Vintage Kitchen: Q&A with Candace Nelson

By Cindy Arora

I chatted with the queen bee of cupcakes, Candace Nelson, founder of the Los Angeles dessert juggernaut Sprinkles Cupcakes, who just debuted the world’s first cupcake inspired ice cream shop and cupcake ATM. A fan of American classics, Candace shares with us her favorite retro housewife, favorite childhood television show, and favorite cupcake flavor.

Which retro housewife would you have liked to sit with after school and share a cupcake and a glass of milk?
Lucy Ricardo! Sharing a cupcake with the spunky and mischievous housewife would be a riot. I’d probably bring her a red velvet in honor of her famous hair!

Cupcakes are an absolute old school favorite. What do you think it is about the cupcake that people seem to connect with? 

Cupcakes are pure nostalgia! People are excited to rediscover something they had always loved from childhood but re-purposed to suit their grown up tastes. 

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Are you a traditionalist? Or do you enjoy the fun flavors Sprinkles continues to create, like salted caramel or lemon coconut?

Sprinkles dark chocolate cupcakes are my all-time go-to favorite. However, I also anxiously await appearances by our salty caramel and s’more cupcakes each season. 

Your new ice cream shop combines two greats into one, the cupcake and ice cream! Tell us about your new ice cream flavors, the cupcake touches, and what the story is on the Sprinkles ice cream sandwich.

Sprinkles Ice Cream is slow churned to incorporate less air for a densely creamy and flavorful ice cream. Traditionalists will love our vanilla bean, strawberry and coffee flavors while more adventurous foodies may opt for salty caramel, cap’n crunch or butter pecan studded with caramelized pecan dragees. Other menu items include red velvet waffle cones, crumbled cupcake toppings, cupcake sundaes, cupcake shakes and the decadent Sprinkles Sandwich – a heaping scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor pressed between two fluffy cupcake tops! We wanted to give the traditional ice cream sandwich a Sprinkles twist!

Sprinkles has led the way to the popularity of the cupcakery. What’s your take on its place in a neighborhood and what kind of comfort it evokes within a community?

When we opened in Beverly Hills seven years ago, we quickly came to know our regular customers as well as their favorite flavors. When we regularly saw familiar faces for birthdays, special occasions, or just for an afternoon treat, it was clear Sprinkles was becoming part of our customers' lives! It’s funny to think that a little neighborhood boy who was only seven when he first started coming to Sprinkles with his mom is now in high school bringing his buddies by!

What’s your favorite television show today and from your childhood?

Today I love Modern Family, but when I was a kid, it was all about Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties!

Thank you, Candace!

Cindy Arora spent fourteen years working as a  newspaper journalist before switching over to magazines and then to online media. She stumbled into food writing thanks in large part to being a waitress, coffee barista, caterer, bartender, cheese girl, cocktail waitress and shot girl for most of her adult life. Cindy was a staff writer at The San Gabriel Valley Tribune,  The Orange County Register, The Stockton Record, and Sacramento Magazine. She has also  freelanced for Saveur,  Orange Coast Magazine, Edible Los Angeles, Tasting Table, Pasadena Weekly and was dining editor for Fodor’s Travel Guides, Los Angeles. Cindy lives in Los Angeles with her young son, Grey. She is hard at work on her first novel, Heartbreak Cake.

Now and Then: Games of Today and Yesterday

 
When I was a young child, it seemed my life was a game.  Or at least I spent most of my time playing games! I was never the first kid on the block to have the cool new toy. I had a few Barbie dolls, but Ronni had the Barbie townhouse and Amy had the Barbie pool. By the time I got around to buying a Cabbage Patch Kid, the waiting list was so long that when Toys "R" Us called over a year later and said my doll had arrived, I was in sixth grade and too old to play with it. (I did anyway.) My family didn't have Atari or Intellivision. (We didn't even have premiere television channels!) Thankfully, I had friends with better playrooms than my own because I never felt all that deprived.  I owned some less "hip" games like the board game Life, which I loved! And I spent hours trying to solve the Rubik's Cube, Pyraminx and Rubik's Snake puzzles.  I was incredibly excited to receive the electronic games "Maniac" and Simon (and Super Simon) for my 10th birthday.  I could waste away a Saturday playing card games like War, Gin Rummy, Spit and Crazy Eights. 

