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Jelly Candy
Friday, June 11, 2010
Nory Rahat Locum
Sometimes I look at photos of the markets in Turkey, with stalls piled high with different kinds of lokum (also called Turkish Delight, locum or lokumi - I'll just call it locum for this review) and wish that places like that existed a bit closer to me.
But it turns out that they do. No, they don't sell in big open air markets. Los Angeles has its own classic locumist (is that a word?) called Nory Rahat Locum. In 1964 a Romanian-Armenian confectioner named Norayr settled in Hollywood and started making classic locum using his family's 100 year-old recipes. Norayr retired and sold the company to the Jibilians in 1979, who in turn sold it to Sahakians last year when they retired.
They're dedicated to making a local product, right down to the citrus flavors and nuts in it, the boxes for packaging. The only non-American content is the mastic used for the Mastica flavor, imported from one of the few sources, the island of Chios in Greece.
Locum is made from simple ingredients: sugar, water, starch and perhaps corn syrup and citric acid, some nuts, flavorings and colors. It's rather like a dairy-free pudding. The mixture is boiled until the starch combines completely with the liquid and sugars to form a silky smooth paste. Then it's poured and cooled in a shallow baking pan until it's ready to be cut into squares. The traditional method of storing and serving involves tossing the cubes with a mixture of confectioners sugar and corn starch to keep them from sticking.
Nory Rahat Locum makes a huge variety of Locum products. They have the traditional rosewater, mint and orange as well as the nut versions including pistachio, almond, hazelnut and walnut. But what caught my eye were flavors like Bergamot, Licorice and Mastica.
I don't know much about Mastic (or in this case Mastica). I looked it up of course, since the whole point of Candy Blog is to explore new flavors. I know that it's a natural plant resin that can be chewed like chicle. You might even recognize it as the root of the word masticate (to chew). The mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) is part of the Cashew family and is closely related to the Pistachio. I've had mastic gum before, I picked up some samples at some trade show along the way and it like the name implies, it's like chewing on tree sap when you get it in its pure form. (Still stimulating and fresh-tasting, if a little hard to chew after a while.)
The idea of using mastic as a flavoring was new to me, even though the internet tells me it's a classic confectionery flavor in the Middle East and Mediterranean.
The pieces appear uncolored, just a pale yellow. The texture is smooth and moist, with an easy bite.
The flavor is lightly woodsy, a little earthy. It reminds me of ginseng gum. A cross between tongue depressors, rosemary with a slight whiff of golden beets. At times it reminded me of office supplies, like Scotch tape, envelope adhesive and laser printers. There's a fresh, slightly jasmine aftertaste. I know this all sounds unappealing but it's soothing and comforting, like the smell of rain.
8 out of 10
While I was most excited by the exotics, there were more mainstream flavors.
Mint was bright green on the inside, like a traffic signal. This was some powerful peppermint. Probably too minty for me. It was smooth and had an excellent texture, the mint was so strong that it had a bit of a warm sensation for me but it did cut the sweetness. 7 out of 10
Rose - flowery and a bit like honey but without the over soapy notes that florals sometimes have. 7 out of 10
Orange - instead of orange blossom or orange zest this was like a whole orange flavor. A little like sweet, low acid orange juice without the pulp. It wasn't my favorite in the bunch, I would have liked more zest in it. However, I can see this being a very accessible and easy flavor for those new to lokum to enjoy. It's very similar to Orange Slice jellies, though so much smoother since there's no granulated sugar crust. 7 out of 10
Pomegranate was deeply colored and had a scent that was a combination of rose and raspberry. The floral and berry notes were good, but I think this one suffered with an overuse of food coloring, which gave it a weird metallic/bitter tone that was inconsistent with a desirable flavor. 7 out of 10
Licorice (not shown) was a polite dose of anise, like those Anise Bears except so much smoother and a little warmer, like there was a touch of ginger in it. Again, the food coloring gave it a weird taste as well. At this point I should note that part way through my tastings of the locum I emailed with Armand Sahakian and noted the difficulties I had with the heavily colored flavors. He confirmed that he was planning to take the products all natural by the end of the year, so this will not be an issue in the future. 7 out of 10
Bergamot was uncolored, which really helped the flavors to take the center stage. It wasn't as strongly flavored as I thought I could tolerate, just a light kiss of what most people know as the essential flavor of Earl Grey tea. Not too sweet, soft and smooth. 8 out of 10
The same locum also came in a nutty version: Bergamot and Pistachio. The floral and grassy notes of the soft and chewy pistachios go so well with the light herbal and citrus flavors of bergamot. If it weren't so messy I'd probably eat the whole box.
The other nutty varieties were supplied to me in the more mainstream combinations. Hazelnut was in a vanilla locum as was Almond. They were mild and pleasant, sweet but then again the lack of the addition flavor really let the nutty notes come through. The hazelnut was really nice because the roasted flavors go so well with vanilla. It got me to wondering how this variety would do with a few cacao nibs tossed in.
8 out of 10
Part of me wanted more nuts, but that's where it's lucky that Nory has another line called Supreme Squares.
Supreme Squares (they also come in bars) are a thicker version of locum with far more nuts. I tried two versions, one is the Pistachio and Rose shown above, which had a light floral note with the sweet and grassy crunch of the pistachios. The chew of the locum was fun, not quite a caramel, but still a bit on the stringy side but ultimately smooth. I ate them all. Just to let you know, I had eight pounds of locum (yes, 8 full boxes) that I'd been eating over the past two months, this was the only box that I finished all by myself.
The second version I tried was the Almond which has a vanilla base, like the locum I tried. It reminded me a bit of a translucent jelly version of Nougat de Montelimar. In fact it would benefit from a little dash of honey. The vanilla gave it a sweeter taste but the super crunchy nuts balanced it out. I definitely preferred it to the standard, less-nutty variety.
The ratings for the nutty Locum and the Supreme Squares are a solid 8 out of 10.
Armand Sahakian has done a great job of updating their product website and doing more outreach in social media (facebook and twitter), it's fun to see a candy with such a long heritage stay current. He tells me that the packages will also be updated as well. The boxes that I got all looked the same with simple stickers denoting what flavor was inside, the new ones will be specific to the contents.
The only issue I actually have with lokum in general is how messy it is. It's a sitting down candy, not an on-the-run candy. It's messy, though thankfully already portioned. The Brits have a great idea there with dipping it in chocolate, but that just adds another flavor to it. Also, in the case of Nory, the package sizes are just too big for me. I don't want a pound. I have a short attention span for candy (even in my pre-blogging days). I might want 8 ounces, but not a whole pound. I might like even smaller - like 4 ounces or "bar format" that would just be a little tray with 2 ounces. The Supreme Squares are apparently available that way.
Nory has mostly California distribution (via Indo-European Foods and Kradjian Importing Co), though I believe it's also available online. Markets that carry Turkish, Armenian, Greek and Persian foods are most likely to have them.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:30 pm Candy • Jelly Candy • Nuts • 7-Worth It • 8-Tasty • United States • Comments (6)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Gimbal's Honey Lovers
Last year Gimbal's Candy introduced Cherry Lovers, a fanciful assortment of nine different cherry flavored jelly candies in the shape of hearts. It wasn't my kind of thing and I wished that there was a citrus version. Gimbal's went far more inventive than that and created Honey Lovers which features 16 different honey infused flavors of jelly beans.
