Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Musk sticks



Remember the coconut ice that I posted about earlier this week? Well, in keeping with my pink lolly theme, I also made Racquel some musk sticks.

Musk sticks are little sticks of sugar flavoured with edible musk oil and coloured pink, although there are certain "fruit sticks" out there (with no fruit actually included). Some bloggers who have not grown up with musk sticks and their cousin, musk lifesavers, think musk sticks smell and taste like grandma's handbag. However, I have grown up with them and I love them.

Since Frankie published a recipe for musk sticks in its Sweet Treats last year, they have been popping up all over the blogosphere. If you are tempted to make your own musk sticks, you can find the recipe here. This recipe makes musk sticks that are crisper than the chewy commercial version, but provided that you use musk flavouring, they taste the same.

The musk sticks are displayed in my Queen Elizabeth II 80th birthday mug that I purchased at Windsor Castle the last time I was in England - it's been a while!


I have also been honoured by being awarded the "Stylish Blogger" award by Elaine of California Living, Steph of Jumping Off the Cliff, Michelle of Flourchild and Natasha of Mmmm Home Cooking. Thanks guys! The rules of the award (after thanking the person who bestowed it on you) are:

Share 7 facts about yourself:

  1. I cannot stand the cold - I would rather it be 40 degrees Celsius than 8 degrees Celsius.
  2. I love Pascall marshmallows, and can unfortunately eat them by the bag. No poor imitations will do.
  3. I still have not unpacked all the boxes from when I moved 8 months ago - the task seems beyond me.
  4. I am a bit of a hoarder, and save all kinds of things for a "rainy day" - the trouble is, how do you store it all?
  5. I am a huge fan of The Beatles, despite the fact that they split up before I was even born. They currently provide the soundtrack to my life.
  6. I adore 1930's and 1960's fashion - they are poles apart from each other, but both embody gorgeous colours, shapes and patterns.
  7. My favourite TV show of the moment (aside from cooking shows, of course!) is Mad Men. The cool elegance of the sets and clothes, combined with the complex plots and seriously flawed characters leaves me wanting more after every episode.

Pass this award onto 15 bloggers that you think deserve this award and let them know about it.

Here is a list of some of the stylish blogs that I visit, in no particular order:

  1. Grandma's Kitchen Table
  2. Jill's Blog
  3. Gourmet Green Giraffe
  4. Hold the Beef
  5. Of Muses and Meringues
  6. Nutmeg Nanny
  7. Barbara Bakes
  8. Lethally Delicious
  9. Mary Mary Culinary
  10. Effort to Deliciousness
  11. Visions of a Sugar Plum
  12. Darjeeling Dreams
  13. The Caked Crusader
  14. Yummy Chunklet
  15. Canela Kitchen

Hope you enjoy checking out these blogs!

27 comments:

Flourchild said...

Im glad you got your award!! I love the musk sticks..so pretty and pin!!

Juliana said...

Congratulations on your award...and happy to learn more about you :-)

Gloria Baker said...

Dear Cakelaw I ove this sweet recipe, look lovely!!Thanks by the Award dear you are so nice!! huggs gloria

cocoa and coconut said...

Firstly, well done on your award. Secondly, I've never seen a recipe for musk sticks! My Dad loves them!

Anonymous said...

You are quite stylish! Love the mug and the pretty pink candy (and Mad Men!). Thanks for including me in your list :)

Anonymous said...

I've never heard of musk sticks until now. I am intrigued. And, thank you so much for passing on the award. You have definitely deserved your multiple awards!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Oh wow you made musk sticks! :o Well done and well done on your award too! :D

Conor @ Hold the Beef said...

Oh good god.. first coconut ice now Musk Sticks?! If you make some Big Boss Cigars next I think I might die!

Congrats on the well deserved award and thanks so very much for passing it onto me!!

I'm yet to know the joys of Mad Men, despite so many friends telling me how fabulous it is, over and over. I think I'm fearful of getting sucked in, when I have so little free time as it is. I'd rather spend my little free time eating Musk Sticks :)

The Blonde Duck said...

