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Candy and Cocktails

This is a posting about some not so healthy treats. Autumn always makes me think about candy because of Halloween, of course. And it is the time of year when some of my favorite sugary treats become available. I used to be a total candy junkie, having convinced myself, as many of us did in the 90s, that if something is fat-free, it can't be bad for us. Adam always asks me, "Do you remember when you used to eat huge bags of candy?" I cringe to think about how much sugar I ate. I finally gave it up when I got pregnant with Big A and could no longer kid myself about how bad my candy habit was. Fortunately, I don't really miss it, but on the odd occasion when I feel like a treat, these are the ones I love most. You'll notice that I like "chewy" candy only. I actually can't stand hard candy or squishy candies, like gummy bears. Ick!

Licorice Allsorts - I inherited a love for these from my dad. I don't understand why so many people dislike black licorice (the good kind, not Twizzlers), it totally rocks.

Wine Gums - I love these. Can't stand jujubes, gum drops or any other cheap imposter though.

Candy corn/harvest mix/cream pumpkins - These are all the same candy, just in different flavours, shapes and colours. They are only widely available this time of year. I didn't discover them until I was an adult actually, because I always thought they were hard candies. They are actually soft and chewy and best described as tasting like cake frosting. Yes sickly sweet and delicious!

I rarely drink alcohol and when I do, it's a glass or two of wine or a beer. But I thought it would be fun to create some cocktails for my party tomorrow. Recipes each fill a large pitcher for a thirsty crowd.

Blueberry Lemonade Punch

Crushed ice
2 lemons, thinly sliced
Juice of 8 lemons
12 ounces blueberry liqueur
1 litre club soda
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Place ice and lemon slices in bottom of pitcher. Pour in fresh lemon juice, liqueur and club soda and stir. Drop in blueberries and serve.

Pomegranate Mojitos

Crushed ice
10-12 fresh mint leaves
8 limes, cut into 8 pieces
12 ounces white rum
1 litre pomegranate juice

Place ice, mint and limes in pitcher and muddle with a muddler or food masher. Pour in rum and juice and stir. Serve!
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