Posted in Food sparks, Home sparks, Sparky gifts

DIY Gummy Bears

Oh, hello. Yesterday I received a delivery that was so colourful and exciting that I thought it counted as an everyday spark. So here I am, sharing it with you in case it may also bring joy to you and/or yours.

Finding and recommending odd things that you mightn’t have seen is a (free) service I enjoy providing to my family and friends. And I’ve often dreamed about an EverydaySparks Gift Shop, full of things out of the mainstream that spark joy. Here is something that would make it to the shelves of my imaginary shop (and if I was the CEO of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory – which I still maintain is probably my dream job – then I would sell these sets in the attached gift shop).

Colour! Gummy bears! Scientific droppers!

I found these on Amazon, while I was buying something completely unrelated (blank canvas tote bags to customise for a charity event, if you’re curious). Amazon has quickly become the online equivalent of Ikea or Aldi for me. Sometimes the algorithm’s recommendations of what I might like to add to my order are way off. And sometimes, as in this case, it’s like they can see inside my brain. Or my heart. And although I know I don’t exactly need this colourful kit of silicon molds and oversized plastic droppers, I nonetheless added it to my order and was not disappointed when it arrived yesterday.

I know, I’m a victim of marketing and manipulative nudges to make impulse purchases. But truly, who wouldn’t want the ability to make their own army of gummy bears? I’m not even sure if I’ll get around to the fiddly requirements of making gelatin-based bears, or if this will just be a summer of tiny bear shaped ice cubes clinking around in drinks. Whatever happens, these make a bright addition to my kitchen. (And I like that two of the bears in the top row are on their sides, as if they are lazy, or the mold designer got distracted or was bound by the ancient gummy bear rule of max. 53 bears per sheet. Man I hope that maths is right, I have recounted about five times now and have a headache.)

And since my Dad is likely reading this and he worries that I am sometimes fiscally irresponsible, I should point out that the kit was under $15 and by my calculations I have already recouped $3.97 of joy value from this investment. And I only got it yesterday! At this rate, I estimate the outsized return (measured in units of joy sparked rather than revenue, obviously) will be realised from its very first use. You know it makes sense, Paddy!

If you too would like to invest $12.99 AUD in “Gummy Bear Mold with Dropper Set 3Pcs Silicone Fondant Molds Chocolate Candy Jelly Mold Gumdrop Mold” you can check it out on Amazon here.

In writing this, I have happily influenced myself (and hopefully my Dad). I am convinced that the ability to make your own gummy bear shaped things in brightly coloured silicon (with droppers straight from the Fisher Price Laboratory) is something we all deserve, especially in these ‘interesting times’.

Posted in Food sparks

A snack food revelation

So, last week when I was at the airport in Melbourne, I accidentally wandered into a little shop called The Chocolate Box. And, while I bought some chocolates for a friend, I saw a lady clear out a large number of bags (the entire range) of something at the counter. It caused a bit of a kerfuffle amongst the staff, I tell you.

When I asked the ladies behind the counter what the lady had bought in such dramatic fashion, they whispered, “have you heard of chocolate chips?” Errr derrr, ladies. I like to bake and I have a massive sweet tooth, there’s nothing I don’t know about chocolate chips. “We mean salt and vinegar crisps covered in chocolate.” Really? Yes. Apparently they are one of their best sellers.

Here they are. [image from chocolatebox.com.au]
Here they are.
[image from chocolatebox.com.au]
So, today I bought a bag (ok, maybe two) to bring in to the office so we could experience this phenomenon. The verdict was mixed – but I vote YES for this snack food. A bit too much chocolate masking the flavour, but every now and again there was an unmistakable salty/vinegary kick. Like chocolate covered pretzels, only better, I reckon.

If you’re in Australia, you can stock up at The Chocolate Box. Or I guess you could make your own, if you’re so inclined. Chocolate Chicken Crisps, anyone? Anyone?

Posted in Food sparks

Bringing nonsense back

Hello, how are you? I hope you are well. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, but I thought I’d try to get back into sharing more nonsense. That was always the intention of this blog, really: noticing and passing on everyday sorts of sparks that I saw and liked. Because sometimes it’s nice to have a light diversion from normal everyday life, right?

