‘Hershey’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Duck Donuts {Hershey, PA}

February 2, 2018 · Narrative

It’s pretty hard to resist a donut shop with fresh-from-the-fryer donuts … so we didn’t. Let’s check out Duck Donuts in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts about Hershey, PA, during our most recent trip, we really concentrated on doing things we had never done before. So as we were checking out of our hotel, I asked the front desk clerk if there was a donut shop or bakery that we should try before we left the area, and that’s how we found ourselves at Duck Donuts.

It’s very easy to find, right on West Chocolate Avenue, and there is ample parking in their own lot. The interior of the shop is bright and airy, and there are a few tables in the front, and some additional tables tucked into the back. Duck Donuts was originally born in Duck, North Carolina, and has expanded to many locations all over the country.

To say I was just a little bit overwhelmed with all the different donut selections would be an understatement, so I did what I always do in these situations … I asked the employee what the number one seller is.

Maple Bacon Donut it is.

Once we placed our order, the kids could watch the donuts be made right behind the clear glass counter. It seriously doesn’t get fresher than that!

The employee’s suggestion was perfect. The donut was soft and warm, sweet from the maple glaze, with a little hint of salty chewiness from the bacon topping.

It didn’t last long at all.

Everyone got something different, and only half of the donuts made it out of the shop.

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Visit: Grove’s Candies {Hershey, PA}

January 5, 2018 · Narrative

How can you visit Hershey, PA and not visit ALL THE CANDY STORES? That was exactly our thought as we walked into Grove’s Candies recently.

We spent two days in Hershey during Christmas break, and although I have been going to Hershey since I was a kid, during this trip, we did things that I (and my kids) have never done before, which made it exponentially more awesome. I just momentarily fell down the blogging rabbit hole … we used to go to Hershey semi-annually, but it seems we actually haven’t been since 2011! I promised Madeline we would go back this year when the weather warms up a bit. Although the theme park was open last week when we were there, the wind was making the cold weather almost unbearable.

Focusing on enjoying other attractions in Hershey is exactly how we found ourselves walking into Grove’s one afternoon last week. My friend had spied the brochure at the hotel we were staying at, and it was around the corner from another stop we made in the area, so, of course, we had to go.

It was easy to find, and is the bottom level of a small house right on East Chocolate Avenue (on street parking). As soon as we opened the door, we were greeted by a very friendly and talkative elderly woman who welcomed us right in. She was definitely up for visitors and was excited to explain every single candy item they make in the store. She has been making candy for over sixty years, and everything is made by her family and another family.

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People Magazine + Hershey’s

October 21, 2013 · Ad-Free, Narrative

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, PEOPLE Magazine & Hershey’s, but all my opinions are my own. #HersheysPeople #pmedia http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

This past weekend was one of those that struck the magic balance between productivity and relaxation. Something that happens once in a while, and that I’m working on creating more often. If we have a crazybusy weekend, I keep the next one as free and loose as possible. We all need that time to recharge, rest, and honestly, do nothing.

And even though my “do nothing” day still had a few loads of laundry getting done, homemade stuffed shells, a DIY Halloween decoration, cleaning the house, making chocolate covered Oreos, and other odds and ends, it just had this ease about it that made it downright perfect.

And those are exactly the moments when I steal some quiet time and catch up on People magazine. Years ago, I subscribed to over 70 magazines. Over the past few years, I’ve let most of my subscriptions run out, and I pared my list down to five. FIVE. My favorite read at the end of every week? People magazine, which shows up in my mailbox on Fridays like clockwork. It’s the perfect little bit of escapism. Catching up on celebrity gossip, an easy recipe or two, the latest fashion trends, and stories on real life heroes.

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Recipe: No Bake Oatmeal S’mores Cookies {The S’mores Cookbook}

August 12, 2013 · Narrative

Both of the kids have a sweet tooth. Madeline’s is ridiculous, and she is forever looking for her next sweet fix. Nick’s isn’t quite as rampant, but he never turns down dessert after dinner, much like my Dad, just needing something small and sweet to finish off the night.

Both of the kids totally see dinner as a means to get dessert, and when they’re not feeling whatever I’m serving up, they always make sure to eat just enough to secure a sweet finish.

Nick is also a little bit of a s’mores addict. If there isn’t any dessert in the house, he can often be found making s’mores in the microwave for him and his sister, so when the new S’mores cookbook arrived last week, I knew it wouldn’t be long before we were baking from it.

