's motd Tuesday November 30, 2010

[Guest guest]

THE CANDY

MONSTER

Tuesday, 30 November 2010

At a very young age, I wanted to

make a little money for myself. I did get an

allowance from my parents each week but I still wanted

to make some extra spending money on my

own. There was this praline store just two blocks

from my house and it was called Leah's Pralines.

(It was where some of my allowance money went every

week!)

Now before I continue, I have to

ask, you do know what a praline is, don't

you? Well, it's a really famous candy in New

Orleans. It's made with brown sugar, white sugar,

whole cream and pecan halves. This mixture is boiled

in a copper kettle and when it reaches the right

temperature, is spooned from the kettle onto large

pieces of wax paper. After it cools and gets firm,

you lift the pieces from the wax paper and you've got

yourself a tasty...very sweet praline!

I used to go in and buy pralines for myself a few

times a week. But as good as they were, I never saw a

lot of other customers in Leah's, even though the

French Quarter of New Orleans was always filled with

tourists.

When I was just eight years-old, I had a talk with the

two ladies who ran Leah's. I told them about an idea

I had to get them more customers. They liked my idea

and 30 minutes later, there I was with a tray of

pralines, broken up into little pieces that I could

hand out as samples to people in the Quarter. I

handed them out at the corner of St. Louis and

Bourbon Streets.

Once people had a chance to sample

a bite, everyone fell in love with those pralines.

I'd then walk them down to the store and they'd buy

bags and bags of pralines to take with them. So, as

you can see, at a very early age, I was "The Candy

Monster." Hey, I sold a lot of pralines and...I ate

a lot of pralines, too! LOL. Oh, I'm sure there was

sugar running through every vein of my body!

Now you may have never sold candy when you were a kid

but I know you ate lots of candy when you

were growing up, just like I did. And let me ask, who

turned you on to candy? Did your grandmother keep a

box of chocolates on the living room table when you

were a kid? Were your parents big candy eaters? I'll

bet you had a lot of sugar in your veins when you were

growing up too, huh?

Millions of Americans are addicted to sugar. And most

people's favorite sugary snack is candy. So what's your

favorite candy bar? Would it be a Hershey Bar

with almonds or a Payday bar loaded with peanuts? And

how many M & Ms have melted in your mouth, not in

your hands, over the years?

Maybe you like boxes of candies form -Stover or

Esther Price. My parents used to buy the Whitman's

Sampler box. What I liked about it was the plastic

sheet that covered the candy. On that sheet, they

would list each piece of candy contained beneath it in

the box. That made it so easy for me to choose the

type of candy I wanted! (Hey, what a great idea!)

Back then, we weren't as

informed about the damage too much sugar does to the

body. Loads of sugar is bad for your teeth, causes

weight-gain and can lead to diabetes. Now come on, if

you've been eating lots of candy for all of these

years, don't you think you're already sweet

enough?

Hey, I'll confess, I still like candy, just like so

many other Americans. When my brother comes to visit

from New Orleans, he always brings me a box or

pralines from Leah's, of course! (I can't

believe it's been over half-a-century since I worked

there.) I put that box of pralines in my freezer and,

once in a while, I'll allow myself to have just

one small praline. See, I'm no longer The

Candy Monster. Remember, it's all about moderation.

So, enjoy your sweets, only not too often...sweetie!

Love,