The Dooryard

Good Things: White Chocolate M&M's

My friend Karl told me about the then- in- the- works white chocolate m&m's about two years ago. So, it was with great excitement that I found them in a store about six weeks ago. They're called "pirate pearls," and they're a special promotion for Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean."

While Dan was a much bigger fan of the dark chocolate m&m's that came and went with Revenge of the Sith, the white chocolate version is more my speed. I've always loved white chocolate, ever since my mom bought me my first solid white chocolate easter bunny so many moons ago. Plus, I do get a kick out of the little cartoons on the candies that use the "m" in various pirate paraphernalia.

I virtually never eat candy anymore, but I find myself eating a bag of these after dinner once every other week or so, and popping a few in my mouth whenever I get a hankering for something sweet. Unfortunately, I know this is just a limited-time special edition; I'll have to hit Wal-mart and buy up a truckload of them before they're gone.

Good Things: Mister Softee

I'm not sure how far from New York City this incredible brand stretches, but Mister Softee gets my $2 two or three times during the week in the summer. Mister Softee is a soft-serve ice cream company, and their trucks can be found within five blocks just about anywhere in Midtown and Downtown Manhattan during the summer. One is parked just outside my office at 28th & Broadway every day it doesn't rain.

I used to only go for the vanilla cone with the rainbow sprinkles. But lately I've been diving into the chocolate with chocolate sprinkles. Both are a delight. Especially on a hot afternoon, just getting out of work, and I haven't eaten anything in three hours.

I worked at a Dairy Queen for four years through high school and college, and I don't remember the ice cream being as good as it is at the Mister Softee truck.

Or maybe I just like saying, "Mister Softee." Nah.

Good Things - "Match Game"

Maybe my love affair with Martha Stewart is getting out of hand, but I don't care. I am gonig to take her lead on a feature (read: steal her idea) and start submitting occassional posts that chronicle some of the Good Things in life.

And I'm going to start with something that brings me back to my formative years every time it comes on the tube: Match Game. If you don't know, Match Game was a racy little gameshow that ran from 1973 to 1982. It pitted two contestants against one another in their attempts to "fill in the blank" and "match the stars."

Hosted by Gene Rayburn, the real stars of the show were the witty contestants who would shoot barbs at one another. While Brett Somers was probably the most regular guest star, I personally don't watch an episode unless Charles Nelson Reilly is in it. Richard Dawson was a regular until Family Feud. While there were some other big names, like Betty White, Penny Marshall and William Shatner, it was often the D-list celebrities like Fannie Flagg, Patti Deutsch and Joyce Bulifant that were the most memorable.

While a couple remakes have been attempted, stay away: None match the fun and wit of Match Game. Game Show Network runs episodes a few times every day. Set your DVR!