the bar
The small candy bar rests between my computer monitor and I, enclosed in a happy silver wrapper with its name in red trimmed in blue. MIL had given the Spice four of these small tidbits of sweetness and half of her gift had been passed along to me. One of mine had been consumed posthaste but the other had been placed in its present position to be slowly savored at some future time.
Not that there was much to savor, since the size is called the ‘fun size’ and from my estimation can’t be but about 15 grams. For sure the fun wouldn’t last very long but even they are larger than the ‘miniatures’, which would seem to be a bit less than 6 grams each. Anyway the bar stayed there several days without a word, I guess it had its pride, but after that it seemed that it started to beg to be sent to candy bar heaven, like its cousin bar that I had previously consumed.
Now I am not a big candy eater, this obvious from the size of this bar, plus I have to be in a candy-consuming mood and that hadn’t happened in several days. From all the whining and sniveling the bar seemed to be making, I decided to look into why it was wanting so bad to go to its ‘great reward’. Through its maker’s web site, I checked out the ingredients of the bar.
First ingredient was (naturally) milk chocolate (mostly sugar and three different forms of chocolate), then for the nougat (I assume) came: sugar, corn syrup and several other things including egg whites. The milk chocolate contained artificial and natural flavors plus the nougat also had artificial flavor – that just made me wonder what it tasted like before the flavors were added. So far they were just flavored, chocolate sugar bars.
This bar starts out as egg whites, which are whipped until they are light and frothy – much like the meringue on the banana puddings I make – then sugar syrup is added to stabilize the foam and create ‘frappe’ – although my dictionary doesn’t agree with what they have done with the word. Then flavor ingredients are added to the ‘frappe’ and it is formed into large slabs, which is then cut into proper size for the particular bar they are making on that run.
Then the nougat pieces are ready to be ‘enrobed’ (their word) with chocolate coating, and then the bar is cooled and prepared for wrapping. This bar’s claim to fame is that it is light and fluffy – 45% less fat than other chocolate bars. The reason is that this bar has at least 45% more air whipped into the nougat – they get to use less ingredients and you pay for the air.
Somewhere along in there, I realized what the fear of the small bar must be – it wasn’t because of its ingredients, the fear was to be forgotten until the next season, or maybe several seasons. Its sweet parents must have warned it about being tucked away somewhere out of sight, and passed out for Halloween a couple of years later. Oh the shame of being a stale candy bar in a fresh generation.
Even though we sometimes think God has forgotten us, He also wants us to grow and that sometimes takes us through some trying situations in order to strengthen us into the person He wants us to be. This shows even more that He is good, all the time. ec
Not that there was much to savor, since the size is called the ‘fun size’ and from my estimation can’t be but about 15 grams. For sure the fun wouldn’t last very long but even they are larger than the ‘miniatures’, which would seem to be a bit less than 6 grams each. Anyway the bar stayed there several days without a word, I guess it had its pride, but after that it seemed that it started to beg to be sent to candy bar heaven, like its cousin bar that I had previously consumed.
Now I am not a big candy eater, this obvious from the size of this bar, plus I have to be in a candy-consuming mood and that hadn’t happened in several days. From all the whining and sniveling the bar seemed to be making, I decided to look into why it was wanting so bad to go to its ‘great reward’. Through its maker’s web site, I checked out the ingredients of the bar.
First ingredient was (naturally) milk chocolate (mostly sugar and three different forms of chocolate), then for the nougat (I assume) came: sugar, corn syrup and several other things including egg whites. The milk chocolate contained artificial and natural flavors plus the nougat also had artificial flavor – that just made me wonder what it tasted like before the flavors were added. So far they were just flavored, chocolate sugar bars.
This bar starts out as egg whites, which are whipped until they are light and frothy – much like the meringue on the banana puddings I make – then sugar syrup is added to stabilize the foam and create ‘frappe’ – although my dictionary doesn’t agree with what they have done with the word. Then flavor ingredients are added to the ‘frappe’ and it is formed into large slabs, which is then cut into proper size for the particular bar they are making on that run.
Then the nougat pieces are ready to be ‘enrobed’ (their word) with chocolate coating, and then the bar is cooled and prepared for wrapping. This bar’s claim to fame is that it is light and fluffy – 45% less fat than other chocolate bars. The reason is that this bar has at least 45% more air whipped into the nougat – they get to use less ingredients and you pay for the air.
Somewhere along in there, I realized what the fear of the small bar must be – it wasn’t because of its ingredients, the fear was to be forgotten until the next season, or maybe several seasons. Its sweet parents must have warned it about being tucked away somewhere out of sight, and passed out for Halloween a couple of years later. Oh the shame of being a stale candy bar in a fresh generation.
Even though we sometimes think God has forgotten us, He also wants us to grow and that sometimes takes us through some trying situations in order to strengthen us into the person He wants us to be. This shows even more that He is good, all the time. ec
posted by mreddie | 8:57 PM
5 Comments:
Now I am focused on the desire for a candy bar.
More to the point, the plaque I have (again) on my desk: “Please be patient. God ain’t finished we me yet.”
Yeah, its when He's being quiet that I realize He's still working, and thankfully, still shaping me into what He's calling me to be.
Wow, you have some strong willpower to have that candy bar staring at you in the face for a few days! LOL! I have to make sure any candy in the house is kept tucked away in the back of the pantry or else it will most likely be eaten up pretty quickly. I wish I was like you where you go a few days without a candy craving. Not that I necessarily crave candy all the time, but the chocolate!
There has definitely been some hard times for me this past year but what a comfort and a joy it is to know that God is using those times to draw me closer to Him.
"Oh the shame of being a stale candy bar in a fresh generation."
Doesn't that just sum the whole thing up!!!
Praying for you with your surgery, and hoping all is well. I saw Meg's son today and he said she is going downhill quickly... so I'm glad our conversation was had!
Happy New Year!
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