Confessions of a Sugarholic and Where to Get a Fix

Sugar is my biggest weakness. Ever since I was a little kid, it has been a part of my family culture. Here's the short list: sugary cinnamon rolls at Grandma's for Thanksgiving dinner (not to mention the three kinds of pie), Oreos, Ho Ho's or Girl Scout cookies every day after school, frosting-loaded birthday cakes, candy canes at Christmas, chocolate Easter eggs, home-made ice cream in the summer, chocolate mint brownies and chocolate chip cookies (especially the dough) for any occasion we could find, sodas to go with our popcorn when watching basketball or movies on TV, and anything and everything at Halloween. It's amazing when I think about how much sugar I've probably consumed in my life. Hello, my name is Sarah and I'm a sugarholic.

Just when I thought I'd kicked the daily habit, a new store opened in Menlo Park: Sugar Shack. I was given ample warning because one of the owners, Suzi Tinsley, is a well-known member of the Junior League of Palo Alto/Mid-Peninsula and the buzz of the opening was passed along through League email lists. Immediately when I heard who was opening the store, I knew it would be a success. Suzi is one of those women who can do anything. She is probably the most popular League president in recent history, she has raised funds and participated in several local philanthropic organizations and also political causes and candidates, and did I mention she has seven children? She is always social and full of positive energy, friendly to everyone. Even if I dosed with sugar 3x/day I still could never find the energy she has naturally.

So Suzi and her friend, Beth Donnelly-Yancey, launched Sugar Shack in April right before Easter. The Almanac printed a well-written review by a thirteen year-old which captured its essence fairly well. The first time I went in, I thought the shop was all about non-chocolates, but today when I toured again, I was excited to see chocolate is well-represented. There's even an international section with some of my favorite Cadbury snacks. I love the colors of the store - bright pink & orange. And the bar at the back is super fun. They say it's a destination for kids - what about adults? I'd be ok sitting there drinking Orange Crush admiring the candy art for hours. Who needs to go home for dinner? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have plenty of protein!

Jesting aside, I'm actually very reformed in terms of nutrition because I suffered from a variety of health problems over the past decade that necessitated some dietary changes. And I'm fully aware of the link between sugar and diabetes and the growing concerns about childhood obesity. That said, I went to a kids' nutrition workshop at DayOne on Friday where they advocated - rather than cutting sugar from kids' lives, teach about moderation. It's impossible to avoid processed sugars completely and let's face it, who really wants to? For the little ones, it's still safer to wait on sugar. My daughter's not yet two and she hasn't tried fruit juice yet, but I let her have a few bites of cake from time to time. The best thing to do, they said, is to provide the right example. Just when I was beginning to overcome my fear of the candy aisle at Safeway for myself, now I have to figure out how to introduce it to my daughter without the excess I had as a child.

The last candy store in my area resided in high rent downtown Palo Alto. It didn't have the variety of the Sugar Shack or the community feel. It only lasted a couple of years. I hope Sugar Shack stays a while. It's a great place to stop after (or before!) I pick my daughter up from school.