Before I begin, I have two words for you.

Cake Balls.

Yep. I said it. Cake Balls.

The BEST Cake Balls you will ever have.

Two weekends ago, Benjamin Moore hosted the Fifty Shades of Grey party for the ShesConnected Conference.  Let me tell you, Benjamin Moore sure knows how to throw a party. IMPRESSIVE!  Everything from the decor, drinks, music, and treats were enough to make Mr. Grey himself impressed!

Candy Coated Sweet Tables did a fabulous job on the Fifty Shades of Grey inspired sweets table. Unbelievable!

 Doesn't this make you wish you were Anastasia Steele?

Such a keen eye for detail. Every item on the sweets table had tremendous thought that went into it.  Fabulous!


She had everything from the Ben Wa Cake Balls, paddles, whips, ties, and all kinds of naughty things that one could expect from the one and only Christian Grey.  My friend, CanineCologne (who got me into Fifty Shades) would totally freak over these!

Not only aesthetically pleasing, but these treats were scrumptious!
Haha! Some of my favourite ladies and me...with our cake balls!

These cake balls were so fabulous that I told Kelly she needs to come up with a t-shirt and the slogan should read: "SAY IT WITH CAKE BALLS". I'm serious!

A very special thank you goes out to Benjamin Moore Paints, ShesConnected, and Candy Coated Sweet Tables! All photos by the incredible Raymond Siu @raymondsiu.

If  you have a special function, occasion, event, or gathering, give Candy Coated Sweet Tables a shout.  I've already booked them for an event in Toronto coming up (and I'm on Manitoulin Island)! Yes, that's how amazing they are! I love Kelly and Heather!

Contact Candy Coated Sweet Tables at:

www.candycoated.ca
candycoatedsweettables AT gmail DOT com

It's that time of the year again! Halloween!
Sure, the scary Jack 'O Lanterns, the spooky decorations and getting dressed up in costumes is exciting (okay, for the kids too!), but what I looked forward to the most when I was a kid was...

You guessed it! The loot!

It was always so fun to see what kind of treats our neighbours would have for us.  "Make sure you go to so-and-so's house, because his Mom is giving out chocolate bars!"

"Don't go to the last house on the block, because they're giving out raisins!"

Not that I had anything against raisins, but c'mon! It's Halloween!
That was then. This is now.

I'll be the Mom giving out tooth brushes to kids so as to promote healthy teeth and gums.

Just kidding.

This year, I'm excited to be giving the kids in our neighbourhood something many will appreciate: candy that is not so tricky. What does this mean? I'm sure you remember Allan Candy. They're a Canadian candy company (with candies made here in Canada) that has been around for quite some time now.  A lot of the candy I loved as a kid (not that we were allowed candy all the time) was made by Allan Candy!
Anyway, one of my biggest worries now is giving out candies that may include peanut or may have been contaminated by peanuts.  As a kid, this was not something I worried about, but as a Mom? BIG stress and anxiety added for me!

I am pleased to say that Allan Candy's Halloween products are peanut-free! Now you don't have to worry about the candy you're giving to the neighbourhood kids. You know that if they bring the candy to school or other social gatherings, it's safe.
I pretty much guarantee that parents will be sneaking some of their kids' loot on Halloween when they find out they've got Big Foot, Green Thumb, Hot Lips, Sour Cherries, Sour Peaches, and all kinds of other treats in their bags!

Confession: Hubby and Little One have already sampled some of the candy! Two Green Thumbs up!


Disclosure - As a thank you for participating in this Mom Central Canada blog tour, I was given a variety of AllanCandy, which included Chewy Rascalz (individually wrapped Big Foot, Sour Big Foot, Green Thumb and Hot Lips), Fruit Buddies (individually wrapped sour candies in a variety of fruit flavours) and Intense Sour JuJubes & Jellies, along with a gift card. All the thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

BigSkyBrands candy, that is!

I have been a very negligent blogger and in the process of putting together my 2 year old's fairy-princess-ballerina birthday party, I totally forgot to announce the winner of the BigSkyBrands candy contest!
Without further ado, the winner is...

Cindy said...

I like BigSkyBrands on Facebook.

October 15, 2010 9:45 PM

Cindy, please contact me with your mailing info so BigSkyBrands can send you your prize!

Thanks to everyone for entering the contest! Stay tuned for more exciting giveaways.

Friends, I must say that I am a fan of BigSkyBrands candy. They won me over years ago with theirJones Soda Candy. In partnership with Jones Soda, BigSkyBrands came up with their carbonated Jones Soda Candy. The perfect marriage? I think so. Everyone knows Jones Soda, right? Some of their most popular flavours have now become candy flavours! Fufu Berry, Green Apple, Berry Lemonade, Cream Soda, Grape, Orange & Cream, Cola and Root Beer candy! Thank you, BigSkyBrands!

