Yes, today we move on to Hot Tamales, the candy you can’t stop eating. Okay, I can’t stop eating. There is something about the cinnamon flavor that is left in your mouth after you eat some of them that just begs for you to keep on eating.

Please notice that for that reason, I did not go to the store and buy some so that I could use my own pictures. I would then have to eat them and I don’t really need to eat a box of Hot Tamales. (Or a whole bag of Hot Tamales in case the box was not available)

Apparently I am not the only person in the world that can’t stop eating them once I start. If you search “can’t stop eating hot tamales” there were 138,000 results from Google.  It is so nice to know that I am not alone.

Hot Tamales are made by a family owned candy company by the name of Just Born located in Bethlehem, PA. The company was stared in 1923 by entrepreneur, Sam Born. Not to my surprise, they also make Mike and Ike candy. Mike and Ikes are just like Hot Tamales except they are fruit flavored. (I can stop eating Mike and Ike candy.)

But (are you ready for it?) Just Born also make PEEPS! I had no idea that the company that makes the ever so famous Peeps also makes Hot Tamales.  I am not a fan of the famous and well-loved Peeps candy. People love and buy lots of Peeps which is great. I find it to be wonderful when there is candy that I won’t eat. It is refreshing and something I wish would happened more often.

Let’s go back to Hot Tamales. There is more to the Hot Tamale line then I could have guessed. I have only seen the one kind on the store shelves. That could be because I try to avoid the candy aisle shelves in stores. (Sometimes the shelves call out my name though…) I see that one can get varying degrees of “hotness” in the Hot Tamale line and there is Hot Tamale gum. There also seems to be (Are you ready for this one?) Hot Tamale cotton candy.  Oh the cinnamonny, sugary possibilities.

Not to be out done by anyone on the planet, Hot Tamales has a web site. (Hot Tamale)  On the web site, you can purchase gift pails of Hot Tamales (Tropical Heat, Original, 3 Alarm Hotter, and 3 Alarm Hottest) or Hot Tamale shirts, candles, ladies “smoking” pull on pants,  water bottles, key chains, and lots more items. And in case you are going to have a crowd over that you want to have a special treat available, you can buy a 1.5 lb. box of Hot Tamales.

I am sure that you guessed that this was coming.  There is a Hot Tamale YouTube. You can check it out and move to the catchy tune. (No, it is not a catchy tune.)

Now I am going to go drink a lot of water.  I have that Hot Tamale taste in my mouth just from thinking about it.

Oh those little red pieces of sugary goodness!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney | 2 Comments

In a Hot Pink Dress

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

ImageThere once was a little girl in a hot pink dress.  She decided that she wanted to play outside in her yard.

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She started on the swing set but it didn’t feel quite right…

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Then she rode the horse but that was not quite right…

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The bike was better but still it was not quite right…

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But the hot pink car for the hot pink dress felt just right.

Bye!

(This is today’s installment in the BlogHer August challenge to use “hot” as a theme) 

Thanks for reading!

(And special THANKS to Miss Tilly for being such a great model!)

 

 

 

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Hot Dogs – Breakfast of Champions (or not…)

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

(This post is part of a series in the month of August following the BlogHer challenge to write each day with the prompt of “hot”)

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Bill’s Drive In

We here in Chicago are serious about our hot dogs. We don’t mess around. There are the best hot dogs to eat (Vienna Beef) and the best place to get them (the ballpark, duh) and the condiments that are and are not allowed. (There is a hot dog stand that will kick you out if you order ketchup on your dog. No kidding, it is serious around here.)  You can even find videos to instruct you on how to build a Chicago Hot dog. ( The Paupered Chef Builds a Chicago Dog) There is something about the green relish, the peppers, and the celery salt that make it Chicago’s own. And the snap when you bite down – there should be snap to the dog when you first bite into it. 

Of course, as with anything else, the simple hot dog has evolved. While some may call them sausages, we prefer to refer to them as tubulars. Yes, that is tubular meats. The simple hot dog repertoire has been expanded to include polish sausage, bratwurst and other meat in a tubular form. Yes, you can find Elk, Crocodile, and even Foie Gras in tubular form. There is even a place known for their exotic hot dogs. Meet Hot Doug’s on Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations.

