TRICK OR TREAT!

Tomorrow promises to be mighty busy, so I'm posting this tonight. Have a happy, safe, abundant Halloween! May all your candy dreams come true! I'll report back a.s.a.p. with the details of the Sugar Baby's haul!

All Treats, No Tricks!

Hey folks, it's time for the latest Candy Yum Yum giveaway! One lucky Yumster will receive a one-pound box of Enstrom's Milk Chocolate Almond Toffee:

"The perfect blend of sweet cream butter, pure cane sugar and California
almonds, drenched in creamy milk chocolate and sprinkled with crushed
almonds."

Does that sound fabulous or what? So here's what you do: leave a comment and on
November 3 at noon (EST), I'll randomly pick a winner. Be sure you don't sign in as anonymous!

A Love Letter

Dear Trader Joe's Lumpy Bumpy Bar,

I know we've only know each other for a day or so, but ... I love you.

There. I said it.

I love everything about you.

I love how you come in a box. I love your dark chocolate coating and your soft, sticky caramel. I love that you contain peanuts. And most of all, I love your nougaty goodness.

I love you through and through. So for that reason, please don't ever come to my house again, because I just can't say no.

Yours, always, Madame Yum Yum

You Must Pay the Rent

In addition to all the other German goodies, Frau Marzipan also gave me these:

Schoko-Bananen, or, roughly translated, Chocolate Bananas.

They're like a combination between marshmallow Peep-ish and almost gummyish foam. The banana is wickedly artificial (which is a good thing, for those of us who like artificial banana).

As you can see, they're not only tasty, but a good source of entertainment for the Baron, as well. I think they should replace the picture of Herr Alpine on the box with the Baron's handsome mug. What do you think?

The Mystery of the Disappearing Chocolates

Bazooka Betsy came over the other day with a care package for the gravely ill (me). It contained soup, a magazine (Rachael Ray Every Day-- can't stand listening to her but I love her "recipes"), and the piece de resistance, a little Tupperware container full of handmade chocolates.

"Maryann is taking a class in confectionery and pastry-making," she said.

Hmmm. Maryann is her health-nut friend, so I didn't have high hopes. Also, I admittedly was being a bit snobby and thinking, "Harumph! Home made chocolates! They're probably not very good."

Well here I am, humbling myself in front of the world. HOLY COW. They were really, really good. One was a dark chocolate filled with oozy, flowy caramel and a piece of pecan. It was quite possibly the best caramel I've ever had. Then there was a truffle-- I think it was a pumpkin pie truffle-- yum! I need more of these chocolates because, as you can see, I didn't have the forethought to photograph them before scarfing them down. So Maryann, if you're out there, please send over a full tray of your deliciously yummy chocolates-- for photographing reasons only, of course!

Introducing Frau Marzipan

A couple of weeks ago there was a knock on my front door. It was my friend, fellow taste-tester, and loyal Yumster Frau Marzipan, bearing gifts of Germanic candy goodness. Huzzah!

She went to a little import shop and found these assorted goodies: Strawberry Yogurt Ritter, Prince Polo dark chocolate wafer, Kinder Chocolate, Yogurettes and those taffy-ish kind of things to the right (the name escapes me and my eyes are going so I can't read it.)

The Strawberry Yogurt Ritter was absolutely YUM as most Ritters are. (Except for the Roasted Almond one I bought a few weeks ago; what a disappointment). The yogurty part was tangy, just like a real yogurt.

The Prince Polo was really dark and crispy crunchy yummy.

Kinder Chocolates? Always a treat.

The Yogurettes weren't as good as the Ritter, but still tasty.

The other gem she gave me was this copy of "The Chocolate Bible" that she found at a tag sale. I haven't had a chance to really look at it yet, but when I flipped through it, it seemed really cool. An update awaits!

Who has the best friends?! Me!

The Unveiling of the Sugar Baby's Costume

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. For Halloween, the Sugar Baby is going as:
(wait for it... wait for it...)

ALBI THE RACIST (WELL, NOT ANYMORE!) DRAGON!

I always promised myself that I would never buy a costume because, you know, I'm much more creative than that. And I really, really, really wanted the Sugar Baby to have a candy-themed costume, because I'm obsessive compulsive cute like that. But then the plague hit (thanks everyone for your good wishes; I'm on the mend) and the thought of turning a pillowcase and sweatpants into a roasting marshmallow or white Tic Tac-- while quite funny--was a bit overwhelming. So I went to the new Target, expecting to find row upon row of glorious costumes, only to find it ransacked with nothing left but a couple of bumble bee costumes for dogs and a few random horns and tails.

