It’s Chicken Bones Time Again!

The Ganong Chocolate and Candy manufacturing company began in St. Stephen’s, New Brunswick,  in 1873. They are Canada’s oldest candy company and their headquarters are still in New Brunswick. There is a Chocolate Museum located there and they celebrate with a Chocolate Festival every year.

In 1885, they invented a unique candy, with a pink cinnamon-flavoured outer part, surrounding a chocolate interior. They called them Chicken Bones, and they are still a Canadian favourite, more than 100 years later.

When I was a little girl, I often had chicken bones candy as a special treat and they quickly became my favourite. Do any of you remember going to the candy store in the 50s or 60s?

There would be trays of candies and chocolates of every kind, and you could usually buy them at the low price (even for those days) of 3 candies for 1 cent. If you had a nickel, you got a little paper bag full of humbugs, honeymoons, and chicken bones.

It is difficult to find chicken bones these days. However, we have a chain of stores in Canada, called Bulk Barn, which have barrels and barrels of  spices, flours, rice, quinoa, cereals, nuts, crackers, salt, sugars, raisins, dried fruits, and candies and chocolates.

In early November, Bulk Barn gets its Christmas stock in with baking supplies, and of course chocolates, Christmas ribbon candy, and chicken bones.

Word came to me last weekend from one of my daughters, that chicken bones were in at Bulk Barn. Today I made a trip to the store in the Billings Bridge mall and got a bag which I plan to eat slowly over the next few weeks. What a treat!

I read that Ganong ships to the UK and the USA, as well as all across Canada. If you get a chance to try chicken bones, do it. But be careful. If you eat too many of them, your tongue turns bright pink!

Thanks for reading. Have a good day. – Maureen

CHAPTERS: You’re Cheating on Me! (But I still love you)

Several years ago, a new Chapters store opened up in my neighbourhood. It was wonderful to have a huge bookstore so close to home. I would walk there frequently and it quickly became my go-to store for buying books and magazines. Since it is a Canada-wide chain, my grandchildren often received Chapters gift cards as Christmas and birthday presents.

Do you see the big BOOK on the sign? Does this tell you something? Do you get the idea that they sell BOOKS?

However, something has gone wrong. Over the last few years, it seems as if books and magazines are becoming a less important part of Chapters’ inventory.

A few days ago, I went to my local Chapters store with three of my daughters. Here are just a few of the items that occupied probably  more than half of the store’s space.

• Office furniture and supplies
• Blankets and throws
• Dishes
• Jewellery
• Baby and children’s toys
• Christmas trees and decorations
• Chocolates and candy
• Scarves and wraps
• Candles
• Lego sets
• Gift wrap and bags
• Games
• Home décor
• Nail polish
• Baby clothes
• Stuffed animals
• Handbags

When I go to Chapters, I want to buy books and magazines. I don’t mind them selling Kobo  e-readers and accessories, because at least it has something to do with reading. But those other items – not so much.

The shelves holding books on Art , Computers, Science, and many other genres have been greatly reduced. It’s getting more and more difficult to find what I am looking for in-store. I can order books on-line from Chapters, but there is just something so cosy about browsing through a bookstore to see what’s new and interesting.

Chapters, you’ve done me wrong. And it’s really disappointing. But I still love you … for now.

Thanks for reading. – Maureen