So, here’s some nonsense that I found last week – an excerpt from the menu at the not-so-great Melbourne hotel I stayed in whilst in town for work. The other dishes sound normal enough, but WHY HAVE THE APRICOTS INTERCEPTED THE LAMB CUBS? And what actually are lamb cubs? Offspring of bears and sheep? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

The other dishes sound normal enough, but WHY HAVE THE APRICOTS INTERCEPTED THE LAMB CUBS? WHY?

Posted in Food sparks

Hello, Chocolate Mug Cake

I had read about these magical sounding chocolate puddings in a few different places on the internets recently. Put a few simple ingredients in a mug, pop it in the microwave for a minute or so and – hey, presto – out comes a delicious cake. Can’t argue with that for a quick and easy dessert. Or morning tea treat. Or midnight snack. Or, you know, breakfast. No judgement.

A little smaller than a normal mixing bowl...
A little smaller than a normal mixing bowl…

As always, Google generously provides about a bzillion recipes for cakes and puddings in mugs. I tried a chocolate peanut butter version last night, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

And then there was cake.
And then there was cake.

The verdict? For a basic muggy dessert that microwaved in 1 minute 10 seconds, it was actually quite good. Definitely much better than I had expected. I have included the recipe that I used (from The Novice Chef blog) below – it’s well worth a try. Especially if you’re in rainy Sydney at the moment and need a bit of extra warmth!

When a cup of tea isn’t quite comforting enough, try a mug of cake, I say.

<div class="hrecipe h-recipe jetpack-recipe" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Recipe"><div class="jetpack-recipe-content"></div></div>
[recipe from The Novice Chef blog]

Posted in Food sparks, WWWhat?

A Leprechaun Trap and other delicious stuff

As you may know, St Patrick’s Day is coming up on Monday. As a fan of Ireland and almost everything Irish (I’m sorry, Father Ted. I have tried, but I just do not like your show), I thought I would help you out with your preparations this week. I have gathered together some Oirish things that have caught my eye and today, the focus is food. You’re welcome.

First up, the incredible Leprechaun Trap Cake from Megan, who blogs a lot of very cool stuff (not just Oirish cakes) at Not Martha.

First up, attract your leprechaun with the lure of gold. [image from Not Martha]
1. Attract your leprechaun with the lure of gold (and help him out with a pretzel ladder).
[image from Not Martha]
2. Hide a pretzel trap under the gold, so the wee fella falls through. [image from Not Martha]
2. Hide a pretzel trap under the gold, so the wee fella falls through.
[image from Not Martha]
3. Enjoy the magical rainbow cake, with or without your leprechaun. [image from Not Martha]
3. Enjoy the magical rainbow cake, with or without your leprechaun.
[image from Not Martha]
Next, St Patrick’s Day Pancakes from the FashionPlaytes blog. Whilst they are not so quirky, they are very easy to make and I have never seen a batch quite so green…

Yikes. [image from Fashion Playtes]
Yikes.
[image from Fashion Playtes]
And of course I had to look on etsy, just in case. I found these disturbingly named Irish Car Bomb Cake Pops from the shop Bella Roca Cakes. I then discovered that (maybe you already knew this?) the Irish Car Bomb is a drink that was invented in an American bar – by dropping a shot of Baileys + Jameson whiskey into Guinness. And I just gave an involuntary shiver as I wrote that. According to Wikipedia, you have to drink it quickly so it doesn’t curdle. Or you could just get these cake pops instead – they don’t curdle and they include chocolate.

Much nicer than the real thing.  [image from Bella Roca Cakes]
Much nicer than the real thing.
[image from Bella Roca Cakes]
Last, but not least, in case you want to keep your o’snacking healthy – here’s a “pot of gold” for you. But I’ve got to say, I’m more likely to be your friend if you make the leprechaun trap cake than this vegetable combo (although I do like carrots and they are good for your eyes, apparently).

The serving suggestion is to place the "pot o' gold" at the end of a "rainbow" of vegetables, with a "cloud" of ranch dressing.  [image from Spoonful]
The serving suggestion is to place the “pot o’ gold” at the end of a “rainbow” of vegetables, with a “cloud” of ranch dressing. To be sure, to be sure.
[image from Spoonful]
Bon appétit! Or, as they say in Ireland, bon appétit!