When my Grandma Molly visited, we played family games like UNO and Scrabble. The kids in the neighborhood and I played 21, waging our favorite stationary and stickers (my faves included the "puffy" ones and Hello Kitty). My sister and I played Jacks and Chinese Jacks. My sister was a pro! And then there were outdoor games like Statues, Red Light/Green Light, Mother May I, TV Tag, Hopscotch, SPUD, horse, tetherball, running bases and a game naively named by me and a friend as Blue Balls because, well, the sports ball we bought at the grocery store was blue. *blush* My sister and I would also pretend we were characters in popular television shows like The Facts of Life. She was always Blair, of course.

These were the games of my childhood, but as I matured, so did the games I played.  The video arcade became a popular hangout when I was in junior high and Pac Man, Space Invaders and Frogger were among my favorites. Most of high school is a blur for me, and I think I spent more time daydreaming about whatever guy I was crushing than playing games but once I got to college, games were all the rage again.  Drinking games, that is!  Asshole, Up The River, Down the River, Three Man, Beer Pong, The Name Game, Bullshit, Sixes (I can go on and on and on...)  But not all of our games involved drinking.  For instance, during my freshman year, the girls in my dorm and I became fascinated with my roommate's Ouija Board until we freaked out after getting in touch with a "dark" spirit.  
Now that I am a mature (cough) adult, I don't play as many games as I used to.  It's difficult to balance games with working a full-time job, writing and promoting my books, eating, exercising, sleeping, spending time with friends, family and the boyfriend and just general life maintenance, like remembering to replenish the toilet paper.  But I know there are some very popular games out there, like the Nintendo Wii series and Xbox.  As with Atari and Intellivision, I'm pretty certain if I was a kid today, I would not own either of those games and would have to rely on my friends. If I asked nicely (and often) enough, I might have been able to persuade my mom to buy me a smart phone so I could at least play such games as Angry Birds or Words with Friends. 

What about you?  Did you play any of the games I mentioned above?  What are your favorite games of today and yesterday?  

Meredith Schorr lives in New York City and works as a trademark paralegal at a prestigious law firm. In addition to writing humorous women's fiction novels, her passions include running, spending time with friends and family and rooting for the New York Yankees. Meredith is a member of Romance Writers of America and Chick Lit Writers of The World. Just Friends with Benefits is her first novel. For more information, please visit www.meredithschorr.com.

Celebrity Crush: Waxing Rhapsodic About Johnny Depp


I just got back from seeing the new Tim Burton-directed film, Dark Shadows.  As I'm sure anyone who doesn't live under a rock knows, the star of the film is Burton's longtime collaborator Johnny Depp.  To say that Depp gives a fascinating, hilarious, and hauntingly poignant performance as "cursed" vampire Barnabas Collins will come as no surprise to anyone who's a fan of his brilliant and eclectic body of work.
 
I've been watching Johnny on screens both small and large since he first entered the public's consciousness in a TV show called 21 Jump Streetback in the late '80s.  What never ceases to amaze me about the man's performances over the years is how chameleonic he is.  He always disappears into his characters, creating a totally unique persona through changes in his voice, appearance, and mannerisms, and even after almost three decades in the acting business, he still manages to surprise me in every role he undertakes. 

Although it's hard for me to limit a list of my favorite Johnny Depp films to just five as I believe there's something to recommend in all of his movies (The Tourist never happened, say it with me), I will endeavor to try.
 
Don Juan DeMarco(1994) - This gem of a film was made during the Early Johnny Years.  In it, Johnny plays a delusional young man who believes that he is Don Juan, the world's greatest lover (Not a big stretch of the imagination, is it?)  DeMarco is sent to a mental institution to be observed and treated by a psychiatrist (Marlon Brando).  Faux Juan tells Dr. Mickler his life story (including his escapades with a variety of gorgeous women and his finding of true love) and in the process, the doctor is inspired to breathe some much-needed romance back into his own marriage.  Johnny is impossibly charming and appealing in this role and it's a pleasure to see him acting opposite film legend Marlon Brando with whom he had a great rapport (the two of them became great friends after working together).