Gimbal's makes a wide array of panned candies and licorice but the big selling point for them is that they operate in a low-allergen facility. No peanuts, no tree nuts, no gluten, no dairy, no eggs and no soy. Honey isn't just a flavoring here, the third ingredient on the list is actually honey. (The first two are sugar and corn syrup.)
The Honey Lovers come in either a 10 ounce bag or a 38 ounce resealable tub. Each of the hearts is colored and patterned to match their flavor. They also feature 25% of the RDA of vitamin C. On top of that, Gimbal's is donating 5% of their sales to honey bee research at the University of California at Davis (which is just 100 miles or so away).
Golden Honey a wonderful and simple little jelly bean heart. It's not a bright sweetness, it's more of a concentrated honey with a little sugary grain from the shell ... which mimicked crystallized honey or honeycomb. The flavor was just a little different from the Jelly Belly Honey Bean, not quite as caramelized but still authentic.
Overall this was a very inventive mix. Of the 16 flavors there were only two that I picked out and refused to eat (Mocha Toffee and Popcorn), and another three that I picked around but didn't toss back in there if I got by accident. But the ones I liked, I thought were stellar (Vanilla Honey, Honey, Meyer Lemon, Strawberry). Even if I didn't like some, there were others whom I shared these with who did, so they are a real crowd pleaser. The only suggestion I'd have would be to have a smaller flavor mix (with 5-8 flavors in a more limited color palette) that might do better for themed buffets and folks who simply buy candy for the colors.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 4:13 pm Candy • Gimbal's Candy • Jelly Candy • Kosher • 7-Worth It • United States • Comments (6)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Jelly Belly Fruit Snacks
Jelly Belly Fruit Snacks are smooth fruity jelly chews in six flavors and made with seven fruit juices.
The package is simple and appealing, focusing on the fruits and the fruit shapes of the candy inside. They're entering a very crowded markeplace, there are dozens of fruit snacks already on the market, many with licensing tie ins with cartoon characters.
They come in: Berry, Cherry, Orange, Lemon, Strawberry and Apple. Each flavor is a different color and shaped for the fruit it's emulating.
Overall the texture is closer to gum drops (like Dots) than jelly beans or gummis. It's an easy and smooth chew, but still a little sticky.
Cherry - is quite mild, a light woodsy black cherry with a tartness to it, but nothing terribly overwhelming.
Lemon - is vivid - a good blend of tangy and zesty.
Strawberry - is floral and a little bit on the fruit punch side of things. It's mostly jammy sweet without much sourness.
Orange - is a bit ordinary but hard to be disappointed with a decent mix of juicy and zesty.
Berry - was hard to find in my mixes that I got. Two of the single serve bags that I opened didn't have them at all. It's a good raspberry flavor, but a little on the non-descript side.
Apple - is fresh and authentic, a lot like apple cider and nothing like "green apple."
The caloric density on these is very low. As an all-sugar candy there's no fat in it but also not much in the way of nutrition… no protein, no fiber. But there is a good dose of vitamin C and of course the fact that you can eat a handful for less than 100 calories can help a lot with a craving.
They're pretty late to a crowded market where there are a lot of choices. The price point is a bit higher than I think many folks are willing to spend but it's the kind of candy I might pick in a vending machine or if it came in theater boxes - the idea of a naturally flavored and colored version of Dots or Jujyfruits is probably appealing to parents as well.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 4:20 pm Candy • Jelly Belly • Jelly Candy • Kosher • 7-Worth It • United States • Comments (3)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Trader Joe's Jelly Beans & Citrus Gum Drops
Trader Joe's is getting its "summer candy" on the shelves. Summer candy is usually sugar candy, or candy that bears the heat well. The great thing about summer candy is that it often reflects the taste of summer fruits.
One product is Trader Joe's Gourmet Jelly Beans in 18 natural flavors. The jelly beans are even naturally colored with vegetable and fruit sources. (They're not quite vegan though, since they use beeswax for the final polish.)
At first I thought that they might be actual Jelly Belly, but without the Jelly Belly stamp. But then I thought maybe they were Marich, who makes Green Beans for Whole Foods. Then flipping over the box I saw that they're made in Ireland ... which really doesn't make much sense to me because there are so many great jelly bean makers here in California.
The flavor mix is almost all fruits, except for liquorice, which is really essential for any mix. The box is a nice size at 5 ounces and $1.99 they're cheaper than Jelly Belly ($6.40 a pound versus about $9 a pound for most Jelly Belly).
The citrus flavors included: Lemon, Lemon & Lime, Tangerine and Pink Grapefruit. All were sunny and zesty, though sweeter and not as intense as Jelly Belly. The zest was a little uneven as well, some were rather bitter from the peel oils but the same flavor another time wasn't at all.
The berry flavors included: Strawberry Smoothie, Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberry. These flavors had good combinations of both tartness, sweetness and the fragrant floral notes that accompany berries. I liked the raspberry quite a bit, it wasn't quite jammy but still the best rounded (and possibly the most ubiquitous flavor in my box) but on the other end blueberry was completely lacking in any flavor at all.
Traditional fruits were Cherry, Apple and Grape.
Cherry was weird, in fact, I wasn't sure for a while that it was the cherry, but process of elimination meant that it couldn't be anything other.
Apple was dark green, not the light green shown on the package. It's mild but convincing.
I can't say that I remember eating the grape.
Exotics were Banana Split, Coconut, Mango, Passion Fruit, Liquorice and Pomegranate.
Coconut was watery and sweet but still had a "coconut flavor" to it. I didn't care much for it on its own but combined with other flavors like pomegranate or banana split it was a nice pop.
Pomegranate was sweet and a bit like cotton candy and raspberry.
I was quite fond of Liquorice, mostly because it was the first all natural licorice jelly bean that I think I've had. It had all the anise and licorice flavor - very sweet but a balanced woodsy and spicy character - but didn't have any of the food coloring bitterness.
Mango was like peach for me, a little too much like the peel (or fuzz in the case of peaches) and not enough of the luscious tangy and custardy flesh.
Passion Fruit was similar to mango in that it didn't quite get the fresh fruit for me, but it was a good mix of sweetness and toasted sugar flavors.
I loved Banana Split. It was sweet but still a good rounded banana flavor that made it taste creamy.
The texture overall is firmer than Jelly Belly and other gourmet beans. They're smooth and very well made but chewy. Some folks may prefer that texture but I thought they were lacking punch and many didn't taste different enough to warrant 18 flavors over 12 or 8.
The more exciting product for me was the new Citrus Gum Drops which feature my favorite flavor genre. Tangerine, Key Lime, Pink Grapefruit and Lemon.
Like the Jelly Beans, these are all natural and vegan. They're also Kosher.
They're also a better value, at 8 ounces for the same $1.99 price tag. I was hoping they'd be as good as the Starbucks teensy gum drops or the comparably priced but huge Whole Foods Gourmet Gum Drops.
The gum drops fit right in as gum drop sized. Like a thimble of firm jelly candy. The sugar sanding is fine grained and stuck well, so there's not a lot of dust.
Lemon - spectacularly well rounded, more like a marmalade than lemonade. Very zesty and only lightly tangy. The citrus oils are very pronounced and have a bitter aftertaste that I love until I'm done eating them and I have a bit of a burning tongue.
Pink Grapefruit - I had high hopes for these but they were a bit blander than I'd hoped. They're more about the juice flavors than the peel. So they're not bitter but just lacking a well rounded citrus punch but did have a bit of a caramelized sugar/honey smoothness.
Key Lime is subtle and quietly peppery. A little tangy and zesty but much deeper than the usual lime.