So then I went to Old Navy and holy cow!! Their warm, cozy costumes were on sale for $5!! FIVE BUCKS! I mean, seriously, you can't beat that. So it was between a bat (which I would've gotten, except the hat part was creepy), the dragon or a kitty which was really cute but was pink and white and despite what I'd have you believe about me ("I don't fall into gender stereotypes! If he wants to have a tea party and wear a tutu, more power to him!"), I just couldn't do it. So a dragon it was. It wasn't until today, when I was daydreaming of Jemaine, when it came to me--Albi the Racist Dragon, whose tears turn into jellybeans! Hooray! Halloween has been saved.

Happy Wombat Day!

We here at the Candy Yum Yum headquarters are celebrating Wombat Day in bed, with a bowl of chicken soup. I'm on Round 2 of the plague, so all you Yumsters need to celebrate doubly for me! Get out there and eat some chocolate and Wine Gums! And share with a friend!

Halloween Desperation

Okay, I know I took a poll on the Sugar Baby's costume and you've all spoken, but I'm having a little problem in the motivation department. So let me pose another question to you: if the Sugar Baby was to wear, say, a white sweatshirt with white sweatpants and a pillowcase on top (with holes cut out for the head and arms), what could he be?

Calling All Candy Companies!

Jen Singer, a fellow freelance writer and blogging goddess behind "Momma Said," has put out a call to all candy companies: sponser her Halloween! Her house is at the beginning of a very popular trick-or-treating street and she estimates that her candy budget will exceed three times that of her gasoline budget for her minivan. Check out her plea here.

Ode to a mellowcreme pumpkin

You've gotta love this: (it's from a blog called McPollock, Inc.)

Ode to a mellowcreme pumpkin

You are orange and green

You taste like a dream

And you are manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, sunflower seeds, milk, soy, and wheat

You herald the fall

From the special Halloween candy aisle I hear your call

You contain Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed and/or Soybean Oil, which adds a dietarily insignificant amount of fat

Oh, sweet, sweet mellowcreme pumpkin...

let's get together tonight in front of the Gilmore Girls

Where I will feast upon you until I very nearly hurl

They don't put nearly enough of you in the Brach's Autumn Mix.

Amen
*

Amen, indeed!

Reese's: Cup or Bar? You decide

For some reason, I was excited to hear about the new Reese's bar. Strange, because the Reese's cup is such an icon. I mean, really, when you think of a candy cup, you automatically assume Reese's. But there was just something Willy Wonka-ish about the idea of a peanut butter bar. Maybe it just seemed indulgent to have all that peanut buttery goodness in one big bar instead of two small cups. Anyhow, I finally laid my hands on one and, well, it's good but not great. It has that same crumbly salty peanut butter of a regular Reese's. (Thank goodness because that's what makes a Reese's stand out from other peanut butter candies.) But the chocolate was a bit too soft, too melty. I wanted it to have more snap, like the sides of the cups. Instead it kind of just all fused together. Oh well. I tried it. I wouldn't turn it down, but I wouldn't seek it out either.

Repost: Economic Crisis in Candyland

I'm reposting this guest blog since it got lost in the shuffle and I believe it's too important to miss.

Concerned about the economic state we're in? I was doing okay until I got the following missives from Mr. Goodbar. Of course, I'm not sure which to be more concerned about: 1) The fact that he's neurotic focused enough to count the M&Ms in the package; 2) the fact that he seems to have spare time on his hands uses his valuable lunch break to count M&Ms; or 3) the fact that he just gave away a brilliant idea for coconut M&Ms. In any case, here's Mr. Goodbar's analysis of the state of the M&M:

So I counted today: In a packet of almond M&M's, which cost $0.94, I get 14 candies. If, on the other hand, I use the $0.25 peanut M&M dispenser (for which all profits got to charity), I get 13 candies. I know we're not comparing apples to apples here (or almonds to almonds, as it were), but it still seems to be quite the price differential.
Also, ever notice that in every other packet (or handful) of peanut M&Ms, there is always one that tastes different (and rather bad)? I've switched to almond because these 'off' ones gross me out.
Don't say I never wrote you anything candy-related.

