When the news broke last week that Hostess Brands, Inc, that company that made snacks like Twinkies and Snowballs was going to shut down, the immediate reaction for me was like a small piece of my childhood was gone. Pink Snowballs, all that lovely spongy covering over the cake was a real favorite of mine. But honestly, it’s been a very long time since I’ve actually bought something like those. It’s not the same world it was when I was a little girl, and the choice of snack cakes, and other treats that are better for us are far greater than they were many years ago.That’s said to be a part of the reason for Hostess’s filing a motion to liquidate in US Bankruptcy Court on Friday. But as a company with a unionized workforce it was difficult for Hostess to keep up with the demands for higher pension, wages and medical costs. So now, over 18,000 jobs are lost, 33 bakeries are closed, and only the bakery outlet stores are open to sell off inventory. Two hundred of those jobs will be at the Merita Bakery in Orlando.I could tell you the nutritional content of any of those snack cakes and how perhaps they’re not the perfect choice for our diets but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about jobs lost at the holidays because people couldn’t agree. And about making a buck on Ebay. Many of you pointed out to me this weekend when I was at the Shops of Wiregrass for the kickoff of the annual Symphony in Lights there are boxes of Twinkies on that site listed at $100 a box. But then again, when I started my day at the Winn Dixie on 4^th St North in St Pete, there they were. Twinkies. A whole table full. No, I didn’t buy any. Is it the total end for some brand that goes back to 1888? Most likely not. Hostess CEO Greg Rayburn said that it was expected that some of the bigger brand names would be sold off for other companies to produce. We’ll see, and wonder how many of those over 18,000 jobs might be resurrected.

   Now, for my lovely little cookie monsters in Kelly’s Kitchen, you still have a few days to enter our Cookie Contest for the chance to win a family four-pack of seats to enjoy the 20^th Anniversary production of the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker December 28^th or 29^th at the Mahaffey Theater in St Petersburg. Send us your favorite Christmas cookie recipe using Dixie Crystals sugar by this Friday and we’ll randomly choose three finalists who will come to the Florida Central Credit Union Performance Theater here at our studios on Tuesday, December 4^th at 2:30 pm with their recipe and cookies for a taste test in Kelly’s Kitchen with cookie taste testers Janet Keeler, St Pete Times Lifestyle Editor and author of "Cookielicious. and Jessica Beebe, owner of Sugardarlings Cones ‘n Cupcakes. The cookie that receives the most votes will receive the Great Russian Nutcracker tickets. Each of our three finalists will also receive a special gift basket from Kelly’s Kitchen with Janet Keeler’s book and a special treat from Sugardarlings along with a special selection from the Kelly’s Kitchen Collection. The Dixie Crystal Sweet Online Community is a fun place to share recipes, and you can also join them on Facebook, Twitter (@DixieCrystals) and Pinterest. Make it Homemade Holidays with Dixie Crystals and Kelly’s Kitchen!

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

Life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children – all of our children – a better world. Even if it's difficult. Even if the work seems great. Even if we don't get very far in our lifetime - President Barack Obama