Treasure

Elizabeth Applebaum

Gift Guide Editor

A little something for
everyone on your gift list

This Is A Little (Pop)Corny

Go Crackers For These

In 1874 in England, a candy maker was
selling sugared almonds, complete with a
charming saying for one's sweetheart,
inside a paper packet. Suddenly a bit of
resin in his log fire went "snap"! Inspired,
the man decided to add the sound to his
sugared-almond gift packages.
Soon, the treats, called "crackers," were in
demand for birthday parties and other cele-
brations. The almonds were replaced with
tiny toys and the love sentiments removed,
but the pop remained.
By the turn of the century, crackers were
a staple in British homes at Christmas time.
Now Jewish families both in Great Britain
and the United States can enjoy crackers,
thanks to Robin Reed International Ltd.,
which has produced a set of traditional
crackers, made in England and featuring a
Star of David.
Inside the crackers, which pop when
twisted and pulled on the sides, are such
items as a magic trick, a deck of cards, a
necklace or a yo-yo.
The Robin Reed crackers sell for $9.99
and are available at Marshall's. Or visit
www.robinreed.com for a list of stores.

He grew a chain of vitamin stores, then sold
them in lieu of a bigger challenge. But after two
years of not owning a business, David Farber
was restless. Finally, he had an opportunity to
buy the Detroit Popcorn Co.
"My decision to purchase the business was
predicated on several things, like the company's
growth potential and the excellent location we
have with 1-96 and other freeways being so
close," Farber says. "But one of the biggest rea-
sons is that I love popcorn, especially caramel
corn. What can I say, I'm just a big kid at heart."
The company, which goes through more than
1 million pounds of popcorn each year, manufac-
tures and distributes a variety of popcorn from its
retail showroom and via the Internet. It ships
worldwide and also offers cotton candy, snow
cones, pretzels, peanuts, all types of carnival/fes-
tival foods.
Michigan sports fans, take note: The compa-
ny's popcorn is available in Detroit Red Wings,
University of Michigan and Michigan State-theme
tins for $27.95 each. (General theme-tins also are
available).
The Detroit Popcorn Co. is at 12843
Greenfield in Detroit. For more information, call
(313) 835-3600 or visit the company Web site at
www.detroitpopcorn.com

r
The Cole, - ara I Eats
So it's getting cold outside. So your

window is covered with frost in the
morning. So you're finally dragging that
winter coat out of the closet.
None of these is an excuse not to
eat ice cream. And when it comes to
that smooth, rich treat, nothing is quite
as cool as Dippin' Dots.
Dippin' Dots is an ice cream unto
itself, made of hundreds of thousands
of tiny droplets with an out-of-this
world flavor and texture. It's even
kosher-dairy, certified by the Vaad Hoeir
of St. Louis, Mo.
In addition to the funky flavors, like
banana split, Dippin' Dots sells ice-
cream cakes in flavors like Confetti and
Fudge Frenzy.
You can find Dippin' Dots at the
Twelve Oaks Mall, the Uptown
Palladium 12 Theater in Birmingham,
and the Fox Theater, among others.
(For a complete listing of local and
international stores, go to www.dippin-
dots.com .) Dippin' Dots also may be
ordered online in prepackaged servings
of various quantities. Prices start at
$135 for 25 packages.

Treasure Chest on page 16

14 • NOVEMBER 2005 • JN GIFT GUIDE 1