Tag Archives: So Sweet Candy Cafe

Souper Sunday

Posted on February 13, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Imagine my delight just now when I searched and found that I have not used “Souper Sunday” as a headline.  I don’t like to repeat headlines.  I know I predicted a Wrist to Forehead Sunday, but I think Sunday Supper post might be nice.  I guess technically it was lunch, but you know how I love alliteration.

I had planned to make soup earlier in the week.  I had a big piece of beef in the freezer (I don’t remember what the cut was; it was on sale and it looked good).  I thought I would cook it in the crock pot on Saturday, then make soup with the leftovers on Sunday.  I find it is a good idea for me to plan menus for the weekend, to lessen the temptation to send out for pizza or Chinese food.  I confess that it only lessens the temptation.  That little devil on my shoulder will whisper, “That meat will be perfectly good to cook on Monday!”  However, this weekend, the devil was silent and I crock potted the beef.

I put Worcestershire sauce garlic powder, minced onions, Salt-Free Essential Spice Blend (from the So Sweet Candy Cafe in Utica, NY), and a small can of mushrooms in the crock pot with the meat, plus a little water.  It cooked for maybe nine hours.  Yum!  Steven nicely put the leftovers away.

I started the soup around 12:30 today.  As usual, I crushed up some garlic and set the timer for 15 minutes so it could “breathe” (I put breathe in quotations, because garlic does not have lungs).  I chopped up an onion and put it in a pot.  Ooh, here’s where I changed things up:  I did NOT cook it in olive or canola oil as per my usual method.  I used red wine.  Yes, I cooked with wine and I actually put it in the food!  You see, I impulsively purchased a cheap bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon the other day at Ilion Wine and Spirits.

“If it’s not good to drink, I can always cook with it,”  I said, quoting a bit of wisdom given me by another wine aficionado.  Turns out it wasn’t so good to drink.

After things had cooked for some time, I added a can of diced tomatoes.  Then I chopped up a small eggplant I had purchased specifically for the soup.  I love eggplant.  This was when I realized I had picked too small of a pot.  Damn! I put everything in a bigger pot.  After letting the eggplant cook for a while, I put in the leftover drippings and chopped up the leftover beef.  Stirring everything up, I added parsley, more Salt-Free Essential and a little cumin.

It was quite a tasty soup, and there was a goodly amount left over.  Steven put it in the freezer, for future consumption.  Now how could I have a Wrist to Forehead Sunday after such a delicious meal?

 

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Lame Post While Cooking

Posted on November 12, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Lame Post Friday and I am just not up to writing much yet.  Also, I have not done much to write about.  Cut me a break, I’m still convalescent!  It has reached the point where I have kind of given up on feeling better and am determined to start going about my business as usual.  This is usually the time in any illness or injury where, perhaps not surprisingly, I begin to actually feel better.  I’ll keep you posted on when that happens.  In the meantime, I need a post.

I ventured out of the house three times today.  Twice to take a short walk with the dog (that is all he seems to want) and once to buy yarn.  I finished the afghan I was working on and since the last afghan I finished was an end cuts one, I had not much yarn to begin a new project.  I waffled back and forth, because there were one or two things I could have done.  Then I said, oh hell, just do it.

So I’ve been sitting here knitting a prayer shawl and watching Snapped, when I looked at the clock and thought, Hmmm.  Dinner.  I shall pause while I go start it.

That didn’t take long.  I just put two pieces of chicken in the oven after putting spices on them.  It is Steven’s recipe.  I don’t know what spices he uses (it may vary), but I used garlic powder, salt-free lemon pepper, onion flakes and Salt Free Essential Spice from the So Sweet Candy Cafe in Utica, NY (couldn’t resist given them another shout-out).  I set the timer for 20 minutes, when I will flip the pieces.

Later on, I’ll cook some potatoes to mash.  Mmmmmm…  mashed potatoes.  Sounds wonderful.

So that’s my lame post for today.  Happy Friday, everyone.

 

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Wrist to Seeds to Shout-outs

Posted on October 31, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, we all knew it would be.  I’m still trying to get over my cold.  Yesterday’s chicken soup helped, especially when I heated up two more bowls of it this afternoon.  Extra sleep has helped too.  I may stop complaining about my ills any day now, but let’s not expect miracles, shall we?  At least I can stop whining long enough to give a shout-out to a local business that helped us out today.

In the best of circumstances I don’t often cook something good two days in a row.  Additionally, the oven was already occupied by roasting pumpkin seeds. Yes, we waited till the day before Halloween to carve our pumpkin.  What can I say, it’s been a rough month.  But today Steven carved a delightful face in the pumpkin we got from Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit (ooh, that will make two shout-outs today).  I gathered the seeds and put them in the oven to roast, after tossing them in olive oil with salt and spices.  Just to give another shout-out, I used the Salt Free Essential Spice Blend I got from So Sweet Candy Cafe  (it was at their booth at the Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival in Little Falls, so it actually may have been So Sweet Candy Confections, but what’s in a name) (and I just gave a shout-out to the Garlic Festival, didn’t I?).

