Important Information (to Rachel that is)

It may not seem like much to all of you but this is 100% golden information for this girl right here.

You see, I'm freakishly addicted to good candy. Here in Rio that's not always a good thing. You see, Brazilian candy blow serious ass when in competition with American candy. First off, everything is bite sized and secondly, there's no caramel and peanut butter!

Well, there's the one "foreigners" box of candy they sell at Lojas Americanas, but if you're like me you don't want to have to bust out R$8 for an entire mixed box of candy when you are only looking for one thing... the Holy Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.

That and if you buy a whole damn box of candy, you'll eat it all.  World, my ass is only requesting one, thank you very much.

So my husband has showed me the light, or totally corrupted me in yet another way, as I am addicted to a Brazilian substitute of the cup. I tell you this, it's not as creamy but is pretty damn good.

Without further ado, my new cup substitute is the Hershey's Paçoca candy bar. Oh yes, they have taken this Brazilian time honored peanut treat, made it into a bar, and have covered it in chocolate. And you all said that Brazil doesn't have 1st world qualities in it.

So if you want a Reeses, and are open for something close but not quite right, I recommend the Paçoca bar. Let's face it, sometimes as expats you just have to make due with what you got. At least this time it's a damn tasty way to do it!

Have you found a substitute for your favorite candy?

I Got a Box!

A treasure was delivered to my place yesterday. A treasure full of Easter candy, American magazines, and knick knacks I forgot at my parent's house while visiting. 

I'm telling you, there's nothing better than receiving a box when you live abroad!  It's as if you revert to 8 years old again and it's Christmas. You may even know what's inside, but that doesn't matter. Seeing it with your own eyes is so much more amazing than anything you could imagine.  

And I am a very lucky expat. One thing my family have always done well is send me boxes. It goes doubly well now that I have the little ones. Jokes on them though, like I share with my kids!

Ok, I do but in little bits because sugar is not good for them. However, it's wonderful for Mom because it gives me spurts of energy that enables me to keep up. All I have to do is eat more when I hit my sugar low and BAM I'm up again. 

The metamorphosis that happens after the box is amazing.  Any free moment, I am found sitting in sweats, eating chocolates, and reading trash. I'm sure seeing what I could have been if we have stayed in the US is damn sexy for Mr. Rant . 

Anyway, the message is this: Do you know an expat? Is your second cousin's brother's daughter living abroad? Make a box. Fill it with random stuff. You could put in nail polish, lotions, candy, magazines, or a pack of chocolate chips. The list is endless.  

Pack it up and mail it over! You can't go too big or too small. It's not the size of the box but the speed of delivery that matters. 

So do yourself and expats all over the world a favor and send a little taste of home today. 

Classics & Imports

So I was strolling Lojas Americanas (Brazilian Semi-Target) today with my semi-sicky, home from school, restless toddler.  It's the best thing to do with an irritated child on a hot Brazilian day.  It's out of the house, it's air conditioned, it's free, and there are toys to look at. 

Imagine my surprise when I ran into the legendary Hershey's candy box!  Ok, maybe it's not legendary but it should be.  An awesome blog reader of mine, Ms. Stephanie, mentioned that she found this box in Zona Sul. I had kept one eye open but never saw it at my neighborhood Zona Sul.  I was starting to lose hope until...

It just happened so fast. I was innocently strolling the candy isle, as the eternal child inside me likes to do, when the clouds parted. Yes, apparently there were clouds in Lojas Americanas. I hadn't noticed until they parted. 

Anyway, the clouds parted and then angels started to cry.  Yes, real Angels! And their tears stung... do you think I should be worried about that?

That's when I started to cry. Not only did I find a box of Hersey's Candies, so appropriately named "Classics and Imports" (Portuguese "Clássicos & Importados"), it included Reese's Peanut Butter cups!  I almost fainted right then and there but how would I buy and eat the candy if I was passed out on the floor?!

Upon opening the box, I was a smidgen disappointed with the serving size of the candy and there are only two Peanut Butter cups. I'm so pathetic I actually, quietly, gave thanks that my 4 year old may have a peanut allergy. It meant one less to share the 2 cups with! But per the size of the box and the price (a shockingly low R$6.99), I'd say it's worth the splurge people. 

Oh how my Rio de Janeiro is changing. When I first got here I couldn't find anything imported. I was happy when I found the Brazilian version of Worcestershire sauce, and I hardly use the stuff.  Imagine my joy when I actually found Skippy (that Peter Pan stuff is horrible and waaayyy overpriced) Have you guys noticed the same thing?  What have you found lately that made your panties jump up and tie in a very excited knot?  What do you wish they would import here?