I flipped through the pages, looking for something super easy and a recipe that I had all the ingredients for, and once I spied the No Bake S’mores Cookies, I didn’t need to look any further.

Regular readers know how much we love no bake cookies, and combining that with Nick’s obsession with s’mores? It’s pretty much a no brainer.

Taking less than thirty minutes from start to finish to make, the kids could barely wait for them to set before digging in. Besides the obvious toasted marshmallow on top, this is the first no bake recipe that I’ve seen that includes chocolate chips on the ingredient list (usually it’s just the cocoa powder). Either way, I bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry to make these on a whim … or when your cookie monsters are looking for their next fix.

I got 28 cookies out of the batch, and we kept some here, and quickly distributed a lot of them to friends and neighbors. And, of course, the next day, the kids were looking for more.

As far as the cookbook? I think it makes a nice addition to your collection. There is a picture of every recipe (love that!), and each recipe is super simple to make, using basic ingredients that are either already in your kitchen, or easy to find. There is a whole chapter dedicated to riffs on traditional s’mores, another one on breakfast s’mores that includes S’mores Danish and S’mores Stuffed French Toast, and countless other drool-worthy recipes like S’mores Layer Cake, Crustless S’mores Cheesecake, and S’mores Turnovers.

The author, Susan Whetzel, is a professional baker and popular food blogger, who can be found serving up more deliciousness on her web site, DoughMessTic.

Make ’em and share ’em. A perfect summer activity.

Hungry for more s’mores recipes?
This S’mores Nutella Pizza was a recent favorite during an at-home movie night.
S’mores were thoroughly enjoyed last summer with the crew from Hershey.
These Chocolate S’mores Cookies were perfect for a Valentine’s Day blogger meet up, especially when Joanne piped all the hearts on top. And, oh man, that frosting…
These S’mores Cookie Bars from two years ago were very kid-approved (and look! sunsets! my favorite!)

Tomorrow? July Instagram photo round-up.

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Hershey Giveaway & My Favorite S’Mores Face

August 5, 2011 · Ad-Free, Narrative

When Nick woke up this morning, on his last day of summer camp, he came into my bedroom and asked if his outfit was ok.

He was wearing his s’more shirt (courtesy of Grandma and J. Crew’s Crew Cuts, btw).

To say this kid is in tune with what is going on would be an understatement. I have long since believed he has had a sixth sense, but that’s a story for another time.

Today was my deadline for posting about s’mores for the gang at Hershey.

And Nick started his day with his s’mores shirt.

I hadn’t said a word previously.

Totally ‘n sync.

And not referring to the hotness that is Justin Timberlake and his old boy band.

My “surprise” topic from Hershey was to show you my “favorite s’mores face.”

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On Dating, Figurative Fires and S’mores

June 20, 2011 · Narrative

Apparently I have a thing for firefighters. It doesn’t have anything to do with the uniform. Really. Although that certainly doesn’t hurt. Hello Backdraft anyone? Though The Ex was not a firefighter when we met and dated, he joined the department after we got engaged. It turns out that Mystic was a firefighter too. Of course, I didn’t know that when we first met a few months ago, but judging by our time together so far, it seems his background could come in handy. Figuratively, of course.

We (and by we, I mean I) like to call it the O’Malley Trial by Fire. You know, like the initiation process when you date me. It’s like freshmen hazing rituals. Only way more fun. At least that’s what I tell him. In the short time since we started dating, he has dealt with the after affects of the Great Power Outage of ’11. You know, when a surge went through the house and torched my computer, printer, fax, house phones, microwave, tv, a portion of the hot water heater and goodness knows what else in its wake. He actually started hanging out with me just in time to deal with the aftermath. Like when I got all new stuff and had to figure it all out. I don’t do manuals. Or technology. Thank goodness he does.

And then there was the ankle sprain. My left ankle is still a good bit bigger than the size of my right. And I’m still hobbling around on it.

And the diagnosis of our beloved Eli.

And a cat missing for two days.

And my trip to Seattle.

And Atlanta.

And oh yes, there was this water incident the week before last. As I tried to run through all the people who I thought could help me at the time, when two buckets of water was steadily pouring through my living room ceiling, and who might be home, and who were boys, Mystic was the second person I called. I tried to hold the phone to my ear, as I was holding the buckets, attempting to catch the water and keep it from going into the tv on the way down.