Tangerine - it says tangerine but it tastes simply like orange, perhaps even like Tang. Sweet and juicy, but not zesty or tart.
The gum drops were so well suited to my preferences, it's like Trader Joe's has been reading the blog. I liked the size and of course the price was great for a premium item. They're not pate de fruits but they're more vibrant than Dots.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 4:00 pm All Natural • Candy • Trader Joe's • Jelly Candy • Kosher • 6-Tempting • 8-Tasty • United States • Comments (11)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wonka Exceptionals Fruit Jellies: Grapefruit, Goji Berry & Red Apple
The new line of Wonka Exceptionals includes new chocolate bars to replace the classic Wonka Bar and the completely new Wonka Fruit Marvels.
The Wonka Exceptionals Fruit Jellies are a bit more classic. They're simple cubes of real fruit jelly made from all natural ingredients in Mexico. They come in single flavor boxes, the initial varieties are Grapefruit, Goji Berry and Red Apple.
They are packaged similarly to the Fruit Marvels. The label sleeve is over an eye-popping magenta and maroon box. Inside the box is an unlabeled purple mylar bag. It's a lot of layers, and while I enjoy the fancifulness, it's really wasteful.
The package simply describes them as fantastically flavorful soft jellies dusted with sugar. I also got a press release that said:
The ingredients go like this:
The beta carotene is the only ingredient that isn't marked as all natural, though it's certainly not an artificial color.
I've had a lot of pate de fruits over the years, which are full fruit jellies. They're usually thickened with the actual fruit instead of corn starch though sometimes there's additional pectin (depending on the fruit). Though the new Wonka Fruit Jellies don't quite rise to the level of pate, they do a good job with the texture and are less sweet than gum drops or fruit jellies like Boston Fruit Slices.
Grapefruit is light yellow, none of this pink grapefruit stuff for Wonka.
The scent is a beguilingly authentic grapefruit peel. Grapefruit is a favorite smell for me, even clinical testing backs up its use for aromatherapy - the smell of grapefruit soothes, engenders trust and youthfulness (for women being sniffed by men, anyway). I like it because it smells like something I want to eat. It's a mix of balsam, lavender, lemon and windy beach.
The half inch jelly cubes are rough and dusted with sugar. They're a little messier than a gum drop but not as dusty as Turkish Delight. They're soft to the touch but firm enough that they can't be squeezed flat very easily. The moist jelly has a nice give, it's not a sticky as a gum drop, these are more of a jam you can eat.
The flavor is mostly about the zest and grapefruit peel but there's a light juice note with a little tangy snap. They're not too cloying or sticky sweet, but not quite intense enough for me to call them a true pate de fruits.
The berries are related to tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. They have tiny little seeds in them but they're edible and provide a little bit of texture, though not quite like, say, kiwi or fig seeds do.
The package says nothing about where the flavor for these comes from, just that it's natural. The whole point, as far as I can tell, of people eating goji is because of its high antioxidant properties, so just flavoring something with goji seems like a miss.
They're sweet with a little tangy note. Kind of like raisin and orange. Not really that interesting to me.
Note: the Goji variety of the Fruit Jellies uses cochineal color, so they are not vegan.
Red Apple was much more appealing than I expected. It's quite red, which was refreshing instead of the more common acid green that candies end up being.
The flavor notes are reminiscent of apple cider. There are notes of apple peel, a mellow and honey-like sweetness along with a light tart bite.
My hesitations with these are because of the excessive packaging, but for a natural fruit jelly product they're priced rather well but still quite a bit steeper than other gummis or jellies. (They're about twice the price per ounce compared to the Wonka Sploshberries.) The size of the pieces is perfect, I just pop them in my mouth, no messing biting & putting half aside. I do love grapefruit, which is a hard flavor to find, and apple lovers may enjoy a real fruit experience too. Goji can go, hopefully replaced by something really inventive ... maybe we'll finally find out what a snozzberry is.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:16 pm All Natural • Candy • Review • Nestle • Discontinued • Jelly Candy • 7-Worth It • Mexico • Comments (7)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tootsie Sour Dots
A new addition to the Tootsie line of Dots is Sour Dots.
As with many sour iterations of popular products the package went for yellow and green, the seemingly universal colors of tartness.
The package design is cute. In this case the blue Dots logo dominates to give cohesion with the other boxes on the shelf (currently I've been seeing classic Dots, Yogurt Dots and Tropical). The little Dots themselves are depicted in each of the five colors with puckery faces. They're called The Dot that bites back!
The flavor assortment is middle of the road, though not just a sour dusted version of the regular fruit Dots (which come in Strawberry, Cherry, Lemon, Lime & Orange), these are Grape, Orange, Lemon, Green Apple and Cherry
The Dots are a traditional smooth jelly center with a sour coating that includes citric acid and malic acid. Dots boxes are wrapped in cellophane so they're soft and fresh.
The sour coating is definitely tart, the kind of sour that makes the back of my jaw tingle.
Grape - very sour and quite artificial but ultimately a chewy gum drop version of Pixy Stix.
Orange - so sour it's almost salty at first, but the zesty notes of the gum drop give this a flavor depth that few other sour citrus candies have.
Lemon - really more like lemon peel than lemon juice, it's fresh, bitter and tangy all at once. It really gave the feeling of those shaken lemonades from the fair.
Green Apple - not quite a Jolly Rancher, it's far too tart. It's more than just the chemical green apple, there is a hint of apple juice in there.
Cherry - this one was simply caustic. The cherry flavors were artificial and buried beneath the sourness, it was like fruity/woodsy toilet cleaner. I do admit that the cherry notes, once the sour is gone are rather deep, but still not my thing.
The smooth gum drop centers set these apart from other sour dusted jelly candies like Sour Patch Kids. They're chewy, but kind of a slick smoothness that the others don't have, there's no graininess after the sour sanding dissipates. They don't even stick to the teeth in the quite the same way as regular Dots. They're a great value for only a dollar and some nice deep flavors. I found myself avoiding the cherry and green apple, but I'm sure that I could find friends (or husbands) to share those with.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:05 am Candy • Review • Tootsie • Jelly Candy • Kosher • Sour • 7-Worth It • United States • Rite Aid • Comments (18)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Au'some Snerdles Super Mario Power Up Box
I'm sure some folks recognize it, it's a Super Mario Power Up Box. Inside this mystery block are eight power ups: Starman, Super Mushroom and the gold coin in the form of Snerdles.
Next question: What are Snerdles? They're are a candy mosaic made by Au'some. Chewy fruit strips covered with tangy, crunchy candies. Think of them like a Nerds Rope, but flat with the Nerds forming an image.
Au'some introduced Snerdles about 10 years ago and they appear on the market from time to time. The last time I heard of them was when they did a limited edition for Marvel back in 2003-2005 including Spiderman. They also made a generic version which was little squares or strips with images of the different flavors of fruit on them.
The promo material I got last year said: Each candy fruit strip is decorated with tiny and tart crunchy candies for an amazing mouthful of texture. I was fascinated and really wanted to see them in person.
Each Power Up Box holds eight individually wrapped Snerdles. Each weighs 11 grams (.39 ounces). They're not quite square - they're 2 inches high and 1.75 inches wide and about an eighth of an inch thick (without the toppings).
They absolutely look like the box illustrates. The translucent fruit squares have designs made from little crunchies in different colors. They're not quite as perfect, but the effect is quite cute and all of mine were faithful and easy to identify. They come in three flavors to go with the designs (though they're not matched at all, any color can be any design). Blue Raspberry is Aqua, Strawberry is red and Apple is green.