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - This is probably the most overlooked of the Burton/Depp films (perhaps because it's a bit darker and more adult-skewing than their other projects?), but I really loved how gothic and creepy it was (Tim Burton is a master at creating atmosphere in films).  Johnny's Ichabod Crane, a late 18th century New York City police constable, is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of brutal murders in which the victims were decapitated.  He attempts to do this with newfangled scientific methods (Finger-printing! Autopsies!) that perplex the locals.  There are lots of humorous moments in the film as Ichabod, despite his best intentions, is a bit of a wuss, and he shrieks or faints every time he encounters something gruesome.  The slow-burn romance between the constable and feisty rich girl Katrina Van Tassle (Christina Ricci) is one of my favorites in a Depp film.

Secret Window(2004) - Maybe it's because I'm a writer that I find the character of Mort Rainey so compelling?  The poor guy is all alone in a secluded cabin following the break-up of his marriage, and he's suffering from a major case of writer's block when he starts being harassed by a mysterious man named Shooter (a very unnerving John Turturro) who accuses him of plagiarism.  Murder and mayhem ensue as Mort tries to placate the increasingly volatile Shooter.  Suspense isn't a genre one usually associates with the oft-quirky Depp, but I thought he gave an incredible performance as Mort, a regular guy who finds himself in a situation that quickly spirals out of control.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - This is one of those movies that I have to stop and watch every time I come across it while channel-surfing.  It just never gets old and it always brings a smile to my face.  Tim Burton (yes, him again) serves up a visual feast with all of the colorful, imaginative sets and the amazing costumes designed by Colleen Atwood (those Oompa Loompas were stylin'!)  And Johnny Depp's interpretation of the character created by Roald Dahl, "amazing chocolatier" Willy Wonka, is so delightfully weird (the high-pitched voice, the crazy giggle, his utter disdain for children) that you can't take your eyes off of him.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - The irreverent, eternally soused Captain Jack Sparrow, in all of his dreadlocked, gold-toothed glory, has become one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history and will probably be the role that Depp is most remembered for generations from now.  The second film in the Piratesseries was my favorite because Captain Jack got to run the gamut from treacherous to self-sacrificing, and it ended with a smooch (Elizabeth might have been tricking Sparrow, but that was still one smokin' hot kiss!) and a cliffhanger (Did the Kraken really kill Jack?).  Neither Pirates 3, nor 4, could match the humor, high stakes, and action-packed intensity of Dead Man's Chest.

I'm excited to see what the future holds for Johnny Depp's career.  No doubt he will continue to put his distinctive stamp on every character he embodies.  I think the role I'm most looking forward to seeing him play is Nick Charles in the upcoming remake of the fun, banter-filled detective film The Thin Man.  The question is:  Who will be his Nora?

I'd love to know what your favorite Depp film is, or who you think would be the perfect actress to match wits with Johnny in The Thin Man.  So, leave a comment below and tell me.

An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her Hollywood-themed Chick Lit novel, Blame It on the Fame, was released in January, 2012. She blogs about books and other fun stuff at http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/ and her Twitter handle is @traciebanister.

Leading Lady: Melissa McCarthy


When Mike and Molly came on the air a couple of years ago, I fell in love with the show and the adorable brunette, Melissa McCarthy straightaway.  Her character, Molly, is a schoolteacher, who lives with her mother (Swoosie Kurtz) and sister (Katy Mixon), and is engaged to Mike (Billy Gardell).

Every Monday I’ve looked forward to watching the show because of Melissa – and her character, who is a no-nonsense, hardworking and lovable woman!  I started watching the show because the previews seemed funny, and it looked like a cute love story, plus I could even get my husband (boyfriend at the time) to watch.  The writing is wonderful, and I couldn’t imagine the cast being any different!

Melissa’s a very successful woman (she won and Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress!) and she’s funny (watch her on SNL).  Her husband (actor, Ben Falcone) adores her, and they have two young children.  Also, her cousin is Jenny McCarthy – something people can’t believe because they look nothing like.  I disagree though – they are both beautiful!  When she was on Anderson Cooper’s show, you can tell when you see THIS clip what a radiant and confidant woman she is, and that she doesn’t care what people think!

