Halloween Candy

Halloween is almost over, and I guess I should confess that I fell off of the health and fitness wagon. Last weekend, Brian and I found a Costco sized bag of peanut m&m's at his parent's house and we at them while watching All About My Mother. Peanut m&m's, make me think of my friend who couldn't stomach anything while in the hospital other than peanut m&m's. It seems like the perfect food. They have calcium from the chocolate, protein in the peanut and there's probably chlorophyll in the green dye.

While in Queens, we stopped into Candy Shop USA (38-03 Main St. There are more stores in Manhattan Chinatown, too) store for some of my favorite Chinese candies, White Rabbit. I first had a White Rabbit a couple years ago when I was visiting Britt in Paris. We were at a farmer's market, and there was a Chinese food vendor with a perm there. I just consulted my photo album and there are summer rolls on the counter, so maybe it was Vietnamese. Honestly, I don't remember what I ate there or why. Anyway, the guy gave me a White Rabbit, and I kept the wrapper because I just think it's lovely. Maybe I could wallpaper my bathroom with them. The White Rabbit is basically a vanilla tootsie roll, but what makes it stand out is the thin rice paper film that melts on your tongue when you pop the sweet. There are new fangled flavors like red bean, chocolate, strawberry and lots more fruity flavors, but I find the plain old vanilla the best.
Carol brought me the best caramels that I've ever tasted from her vacation in Portland. They're buttery, sweet, chewy and then spicy! These big soft pieces of caramel contain habanero chili and cayenne pepper. The little chocolate skeleton which she calls a milagro is also from Alma Chocolate. A nice dark chocolate with an iridescent coating this candy is very healthy with all those antioxidiants and it's perfect to eat tomorrow to the Day of the Dead.