize Basket now contains: :Harry Potter Cockroach Clusters, a Bug Factor Lollipop, and an Alien Glow Pop.

Welcome Back -- or, See How I'm Wrapping Up My Summer

Dear people, I suppose you're tired by now of my excuses for not blogging often and telling of all my food adventures. The truth is, I've been hoarding my food adventures. Awful of me, I know. But I have begun to realize that my attention just can't be held by hundreds of photos of beautiful food creation processes. I want to see the mess, the slop and the yuck of food. (Don't worry, I won't be making any trips to chicken-processing plants!)

Other than food, one of my greatest pleasures is Halloween and I think I should try to incorporate my love of food and Halloween for more than one month of the year. That means many of my upcoming food tales will be about fun and yucky food or candy.

In the mean time, see why I've been so busy?



Our old house was insulated by injecting foam through holes drilled in the siding.


Then we got it painted (no, it's not finished yet). The neighbors HATE the new color. Luckily, they haven't turned into an angry mob about it yet. Maybe they're all still away on vacation. Don't mind all those weeds, it's been too hot to do anything about that.


Even CheesePuff is helping out.


Then there's this. Do you know what this is? This is my sad sad kitchen without a stove. Our old stove was struck by lightning and the new stove... well gee, um, SOMEbody (me) measured wrong and the new stove didn't fit. But the installers tried to make it fit and shattered the entire top. This all occurred during prime jamming time so no jam has been made. My freezer is full to the gills with fruit waiting to be made into jam. (Once the second new stove got here, the A/C broke so I didn't even dare try to test it out!)

Now that school is back on and the weather is beginning to cool off and the A/C is fixed... well, let's just say I have a long list of catch-ups. Blogging included.

Y'all come back now, 'hear?

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Blogathon Begins

Ha! Just seeing if you're paying attention with that last entry.

As of 9:00 this morning Blogathon has officially begun. I'll be watching my friends Bunni, who has horror movie trivia (and a prize you can win!.. I say 'you' because I haven't seen enough new horror movies to qualify for the prize) and Bakerina, who seems to be racing about New York in search of Internet access so she CAN blog... the poor dear. Perhaps Bakerina will entice interest in the Blogathon with her antics, only time will tell.

I hope that you will check them out while I am on my way to stuff my princess with ice creamy goodness at the grand re-opening of the local ice cream shop.