Memories of Easter Past

As one grows older, some of the more simple aspects of life take on greater meaning. I'm particularly grateful to have an appreciation of family traditions and rituals surrounding holidays, seasons and passages of time. Like most families, traditions are passed down through the generations, becoming familiar--almost second nature for each event. Holiday traditions and routines seem to particularly imprinted on my memory. Religious based holidays of course have the spiritual meaning, which are central to my memories. I don't dismiss or deliberately intend to overlook those here. It is interesting to me that my memories of Easter are far stronger than Christmas. Our family traditions around Easter were substantial. Observing Lent for 40 days, leading up to Holy Week liturgical ceremonies, Easter Vigil and of course Easter Sunday service were all heavy emotionally, but highly celebratory for the family. These were occasions that united the extended family, and always involved food--massive amounts of food in fact. 

Easter was an important holiday season. We would always get dressed up and everything just felt special. Throughout my adult life I always maintained these traditions in my own circle. Regardless of whether I was with family or friends, home or abroad, Easter traditions were always maintained. My memories of Easter are in fact, imprinted deeply. I can still see my Great Grandma's rice pies, Aunt Anita's bowl of jelly beans in the living room. Aunt Antonetta's bowl of chocolate covered marshmallow eggs, Aunt Eleanor's apricot cookies, my mom's sweet bread, and grandma Julia's bowl of gum-drop bunnies. Fanny Farmer chocolate rabbits and cream eggs were the very best. Later in life when I worked for Fanny Farmer and Fannie May Candy companies, it was a dream come true.

Even today, my own celebration of Easter continues these traditions, both real and imagined. I believe in the importance of maintaining cultural and family traditions--these are part of society. These are what help give character to us. I am grateful to my ancestors who made the effort to pass down the family traditions, giving me cherished memories. These are the among the greatest gifts I've ever received. Happy Easter. 

Happy Easter

Nothing serious today except to wish you a joyous and Happy Easter (and Happy Passover season too). Easter is perhaps my favorite holiday and time of year. It represents hope, promise and joy. Well I suppose if you look past the prior 40 days in the liturgical calendar of pain, suffering and Crucifixion it is a "triumphant" moment of overcoming death, as it were. At any rate Easter is a joyous time, and I'm all to happy to celebrate with a stash of my traditional Fannie May chocolate goodies. Everything from chocolate rabbits, jelly beans, marshmallow eggs and cream eggs. I hope the Easter Bunny made it to your home with a few goodies to savor. Here in Palm Springs, I'm having Easter Brunch at my favorite restaurant, Melvyn's. What are you doing for Easter?

Chocolate covered Marshmallow Eggs...and Pectin Jelly Beans...

...and delicious chocolate cream eggs. Ah, makes me feel good inside.
Happy Easter!

Halloween Series: Spooky Halloween Candy

Today os the first day in a week-long series on Halloween...it's my favorite time of the year. It goes back to my childhood, of course. I have many fond memories of dressing up and going trick-or-treating. Years later, when I worked in the confectionery industry, Halloween became even more exciting to me. I was always fascinated when my company started making all the chocolate ghosts and witches, candy corn and special chocolate Pixies (turtles). I felt like a kid again as I would drool over the foil-wrapped chocolate novelties. Even the Halloween cookies at the grocery store got me excited. Even to this day, I usually buy myself some Halloween candy. I usually buy the good stuff- I never buy mass produced Halloween candy...my snobbery is from years of working in the confectionery industry. We never used any fillers or waxes in our chocolate. Those were good old days...how I miss them. So just to make you drool, here are a few Halloween favorites:

above: Chocolate Covered Pretzels

above: Ceramic Pumpkin Dishes with foil-wrapped chocolate balls in a Mummy dish or bag.

above: A little favor-box is just perfect, or these ceramic pumpkin dishes with gummy pumpkins and pumpkin lollipops...Mmmmm.

Do you have your Halloween Candy yet???