Apple Snerdles
It doesn't smell like much out of the package. The fruit bar is a little sticky but very pliable. There's a little pull to it, but it's not at all a gummy.
It's not quite fruit leather, it's not as pulpy as that.
Goodness, this was realistically like an apple. The peel flavors and actual flavor of a granny smith were in there. The second ingredient is pear puree, so it really is fruity.
Really authentic scent of strawberry jam. It's tangy and sweet with just a hint of grape in the background, but mostly a vague strawberry flavor. The candy pieces provide a crunch and flavor somewhere between a nonpareil and a Nerd. They're tangy and sweet, but not quite flavored. They're crunchy but have a slight starchy and chalky afterglow.
I found I could just bite them and eat them that way, but like a fruit roll up or fruit leather I did play a bit. I rolled some up, with the crunches on the inside to keep them from falling off (they're little devils inside a keyboard). I also pulled some apart, so the mosaic was distorted, like the scattering of galaxies after the Big Bang.
The crunchies just sit on the top, they're not pressed into the fruit square.
Blue raspberry was certainly an odd color, an ocean aqua. It had an appealing scent, a mixture of floral berries and limes. This one was more tart than the others, though I can't say that any rise to the level of sour candy. The flavors were like a berry jam, though not subtle or nuanced. Just straight ahead real berry flavor.
These really are an inventive candy. They're not quite a fruit leather and without the nutrition panel I can't say exactly whether I'd call these a snack or a candy. The fact that they're made with a substantial amount of fruit puree should make parents happy and the cute designs and inventive package should make any kid who gets these the envy of his friends.
Made in a no peanut facility but no other notations of allergens on the list (such as tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat/gluten). They're also Kosher. Full ingredients: Sugar, pear puree from concentrate, dextrose, corn syrup, tapioca starch, citric acid, apple fibre, sodium citrate, artificial flavors, pectin, maltodextrin, carnauba wax, colours. They are made in China, though it says "Made responsibly in China." I talked to some folks at the company, it's a family run business who supervise the manufacture of the candies themselves so it appears that there's more oversight than a company that outsources the production. They have more information on their website.
The box is easily reusable, it's a 2.5" cube with a well fitted lid. I think you can peel off the top sticker and then throw change in there or game tokens or just keep refilling it with different candy. I don't know the true retail price, I expect a box like this will be under $2.00, but on the internet where licensed merchandise can go for more, they might be around $3.
Aggrogate had a roundup of many Nintendo-themed candies, including Snerdles.
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POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:00 pm Candy • Review • Au'some Candy • Compressed Dextrose • Jelly Candy • Kosher • 7-Worth It • China • Comments (8)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Madelaine Duets
Madelaine Chocolate makes chocolate morsels. They make a wide array of chocolate pieces wrapped in novelty foils, but what they do that's different from RM Palmer or even Russell Stover is they use really good chocolate.
Their array of foil wrapped treats is dazzling. Butterflies, poker chips, stars, hearts, balls, flowers and coins. They also make panned chocolates like a rainbow of Malted Milk Balls in both classic and specialty flavors. They're a bit expensive but my real complain has been how hard they are to find.
It looks like they're making a new push into retail outlets instead of bulk bins and wholesale quantities for party planners they packaging for the shelf. In addition to their new treats (some reviewed by Sugar Pressure) they have a new line of bonbons called Duets which are double filled chocolate spheres in four varieties.
Madelaine sent me a press kit with a sample of three of each of the new chocolates for review.
The chocolates come in stand up bags made of paperboard, ten chocolates to a package and retail for about $6.25 according to their own direct-sell website (but probably less on store shelves). That makes each chocolate about 63 cents, not bad when compared to a Lindt Lindor Truffle which is about where I think they're aiming in the marketplace.
Milk Chocolate & White Chocolate Duets
The pieces are nicely formed and again, I'm using Lindor truffles for comparison. They're individually twist wrapped and not only clearly marked, they're color coded if you should dump them into a bowl with other flavors. They're about the same size as Lindor, though lacking the little divot that allows it to sit up on its own. Instead of a coconut and palm kernel oil in the center, Madelaine uses a combination of real chocolate, milk products and canola oil for the ganache core.
This is a classic confectionery pairing: milk chocolate and white chocolate. The ganache centers are satisfyingly soft, so much so that they melt readily. The blend of the flavors is quite milky with a bit of a cream cheese tang to them. For the most part it was like eating a version of a chocolate cheesecake.
It's rich and sticky, a bit cloying but not as sickly sweet as I would have expected for a white and milk pairing like this. The chocolate shell is also good quality though it was the sweetest part of the confection. The flavors are well rounded and wholly authentic, not watered down or thinned out by excess oils.
Caramel & Peanut Butter Duets
I thought, How good could a caramel and peanut butter bonbon be from a commercial company? After all, I was consistently disappointed by gooey caramel from mass manufacturers. It usually had a great texture but little more flavor than Karo.
The sphere smelled like peanut butter and chocolate. So far so good. Biting into it, the peanut butter side wasn't quite a meltaway, but not quite the crumbly peanut butter of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. A good roasted taste, a little salty and pretty smooth. The caramel side was a revelation. The texture was ultrasmooth and thick though not chewy. The flavor profile was actually like burnt sugar, like a true caramel. The combination of the two along with the milky chocolate shell was decadent and homey.
Raspberry & White Truffle Duets
This one smells quite milky without a hint of the berry jam inside. After biting into it I recognized the yogurty white ganache side. The great part of this one was the raspberry filling. No seeds but lots and lots of jammy raspberry flavors - boiled sugar, floral berry notes and a gooey sticky jam texture.
Raspberry & Peanut Butter Duets
I saved the best for last. A few weeks ago I posted my favorite piece from an assortment of chocolates from William Dean Chocolatier that my sister gave me for Christmas. It was a peanut butter & jelly bon bon. Yeah, it sounds simple and homey. But what's wrong with that?
This Duet has a layer of creamy peanut butter and that wonderfully flavorful raspberry filling. I could eat a whole bag of these without any problem.
They are expensive, but if I could buy them individually like Lindor Truffles I'd guarantee I'd pick up one or two of the PB&J on a regular basis. As a box, I'd hesitate a bit but probably go for it anyway - especially if I could snag a bag for about $5. They're rich but not too decadent, a little more homey and have fresh flavors that fill a hole where I don't think there are other commercially made products.
They will be released the week of April 19, 2010 and will be available at retailers such as WalMart and Kohl's. (Check their website for current locations.)
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:55 am Candy • Review • Madelaine • Caramel • Chocolate • Jelly Candy • Kosher • Peanuts • White Chocolate • 7-Worth It • 8-Tasty • 9-Yummy • United States • Comments (10)
Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


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by Geoffrey Ciani - With Floyd Mayweathers unanimous decision victory against Miguel Cotto this past weekend, that makes five common opponents who Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have both faced and defeated. This marks a total of a dozen fights. What, if anything, do these twelve contests tell us about a potential match-up between Pacquiao and Mayweather? Lets take a look and examine the facts.
Common Opponent #1: Oscar De La Hoya
Floyd Mayweather Junior
DATE: May 5, 2007
WEIGHT: 154 pounds
Manny Pacquiao
DATE: December 6, 2008
WEIGHT: 147 pounds
Obviously in this instance Pacquiao clearly put on the better performance. He dominated Oscar from start to finish, and this was an amazing feat considering Pacquiao had just one fight at the 135 pound limit before skipping over 140 to meet Oscar at 147. At the same time, Oscar had to compromise and go down in weight. He had not fought at the welterweight limit for close to eight years. Even if De La Hoya was weight drained and malnourished, however, Pacquiao still made a statement, if for no other reason than overcoming the gargantuan size advantage enjoyed by De La Hoya. In many ways, this represented a passing of the torch from one mega star to the next.
