Sweets For the Sweet

     Well good morning Peeps.  I am sitting here at my desk and over the weekend people started posting pictures of candy. Valentines day candy and I was shocked but yes even Easter candy!  It surprised me. Seriously, I realize candy is big business, here in the States there is even an amusement park centered around it. It starts with Halloween sometimes in September, sometimes even August. Considering halloween is the end of october, and as soon as Halloween is here, they make room on the shelves for the Christmas candy.  Wait!!! Isn't there another holiday before that? It's crazy, its not even that good anymore. Just mass produced to fill the needs. And its there all the time, stores like Target, Walmart, and even the drug stores, have aisles filled with candy and more up at the registers.
WHAT HAPPENED???  Its no wonder that us Yanks are a chunky bunch  LOL   Look everyone loves candy, my mom would rather have candy than cake, but candy used to be special. It was for a special occasion and it was treated that way. Even when I was a little kid, it was a treat. Of sure there were candy stores but we went to them to get egg creams ( a NY thing lol) and comic books. The candy we got was different too. It was bubble gum and candy dots, not so much chocolate.  Not for me anyway. I don't remember when chocolate candy really started being a staple for me. I loved hard candy more, and my great Aunt used to have these violet candies she gave me. Oh they were so yummy.    But there was a store up on the avenue, that we used to go to when Mom wanted to get a present of candy for someone. It was called Loft's, it smelled so good in there. This wasn't mass produced candy, meaning that it was not made in the hundreds of thousands quantity that a place like Hershey's does now. It was better, richer and attention was paid to the quality and detail of the candy. You could buy boxes, and they had novelties as well. I actually to this day still have a bunny mug that was given to me as a very young child. I treasure this mug. Its not used anymore as the crazing in the glaze has gotten too much, but the displays in the store were great. And then there was Barton's candy, similar type and the windows in thee stores. I guess I just miss that candy used to be special, it marked an occasion and it should be again, That's why Europe has better chocolate. That's my opinion and I'm sure some will disagree. There are smaller chocolate factories here in the states , Sees candies comes to mind, Ye Olde Pepper Companie is another, of course there is Godiva and Teucher's too, and these are excellent candies and worth the extra you pay.   They taste more European and some are from Europe being sold here in the states. The richness is what makes it, and you savor the candy,  not east it mindlessly knowing there is lots more where that come from at 2 for $1.00 Yuck!!

Look at this window display for Bartons back in the early 1950's, just gorgeous and yes I want to go in and experience this again. Oh America, start realizing quality is much better than quantity again please.

Such a gorgeous shop window.   Okay peeps I'm going to say ciao for now my sweet rant is over.  But go get a good piece of candy, spend a few bucks, you are worth the indulgence. X