The Candy Man Can...And So Can I (Sort Of)

I spent the entire day in the kitchen on Tuesday making chocolate lollipops. I managed to squeeze in some sugar cookies, but the majority of the time was spent working with candy molds. I used to make these treats quite often when my older daughter was a kid, but then life got very busy when I became a single mom, and it got pushed to the side. For a long time.

And after all this time, this is what I learned on Tuesday:

1) If I ever had dreams of becoming a candy maker, they are now shattered.
2) You need the patience of a saint to do this.
3) A bite here, a lick there, a nibble or two...while you work. This is a dangerously weight-gaining hobby.
3) I now have a colossal amount of respect for confectioners.
4) And I now understand why people purchase commercial chocolate instead of making it.

Candy making is very hard work; there is more to it than meets the eye. My amateur efforts resulted in decent-looking lollipops this time (round two is up next!), and I had a good time despite it all. But I would never do this full time. Never.

Here is one of my candies:

The image is very poor quality, but hopefully the candy isn't.

All day long ‘The Candy Man’ tune kept playing in my head. Do you know it? It first appeared in the 1971 film ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, which, surprisingly enough, I still haven’t seen.

But I always think of Sammy Davis, Jr. when I hear that tune. He recorded a version of it, and it was a huge hit. It is recognized as one of his signature songs.

Here’s a video of the song, and a nice tribute to this very talented performer.