"blue" news and stories

While browsing the list of Coldstone's latest summer flavors, all of which are targeted at kids, I had so wonder why it is that kids like blue ice cream because one of the new flavors is "Beary Beary Blue," described as cotton candy ice cream with gummi bears . Blue ice cream is not a new phenomenon, not by a long shot, but it's just a bit of a mystery why kids like the stuff. The real question is whether kids actually want blue ice cream, creating a demand for it, or if they eat it because it is what is marketed to them.

I tend to believe it is the latter and that kids, who are perfectly satisfied with regular ice creams at home, go crazy over wacky flavors and colors because it is labeled as a "kids" ice cream. As far as I can tell, this is the reason that I ate some of that stuff as a kid. I was drawn in by the promise of gummi bears and bits of bubble gum and, though I hated the way that they turned rock hard and inedible in the ice cream, I often ordered them anyway.

I'd rather see kids' ice creams that come in less electric colors and with additions that kids want to eat, not just with ones that they want to order. I suspect that there are a few kids who would disagree with me over the blue ice cream part, but even they might change their minds when they get down to those rock hard gummi bears.

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Nestle's popular candy-coated chocolates, Smarties, are getting a makeover. Actually, it's more of a make-under. They are being stripped of artificial colors starting next month. The blue candy will be most directly affected, as there is no naturally edible dye to produce the same or a similar shade. This means that Smarties' blue candies will be white until a suitable color replacement can be found.

Nestle Rowntree, the UK branch, is responding to concerns that artificial colorings may have a direct correlation with hyperactivity in children, as a study done at Liverpool University has suggested. The chemical colors that will no longer be used are: Brilliant Blue (E133); Quinoline Yellow (E104); Sunset Yellow (E110); Ponceau 4R (E124); and Carmoisine (E122).  The US Environment Protection Agency has listed Brilliant Blue in particular as a possible cancer risk. Nestle Australia, on the other hand, has no plans to eliminate their blue Smarties and states that they have naturally colored candies available.

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As though we don’t have enough dieting fads thrown at us from all directions, there is a new one which suggests that the color of your walls could be making you fat. According to dietician Lisa Dorfman, blues and greens will make you less hungry than warmer colors, like reds. Lighting is also important to dieters, as those who eat in dim light are more likely to binge.

Excuse me while I take a brief break to paint my kitchen. But what of the non-paintable surfaces? Does laminate make you feel full, or should you use a tile floor?

This is the most ridiculous dieting idea that we have seen yet. Changing the color scheme of your house in an attempt to alter your diet is like deciding to buy air freshener for you car after it's been in an accident: it doesn't really hurt anything, but it doesn't directly address the problem in the way that eating less food (or getting the car repaired) would. Putting aside the issue of actual color choice, there is one thing about painting your walls that will keep you out of the kitchen for a while: very few people actually enjoy the smell of wet paint and you certainly won't want to be eating in a freshly painted kitchen. Just try not to head for the nearest fast food place while you wait for your cool, calming kitchen to dry.

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Is your repertoire of desserts not colorful enough? Longing for something to dazzle your eyes as much as - or perhaps more than - your taste buds? Take a peek at this blue cake found on Flickr. Those multi-colored bits that resemble pebbles are, in fact, pebbles. They are Fruity Pebbles, to be exact, and are a sorely under-utilized component in making brightly colored cakes. Note that there appear to be pebbles inside the cake as well as on top, which means that there may very well be a bit of crunch to each slice. The secret ingredient to turn the cake such a lovely teal shade is none other than 100% natural Smurf. Just kidding. It's only food coloring. We don't advocate the senseless slaughter of defenseless Smurfs here at Slashfood - not even to color cakes.

Oh, and by the way, Happy April Fool's Day!

Not having any particular allegiance to either team that is playing in Super Bowl XL has its advantages. The primary one being that I don't feel bound to a particular color scheme and can use blue, silver, black and gold with abandon. Not being one for tablescapes, I limited my wild color use to blue and gold sprinkles. White icing outlined hand-drawn football helmets, which I decorated further with blue Seattle Seahawk S's and yellow Pittsburg Steelers P's. Interestingly, the blue-sprinkled cookies disappeared much more quickly than the yellow. Are more people supporting the Steelers or are the blue sprinkles just more enticing?

[Photo by Nicole Weston]