I love these slightly fizzy candies! They certainly do not fall behind on taste! They are full of flavour! I've tried them all, except for the Cream Soda, Cola, and Root Beer. Don't worry! They're on my list!

Oh, it gets better! Not only is the candy amazing, but the containers are the coolest! The tins are soooooo cool! It's not just a novelty for our family. We actually use the tins after we've eaten the candy! Hubby keeps a few Jones Soda tins in his truck and in my van and fills them with loonies, toonies, and quarters for those times when you need change for emergencies. Trust me, it's come in handy for us!

Then there are the Warp Energy Mints. "Warp Energy Mints deliver the boost of an energy drink with the breath-blasting effects of a high-powered mint. Each mint is fueled with a potent energy formulation featuring ginseng, for superior physical endurance; and guarana, for an instant thrust of energy. The result is a natural, high-octane energy rush, anytime and anywhere."

I'm addicted to the Green Tea energy mints. Hubby loves the cinnamon ones.

What I am most excited about is the introduction of these...

Sunkist candies piqued my curiosity, because I'm not into overly sweet things. I like citrus flavours. These are absolute perfection. Okay, I sound like Chandler in that Friends episode where he gets stuck in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre!

Anyway, Valencia Orange, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Eureka Lemon and Key Lime
give a refreshing citrus burst while freshening your breath. Isn't that cool? So far, I've tried the Valencia Orange, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Key Lime. All three are my favourites! I can't choose one!

Finally, we have the Yogen Fruz Smoothies. I'm super excited about these, because I love, love, LOVE Yogen Fruz! I am crazy about smoothies. I make smoothies at home, I order smoothies when I'm out...you get the picture. Smoothies = heaven. Smoothies make me happy.

BigSkyBrands teamed up with Yogen Fruz to give you the portable smoothie! Each piece of candy is only 3 calories, with 0 fat. Yup. You can enjoy these babies anytime, anywhere, and feel zero guilt!

They come in these amazing flavours: Strawberry Banana, Blueberry Breeze (with Acai), Tropical Storm, PeachBerry Sunset, Wild Cherry and Verry Berry.

BigSkyBrands gave me Strawberry Banana, Blueberry Breeze (with Acai) and PeachBerry Sunset to try. I LOVE THEM ALL!!! Wait! That's a lie. I didn't get to try the Blueberry Breeze, because I foolishly left the box of candies on my stairs, and our guests at Thanksgiving swiped ALL of the Blueberry Breeze ones! I guess the overwhelming consensus came down to the Blueberry Breeze being the number one choice? Hard to say, since they pretty much cleaned me out of all the other flavours too. Hmmmph! I have to be more creative in hiding my stash next time!

BUY IT!
You can buy all of these amazing candies at stores everywhere. Candy stores, specialty stores, grocery stores, convenience stores...I've even seen them at Mark's Work Warehouse!!!

WIN IT!
BigSkyBrands is giving one lucky reader a cool prize! One winner will receive a few of their tasty candies! Go on and enter! You know you wanna!

To win:
Check out the BigSkyBrands website and let me know (in a comment on this blog) which candy you would like to try.

For extra entries:
* "Like" BigSkyBrands on Twitter
* Follow BigSkyBrands on Facebook!
* "Like" Jones Soda Candy on Facebook
* "Like" Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook
* Follow us on Networked Blogs
* Grab our button on the right and leave us a link where we can find where you posted it.
* Follow us on Twitter @chancesmommy
That's EIGHT chances to win! Contest closes at midnight (EST) on November 11, 2010. A winner will be chosen at random via Random.Org.

I was given packs of Sunkist and Yogen Fruz candies from BigSkyBrands for review purposes. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Last night, I went out with the girls and attended a chocolate and coffee tasting session. Click here to check it out! :)

It was sooooo much fun!!!

Can't.

Stop.

Baking.

Cupcakes!!!

I have no idea what this crazy cupcake craze is all about, but I cannot stop baking cupcakes! I don't even like eating cupcakes! Weird! People get a kick out of the fact that I do so much baking, but don't eat baked goods!

Hubby, my family and my friends don't mind being my taste testers though.