I’m sure many of you have already heard about or read THISarticle that was written by a veryballsy Marie Claire blogger.  After reading it, along with some of the comments that followed, I was instantly in Melissa and Molly’s defense.  Weight has become such an issue in this country, especially for women.  No matter if one is a size 2 or a size 22, many of them don’t have any confidence in themselves because of weight issues.  Ladies, doesn’t weight also make shopping trips less fun?  Have you ever known what size you are, only to see that the shirt you love and want to buy tells you you’re too big?  “But I just bought another shirt the same size!”  Why can’t all designer clothes be the same size?!  This I will never know!  Ugh!  As an overweight woman, Melissa’s confidence is to be commended. 
 
I’m not a size 2 and I’m not a 22 either, but I’m working on being more in shape and living a healthy lifestyle.  My goal is to live happy and healthy and not be on any side of an extreme.  Melissa has inspired me to feel comfortable in my own skin, no matter what size or shape I am.  I encourage you to do the same!

You rock, Melissa McCarthy!

Isabella Louise Anderson is a member of the RWA, and she is the owner of the website Chick Lit Goddess. She resides in Dallas, Texas, where she’s a housewife and mother to 12-year-old cat, Thorndike. A regular contributor at Good Humor Girl, you can learn more about Isabella here.

Gal Pals: Getting Real With Your Girlfriends

By Lori Verni-Fogarsi

When you think of your close girlfriends, who do you really think of? A new friend you’ve recently met? Or an old friend you’ve had for years? In my novel, Momnesia, one of the secondary storylines involves the main character struggling with new friendships, particularly since she no longer lives in her original hometown.

(Excerpt from pg. 196) It’s funny about friendships: When you’re a kid, or even a teenager, friendships develop far more easily, often evolving to a high level of emotional intimacy quite rapidly. I still have friends today who know me better than anyone, partially by virtue of the fact that we knew each other “back when.”

We’ve stayed friends throughout all the ups and downs of our teens, twenties, and beyond. From fights with our parents to first apartments, through all of the bad boyfriends and insanely stupid nights on the town, our marriages, the births of our children, buying and selling houses—these are the friends with whom we know what really lies beneath.

Not so with making new friends in your thirties. I’ve found that people have a much lower threshold where they draw their line on emotional intimacy. There are women I’ve been friends with for seven years, yet I don’t actually know them—the real, deep-down inside them—any better than I did when I was their acquaintance for a month. (End excerpt.)

In discussing this with women in real life, it seems that many of us feel this way. In fact, I will admit that every time I watch the movie Sex and the City, I get very emotional… not only because Carrie gets jilted, but what affects me far more is how thoroughly her friends are there for her. Naturally, I’ve analyzed this to the ‘enth degree and this is what I’ve come up with: She doesn’t pretendshe’s fine! She is miserable and she doesn’t try to “be strong” in front of her friends. Therefore, they know that she even needs them in the first place, and thus are able to be there for her!

Of course, I realize that this is a movie and that, just like our actual friends are not all wearing $400 shoes, we can’t expect to have that level of closeness with every friend that comes along. But surely there are some? Is it possible that we are all so afraid of anyone “finding out” that we’re “not perfect,” that instead we deprive ourselves and our friends of a level of trust and intimacy that would be cherished by us both? A real friend in a world full of acquaintances?

If you have a friend like this, may I recommend that you drop her a note right this minute and remind her how much you value your friendship? And if not, is it possible that you could think of someone with whom you might be willing to risk the vulnerability of developing a closer friendship?

What do you think? I look forward to reading your comments!

Lori Verni-Fogarsi - Lori has been a freelance writer, journalist, columnist, and seminar speaker for over fifteen years. She is the author of the novel, Momnesia, contemporary women's fiction,  as well as the nonfiction book, Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs. Lori is a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. Originally a native New Yorker, she now divides her time between Raleigh, NC, and Lake Gaston, VA, where she is hard at work on her next novel. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, boating, traveling with her husband, napping, and attending her children's many activities. Lori invites you to learn more at her website and enjoy her active communities on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!