” Are you ok? “

No, are you nearby?

“No, what’s the matter?”

Ok, gotta go. I didn’t mean to hang up on him, but the water that was pouring down my head slipped the phone from my grasp. There’s only so much multi-tasking a girl can do. He was there within half an hour. Just slightly behind The Neighbor Wife who had the misfortune of calling me during the whole event. Both were total troopers. Who were repaid with spaghetti and garlic bread. That’s how I roll.

There was, ahem, another minor incident two weeks ago that I proudly handled myself. Well, ok, it might have involved the boys in blue, but I didn’t call anyone else for help. Swear.

Later that week when I told Mystic that I thought it had been a bit of an action-packed few months, he asked how he was doing.

“Well, you haven’t run from the burning building yet, so I think that’s good.”

So far.

“Oh I see. I’m on PROBATION?”

He wisely didn’t answer.

“I’d like to think I’m bringing happy chaos to the table. I’m just trying to keep things interesting.”

You’re doing an excellent job. Maybe I should try harder from my side?

“Try harder for what?”

To keep things interesting too.

I then politely explained that perhaps he could just balance out my crazy and not bring his own. You know, ying to my yang or something. Thank God he was ok with that.

Speaking of fire… nothing like summertime and camp fires to make me think of s’mores. How ya like that segueway?…

Got Leftover Cranberries? Make Nantucket Cranberry Pie

December 7, 2010 · Narrative

I won’t lie. I still have leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving. Even after I made another batch of Cranberry Conserve. And Cranberry Almond Bars. And Cranberry Broccoli Salad. It seems those giant bags of cranberries from Costco are way more giant than I give them credit for. So you know I was more than a little stoked when I saw this recipe for Nantucket Cranberry Pie on The Pioneer Woman’s website, adapted from a Laurie Colwin recipe.

I was planning to write about something else today, saving the pie for later in the week, but after my Mom tasted it and said she did everything but lick the plate, I figure I should share it right away. You know, in case you are also left with cranberries from the giant bag you bought at Costco.

And, um, yeah, if you have any awesome cranberry recipes you’d like to share, I’m all ears, because, believe it or not, I still have a cup or so of cranberries left. Whatcha got for me?

Project 365
December 7, 2010, Photos #248-256
Meg had a post the other day about “keeping it real,” and I thought it was a great reminder. Sometimes when visiting blogs, everything can look perfect … adorable kids, homecooked meals nightly, a from-the-pages-of-a-catalog decorated home, a big dose of Keeping Up with the Jones’, but the reality is, we all have dirty dishes. We just assume you know. This is what it looked like when I left the house this morning. We were on the verge of running late because someone had a meltdown about an outfit. On a day like today, a burglar could break into the house and think “oh shoot, someone beat me to it.” It was just the kitchen that looked this bad, but I hated dashing out on it just as much as I hated coming home to it.

And the other side of the kitchen? Piles of clean laundry that are waiting for the Magic Laundry Fairies to cart upstairs and put away. Real life, peeps.

“Mom, Eli is my best dog ever.” Had to get a picture when she said that. Too cute. (Of course, this was 4 hours after her grubby little tear-stained face left the house. Reality check and all.)

Breakfast. Whole grain deli flat, peanut butter, sliced banana, drizzle of honey. Fiber, protein, good carbs, slight sweetness, perfect.

Love this. A friend stopped over tonight to drop off a thank you gift in the form of two new additions to our kitchen food and drink tree.

“Mom, I’m a good helper.” Sometimes yes, sometimes not so much. This week, they are studying the letter H in school, and a cookie topped with a Hershey Kiss seemed like a perfect treat for her to bring in. A new recipe from the folks at Hershey, but truth be told, I’m not a fan. To the point that I’m debating about tossing them and making something else tomorrow.

Sometimes cute just isn’t enough.

Remember the Family Circus cartoons in the Sunday paper? The mom would find a huge mess and all the kids would yell “not me,” and there was a drawing of a little ghost figure wearing a shirt that said “not me” on it. That was us today. The Not Me Ghost visited our kitchen and accidentally spilled half a box of Wheat Thins on the floor and scurried away before being caught.

