Creating a magical spider woman\nKING FERRY, N.Y. -- This spider man doesn't fight super-strength villains.\nInstead his world is a whimsical, woodsy wonderland, where a vegetarian spider teaches lessons of love and friendship. \nAuthor David Kirk is the creator of the popular Miss Spider series of children's books, which have sold close to 5 million copies since 1994. Now Kirk's creation is reaching an even wider audience as a daily show on Nickelodeon Jr. and CBS, "Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends." In the show, Kirk's house is stuffed with bright-colored paintings, children's books and all sorts of toys, especially robots. Outside a two-story Victorian-style tree house sits nestled in a towering black walnut in the backyard. \nThe idea for Miss Spider came from Kirk's oldest daughter, Violet, now 17. \n"When she was little, she could pick up a little caterpillar and carry it around for hours," he said. "I would worry because kids aren't usually very careful. Hours later, she would still have her little bug, and it would still be happy, crawling around. When she was ready, she would let it go. She was the inspiration for Miss Spider. Someone who might cause a little trouble, but always very nice."\nIn his first book, "Miss Spider's Tea Party," Miss Spider has trouble making friends because the other bugs fear they will be eaten. In subsequent stories, Miss Spider gets married, starts a family, buys a car and learns the alphabet. The stories are gentle and told in rhyming verse. \nMiss Spider was an instant success; Kirk faces a busy future. The success of the television show has generated more interest in Miss Spider. Kirk is working on several new books to tie into story lines on the television show, as well as a feature film.
Mashed potatoes, fruitcake, green beans -- in a bottle?\nSEATTLE -- Jones Soda Co. takes the idea of a liquid diet to a new low. How does Green Bean Casserole Soda strike you? And how about an aggressively buttery-smelling Mashed Potato Soda?\nEven the creators of the fizzy concoctions at this small Seattle soda company can hardly stomach the stuff. But last year's unexpected success of the Turkey & Gravy Soda means another round of bizarre food-flavored soft drinks. As an added bonus -- they're calorie-free. This week Jones Soda Co. launches a full meal deal of five Thanksgiving soda flavors, from the bile-colored Green Bean Casserole to the sweet, but slightly sickly, Fruitcake Soda. Last year's Turkey & Gravy is also back on the menu.\nDrinking last year's savory Turkey & Gravy was no picnic, either, but that didn't stop people from clamoring for it, pushing bidding on auction site eBay Inc. up to $63 for a two-bottle set.\nThis year Jones plans to produce up to 15,000 five-packs of the 12-ounce bottles, which come complete with utensils (a straw and a toothpick). The sodas may not be as satisfying as a real holiday meal, but they can boast being both calorie- and carb-free, not to mention vegan and kosher.\nBeginning Thursday, they'll be on sale at some Target Corp. stores throughout the country, and at other retailers, for between $14.95 and $16.95, with proceeds benefiting Toys for Tots.\nJones isn't the only company to find that people have a certain fascination with foods that make you go "yuck." There's the real-life version of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, made famous by the Harry Potter books and featuring tastes like Vomit, Booger and Earthworm. And millions of Americans regularly tune in to reality shows to watch contestants eat things like spiders and snails.