That was kind of a convoluted paragraph, wasn’t it?  You’ll have that when a blogger is not feeling 100% for some days in a row.  No matter, my original purpose here was to give a shout-out to Carney’s Corners.  Steven called in an order for pick-up, an Italian sub and pasta salad.  I had not had an Italian sub in a while.  I’ve been trying to get away from processed, aged meats, since I heard they may be migraine triggers.  Never mind that they are some of my favorite things.  Salami and pepperoni, YUM!  I thoroughly enjoyed my half of that sub.

OK, I’ve carefully put in links to Pumpkin Junction, So Sweet Candy Cafe and Mohawk valley Garlic and Herb Festival.  I couldn’t find a site for Carney’s Corners, but they are located at 232 N. Washington St., Herkimer, phone number 315-866-7191.  And if you don’t feel like clicking, Pumpkin Junction is at 2188 Graffenburg Rd., Sauquoit, 315-794-4604 (although their last day of business for the year may be Oct. 31, so hurry); So Sweet Candy Cafe is 531 Varick St., Utica, 315-765-6463.

 

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Short Shout-out with Skeleton

Posted on October 20, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl
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Sugar Ray Bones seemed to be enjoying the ambiance quite a bit.

So yesterday Mohawk Valley Girl started something new by posting pictures.  It was FUN!  Although I suppose I could have done a better job at placing them and utilizing them to enhance my text.  Never mind, those things will come. Today I am having a kind of a Wuss-out Wednesday.  If I were to elaborate on why, it would be come Whiny Wednesday.  Nobody wants that!  Instead, I will give a quick shout-out to a business I have written about before:  So Sweet Candy Cafe in Utica, NY.

Steven had never been to the So Sweet, and I knew he would love it.  Additionally, Margaret, the proprietress, had posted pictures of her Halloween decorations on Facebook.  We made sure we had our Tablet before we headed out.

I took the above picture right away.  I LOVE skeletons!  The cafe had a naming contest for Sugar Ray Bones.  I did not enter, because I couldn’t think of any good skeleton names.  Red (which I did not think of) and Boney James (which I did) had already been taken by other skeletons I know.

We took some other pictures, but I have not downloaded them to my laptop yet.  My bad.  Then again, I can give the So Sweet another shout-out later.

Did I mention that today was Wuss-out Wednesday?  I guess I should have gone with Plan A and let this blog become All Splitting Issues All The Time, because I really have to wrap this up and get to dress rehearsal.

The So Sweet Candy Cafe is located at 531 Varick St . in Utica.  You can Like them on Facebook, and I totally recommend you stop in and see Sugar Ray Bones.

 

 

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Just a Few Shout-Outs

Posted on October 12, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

So yesterday I thought I was coming down with something and today I am pretty sure I am.  It would not be such a big deal if I could keep from being such a colossal baby about these things.  Or if I could just quietly take a day off from posting.  But, as they say, I gotta be me.  However, instead of whining for 200 or so words about how crappy I feel, how about I give a brief overview of Steven’s and my Monday morning adventures.

We began by fueling up at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY.  Then we headed for the big city of Utica.  I drove, as I had slightly more of an idea where we were headed.  That is, I had been there.  I had not driven there.  However, after a wrong direction and only one turn around, we got to the So Sweet Candy Cafe on the corner of Columbia and Varick streets. Yay!

After that we had wanted to check out Adirondack Distillery, which is handily located right across the street.  The message on their answering machine said they were open Monday through Friday.  This Monday, they were not.  Rats!  We walked down Varick Street, just because we were there, then back to the car and headed on.  The Other Side Gallery was also closed.  I had not even checked their Facebook page, so I suppose that served me right.

We found Off-Center Records & Collectibles with very little problem.  A parking spot presented a little more problem, but we got one not too far away.  After a fun interlude there, we checked out New York Connection, which I had never heard of but noticed a couple of doors down.  Those are both stores I mean to write more about.

On our way home, we stopped at Juliani’s Produce and Greenhouse in Schuyler.  I got and immediately ate a chocolate half-moon cookie.  We also got fixings for a salad, which I later made (I believe I mentioned it in yesterday’s post).

We enjoyed our little jaunt very much, although I was ready to get home and relax.  I am ready to relax now.  I guess it is Tired Tuesday after all.