While Pacquiaos victory overshadows Floyds when it comes to De La Hoya, Mayweather deserves his fair share of credit as well. His fight with De La Hoya remains the biggest seller in history and Floyd himself had to come up in weight to face Oscar, venturing north to 154 for the first time in his career. De La Hoya had some success in the first half of the fight using his jab and attempting to apply pressure, but Floyds superior conditioning and technique enabled him to easily outpoint Oscar in the latter half of the contest. Some fans inexplicably clamored for a rematch but fortunately it never happened.
The edge here goes to Pacquiao, but I dont think either of these fights tells us much of anything about a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.
Common Opponent #2: Ricky Hatton
Floyd Mayweather Junior
DATE: December 8, 2007
WEIGHT: 147 pounds
Manny Pacquiao
DATE: May 2, 2009
WEIGHT: 140 pounds
Pacquiao still had his fair share of doubters following the De La Hoya win. After all, the generally held hindsight perspective was that Oscar was weight drained, weak, old, and shot. Ricky Hatton represented Pacquiaos first true test since he moved up from 130. Or did it? Hatton pressured Pacquiao recklessly, was countered with a slew of right hooks, got dropped twice in the first round, and was ultimately finished off in brutal fashion following a lethal looking straight left that landed flush on the button. Hatton was out! It was a surreal and shocking ending that left a lasting impression on boxing fans.
Mayweathers victory over Hatton was impressive and one-sided, but was a bit more of a measured effort that lacked the explosive dramatics of Pacquiaos early knockout. So once again, Pacquiao gets the edge but Im not sure it means much in the grand scheme of things.
Common Opponent #3: Miguel Cotto
Floyd Mayweather Junior
DATE: May 5, 2012
WEIGHT: 154 pounds
Manny Pacquiao
DATE: November 14, 2009
WEIGHT: 145 pounds
Pacquiaos victory over Cotto might still remain his most impressive to date. This was the fight where fans were finally sold on the fact he could compete with the big boys. He took many a flush shot throughout the contest and dropped Cotto a couple of times with power shots fired from awkward angles. Cotto was in full retreat mode by the midway point just trying to survive, and he was ultimately stopped in the final round. Critics claim that Pacquiao forced Cotto to come down too far in weight, making him compete below his comfort zone (to meet at the contractual limit of 145). Others downplay the significance of the two pound difference stating that Cotto weighed just a single pound more in his previous encounter against Joshua Clottey. Regardless of ones stance, this was by far perceived as the toughest test Pacquiao had had to date.
Mayweathers recent victory over Cotto appeared a tad more difficult at times. Mayweather was uncharacteristically bloodied up, and Miguel managed to tag Floyd a bit more often than were accustomed to seeing. At the end of the day, the difference in class prevailed, and Mayweathers superior pedigree enabled him to win a lopsided points victory. It was a fight where many of the rounds were competitive, but Floyd was still clearly doing enough to win them. Some speculate that Mayweather let Cotto into the fight to give the fans their moneys worth in a more crowd-pleasing affair. Others maintain that Cotto simply provided stylistic issues for Floyd. Whatever the case may be, Floyd still won and won comfortably.
Yet again the edge goes to Pacquiao and yet again, does it really mean much when considering a theoretical clash between Pacquiao and Mayweather? I am inclined to say no.
Common Opponent #4: Shane Mosley
Floyd Mayweather Junior
DATE: May 1, 2010
WEIGHT: 147 pounds
Manny Pacquiao
DATE: May 7, 2011
WEIGHT: 147 pounds
For all intent and purposes this one is essentially a wash. Pacquiao and Mayweather both thoroughly outclassed Mosley without much difficulty. On one hand Floyd had the scare in round two where Mosley had him in some trouble compliments of two big right hands. Additionally you could also point out that Pacquiao managed to drop Mosley, whereas Floyd could not. On the other hand Floyd overcame adversity and persevered showing a new dimension of his game that was never before on display. Mayweather also faced Mosley at a time when Shane was perceived as a far greater threat, this following his one-sided destruction of Antonio Margarito. Of course Shane also had a rather lengthy layoff coming in, but nonetheless he was still regarded as an elite fighter when Mayweather faced him, and not so much when Pacquiao fought him, which followed his draw with Sergio Mora.
I suppose you could maybe give a slight edge here to Mayweather, but looking back now the reality is Mosley appears to have been a fighter in decline, and this showed once again in his brave losing effort when he was thoroughly outmatched by 21 year old Saul Alvarez on Saturday.
Common Opponent #5: Juan Manuel Marquez
Floyd Mayweather Junior
DATE: September 19, 2009
WEIGHT: 144* pounds
Manny Pacquiao 1
DATE: May 8, 2004
WEIGHT: 126 pounds
Manny Pacquiao 2
DATE: March 15, 2008
WEIGHT: 130 pounds
Manny Pacquiao 3
DATE: November 12, 2011
WEIGHT: 144 pounds
Pacquiao and Marquez fought three times, and three times they produced incredibly close contests that could have gone either way. Officially Pacquiao earned a majority decision most recently, a split decision before that, and of course their first fight ended in a draw after Marquez rebounded from three first round knockdowns. (Incidentally, I scored the first one for Pacquiao 113-112, the second for Marquez 114-113, and the third a draw 114 apiece). This was one of the greatest trilogies in the rich history of boxing, where each and every chapter was super competitive and highly entertaining. This comes in stark contrast to Floyds virtual shutout victory in which Marquez was never really even in the fight.
Of all the common opponents Pacquiao and Mayweather have had, Marquez poses the most interesting case in my opinion. When you look at the othersShane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and Oscar De La Hoyanone of those four boxers fight anything like Mayweather or Pacquiao. Mayweather and Marquez, however, have some noticeable similarities in style. Both are exceptional counterpunchers with tremendous defensive abilities and exceptionally high ring IQs. Since Pacquiao has effectively battled Marquez to a stalemate after 36 rounds of action, it is interesting to note that the one clear advantage Floyd holds over Pacquiao when it comes to common opponents also happens to be the one opponent whose style most closely resembles Floyds.
Does this mean that Mayweather should be favored because another smart defensive fighter who counter-punched and gave Pacquiao so many issues? I do not believe so. The fact of the matter is, Mayweather and Marquez go about the art of defense through vastly different approaches. Even their counter-punching techniques differ a great deal to the point where any attempted comparisons essentially become null and void. Beyond that, because Marquez was able to endure Pacquiaos power shots, blazing speed, and relentless pressure does not necessarily mean Floyd will automatically be able to do so, too.
We can speculate all we want, but unless Pacquiao and Mayweather actually square off we will never know exactly how these two unique and interesting styles will clash together. Any and all comparisons among common opponents are essentially meaningless, rendering this entire article virtually worthless (but hopefully at least somewhat interesting).
Unless these two mega stars get in the ring and fight we will never know the truth, and unfortunately for boxing fans, these two icons are both in a financial situation where neither one much needs the other, and to date neither seems to care much about the fanswho have enabled them to live their luxurious high profile lifestylesby proactively putting forth the effort to make it happen! If Pacquiao can take care of business on June 9 against Timothy Bradley (which is not a given as far as I am concerned), let us hope these two pugilists can push the egos aside and do the right thing for the loyal fans of this great sport. Wishful thinking on my part? Perhaps so, but time shall tell.
