Sister Cinnamon

That is what some cute children call my friend DanaLee, who hates cinnamon to a degree that it makes me think she should maybe be tested for something. Girl can taste and smell it in things like french toast, where there might be 1/4 teaspoon or something. My other friend Dr. Street, who is at least 9 times smarter than me, no exaggeration, currently doing super-important research about . . . cells . . . and possibly things related to exercise in cells . . . at a little community college called Harvard University, says that DL is what we call a supertaster. There is apparently a thing where for $4.95 you could know if you are afflicted similarly. Seems like you might already know, unless you are a white American child living in Bunn Level, NC and you are a supertaster for star anise. In which case, drop that $4.95.

I was blogstalking earlier and this girl mentioned she was currently eating chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, which are found in the acreage of the bulk food aisle at Macey's (not the department store) and at the BYU Bookstore, and not, I am sorry to say, at Food Lion. Or the Teeter. If bulk candy is sold at either of those stores, I would be hard-pressed to tell you where it is. And now I really want one. Or twenty, even though it's that horrible/fabulous super cheap chocolate that's 1% cacao, 92% sugar, and 7% wax.

I'd settle for a regular cinnamon bear, extra-hot like my mama taught me. She happens to be a cinnamon bear expert. She is quite choosy; no lightweight cinnamon flavor for her. She could probably tell you what brands are the best - in fact, I think she has told us before, because we used to give her packages or bulk foods bags full of them. She bites their heads off and chews a minute like a sommelier and can tell you if the cinnamon-to-heaven-knows-what-else ratio is worth her time. I do know the 59 cents for 1, $1 for 2 bags at the gas station aren't even worth the buck, and I think she is wary of the cinnamon lips at Valentine's. In North Carolina, the gas station might be your only option. It's a sad world. We're probably all going to get Alzheimer's from the Red 40, but it might be worth it.