-Rick Rockhill

Happy Easter from The Palm Springs Savant

Happy Easter! Without question, this is my favorite holiday of the year. Everything is so bright and cheery, and there is hardly any of the commercial pressure of Christmas. It's also my favorite season at church, the music, the lessons and the beautiful white Lilly plants. Easter would not be complete without my stash of candy. Back to when I was a little kid, the Easter Bunny would deliver baskets filled with all kinds of delicious treats from our local Fanny Farmer candy shop. Chocolate bunny rabbits, cream eggs, jelly beans, and foil-wrapped chocolate novelties. Years later, when I worked in the retail confectionery business I learned the candy business from the ground up. I used to love being the kitchens at Fannie May Candy in Chicago, watching thousands of chocolate rabbits being made. It was the dream job above all. Every holiday I made a point of spending a day or two in the plant checking out all the seasonal candies being made. It never left me, and I still have not grown up. So despite being an adult, I order my own stash of Easter candy and await the arrival of Easter Sunday.

above left: My Fannie May Cream Eggs: dark vanilla buttercream are my favorite! above right: dark chocolate covered marshmallow eggs.

above: A nice retro rabbit scene on this box of chocolates. Whatever you are doing today, I hope the blessings of Easter are with you.
-Rick Rockhill

The Palm Springs Monster Mash, Part Two

Today is the second post of photos from my "Palm Springs Monster Mash" Halloween Party this past Saturday. As I mentioned yesterday, I had to take these photos during the day because my camera does not take good photos at night. So none of these look quite as scary as they did at night with the spooky red lights we had all over the place. We went all- out with decorations, some of which we made, and others we bought. This Zombie head on a spear (photo at left) was motion-activated and would shriek a variety of crazy sayings to unsuspecting guests.

Above: We made this flying ghost, which was hanging over the bar on the back patio. (Even our bartender was spooked by this ghost). Above right: various props from around the house, skulls, jars full of blood & eyeballs, and big black hairy spiders.

Above: Hanging Bats and caged Zombies hung overhead by the pool.

Above: Scary Zombie heads hung from the rafters, while strings of huge hairy black spiders slithered down strings, hitting guests in the face while making their way outside by the pool patio.

Above left: Skeleton silhouettes hung inside these glass French doors on the east end of the patio & above right: The outdoor fireplace was a favorite spot for our guests to hang out and admire the spooky atmosphere.

Above: Meet Esmerelda, our Gypsy Fortune Teller, whose head was inside a glass globe located in the Library waiting for guests to stop by for her words of advice. Her head moved and her eyes lit up as she dispensed her cryptic messages.

Above: I bought these signs, which were fun: Griselda's Nail Salon, which reads: "Today's Special: Bunion polishing and broomstick wax. Free Cellulite stretching with every mole massage", and 'Witch Beatrice's Bone Meal Bakery, Try Our Famous Earwax and Booger Cakes, and for the kids: Soiled Spider Swirls".

I did nearly all of the cooking and baking for the party, with a large buffet spread which included: Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce, Beef Tenderloin, Pasta with Vodka Sauce with Crimini Mushrooms & Turkey, Scallops with Champagne sauce, Veal & Pork Meatballs, Five varieties of sauteed Chicken Herb Sausages, Two varieties of Quiches, and over 10 different hors d'œuvres , which were passed on trays throughout the evening by our servers. One of my favorites were bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds. Since they were grown locally, the dates were a big hit with the guests.

The dessert table included homemade brownies, bat-shaped sugar cookies with green frosting, dark chocolate bunt cakes with Ledson Chocolate Merlot Wine Sauce, and of course an endless supply of Fannie May chocolates!
-Rick Rockhill

Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

This is NOT a paid post- just me sharing some info.

As most people know, October is breast cancer awareness month. There are a number of ways you can help fight breast cancer, and it's great when you can do something for yourself that also helps others. Being a total chocoholic, I had to mention that Fannie May Candy is currently offering two special boxes of chocolates where 10% of the proceeds will be donated to support Breast Cancer Awareness and an additional 10% will be matched by the Coleman Foundation.

The top left photo is of their Chocolate Mint Meltaways, and the bottom photo is their Pecan Pixies (turtles).

This year, their "Limited Edition Pink Collection" will support The Cancer Wellness Center, Jennifer S. Fallick Cancer Support Center, Wellness House, Wellness Place and Gilda's Club Chicago. These charitable organizations provide free support and education to those affected by cancer. So if you like good quality, kitchen fresh chocolate, go to Fannie May and do something good at the same time. To learn more, click here.

I used to work for Fannie May Candy Company about 12 years ago and always thought they were a good organization. Aside from making delicious chocolates, this is just another reason for me to continue liking them! So if you're inclined to do something to fight breast cancer, sponsor a walk, or make a donation, or treat yourself to some of these delicious chocolates and support a good cause. Whatever you decide, do something!

-Rick Rockhill