I still think its a pickem fight, and one that I still have an interest in seeing. But then again, perhaps boxing trainer Nazim Richard was on to something when on a recent edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio he suggested, If it (Pacquiao-Mayweather) aint better than Hagler-Hearns its a letdown to me. I got to wait six years to see two dudes fight and I get a chess match? You can keep that!
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Students at a Utah elementary school compost leftover fruit and vegetable scraps year-round to be used in a school garden. Students at the environmental science magnet school said they started composting to help the environment and prevent food waste in the cafeteria.
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real pancakes
real pancakes
most of the recipes I've read concerning pancakes don't taste anything like "real" pancakes. Some are as lame as mixing protein with water and pouring on a griddle. Sorry, but I just can't choke those down. So I've been tweaking this recipe for a couple of months, and found a mix that tastes exactly like real pancakes, with a great profile.
1 cup whole wheat flower
2 scoops vanilla protein
3.5 teaspoons baking powder
.25 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
1 tablespoon splenda
cinnamon to taste
1 egg
1 cup water
3 tablespoons applesauce (unsweetened)
sift the dry ingredients first, then add everything else, mix and pour onto griddle.
This should make two batches, one of which is great to take to work in a ziploc bag for killing the sweet tooth that comes mid-day. On cheat days, I add a handful of chocolate chips (I still get my protein and good carbs while cheating).
After a workout, top with natty pb.
All carbs are from the natural applesauce (very little) and the whole wheat flower... so they are very low gi
The only fat comes from the one egg yolk, which is broken up over two servings.
Enjoy (they taste like IHOP pancakes!!!)
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Thanks. I`ll try this Sunday am. I have everything except the applesauce.
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il have to try it
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Schall Family
The Schall Family Story
The Schall F amily Families In The Arabian Horse Community by Gina Czupka Families In The Arabian Horse Community The Schall F amily by Gina Czupka It is disarming, if not a little surprising, to think that one of the halter and sales powerhouses of the industry started out as a young couple and their two blond little boys searching out a horse for a leisure time hobby. The Schall family of Shada Inc., had no background in Arabian horses--Dave Schall just had draft horses and working cow horses on the family farm on which he grew up in North Dakota--but when they found the Arabian breed, a love blossomed. That love continued to grow, and in doing so, it revealed natural talents, unwavering dedication, and an unshakable family bond. Dave and Sheila Schall came to the Twin Cities, attracted by the bustling job market, after Dave had completed college. They found work--Dave in computers and Sheila in real estate--and they worked hard to achieve their dream of moving to quieter ways outside of the city. "As soon as we could, we bought land and moved our young boys--they were 7 and 8--out to the country and got a couple of pleasure riding horses," Dave says. The two mares were partArabians, and one of them was in foal. "We brought them back to our home, which is where we still have Schall 280 | AR ABIAN HORSE TIMES The Schall brothers enjoying horses at an early age. The Schall brothers in March of 1973. our training facility now, in Elk River, Minn.," Jerry says. "We have never had a different farm." When the first foal was born, Jeff and Jerry, like so many kids, were taken with the little horse. But their interest was something more than a common fascination. Dave and Sheila saw that their boys were not just interested--they had a special talent for working with that foal, and the two foals that would follow. They decided to pursue breeding more seriously, and on the advice of local Arabian breeders, they bought their first purebred mare. "We were going to then derive an income out of these horses; so, we started to breed them," Jeff says. "So we went, the same four people again, in the car and headed off to find a stallion." The breeding pursuit started off in a way that seems quaint, compared with the international, high-tech breeding world of today. "We were at a feed store in St. Francis, Minn., and there was a picture of a beautiful stallion named Mizsah," Jerry continues. "We got directions and set out to see Mizsah, who was owned by Ward and Marva Ferguson. "They showed him and his full-brother My-Sahib to us, and we were hooked. That was what we wanted. They were beautiful stallions with beautiful eyes, and they made beautiful babies." The connection that the Schall family made with the Fergusons was an important one, and led them into deeper involvement with the Arabian horse community in Minnesota. "We researched, looked and found the sire of Mizsah and My-Sahib, Halima Sahib. He was David, Jeff, and Sheila Schall getting ready for a pleasure ride. Jeff Schall on the lead in May of 1977. J U NE 20 09 | 281 Schall owned by the Walt and Carol Robilliard family, and we decided to breed to that stallion," Jerry says. "He was one of our all-time favorites--he was a majestic, charismatic stallion and he started to mold our tastes, our ideal of an Arabian horse." Another key connection for the Schalls in the early days was the one they made with Louie Johnson, who owned the stallion TahZaman. "We developed a friendship with him and an expansion of our breeding philosophy," Jerry says. This friendship with Johnson also pushed further open the door to show ring success, though that would come a bit later. "Jeff showed TahZaman at the MAHA [Minnesota Arabian Horse Association] show, and that was one of his first major wins," Jerry adds. "That championship helped inspire Jeff to go on to the career that he has." "Our first initial interest was strictly to breed a few," Dave says. "It wasn't training, because the boys were really young, so there was not any consideration of training or even showing at that point. It was just to start breeding and have a few of them for the family interest." That family involvement, on a hobby-only level, still helped to make the Schall brothers into the horsemen that they are today. "Over the first two to four years, we had grown to have about eight to 10 horses," Dave says. "That is a lot of involvement, in the physical, hands-on sense. Horsemanship doesn't come from walking around wanting to train a horse, it's from strict animal husbandry and taking care of the animals." Sheila Schall being "hands on." Schall Dave Schall showing his "first filly." A young Jeff Schall practicing his technique. 282 | AR ABIAN HORSE TIMES When the boys were still very young--Dave approximates that they were 9 and 10--Jeff and Jerry were involved in all aspects of taking care of the horses and seeing to their needs. "[Dave] took great pride as he coached them after school, in the evenings," Sheila says. "They were all together. That's where they really developed their care for the horses, their horsemanship, and the basics. A lot of kids miss that." Dave says that, as much fun as the major successes in the business have been, the beginning holds a special place in their memories. "It's been quite a journey," he says. "The enjoyment, looking back, is different now than what it was on the actual day you were doing it. When we first started out, we would get up at 3, 4 in The Schall family. the morning and drive to the shows, whether they were in Willmar or Brainerd or wherever. They were outside and we'd show out of the trailer. Those mornings of getting up, the family all together--us taking our coffee and the kids taking their hot chocolates--and going to the shows, they were really special times. I think anybody that has had that start has the same feeling about that era." The brothers add that those were formative experiences for them as trainers. "In the early years, we were these two little boys, standing at our parents' sides," Jeff says. "Unlike most boys, who are running around like crazy men ... everybody commented on how well-behaved we were. We were like sponges; we were taking it all in. We were listening to everybody's lingo and how they talked. We weren't engaging in the conversation yet, but it was really a great experience and education for us." The capacity that the boys showed for working gently and effectively with foals turned into something more as they became more interested in showing horses. "For three or four years, they worked with foals, and that was where they developed [their skills]," Dave says. "When they started training, the first horses we took to a show were foals." "What Jerry and I got for training and what we could get, were a lot of weanlings," Jeff says. "The weanling classes were a big deal back then. We would take these little sponges, sometimes still on their moms, and we would train them to be little show horses. We would go in and not only win the weanling classes, but then some of the junior championship