Blog No. 229: I Like the Ones Who See Thinks Differently Animation, Pez Candy, Mediterranean Spinach Feta Crisps

I Like Weird People Animation

This beautiful animation above that starts by "I like the weird ones, the black sheep...," created by Brooke Boeding from instagram @the_zen:_honeybadger speaks for itself...it is well-crafted with a great message…

If you enjoyed that video and want another, click here for a different animation by the same woman—Brooke Boeding— based on an old Japanese legend about the sun and the moon, also amazing.

Pez Candy

The highest consumption of candy per capita in the world is (who would have guessed it!) Scandinavia. Sweden leads the way with the other Scandinavian countries not far behind...Could that be why they are considered the happiest people in the world?

I remember my husband Gert telling me that for his generation, in Denmark the dentist would visit and treat children in their schools and those days were the most dreaded...Dentistry in Denmark was terrible in his opinion. He was once at an art event where he met the mayor of Copenhagen and what he noticed was that "even the mayor had bad teeth!". Could that have something to do with their love of candy?...

I recently came across this Pez dispenser and it reminded me of my favorite candy growing up. I simply liked everything about PEZ. I loved the taste of those sweet little colored brick of compressed sugar as well as the variety of dispensers that they popped out of. Well into adulthood I had a collection of them lined up on my windowsill. You can't taste them through this newsletter but you can admire the cast of characters of these plastic figurines and perhaps you too remember the candy of our past and have your favorites...Put a comment below of the ones you liked the best...

There aren't too many of these penny candy stores left. In 2018 The New Yorker wrote about a Swedish candy store called Bon Bon, now expanded to three locations in New York City. And then there is the store my family loved the best: Granite Hall in Round Pond Maine is a legend to all of us who love mid-coast Maine. It is an old school penny candy store and gift shop and I can just picture my kids, standing just at eye level at the counter, choosing one by one "two pieces of this, one of that" and the person behind the counter patiently and lovingly fulfilling their orders...Thank you Granite Hall, not only for the sweets, but for those wonderful memories!

Click to take a virtual visit to the Pez Museum in Orange, CT

The original Pez was a peppermint candy created by Eduard Haas III in Austria in the 1920s. The name PEZ comes from the German word for peppermint, "Pfefferminz" taking the P from the first letter, E from the middle letter and Z from the last letter to form the now iconic brand name PEZ

Vintage Popeye

Mediterranean Spinach and Feta Crisps

I came across this Gordon Ramsay quick recipe somewhere on the internet and since I love everything in pancake form, I thought I would try it and share it here:

MEDITERRANEAN SPINACH AND FETA CRISPS

courtesy Gordon Ramsay

INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees (190 Centigrade)
On parchment paper, spray lightly with olive oil spray.
In large bowl mix all ingredients, pour in egg mixture and combine and mix well.
With small spoonfuls, place on parchment paper on baking sheet in small circles and flatten lightly with back of spoon. Spray lightly the tops with olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden brown and crisp. Let them cool slightly before serving. Yield 12-15 crisps.

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow Mandala Series Blue Tree mixed media on canvas 56” x 56” $7500

Charity of the Week: American Civil Liberties Union

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About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.