Super Candy

❝ Eating Healthily Will Improve Your Life ❞

I have to confess that I used to have the worst dietary intake in the world. Well, maybe that’s not quite true but I was certainly no stranger to chocolate bars, fizzy drinks and cream cakes. The fresh fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket was an unknown land to me, as I headed straight to the frozen meals and snacks aisles every time.

The strange thing is that I was never really very overweight, but I carried a few extra pounds and felt weak a lot of the time, as well as having the habit of getting sick far too easily. Ever since I was a kid I have avoided healthy food and it always seemed that the next bout of the common cold or the flu was just around the corner. I thought that eating some yogurts and cereal bars now and then would give me the vitamins and fibre I needed but I ate hardly any fruit or vegetables.

What’s that Green Thing Called?

Things came to a head when I went to stay with some relatives who lived in a small village. The local shop didn’t have all of the tasty treats I was used to but was filled with green things which I had never tried before. I didn’t even know the names of some of the vegetables but when my aunt made a vegetable soup I was amazed at how much I liked it.

I ended up staying there for about 3 months and I couldn’t believe how good I felt when I left there. I never really thought about it being due to the food I had been eating and instead thought that the fresh air and exercise had done me a lot of good. Life in the country seemed suited to me and the food aspect was just one small and rather unimportant part of it in my head.

Back to Old Habits

I hadn’t really missed my chocolates and cakes when I was away from the city. However, when I arrived back home I started stocking up on them again out of habit more than anything else. It felt good to have my supply of sweets on hand again but I was a bit disappointed when I bit into the first one. I had got so used to eating fresh, healthy food that the taste of something packaged and lacking in any vitamins was just bland and sickly sweet.

Nevertheless, I kept on eating the kind of stuff I shouldn’t have done and before long I was back to being overweight and feeling listless and weak again without even realising why. After a while I thought about it and it was clear that my diet was the problem and that it was time to make the change to healthy eating for good. Even my friends and neighbours had noticed that I was paler and sicklier than when I had arrived home from the countryside.

Time to Enter the Kitchen

My mum has never been a good cook so I decided that I would need to learn how to make my own healthy food. I phoned up my aunt and she sent me through a few of her easiest recipes to get me started. I started off with a broccoli oven bake which was incredibly easy to make and left me feeling full of energy.

Since those days I haven’t found any need to go back to my old ways of eating. By cooking healthy meals I feel a lot better and my body thanks me for doing it. It might have taken me a long time and a trip out to a country village to realise it but putting the right kind of fuel into my body has definitely improved my life.

❝ The Top 8 Most Popular Ice Cream Flavors and Why We Love Them ❞

You can be any age and come from anywhere – it doesn’t matter when it comes to ice cream. It’s perhaps the most universal dessert in existence. From young and old, to far and wide, it’s a wholesome dessert that brings back fond childhood memories. It’s something that works beautifully alongside other dessert, and of course there’s nothing better than a heaping scoop on top of a cone. Every year there are numerous polls and surveys that try to determine the most popular ice cream flavors in the world. Despite new flavors coming out all the time, there are a few that continually make it to the list. The following 8 flavors are the ones that seem to always have a place in our hearts, and it’s unlikely that any newfangled alternative will take their place anytime soon.

1. Vanilla - can you believe this traditional flavor is continually voted number one every year? It’s absolutely true, and it’s not just by a small margin. Vanilla might seem bland compared to a wacky Ben and Jerry’s flavour, but it always hits the right spot. And think about it, is there any other flavor that works better with something like Apple pie or a hot fudge brownie? This is definitely the “go-to” flavor that will always have a special place in our hearts.

2. Chocolate - it should come as no surprise that chocolate is usually found in second place. But even though it’s not on top, it’s still highly regarded as a sweet treat that can brighten your mood any day. There are various variations on how deep the chocolate flavor is, and you’re bound to find one that fits your tastes. This is the perfect choice when you need something decadent to finish off the meal.

3. Strawberry - there are several fruit flavors to choose from, but strawberry is still at the top. And if you can get a homemade version, there’s really nothing better. Real chunks of fresh strawberries mixed with natural ingredients is the best way to go with this choice. Even better, mix it up in a blender and you’ve got an awesome milkshake that goes perfectly with a burger and fries.

4. Neapolitan - judging by the top three, the number four flavor shouldn’t come as a prize. In fact, some might argue that it’s not actually a flavor. It’s just a combination of the best of the best, and you get all three in equal proportions. This is definitely one choice that you remember from childhood birthday parties and family dinners.

5. Coffee - people love their morning cup of coffee so it’s no surprise that this flavor is popular as well. It’s nice to be able to enjoy coffee taste without all the added caffeine. This flavor definitely has personality, and it’s not an everyday choice. But when you’re in a no-nonsense mood and you want to give your taste buds a blast, coffee is a great choice.

6. Rocky Road - this flavor is for people who want to indulge in something spectacular. Enjoying it means forgetting about your diet or eating healthy for a night. It’s loaded with goodies and fills your mouth with more than it can handle – but in a good way.

7. Cookies and Cream - it’s a simple combination that works well, and some would argue it does it far better than its cookie counterpart. After all, most people get tired of Oreos after three or four. But you could probably eat an entire tub of cookies and cream ice cream, and still ask for more afterwards.

8. Chocolate Mint - this is a great flavor that combines the best of both worlds with a great visual presentation. After all, what could be more unique than green ice cream? And when you have your first bite, you realize that you’re tasting something special. It’s a blend of sophisticated mint flavor and dark chocolate chips that makes the perfect dessert.

And there you have it, the eight flavors that always make it onto “top” ice cream lists. There are other popular ones such as Butter Pecan, Peach, and Mango, but these types of flavors tend to be peripheral. The eight on this list have solidified their position through years of popularity, and it will take a truly exciting flavor to displace any one of them.

What’s your favorite flavor? Whatever it might be, there’s nothing better than making it yourself. After one batch you’ll see how easy it is to put together simple recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth and make your family smile.