classes at some of the bigger shows." David Schall on the family farm. Jerry Schall showing at one of his first horse shows. Jerry Schall at the beginning of his successful show career. J U NE 20 09 | 283 Schall People started noticing the special talents that the Schall brothers had with the young horses, and it was clear that if they could work so deftly with the most delicate horses, it stood to reason that they would do well with older horses. "You create your own opportunities and the babies, the weanlings helped us to do that over a couple of years," Jeff says. "We got to be known not only for how good they were, but how competitive they were. [Those foals] helped develop our mode Jeff Schall and his father, David, showing together. of training." Jerry expands on that idea. "It's that style that carries through--the time-tested patience that works for babies and that works for older horses that are searching for confidence. They are able to find that with us, with our program." There was a pivotal moment in the history of the Schall family that came along with the recognition that the brothers were receiving. "It went from foals to yearlings and from that summer on, they got more options and it took off pretty fast," Dave says. "That's when Sheila and I made the decision to sell our stock, because when they were getting a stallion, a mare, 2-year-olds and were going to Nationals, there was no more room ... it was a real conflict, and we weren't large enough at that time, facility-wise, to do it." "We then developed the involvement with people like the Corrows," Jerry says. "We were entrusted with Halana; that was one of Jeff 's first great fillies. Other early stars were Bob Sigfrinius's mare, ELCO Tah-Mara, Wally Alvarez with the stallion Cytosk, and Stolen Fire, which was a gelding owned by Ken and Debbie Cain. I would say that those four horses catapulted Jeff through the regionals and into his national appearances." The first national champion for Shada was the Half-Arabian pinto mare CH Obsession, owned by Crete Harvey. "We had been on the scene for a couple of years and had had some strong Top Tens," Jeff says. "She was the first one to wear the roses, and we got a taste of the highest achievement possible." Schall Jeff Schall proudly displaying show ring accomplishments. Brothers Jeff and Jerry Schall. 284 | AR ABIAN HORSE TIMES Dave adds a bit of humor to reminiscences of the early days. "Jeff was really talented with the horses ... but it was a pretty competitive market [in Minnesota]," he says. "So in the beginning, Jeff wore red shoes when he showed." The idea--or rather, the flashy shoes--certainly got Jeff noticed. "The judges would all stop and chat with him. They'd tell him they liked them or didn't like them, but [the shoes] got noticed. They didn't know his name yet; so, they called him `Red Shoes.'" Jeff and Jerry Schall preparing for a photo shoot on their farm. You might have noticed, though, that Jeff hasn't kept up the look. It just took one breeder and one horse to interrupt the habit. "In 1986, Al and Marion Corrow brought him Halana," Dave says. "She was just a yearling, but she was pretty special and we knew it, and Al really knew, as an accomplished breeder. He said, `I've got the most special one I've ever raised, and I want you to train her and show her. But if you show her, you have to take the red shoes off.' Jeff looked at her and said, `It's worth it.' So Jeff took the red shoes off to show at the Buckeye that year, and she was junior champion, out of 80 fillies, and reserve champion mare to Amber Satin, and he never wore his red shoes again." After making the decision to sell their own stock and Jeff Schall with Echo Magnifficoo at the 1991 Scottsdale Show. focus on providing their customers with a full-service training, breeding and sales facility, Shada (a take on "Sheila and Dave") started to grow exponentially. "I think that people saw in us an innate sense of compassion for the horses and it didn't just start out by us saying, `We want to be in the winner's circle,'" Jeff says. "It started out from our prior experiences, saying that we want to see how much we can get out of these horses and in what fashion we can be Just one of the early, creative stall set-ups by the Schall family. J U NE 20 09 | 285 Schall Schall Jeff Schall and Champion Stallion Eternety at the 1994 U.S. Nationals. Jeff Schall celebrates his Scottsdale win with Echo Magnifficoo. the most fair in doing that. We spent months and years really developing a technique, finding what worked best, lots of repetition, things of that nature. It was the horse foremost, rather than the prize, and I think that is still what we base a lot of it on, at our farm." The family set out to provide four-fold service to their clients, and they have kept the idea going to this day. 286 | AR ABIAN HORSE TIMES They were, of course, showing horses (and helping amateurs to show their own horses), but they also developed Shada to serve as a breeding facility--both as a place for stallions to stand and a dependable source for mare and foal care. The next piece of the puzzle was sales--an area where Shada has excelled and continues to be a leading farm. Perhaps there's an indication of why that is the case in the fourth element: promotion. Jerry In 1994, the young family team--and the industry at large--saw the culmination of what that combination of elements--plus one great horse-- could truly do. "We put it all together with Eternety," Jerry says. "We put together all of my mom and dad's ability to support, promote and advise; Jeff 's ability to train; and my ability to sell breedings, babies and train the offspring." The family had been working with the f lashy bay stallion for a few years, and their efforts were finally magnified for all to see when he, with Jeff on the lead, claimed the most prestigious title in the Arabian breed. "Eternety was the five-year course that we needed to develop a family of friends and clients," Jerry says. "It developed from being Reserve National Champion for two years and through Scottsdale and Buckeye appearances, where people supported him and loved that horse. Then, in 1994, he was named U.S. National Champion Stallion, under a five judge system. Jeff came in as a virtual unknown; he rocked the show. It was an iconic night." Jerry adds that the experience with Eternety--from the show ring to Shada's development of an Eternety futurity program--was the beginning of a new chapter of success for the family, one they have continued to build on ever since. "Our first 10 years had been put in and we were rewarded," he says. "Then, in our next 10 years, we just hit the ground running, with showing incredible horses for wonderful people, winning a ton and going against the best in the world." He adds, in a way that demonstrates that the Schall family are sportsmen as well as horsemen, "We really recognize the trainers that we've shown against, they've been great competitors." Jerry Schall, the consummate professional horse trainer. Shada has always been the very definition of a family business, with Sheila, Dave, Jeff and Jerry all taking on essential roles. "Since the inception, when we really became serious and built the facility and had the office, I've done the behind-the-scenes work, such as the bookkeeping, the file keeping, the paperwork and keeping everything organized, as far as the office and the business end of things," Sheila says. Her sons are very obviously grateful. "No one knows better, from beginning to end, as to how it J U NE 20 09 | 287 Schall says that whether it's pictures, video or advertising, for a show horse, a breeding stallion or a horse for sale, "There's nobody better than Jeff and his team." runs, than my mom. She's a great detail person," Jerry says. Jeff adds, "My mom is probably the greatest lady that's ever lived, to be able to hold three guys together. She deserves to be called the glue of the Schall family." Dave's creativity and practical expertise are doubly helpful. "Our dad is the one who has created some of our events--notably our Shada Spectaculars--and our stall decorating concepts that have been second to none; he's the mastermind behind that," Jeff says. "He has knowledge on so many fronts that he makes Jerry and I look like one trick ponies. He has great foresight, and he's able to help us look to the future." Of course, there are more practical matters that he attends to--the details that make Shada a welcoming facility for both horse and owner. "I've always managed the barns and all the equipment, and everything to do with the mechanical side of housing close to 100 horses," Dave says. "It takes a lot to house 100 horses in stalls and keep everything going, and we run a year-round operation--it's 70 degrees inside in the winter. We try to keep at the top with safety; our trailers and trucks look aesthetically nice, but I don't let a worn tire stay on a trailer ... it's safety first, and care for the horses." To keep up with the demand for their services, and to keep Shada looking toward the future, a new face joined the team. "Three years ago, our assistant, Austin Miller came aboard," Jeff says. "He's like a brother, and he is now a part of the trio of finishers (and starters). Austin has become very good at his craft because he's talented, he's a listener and he's got a gift with the horses." The finely balanced machine of Shada works well, because everyone does their part to make it the best it can be. "As much as we appreciate what [the boys] do, they appreciate what we do," Dave says. "It's a respect that goes back and forth." He adds that they all function together so well because of their uniting passion for their work. "We truly all enjoy it. As much as it is our livelihood, there is real pleasure in being able to deal with someone's horse and produce a champion, or care for it and have a foal. It's never drudgery for us; it's real enjoyment for all of us." As well as Shada works as a training, sales, marketing and breeding facility, the Schall family works as a cohesive unit. It is nothing short of impressive that after 30 or more years, they all come together to work toward the same goal. When asked how they've done it, Sheila says it can be summed up in one word. "Respect," she says. "Absolute respect. When you work together as a family, it's a total commitment. We made a commitment to the animals, but we also made a commitment to each other. We've had some wonderful, wonderful times, and we've also had some real challenges to get through. We were always a support group, during those times." Schall Jeff Schall with wife, Roxanne, and companion Boo. Jerry Schall with Anissa Weber. 