family

Sharing a sweet treat with family

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Uncategorized , , , ,

NOTE: Usually we do reviews of plays we’ve seen and games we’ve played, but everyone’s gotta eat — and when an award-winning Indiana confectioner appealed to our sweet tooth, we had to bite. Enjoy:

By Wendy Carson

Last month, 240 Sweet of Columbus, Ind., sent me a special treat box of marshmallows & hot chocolate to try out and review. I took it along with me down to our Thanksgiving visit to the family so that they could help us try it out and here is the result:

First of all, the hot chocolate mix is aptly named “Decadent Drinking Chocolate” and we all agreed that this was undoubtedly the most delicious hot chocolate any of us had ever tasted. It was rich and had a perfect balance of flavors which made it an excellent conductor for the marshmallows. Since the mix is blended with real milk and heated on the stovetop, that is likely part of the reason it is so delicious.

Now, on to the marshmallows. We were given two different flavors to try: Sugar Cookie and Bourbon Brown Sugar. Each flavor was tasted on its own and in the hot chocolate.

The Bourbon Brown Sugar was yummy but had a distinctive bourbon flavor, so it was only enjoyed by the adults in the group. Those that were non-drinkers of alcoholic beverages were not keen on them due to the bourbon flavor. However, the rest of us thought they were delicious. They blended with the cocoa very well and were amazing when lightly toasted to bring out the full caramelized flavor of the sugar & alcohol. The verdict: A must for anyone who is known to imbibe, but a definite pass for those who abstain.

The Sugar Cookie flavor was tried by everyone and almost unanimously enjoyed. The children loved the taste and were pleasantly surprised yet delighted by the crunch of the cookie bits in each one. One adult, however, felt the crunchy bits gave the marshmallow a gritty texture. These marshmallows were a perfect addition to the hot chocolate. The flavors blended together to enrich each other without either overpowering. Since everyone tried these, we weren’t able to save any back for toasting – but I have sampled one before so I do know it has a very good taste, and again, the cookie bits are an unexpected delight.

We also need to note that one of our tasters doesn’t like marshmallows or sugar cookies and his opinion was that they were “very interesting.” He was surprised that he actually liked them and felt he would be open to having them again.

Our one complaint was that the marshmallow bags were not reseal-able. Since it is unlikely that all of the marshmallows will be consumed in one sitting, some sort of closure to ensure freshness would be recommended.

Overall, we were greatly delighted by the treat box and feel that it would be a worthy splurge (it lists for $35) for the holiday season.  You can purchase this item (or one like it) from their website www.240sweet.com; or at one of the many handicraft and arts fairs around the Indy area, like Yelp’s Totally Bazaar (6:30 p.m. this Thursday at the Indianapolis Central Library, see here for details).

IndyFringe: The Juniper Tree

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , ,

By Wendy Carson

Playwright Timothy Taylor presents a loving insight into three generations of women and their struggles with their personal histories. Our first character, Anna (or Bubbe), is the Grandmother. Her determination to connect with her past life and traditions, ripped away from her by antisemitism throughout her beloved homeland of Ukraine. Her stories are touching and sweet, yet sad and rueful. She brings forth the story of The Juniper Tree, which can grow and thrive anywhere they are planted. She is determined to be that hardy and bear fruit no matter how harsh her environment.

In a solid counterpoint, is her daughter, Cece. We see her as a typical, hot mess of a seventies woman. She’s visiting her friend’s shrink, mostly for valium to help her deal with her stress. Although she initially exits when she can’t get what she feels she needs, she eventually comes back to the doctor’s office and we are treated to a glimpse into what made her the way she is. I was utterly surprised at the depth of her story considering how shallow she initially appears to be.

Finally, we have Rachel, Cece’s daughter who has decided that she wants to reconnect with Bubbe, who she has not seen or heard from since she was an infant. She sends a tape recorder & tapes so that she can get a true oral history for her family’s past, as well as insight into what caused the rift between her mother & grandmother in the first place.

This show is a solid look at family structures and the small choices that can ripple through a lifetime and destroy that which has been so hard fought to preserve. Susan Bennett does an admirable job fully forming the characters into believable women and not just the stereotypes that they could have easily lent themselves to becoming.

While the opening night house was only half-filled, I hope that word-of-mouth will help increase ticket sales so that the remaining performances get the larger audience this show deserves.

Performances at the Phoenix Theatre underground Aug. 22,  26 and 27. Get info and tickets at indyfringefestival.com.