I bought these Smoothie flavoured Jelly Bellies for decorations on my cupcakes. I haven't figured what I'm going to use them for, but they are so yummy! They really do taste like smoothies!Aren't they pretty?
The Smoothies Blend flavours consist of Strawberry Banana, Mandarin Orange-Mango, Mixed Berry, Pineapple-Pear, and Cherry-Passion fruit. My favourite was the Mixed Berry. It tastes just like mixed berry yogourt. Yum! Second in line would have to be the Strawberry-Banana. It was the perfect mixture of flavours. I like anything cherry (except Cherry Cordials! Gross!). The Cherry-Passion fruit gourmet jelly beans were delectable. I have to say that I wasn't a fan of the Mandarin Orange-Mango or the Pineapple-Pear! Odd, because I LOVE Mandarin orange, mango, pear and pineapple! The pineapple and pear together just tasted really weird. I thought I was eating wax. Not that I'd know what wax tastes like or anything! It just tasted really artificial and "off".
Now, if you've been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I'm not one for following instructions. Well, not when cooking! Other than that, I assure you that I am a law abiding citizen!! Really. I am!

Most of my recipes don't have exact measurements. It's mostly "a little bit of this and a little bit of that" or "a pinch of this" or "whatever you like". Easy. It's not rocket science.

Baking is an all-together different story though. Everything has to be exact or else sometimes the recipe fails. It is a science with baking. I like to think of it as the perfect marriage of science and art.

I was pleased with my first attempt at cupcake decorating, so I decided to try a different design.

I baked some chocolate cupcakes (pretty standard recipe. I can post it if anyone wants it).
I saw a segment on Steven and Chris on how to make perfect and easy decorative cupcakes. C'mon, you've gotta love two guys showing you how to make beautiful meals, decorate your house, and wear the latest fashions! I love Steven and Chris!

Oh, right. Cupcakes. It looked pretty fool-proof on TV. Boy, was I a fool! This is why I DO NOT follow recipes! The instructions totally did not work out!!!

You're supposed to let your cupcakes cool and then ice them. Fine. Done. Then you're supposed to take marshmallows and lay them horizontally and cut them into five segments. Cut close to the end without cutting through completely. Gently fan the segments out to look like flower petals. Overlap the first and last petals and it should stick together. The marshmallows are really sticky and are supposed to "glue" themselves together.

Lay your opened flower on top of the cupcake and add a colourful jujube in the middle. Et voila! You should have a gorgeous flower cupcake.

Ummm...It totally didn't work for me. The marshmallows DID NOT stick together. They kept lifting off of the cupcake. FRUSTRATING!! Did I mention that I'm not the most patient person in the world? The jujube wouldn't stay glued in the middle of the flower either. I tried applying a dab of icing to act as "cement" and it still didn't stick!
Really frustrated, I went against the instructions and completely cut through the stupid marshmallow. Did I mention that I hate marshmallows? Well, maybe I like them in S'mores...but in nothing else! Okay, maybe roasted over a campfire. That's it.

I placed i-n-d-i-v-d-u-a-l petals on each cupcake and plunked a jujube in the middle of each flower. Done!

Not as pretty as the cupcakes I made the other day. Oh well. It's all part of the learning experience.

I have discovered since today's cupcake decorating session that marshmallows are the bane of my existence.


Today was Little One's 1 year corrected birthday. She was supposed to be born a year ago today, but arrived three months early. We had a little luncheon with her grandma, Lola, Grampy, and some of her little friends (whom she will be going to school with in a few years). I made grilled chicken, red onion, honey Dijon mustard and avocado paninis and spinach salad. I saved the top of Little One's birthday cake (and froze it) so we could eat it on her corrected birthday. I must say that Hello Kitty's head preserved very well! Thanks, Maria (for baking the birthday cake)!

I don't know why I have this song in my head. The first (and only) time I had ever heard it was when I was teaching in Japan. I was in a karaoke bar with some friends and co-workers, when one of the Japanese managers at the school I taught at sang this song.

As we (Hubby, The Student and I) sat around the dining room table sampling chocolate this evening, this song was in my head.

Anyway, since this week is The Student's last week with us before he goes back to university, I took him to the Chocolate Works. See how excited Little One was to be going to the Chocolate Works? Okay, she gets super excited every time we go for car rides.Is it just me, or does she look like she's grown a lot in the past week!?!

The Student dropped $50 on chocolate, which is not too difficult to do. He's very thoughtful. He bought lots of chocolate for his parents. Wonder if Little One will be as thoughtful when she gets older? Just kidding.His loot consisted of everything from Tiramisu hot chocolate (I didn't see that! I would have bought some if I had!) to Tickle Berries. In case you're wondering, Tickle Berries are chocolate covered cherries, raspberries, blueberries and cranberries! They are YUMMY!!!

Since it is my personal quest to try every single type of chocolate that the Chocolate Works makes, this week I present to you...
Almond Cranberry Bark (white chocolate), Almond Cranberry Bark (milk chocolate) and S'more Bark.First up is the white chocolate Almond Cranberry Bark. If you know me well, you'll know that I am a white chocolate lover. There's just something about that milky, sweet taste that reminds me of the white chocolate Easter bunnies I used to get as a kid at Easter. I guess I just love everything that reminds me of my childhood! White chocolate brings me back to those days of running around the backyard with my brothers and cousins, looking for Easter eggs on a nice, cool, crisp, sunny Spring day.