In Honor of Halloween

In honor of Halloween : 

Keep in mind, I totally disagree with tootsie rolls. Those bad boys rock and school be at the top of the list, especially the fattie ones!  Mmmmm, candy.  I miss you.

What's your favorite Halloween candy?

Candy Culture

So I was lucky that I didn´t get attacked by strangers carrying candy bags on Saint Cosmo and Saint Damien day (Sept 27th).  As an American Mother, this is one of the strangest days ever in Brazil!  Even British Mom blogger Become Brazilian blogged about it.

This afternoon my husband´s Aunt dropped off a couple of bags of candy from the saints´day and it got me thinking.  On this particular day, strangers come to you and give you bags of candy for your kids. Ok, as an American you just don´t accept candy from strangers. Big no no.  To make it even better, the vast majority of these bags are full of homemade treats.  Aka. no wrappers.

I think my dead Grandmother just had a heart attack.  No wrappers! 

To make it even better, these bags are offerings to the saints.  Apparently, the people who give out the bags make a deal with these particular saints and, in return, they must give out candy to children. They are the childrens´ saints after all. 

My husband tells me it´s ok.  People wouldn´t give bad candy to kids down here.  I see his point. I really couldn´t imagine getting suspiros stuffed with razorblades in Rio.  


Of course, stateside, my childhood Halloween booty was thoroughly checked by both parents.  I can remember the good old days when you could get popcorn balls or homemade candied apples. I also remember when that became NOT ok.  I was told not to accept it, well, except from that one little old lady in the neighborhood that everyone knew.  We all know she´s saving the good drugs for herself, not wasting them on candy apples for the already hopped up neighborhood kids. 

So what gives?  Why do we have to worry about gun carrying, glue sniffing, drug dealers but can eat homemade candy handed over by their mothers?  Why can I walk down most US streets holding my laptop, listening to music on my ipod, and answering calls on my bluetooth but can´t take a tootsie roll without x-raying it first? 

A little game of would you rather. Which is it?

I miss Candy

I hate Brazilian Candy. It sucks. I'm sorry but I come from the Candy Land.  It pains me to think of my kids not recognizing the bazillion different candies in the 300 candy isles at Target.  And at Easter! Sure the HUGE chocolate eggs are cool but where are the peeps, the good jelly beans, the Cadbury cream eggs, Reeses peanut butter eggs, and robin eggs? 

I had a serious candy addiction back in the day.  I saw a homeopath once and she told me that my body had a sugar addiction.  I had been trying to cut back but physically felt ill.  I took some homeopathic meds but it didn't help. I was back on the candy horse.

Brazil broke my habit. When I came a little over 4 years ago, you couldn't really get American candy excluding chocolate.  I'm not a huge simple chocolate bar fan. I like them like my men, simple on the outside but hot, creamy, and full of nuts in the middle.  Ok, that last part was a bit dirty but you catch my drift.

One special day I found Nerds at my local supermarket.  I loved Nerds as a kid but hadn't really eaten them as an adult.  A box of tiny multi-colored booger looking things aren't really a mature candy. The little baby inside my belly had different plans. I took those Nerds home for a whopping R$10 ($5.55) for a small box.  It was oh so good!

I've adjusted now. I like jujubas (gumdrops). I'll eat baton (a chocolate lipstick).  All and all though, I've left behind candy and snacks. I've moved on to food!  Brazilians know how to do food. Who knew ground beef could taste so damn good?  Who knew you could use 12 cloves of garlic when cooking and not be overwhelmed? And beans, I never would have believed you if you told me that I'd manage to eat black beans at least 4 times a week.

So I gave up candy and my chip habit is all but gone too.  I am happy to say that you can now get big bags of chips down here! It used to only be the little lunch sized bags.  I was horrified when my Mother-in-Law pulled out one of those tiny bags out for everyone to share.  I'm American, that little bag is like a sip of water to my chip appetite.

Oh well, who knew switching from processed snack foods and candies to fruits, vegetables, free range meat, and legumes would be such a good thing. Ok, anyone with an ounce of brain but I didn't really believe them until I tried. 

On a side note: I do bring back certain snack/food items from home.
Licorice (never will be able to give up this habit)
Maple syrup
Peanut butter
Baking soda
Packets of taco seasoning
Packets of powdered Turkey gravy
Tea (tea down here is very weak)
Lawrys seasoning salts (amazing on popcorn!)

to name a few.  What can't you live without?