Obsession: Cinnamon Bears

One of the best parts about visiting my alma matter is this sweet treat sold at the school's bookstore: cinnamon bears. For being such a delicious candy, I have a surprisingly hard time finding bears that are the perfect combination of chewy, hot and gummy. Occasionally I see bags of generic candy that have wannabes inside, but even those seem to have become scarce.

The BYU bookstore has a plethora of the best cinnamon bears I've ever had. So good, in fact, that while out to a broadway show, I was raving to my brother in law about how incredible these little cubs are and was overheard by a couple in front of us that turned around just to add their own testimonial to the fact that BYU cinnamon bears reign supreme. And while this time was all about cinnamon lips rather than bears (valentine's leftovers) they still were just as delicious as I remembered.

Does anyone else love these yummy treats? Where do you find good ones? I'm going to need a good source once my stock runs out from this trip.

Obsession: TJ's Scone Mix

Susan: I think we should give it to Paul. 
Gabrielle Solis: He's still mourning Susan. He'll probably freak out. 
Susan: It doesn't matter. She was his wife. He deserves to have all the facts. 
Bree Van De Kamp: Well, we could do it gently. We could tell him about it over coffee and pastry. 
Lynette Scavo: That'll be fun. "Paul, we have proof your wife killed herself over some deep dark secret. Another bear claw".                          
                                                                                              - Desperate Housewives Season 1

An important lesson I learned from Desperate Housewives was to never go to someone's home empty-handed. Bree Van de Kamp was the queen of delivering fresh baked goods to new neighbors, casual gatherings and even just to spread a bit of juice gossip. (Which on the show seemed to be every day, right?) But finding time to make something worth sharing in a time crunch is tricky. Thankfully, this Trader Joe's find is the perfect solution. 

In doing my grocery shopping a few months ago, I found these Chocolate Chip scone mixes on the shelf. My kids thought they looked like cookies, so of course, several "I need cookies!" later, I grabbed a box, along with a box of the mixed berry scone mix (berries=healthy, right?) and off we went. 

A few days later, we were asked to come have a play date with a friend. I wanted to bring something over and had about twenty minutes to spare. I added water to my scone mix (seriously...water is the only ingredient you need) and popped them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Not only did they come out looking delicious, but I got rave reviews from my friends, husband and kids - a tough crowd. I, personally, favor the mixed berry version with a cup of tea. My kids still ask for "cookies for breakfast" and love the chocolate chip version. Give them a try and see for yourself how simple and delicious they are!

Obsession: Maldon Sea Salt (and 15 Ways to Use It)

Salt is cooking what air is to breathing. Without it, food is bland and flat. Use it right and even the simplest ingredients become irresistibly flavorful.

My favorite salt is Maldon Sea Salt. It’s what chefs call a “finishing salt.” This is not the salt you use to season your pasta water…it’s the one you sprinkle on top of a finished dish for a little extra oomph.

It’s a cheap thrill too. Order a box on Amazon for less than $6 and keep a little jar by your stove to dress up everything from roasted veggies to ice cream.

Add a sprinkle of Maldon to…

1. Vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup
2. Grilled or broiled bread
3. S'mores
4. Plain yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil (try it as a sauce for grilled chicken)
5. Your favorite chocolate chip cookies before baking
6. Roasted broccoli (or any roasted veggie)
7. Sliced avocado (or, even better, avocado toast)
8. Grilled steaks
9. Zucchini or banana bread (serve with creme fraiche for an amazing dessert)
10. Sunnyside-up eggs
11. Granola
12. A pizza (like this one)
13. An arugula salad with lemon juice and olive oil
14. Baguette slices with butter and thinly sliced radishes
15. Popcorn

Have you tried Maldon? How do you use it?

Connie's Candy, A Sweet Idea

Ahhh, it's that time of year again. The time when we justify a few extra sweets here and there because "it's the holidays." And what better treat to splurge on than some See's Candy? Every year my family goes into one of the sweet shops to pick a box (or two) to snack on before Christmas. We like to pick our custom boxes to ensure no valuable space is taken up by candy with weird nut combinations or worse...coconut. 

It seems that all generic boxes of chocolate are never made up of enough of the good stuff. And sadly, when thoughtful husbands/boyfriends/bosses go into a shop like See's, it can be easy to get distracted and/or overwhelmed by everything there is to offer. It's no wonder the pre-packed boxes are what typically get chosen. 

Recently my mom and I were out to lunch with some family friends and as the husband went to pay, a laminated trifold fell out of his wallet. Upon further inspection, the card listed "Connie's Perfect 1 lb. Box of Chocolate See's, Connie's Perfect 2 lb. Box of See's and Connie's Perfect 2 lb. White Chocolate See's."

Brilliant! What a perfect way to avoid ever having to search through mystery chocolate again! Equip those around you with the tools to help them pick excellent boxes every time. You're doing it for them, right? 

Now as you set out to make your own lists, take note from Connie. She actually works at See's so if you're looking for some ideas, her picks are a good place to start. A few of my favorites are the butterscotch chews, milk bordeaux and my absolute favorite, butterscotch squares. The best tough part will be finding your favorites and the quantities that fit in your box. It may take a couple of tries to get it right but once you do, laminate that list and make it readily available for the candy-buying person in your life. Maybe even let them add a piece or two of their own.

So what candy will go on the top of your list?