I just love this almond cranberry bark. The cranberry is really noticeable with the white chocolate. The almonds add a really nice crunch.I was kind of torn between which I liked better. It was a tough decision, because the milk chocolate almond cranberry bark was equally delicious. Subtle, smooth, silky, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate with the sweet yet tart cranberry and the crunchy almonds...who could resist that? I may like this bark better than the white chocolate bark, but for contrasting flavours, you can really notice the cranberries with the white chocolate bark. Last up is the S'more Bark. I got this one with Hubby in mind. When we had ESL students the summer before Little One was born, Hubby had a camp fire and made S'mores for the students from South Korea. S'mores remind me of being a kid and camping in my friend's backyard. S'mores are the quintessential childhood treats! My students were glad that they were introduced to S'mores.

The S'mores bark made me think of my husband, I brought some home for him.Yup! Just as delicious as the original S'mores treat! Silky milk chocolate covering mini marshmallows and graham cracker crumbles were absolutely divine! Two thumbs up for this one!

This evening was all about chocolate. If you happen to live near me, you'll be seeing me walking up and down our highway with Little One or doing some sort of manual labour in hopes of working off tonight's chocolate! ;)


It's all about the dum dum duh dee dum dum...

There's a new kid in town, and this new kid is Boo-Bah-Lou Candy Cabin. I used to get my fix of candy from my childhood from my enabler/promoter of bad habits, Jeanna. Just kidding, Jeanna! ;)

Boo-Bah-Lou has all the candy from my childhood, as well as novelty items. Since this week is The Student's last week with us, we went for a drive and hit up Boo-Bah-Lou for a sugar fix.

Now I know where the phrase "Like a kid in a candy shop" came from! Adults, teens, and kids of all ages were going gaga for candy. It's amazing how much candy The Student and I purchased even though we don't normally eat much candy! I guess it's a novelty thing.

The Student purchased items he had never tried before. He said that as a kid, he LOVED Nerds. This particular combination of Nerds was new to him. He was also curious about Razzles. I think the part about it being the candy that turns into gum was particularly interesting to him. Oh, and isn't that the biggest Tootsie Roll you've ever seen?
I purchased Whoppers for Hubby, Cow Tales for my friend's Mom, and a few other confectionery delights to share and sample with everyone in the household.

The Student and I are both big Chronicles of Narnia fans. In the book, there is mention of Turkish Delight. Of course, being in a candy store one would probably find Turkish Delight. There it was, so we had to get some.

The Student and I gave it two thumbs down. I don't get it! The candy wrapper says that it's "Full of Eastern Promise"! It's full of awful jelly ickiness! Perhaps jelly candies are an acquired taste. I'll tell ya, it's a taste I haven't acquired. Not a fan. It wasn't just the jelly texture that threw me off. It was the actual taste. I couldn't make out if it tasted more like roses or cherry to me. This is weird, because I have a very acute sense of smell and taste.

Two thumbs down!!!

Hubby had never seen Popeye Candy Cigarettes before. What?!?! As a kid, we used to get those all the time! Well, not all the time. Every once in a while, we'd save our allowance and head to the corner store (depanneur, in French...since we grew up in Montreal). We'd pay 50 cents for 50 Swedish berries or 50 gummy bears or gummy worms. We'd also load up on various flavours of licorice (both the flat kind and the shoe string kind). I think my fave was the grape, followed by mint.

I also purchased Bubble Yum bubble gum in Hershey's chocolate flavour at Boo-Bah-Lou's. Chocolate flavoured gum seems just so different to me. I haven't tried it yet.
Of course, I'm a sucker for novelty items and had to get this Tootsie Roll lip balm. I can tell ya that it smells just like Tootsie Roll! You almost want to eat it. Not sure if it's a good idea though, because Little One keeps trying to eat her mama's mouth!
Not a big fan of jelly beans, but I do like Jelly Belly jelly beans. I think it's the whole gourmet flavoured aspect of it. It's not your ordinary jelly bean flavours. Remember I told you about my acute sense of smell and taste? Well, you can blindfold me and let me guess which flavour of Jelly Belly jelly beans I'm sampling and 99% of the time I will get it right. My ESL students find it amusing and amazing to witness that. Yes, it's one of my many hidden talents. LOL! The Fun Dip and the Fuzzy Peaches didn't last long at all. The Nieces were over for a movie night and devoured the candy! A night of Twilight and Fuzzy Peaches...how much more can you ask for?
Little One wanted in on the candy action too. She's a cheeky little monkey! She was inching her way towards the candy! She was originally placed on the play mat with her head in the opposite direction and she was on her back.