I too love to hoard things. My pantry and freezer are a prime example.

Kayte said...

Oh, you are so sweet to list me/my blog, thank you. Here are my answers:
Share 7 Facts About Yourself:

1. I'm shy about sharing facts about myself.
2. I read books that everyone rolls their eyes about as they are usually about history, literature, or art and mostly people don't want to know about those things.
3. I love to take care of people and make them feel good.
4. I live in a very large house and I am looking forward to downsizing and minimalizing in the near future. (I'm not sure that is a word, but you know what I mean.)
5. I love my husband more than the day I married him and every day with him seems like a gift.
6. Cooking/baking/friends in the blogging world mean a lot to me...they feel like dear friends who enjoy the things that I enjoy when it comes to all of that and I look forward to hearing and reading their blogs as if they were people I know and see everyday in my life here.
7. If left to my own devices, I would eat soup or salad every meal every day and leave it at that....really good soup and really good salad with lots of variety.

Kayte said...

Totally forgot to comment on these musk sticks which sound intriguing and look so beautiful. I have never had or heard of these, but would definitely like to try them. You always come up with something new and unique!

Cher Rockwell said...

Congrats! If it makes you feel any better, I have boxes from my move four years ago that have not been touched -- and I don't even want to talk about when I originally packed them two moves before that...

egbkid said...

I've never heard of musk sticks, but they look good!

Unknown said...

I don't even know what musk sticks are (or what the musk flavoring would be comparable to), but they look so pretty!

Mr. P said...

OMG. You MADE musk sticks? That's the best thing ever. Am going to give them a whirl.

Elaine said...

I'm glad I wasn't the only one that recognized your Stylish Blog! It's so great to learn more about you and I don't blame you a bit for not unpacking everything. Those things do take time. I have never heard of musk sticks before. My grandmother would have loved these as she used to wear musk oil. I had no idea there was such a thing as edible musk - so intriguing! They are so pretty in pink and look wonderful in your Queen's mug!
Congratulations again on your Stylish Blogger award!

Johanna GGG said...

those musk sticks look amazing - I can't believe you made them and had to look up the recipe even though I don't think I could make them - too tempting - I loved them when I was a kid!

thanks for the award - will do it when I can - love your facts - I am the opposite with you about heat and cold - give me a cold day any day! But I share your hoarding tendencies and your problems with storage - good luck with getting those boxes unpacked

The Caked Crusader said...

Wow - I've never heard of musk sticks; they look amazing.

Congrats on the award and thanks muchly for including me in your list of stylish blogs!

Ivy said...

I hate cold weather as well and I'd rather live in the dessert than feeling cold. It's great learning more about you. I have never tried those musk sticks before but they look beautiful in the mug.

Aer Conditionat said...

Congrats on your awards! You deserve it. I too love musk sticks and I don’t care about what other people say. Great blog list.

Barbara Bakes said...

Congratulations on your well deserved award! You're so sweet to think of me for the award too. I'm never heard of musk sticks before. They're so colorful and fun.

Beth said...

Thanks for the link! You are so kind. I'll be sure to check out some of the others!

Nutmeg Nanny said...

Thank you for the award! I love it :)

Mary said...

I've never heard of musk sticks, but I have some friends visiting from Australia in May, so I know what to ask for! Congrats on the award, and thanks for including me on your list!
:)

margot said...

Thanks for the award! I've been busy lately and didn't see you'd left it until today. It's fun learning some non-baking things about you. I love Mad Men, too, and there are boxes in my garage from when I moved almost 3 years ago (obviously I probably don't need what's in them).

Johanna GGG said...

hi cakelaw - have done my 7 facts - took a while but I had fun once I got to them

http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/04/memes-are-due-thanks-are-due.html

EmmCee said...

Thanks for linking to my blog about musk sticks! i still make them....i must go and make some....cheers Gail...The Claytons Blog

You have a great blog too!