National Candy Day

Halloween was only 4 days ago and I can't eat any more candy...NOT! I have a sweet tooth that will not be satisfied, I'll admit it. So join me in celebrating National Candy Day.

As kids we did not have the selection of chocolate bars they do now. There used to be a Hershey Bar and foil-wrapped Kisses and that was about it. Chocolate with peanuts are always a welcome crunchy bite.

Sugar Free candy is everywhere and I can't taste the difference from old-school sugar candy.

A sweet-on-sweet I do like are old school Milk Chocolate Cordial Cherries, that is, Chocolate Covered Cherries. I get mine from the Dollar Tree. Click on the video below to see my yummy review.

You can always find holiday-themed Chocolates, thank god, and amen. 

They are often a hand, a religious symbol, or a hollow-shaped animal like a bunny for Easter, and a jolly Santa Claus for Christmas.

As soon as Halloween is over, in comes Candy Canes, chocolate-covered Santas, and Reindeer.

On Valentine's Day, you will see Chocolate Roses with plastic leaves and stems in a long thin box, sappy but kinda fun. My funnily romantic Valentine's Day slide show below includes a Chocolate Rose, check out "The 99 Cent Lover."

I am lucky to live right down the street from a See's Candies Factory on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. 

A famous "I Love Lucy" scene was shot there. In a hilarious segment, on her 1960's TV show, she and her best friend, Ethel, work the assembly line wrapping Chocolates until it all goes haywire. Check it out.

It can drive you crazy if you are stopped in traffic in front of the See's Candies building. The thick sweet smell of Chocolate is in the air, sometimes I have to leave the windows rolled up when I drive by, it's too much! There's always a long line snaking out the door during Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. 

When L.A. opened the Expo Line metro train stop, half a block from See's Candies, I made a video about all the good eats along the train route and had to include getting free samples from See's. Do check out the fun video.

The most outrageous candy I've ever licked is a Scorpion Lollipop. Yeah, that's right, a real scorpion encased in hard candy..Whoa! 

It was during a trip with my now wife, Linda, from Colorado back to Los Angeles. We had a bathroom break at Papa Joes Stop & Go in Cresent City, Utah. At the cash register, they had a row of Insect Lollipops and I picked the Scorpion, of course.

Check out my slideshow below, for our strange trip after taking a few licks. 

When California became the first state to legalize marijuana use, it was only a matter of time before Cannabis Candy Edibles were introduced. You can call this Candy for Adults, or in my case, Candy for Seniors.

The manufacturers definitely have a sense of humor, just look at the classic candy names they goof on like Starburst Candy. I'm sure this type of Candy is not what National Candy Day has in mind.

I feel conflicted about having Candy Marijuana Edibles on the market, similar to Nicotine Vape Pen Cartridges that are fruit-flavored. It may be confusing to teens and young adults as to the potency and ease of abuse.  

But I do like my Cannabis Edibles from time to time, as I came of age in the late 1960s and have done my share of mind-expanding. I am glad they are legal though, I think being jailed for the personal use of drugs is the real crime.

I grew up with Candy Cigarettes. I'm surprised they are still legal. These Candy Cigarettes were in Gonzales, Louisiana on a gas station checkout counter right by the Lotto tickets. 

I seem to remember they had red tips like they were burning. We would puff on the sugar sticks like our parents smoking cigarettes. I should have asked the cashier if you have to be 18 or 21 years old to buy these?

The cheapest Licorice is from my local Dollar Tree. They have some sweet flavors that I can handle like  Green Apple and Blueberry/Pomegranate

While Chocolate is my favorite type of Candy, I rediscovered regular sweets in Amsterdam, Netherlands this summer while on my Honeymoon. 

I indulged in some unusual types of Candy from Kruidvat, a retail, pharmacy, and drugstore chain.

I became addicted to Licorice (or Liquorice), especially when intertwined with molasses and having a cream center. This Licorice is called Trollendrop.

I was never a Licorice fan as a kid, but now I like the addictive savory taste which reminds me of anise or fennel, with added sweetness. And Amsterdam locals are definitely hooked. Just go to the candy aisle of any grocer and you will see a dozen brands and flavors. 

There are typical fruit flavor candies like Banana. I liked Cola flavored, It's The Real Thing.

On National Candy Day, if you can handle it, revisit your childhood and grab a bar of Chocolate, some Candy Corn, or just lookie-loo at my sweet imagery, that way you stay tooth cavity-free!