Hot Doug, Doug Sohn, even has a book. It is currently ranked #22 on Amazon’s Travel Dining Reference section.

Our newest hot dog offering? The Ditka dog. Yes, Da Coach (is there another?) has teamed with Vienna Beef to offer the 8 inch long 1/3 lb. dog. It comes in two flavors, Hot Beef and Chicken with Mozzarella and Sun Dried Tomatoes. Da Coach has a Chicken with Mozzarella and Sun Dried Tomatoes dog? Well, a heart attack or two will do that to even him. (Ditka Launch )  

When I was thinking about writing about hot dogs, I contemplated the hot dog stands around where I live. I counted 5 within a 6 mile radius. And that is places that are specifically about hot dogs. There are other places like restaurants and 7-11’s that serve hot dogs also. We will never want for a hot dog.

Good thing I wrote this on Friday, huh? Now you can make sure your Saturday or Sunday includes grilling some tubulars. Don’t forget the neon green relish!

Thanks for reading!

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Mustard’s Last Stand

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“Hot” Under the Collar

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

WPA Poster from the Library of Congress

When I started writing blogs, I had not thought about using pictures to make the post more attractive. I then noticed that other blogs would use pictures not only to illustrate at point but also to make the post more pleasing to the eye.

I knew that you could not just take pictures from the web and use them. By doing that you could be violating copyright laws. I did a search for “free photos”. I found a site Stock .Xchnge and started using the free photos from there. It was fairly easy to use and I could usually find a shot that I could use.

I had noticed lately that some of the images were very small when I went to use them and then if I enlarged them, they were too fuzzy. Partly for this reason and because I found it to be fun, I have started using more of my own photos on the blog. I enjoy going out and taking pictures that can be used here and there.

Late last week I went to Stock. Xchnge to get a picture for a blog post. The web site came up with a page that said that they were closed for maintenance. The site has now been closed for at least a week.  There has been some speculation that they won’t be back. (http://reader.cogdogblog.com/syndicated/stock-photo-service-stock-xchng-down-for-days-users-left-in-the-dark/ )

I liked using Stock.Xchnge for photos partly because it was very easy to use. I am usually in a bit of a hurry by the time I am inserting photos and I don’t want to take a lot of time trying to figure out how to use a site.  I have looked for other sites but they seem not immediately user friendly. I will have to take some time to figure them out.

BUT, what has made me a bit “hot under the collar” is that the pictures that I used from Stock.Xchnge have disappeared from my posted blogs.  So if you go back in time on my posts you will be able to see where I used the free photos because the pictures are missing. Yup, there are blank spaces in the middle of my posts.

I suppose it is another kick in the pants to get me to take my own photos. I will work on that as a priority. In the meantime, I did find a site that is pretty interesting. I am not sure that I will be able to use the site often but I am glad to know it is there. It is the site for the Library of Congress. They have lots of public domain images that you can use.  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/

The coolest things that I have found there so far are 932 WPA posters. I can’t see using them often but I used two today because I like the look of them.  I just think they are cool.

While I am “hot under the collar” about Stock.Echnge, I am a bit stoked about the Library of Congress site. 

Thanks for reading!

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Not Feeling Too “Hot”

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Carol Early Cooney

(This is in response to the BlogHer challenge to write during the month of August on the topic of “hot”.)

It is not all blue skys

It is not all blue sky

Well, this is a “hot” I had not thought about until today. I have been fighting a sinus infection but today, it won.

This sinus infection fooled me for a little while. It really started with my teeth on the left upper side hurting.  This has happened to me before and I did not remember right away that it can be a sign of a sinus infection. The irritation would come and go so I ignored it.  This has gone on for a week or two.

Last night the whole thing came to a head. I was awakened at 11:30 with pain. I got up, used a sinus rinse, took some pain meds, and even got an ice pack and put it on my face. It worked pretty well.  But this morning it came back with a vengeance. I had to go out for work and it was really painful.  It hit me that I could  stop by the CVS Minute Clinic.

So now I have an antibiotic that should start working in 3-4 days. I have the ice pack all set and the sinus rinse won’t be forgotten. I am hoping that it won’t take 3-4 days to calm the situation down.

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After all, I have other “hot” things to write about!

Thanks for reading!

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