May 14, 2013

“Bridge for Blankets” brings back the warm and fuzzy in community!


The Burnside Bridge is  ready to open… It was 1926.

Today, Candy Babel wants to give a well-deserved shout-out to our friend Tyler Mackie, a local fiber artist, who is helping put on a wonderful event in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Broadway Bridge  this coming PDX Bridge Festival in August. Four 18' x 21' knitted banners, knitted by volunteers, will be hung off the side of the bridge celebrating the anniversary. After the event, the banners will be turned into blankets for the homeless. The yarn is donated wool from Cascade Yarns. Learn more about the event here:




This is exactly the kind of event that helps the world become a sweeter place! If you are interested in helping out, or knitting for “Bridge for Blankets”, you can email Tyler at tyler.mackie@gmail.com .

Thanks Claudia for bringing this cool event to our attention!

 

May 6, 2013

Mother's Day


Marshmallows, mint and mallow, mushy and soft to the tooth

Oranges, lemons, cherries and berries, to be savored like fine vermouth

Traditional treats and taffy from Texas

Herbals from Germany, and honey from here

European sweets, and eggs with a peachy flair

Rainbows of colors and flavors, chewy and gummy concoctions

Salty licorice, sour ribbons and well-traveled sweets



Dainty, decorative tins to put it all in

Artisan chocolates and caramels

You can't do much better than that!


Just in time to surprise your favorite Mother, we are excited to announce our newest local collaboration with exceptional confectionary talent Marushka chocolates! Whether it is chocolates or caramels that make the mother in your life tick, Marushka offers something for everyone's tastes. The product descriptions alone, are enough to make even the most jaded of us salivate... And they look amazing!



Sweet and Simple Collection
The Sweet and Simple Collection will please any palate. For the discerning chocolate lover who appreciates chocolate in all its percentages, this collection includes dark, milk and white chocolates. The fillings are all alcohol-free.
  • Honey White Chocolate – White chocolate ganache flavored with Pacific Northwest blackberry honey and pure vanilla bean. Warming honey flavor that melts in your mouth.
  • Coconut Almond Crunch - A milk chocolate disk topped with the best part of a coconut maracoon and fried salted almonds. The flavors were inspired by the chocolate itself. Deceptively simple, this is a definite favorite!
  • Salted Peanut Chocolate Caramel – Amazing rounded buttery flavor - but without the butter! Salty roasted peanuts in a smooth caramelly chocolate.
  • Tahitian Vanilla Milk Chocolate - Nutty milk chocolate perfumed with plump juicy Tahitian vanilla beans. Chocolate at its most unctuous.
  • Tea and Cookie – A blend of milk and dark chocolates infused with Republic of Tea Oolong Tea, and paired with a cookie - a crunchy almond-streusel like bite.
  • 70% Dark - Dark, dark chocolate. Not acidic. Not bitter. Just smooth chocolate flavor that fills your mouth and gives you deep down satisfaction. Simple and sublime.




Marushka Favorites
This collection contains only favorite recipes (five chocolates and two caramels) with a nod to milk and white chocolates but mainly featuring dark chocolate. If you are feeling adventurous and like a little spice, this collection is for you.
  • 70% Dark - Dark, dark chocolate. Not acidic. Not bitter. Just smooth chocolate flavor that fills your mouth and gives you deep down satisfaction. Simple and sublime.
  • Coffee Cardamom – Direct-trade Columbian Stumptown coffee in direct-trade dark Columbian chocolate, subtly scented with cardamom.
  • Cognac Caramel with Vanilla Fleur de Sel – Salted caramel all grown up with a hit of cognac, a hint of orange, topped with vanilla-infused fleur de sel.
  • Jasmine Pearl Tea – Jasmine pearls lend their floral, sublime fragrance to a blend of milk and dark chocolates. Topped with a vanilla scented wafer of dark chocolate.
  • Mendiant Duo (disks) – Two mendiants for the price of one. Lucky you, you really can have it all! The first is milk chocolate with crunch coconut macaroon and fried salted almonds. The second is white chocolate with candied pistachios, lemon and ginger. Nutty, sweet, crunchy, creamy, salty, pungent – these simple chocolate disks are canvases for creativity.
  • Salt & Pepper Caramel – This caramel comes with a caveat: “Warning: this is spicy! Eat it in one daring bite” Shaped like a gobstopper (who can resist?), take your chances and enjoy the spicy hit of not one but two kinds of chili heat, fresh Thai bird chilis and toasty red chili flakes.




Caramel Collection
Caramels are definite favorites. Caramel lovers everywhere - this is the box for you. It includes some new, never-before tried Marushka flavors as well as some favorites.
  • Cognac Caramel with Vanilla Fleur de Sel - Salted caramel all grown up with a hit of cognac, a hint of orange, topped with vanilla-infused fleur de sel.
  • Beer Caramel - Hair of the Dog Adam beer is transformed into a malty, complex caramel that tastes nothing like a 6-pack.
  • Black Currant Caramel- The sophisticated flavor of Black currant delectably blended with chocolate – a pleasingly purple cassis caramel. You taste the black currant, you taste the chocolate. You will love this one!
  • Salt and Pepper Caramel - This caramel comes with a caveat: “Warning: this is spicy! Eat it in one daring bite” Shaped like a gobstopper (who can resist?), take your chances and enjoy the spicy hit of not one but two kinds of chili heat, fresh Thai bird chilis and toasty red chili flakes.
  • Honeybush Tea Caramel with Chicory and Cinnamon - Fine teas are a wonderful foundation for building flavors.  Rounded, mellow honeybush tea with a hint of spice and earthiness.  A world of flavors in your mouth.
  • Vanilla Bean Caramel with Elderflower Liqueur - Real Tahitian vanilla is one of the finest flavors in the world. This caramel is intriguingly delicious. It has all the goodness of supreme vanilla flavor paired with the subtle floral aroma of elderflower.  Old fashioned, fashion forward, or a little of both?  You’ll have to decide for yourself.

The 4 piece Caramel Collection includes:  
Beer Caramel
Black Currant Caramel
Cognac Caramel with Vanilla Fleur de Sel
Salt & Pepper Caramel