288 | AR ABIAN HORSE TIMES is the proud father, Jeff "[Jeff and I] worked the uncle with whom through some huge she likes to swim issues, when we were and play, Grandpa young, just teenagers," Dave has helped her Jerry says. "We learned develop an affinity for not to fight and not classic cars, and she to bring in the things and Grandma Sheila that are counteractive are thick as thieves. to a good relationship. "She's the love of my We learned, no matter life," Sheila says with what, to tell each a giggle. Felicia's other the truth--we interest in the horses could handle it. And is already shining we learned, no matter through--she's taken what, to talk it out and riding lessons, and to talk the next day. she has a roster of There wasn't anything favorite horses in the big enough or terrible barn. "It's really, really enough to wreck a exciting to have a little lifetime relationship." one involved with all Jeff adds, "There's a of us adults," Sheila commitment that every says. Monday morning is the start of a new week, Looking back at where regardless of what the they started, and the last one brought. Jerry heights they have and I know that we're David and Sheila Schall with the next generation, granddaughter Felicia. reached together, Jerry working on different wonders whether fate fronts sometimes; yet, it had a hand in Shada. "It was supposed to be a hobby," all comes back to the common good." he says. "But what was supposed to be a hobby turned into a career. I always think, `Wow, was that choice Speaking with the Schall brothers, it's very obvious that made or was it given?' No matter what determined the way they get along is not just a front. They finish each the evolution of the family's business, they have the other's sentences, but just as often, they crack each other determination and the respect for one another that will up and break into high-speed banter with one another continue to ensure their success. "I like to share with that is punctuated by laughs. And it's not surprising people that when you read our story, it is our story," that Sheila and Dave are proud parents as much because Jeff says. "It is not just a feel good story, it is the reality of the people their sons have become as what they do of the situation--that is how it works. We're four very professionally. "I enjoy Jeff and Jerry's company," Sheila passionate people, and I think that the reason that we're says. "I truly enjoy them as individuals. I think Jeff has so good as a group is that we have strengths that really true character and I think Jerry has given a lot of humor complement one another. There's a certain identity to my life, because he is one funny individual. The group that comes with our success that is important to us as a that we have--Jeff and his wife Roxanne, and Jerry whole, not just our personal success. We take great pride and Anissa [Weber] and their daughter Felicia--is a in something good happening, in any fashion, around wonderful thing. We have a great family around us." here. We know that we're part of that outcome. We're a group of people working for the common good, rather The mere mention of Felicia, at 5 years old the youngest than the individual good." member of the Schall clan, makes everyone light up. Jerry J U NE 20 09 | 289 Schall


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From genuine 3D technology to slick new e-readers, these products are the best of the crop from this year's International Consumer Electronics show. Get all CES news here.
Sony (finally!) says hello to SD cards
Do you believe in miracles? Proprietary-format-happy Sony finally adopted SD/SDHC cards as the storage in its point-and-shoot cameras.
To be fair, Sony's Memory Stick format does predate the SD Card format, but SD/SDHC cards are practically an industry standard.
And if you still have a bunch of Memory Stick cards lying around, don't worry: The new Cyber-shot cameras have a card slot that supports both SD/SDHC and Memory Stick.
Tim Moynihan
Budget-busting camcorder
Panasonic's twin-lens Full HD 3D camcorder is a professional-level 3D camcorder that records video from each of its lenses to SDHC cards.
If you have $21,000 (£12,000) handy, you should definitely pick one up in the autumn; for the price, Panasonic will custom-build the camcorder to your liking.
Tim Moynihan
NEXT PAGE: The need for speed
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- Boxee gets boxed
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- Double displays
- Stalking the wild gadget
- Behind the tablet craze
- A pocket-sized printer
- Sony (finally!) Says hello to SD cards
- The need for speed


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Police Come Back to the 'Burgh
By Regis Behe, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Jul. 29–Before last night's concert at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, it had been 25 years since the Police performed in Western Pennsylvania.
That show, at the Civic Arena, was just before the band parted ways in 1984. Enough time for nostalgia to soak in, for the songs to be passed on to successive generations.
But unlike Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen, the Police's audience — at least at yesterday's show — seems to be the folks who bought "Zenyatta Mondatta" and "Ghost in the Machine" on vinyl. Most of the crowd seemed to be on the plus side of 40.
The kids don't know what they're missing.
The show featured all the songs a die-hard fan could want, starting with the rousing "Message in a Bottle." But these were not note-for-note renditions. Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland are more than mere rockers; each of them has the chops to stretch out the music, re-invent it inside out, as if they were disciples of Miles Davis.
Thus, "Hole in my Life,""Driven to Tears" and "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" (which benefited from Summers' wonderfully understated guitar intro) had different textures than the originals.
For the most part, the experiments worked, save for a strange, dissonant interlude that interrupted the flow of "Roxanne."
Most brilliant was Copeland's tour de force performance in "Wrapped Around my Finger," the evening's finest moment. Using an array of cymbals, kettle drums, chimes and other percussive elements, he elevated the song — which is ordinary by Police standards — into one of those unforgettable moments that lingers long after the final notes.
If Copeland seems to be the most passionate about the music itself, Summers is the band's artisan, adding shades of color to "Driven to Tears" or just playing the guitar hero in "Demolition Man." Broad strokes or miniatures, he provided the perfect complement to each song.
That leaves Sting, the uber-front man, charismatic, genial, still looking like he just strolled off Mt. Olympus at 56, especially with a Zeus-like beard. And that voice! He sounds as if the years have had no effect on him, even though stretching out the vocals on "Walking on the Moon" seemed a bit of braggadocio.
Still, you give the great ones an indulgence or two.
Elvis Costello opened the evening with a typically fiery set that included his gems "Pump it Up" and "(What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," some very good songs from the new album "Momofuku" (especially "Stella Hurt") and his touchstone "Alison," during which Sting came out, sang the second verse and stole Costello's thunder.
To see more of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Madonna and Guy Ritchie
Split in: 2008
For over a year, there were whispers that something was amiss in Madonna and Guy's marriage, possibly an affair between Madge and Alex Rodriguez, but the couple adamantly denied that anything was wrong. Two months shy of their eight-year anniversary, they announced their divorce.
RELATED: Madge and more celebs who've adopted
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