 

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Return to the So Sweet

Posted on July 7, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’ve talked about my friend Margaret’s shop, the So Sweet Candy Cafe in Utica, NY.  I thought I’d give her another brief shout-out, in lieu of the Wuss-out Wednesday post that has been lurking in my brain all day.

Ever since I went to the So Sweet once, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to bring my husband Steven there.  He would love it!  However, when I got the opportunity to go without him, I did not hesitate, because, yum.  My older sister, Vicki was in town, and she had not visited the So Sweet yet.  Vicki and Margaret were best friends back in the day (we did not use the term BFFs nor yet besties).

It is the cutest little shop. Once again I noticed candies remembered from my childhood:  Boston Baked Beans, Lemonheads, bubble gum cigars.  I could not resist a few of the caramels with sugar in the midde:  3 for 75 cents, who could argue?  For Steven, I got a large brownie and two chocolate chunk cookies (full disclosure:  according to my evil plan, I ate one of the cookies and half the brownie).  These tasty delights were made by Margaret.  What a great talent!  I also grabbed a bottle of water, because, you know, hydration.

I still have not gotten a cup of coffee or tea and sat for a while.  I hope to do that one day soon.  Either I will bring a notebook and write (as Hemingway used to do in cafes), or I will bring Steven and visit.  Either way will be, you guessed it, so sweet.

The So Sweet Candy Cafe is located at 531 Varick St., Utica, NY.  Phone number 315-765-6463.

 

 

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Spunky Start to Scattered Saturday

Posted on July 3, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Scattered Saturday instead of a Slacker Saturday.  I think I could manage a brief re-cap of today’s activities.  I have quite a headache currently, sorry to complain, and I really just feel like sitting here and chilling.  However, I like to make a blog post every day, and I do not want to put off making today’s any longer.  I know, I know, enough with the excuses, get on with the post.  OK, I will.

Our dog Spunky barked at 5:01 this morning.  I looked at the clock.  For once I let Steven keep sleeping a little longer and got up to take Spunky for his first business meeting of the day.  I got dressed in running clothes, so I could go for my run right after.  I have run eight days in a row.  That may be a record for me.  A little later I wrote some postcards and walked to the post office with Spunky.  Spunky doesn’t seem to like long walks, but he can make it to the post office and back.

By noon I was headed to my sister Cheryl’s house for more adventures.  My sister Vicki was in town, along with her husband and offspring, and Vicki had not yet been to the So Sweet Candy Cafe, which is owned by her great childhood friend, Margaret.  I, of course, am always up for another visit to a candy shop.  I purchased a few treats while I was there.  Vicki and Margaret had a nice if brief visit.

After leaving the So Sweet, we walked down Varick Street to the Mohawk Valley Winery.  We tasted some wine and, yes, I purchased a bottle.  We were disappointed to find out we needed to make an appointment to tour the Adirondack Distilling Company.  I said we must make an appointment for next time.

Next we drove to Clinton and went into a number of wonderful little shops.  My only purchase was at the Adirondack Cheese Company, but I will certainly return to the other stores when I have a little more cash to spend.

Perhaps as the week goes on, I can write longer blog posts about some of my Scattered Saturday activities.  For now, I’m going to nurse my stupid head and hang out with my nice dog.  I hope you’re all having a lovely Saturday.

 

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Oh, So Sweet!

Posted on May 24, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

When Cheryl, Penny and I were out adventuring Saturday, our first stop was the sweetest:  the So Sweet Candy Cafe in Utica, NY.

The owner of the shop grew up across the street from us.  This is a fortunate circumstance for me, because otherwise it may have taken me longer to discover the place.  I don’t always get to Utica, and I don’t always stop at candy shops, because, you know, waistline.  Ooh, I just flashed on The Most Interesting Man in the World.  “I don’t always stop at candy shops, but when I do, I like the So Sweet Candy Cafe.”

The shop is located on the corner of Columbia and Varick (531 Varick St).   Cheryl was driving, another fortunate circumstance for me.  It’s kind of near the Saranac Brewery.  I am vaguely familiar with that area, because of running the Boilermaker, so I have reasonable hopes of finding the place again.  I have great faith in my local readers’ ability to find it, and I certainly advise you to try.  It’s a great little place.

In the display cases are baked goods and candies, many of which are made by Margaret, our friend the owner.  Old-fashioned and unusual candy is available as well.  Penny purchased some cinnamon toothpicks.  I got a little rubber ducky that looked like he was covered with fudge.  I also chose a number of treats from the display case.  They all featured dark chocolate, so that was healthy, right?

You can also get a cup of coffee or tea and sit at a table, enjoying your beverage and a baked good (for example).   I hope to do that one day soon with my husband Steve.  I’ll probably write a blog post about it.

For more information about the So Sweet Candy Cafe, call 315- 272-9953. You can also Like their Facebook page.

 

 

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