Hershey Kiss Good Fortunes

February 18, 2010 · Narrative

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and the kick-off to Lent for Catholics. As such, we’re supposed to give something up during Lent. Something hard. I debated about just skipping it and not giving anything up. Then I debated about what to give up. A friend gave up Facebook. Very brave. Another gave up sugar. Equally brave and hard. I’ve decided … deep breath … to give up Diet Coke. I probably have an average of 2 cans a day. And not being a coffee or tea drinker, besides it being pretty much my Drink of Choice, it’s also my caffeine fix. Being a single mom, giving up a caffeine fix is going to be hard. But then again, that is the whole point of this, right? It’s supposed to be hard. More deep breaths. I didn’t decide what to give up until tonight, so the one I had at dinner was my last one. One last deep breath. It’s just a drink. Not a big deal. Really.

So Nick decided to give up talking back. A move I wholeheartedly endorse. Every once in awhile, the mouthiness resembles a 15-year-old’s. Coming from my 7-year-old son’s body. Not a fan. In fact, the first thing he said to me this morning was, “Mom, really, and here I thought you were going to be nice to me today. Guess I was wrong.” Because the mean mommy told him (nicely) to get moving because he was going to be late for car pool. All in favor of squashing the backtalk.

Even though Jamie, the kids’ babysitter, isn’t Catholic, she wanted to give up something too. I love that about her. She went back and forth between two things all night … either giving up putting off going to the gym (and in her defense, she goes several times a week, but she doesn’t think it’s enough) or giving up chocolate. When we got on the topic of chocolate, she said she really only eats it here, in the stuff that we bake. So you know what that means … that turned into me giving up baking with chocolate. I don’t know how I got dragged into that one, but I somehow ended up with an added challenge now. No baking with chocolate for Lent. Is she kidding me? Usually when I bake something, I save a few pieces for here, and the rest goes to neighbors, work, the kids’ school, and other various spots. For me it’s easy because I don’t have a terrible sweet tooth. If I did, it would be a problem. But, really, one bite to taste something and I’m pretty much done. Not so much with her. And I want to be supportive. So along with giving up my beloved Diet Coke, I’m giving up baking with chocolate. For her.

Now all that being said, you’ve got to love that tonight’s piece is titled with the words Hershey Kiss. We mutually agreed that since I had already planned to make a cute little fun dessert tonight with chocolate, it would be our last chocolate hurrah from now until Lent. And technically, it’s not baked, but what she’s giving up isn’t about a technicality, so I want to be fair.

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Review: Fenicci’s Restaurant and Tavern, Hershey, PA

December 3, 2009 · Narrative

When we went to Hershey for the weekend back in October, our first stop after checking into the hotel was the Hershey Museum. Once we were done there, it was mid-afternoon, and we were beyond ready for lunch. The cafe in the museum was crazybusy, so we decided to make our escape and go elsewhere. And why not when there was a small pizza joint, Fenicci’s, just across the street? It was the perfect time for our tastebuds to bite into a slice of what PA pizza has to offer.

Although it doesn’t help on our quest to find the best pizza in New Jersey, it was a welcome respite from the rain and hunger pangs, and hey, what kid doesn’t perk up at the word “pizza?” The first thing that caught my eye on the menu was the mention of their “world famous” Upside Down Pizza. This particular pizza was the first pizza introduce to Hershey back in 1947, and at just under $11, it’s a reasonably priced choice.

When it arrived on the table, I have to say, we were all surprised. Surprised at what it looked like. When you hear “upside down pizza,” we were thinking the crust would be on the top. You know, upside down from what it normally is, right? Instead, what they mean is that the tomato sauce and the cheese are reversed. Maybe Topsy Turvy Pizza, but not so much on the upside down, you know? That being said, I loved the bite and tang it gave to have your mouth meet the tomato sauce first. This wouldn’t work if their tomato sauce was not up to par, but no worries here, it was. Full, deep, rich, and just plain good. The crust was ok, but not the slightly crispy kind that I like, and with the tomato sauce on top, this pizza doesn’t have big bubbles. But that’s ok. Just a different way to go, and sometimes different is welcome.

Along with the pizza, we also took the opportunity to try some of their appetizers, going with Crab Dip and Loaded French Fries for the table. The french fries, well, let’s just say we did all but lick the plate clean. That would have been wrong. Right? Loaded with two kinds of melted cheese, sweet peppers, red onions, and crispy bacon, it was then drizzled with Ranch dressing. Love that. A very generous serving for $5.95.

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