UPDATE:

I got an $.80 bag of peanut M&Ms, and got 22 candies. No 'off' one this time.
So to recap:
Almond M&Ms in the packet from a store: $0.94 / 14 M's = $0.067 per M

Peanut M&Ms from vending machine: $0.80 / 22 M's = $0.036 per M

Peanut M&Ms from charity machine: $0.25 / 13 M's = $0.019 per M
Each is roughly double the price of the next cheapest, with prices rising exponentially. If they made coconut M&Ms - coating the entire coconut in chocolate and a candy shell - I figure you'd be paying about $1,000 per candy.
The charity machine is by far the best value, even with the occasional 'off' one. And think of the joy the Shriners will bring to the suffering children with their clown cars and their fez's because of my sweet tooth.
AH! The Peanut M&M packet as a warning: May contain Almonds - but *NOTHING* about peanuts. I'm so confused...
______________________________________________

Wombat Cake

I know you're probably all in a flurry preparing for Wombat Day, which is just around the corner. Check out this pattern for the perfect Wombat cake, sent to us by our friends at Wombania.
And don't forget to stock up on Wine Gums!

Oops...

Today's guest post got published below under October 8. Check it out!

Pomegranate White Tea Gummy Pandas

Mr. "I Don't Like Candy" Goodbar ate this entire package of Pomegranate White Tea Gummy Pandas that Bazooka Betsy gave me for my birthday. I went to get one off the desk the other day and realized the package was empty. Nice guy.

The few I did get to taste were mucho yummy. They were really juicy, very satisfying. I generally shy away from green tea and white tea things because they tend to make my stomach hurt, but I'd definitely recommend these. Although I have to say, "Panda" is a bit of a stretch. These are gummy bears, plain and simple.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies!

I made these Iced Pumpkin Cookies for Mr. Goodbar's office potluck. He said they must've been good because they were all gone. I reminded him that *any* free food will disappear in an office.

Wish List

Someday, when I make it big, I'm going to hire Amy Atlas to do a party for me. Check out these incredible candy tables she makes here. My favorites are picture 11-- the Halloween table and picture 22-- the candy store table. Now that's a party!

Dark Chocolate Cigars!

Hey Yumsters, if any of you are going to Italy any time soon, check these out: dark chocolate cigars. I'm not much for puffing on a stogie (they make me woozy), but this I'd try!

The Most Important Vote of the Year

So you've all voted for the Sugar Baby's costume and Candy Corn won by a landslide. This, of course, was my favorite, too. I've pondered how I could possibly make a candy corn costume (pillow case? foam board?), but I haven't been able to come up with anything that sounds do-able. The Baroness found this perfect costume which I love, but as we're watching our retirement savings and the Sugar Baby's college fund plunge deep into the depths of the netherworld, I'm hesitant to spend $30 on a costume. (Or am I just being cheap?) So, dear Yumsters, how can I create the perfect candy corn costume using household goods? (If it helps, I have lots of egg cartons, empty cereal boxes, applesauce containers and yogurt cups stacked up in the "craft" box.)

Candy Yum Yum Goes Down Under!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Candy Yum Yum is making waves in Australia! Check it out here.

Economic Crisis in Candyland? Visit the Vending Machine

Concerned about the economic state we're in? I was doing okay until I got the following missives from Mr. Goodbar. Of course, I'm not sure which to be more concerned about: 1) The fact that he's neurotic focused enough to count the M&Ms in the package; 2) the fact that he seems to have spare time on his hands uses his valuable lunch break to count M&Ms; or 3) the fact that he just gave away a brilliant idea for coconut M&Ms. In any case, here's Mr. Goodbar's analysis of the state of the M&M:

So I counted today: In a packet of almond M&M's, which cost $0.94, I get 14 candies. If, on the other hand, I use the $0.25 peanut M&M dispenser (for which all profits got to charity), I get 13 candies. I know we're not comparing apples to apples here (or almonds to almonds, as it were), but it still seems to be quite the price differential.
Also, ever notice that in every other packet (or handful) of peanut M&Ms, there is always one that tastes different (and rather bad)? I've switched to almond because these 'off' ones gross me out.
Don't say I never wrote you anything candy-related.

UPDATE:

I got an $.80 bag of peanut M&Ms, and got 22 candies. No 'off' one this time.
So to recap:
Almond M&Ms in the packet from a store: $0.94 / 14 M's = $0.067 per M

Peanut M&Ms from vending machine: $0.80 / 22 M's = $0.036 per M

Peanut M&Ms from charity machine: $0.25 / 13 M's = $0.019 per M
Each is roughly double the price of the next cheapest, with prices rising exponentially. If they made coconut M&Ms - coating the entire coconut in chocolate and a candy shell - I figure you'd be paying about $1,000 per candy.
The charity machine is by far the best value, even with the occasional 'off' one. And think of the joy the Shriners will bring to the suffering children with their clown cars and their fez's because of my sweet tooth.
AH! The Peanut M&M packet as a warning: May contain Almonds - but *NOTHING* about peanuts. I'm so confused...
______________________________________________

And the Dove Chocolate Goes To ...

the first 20 people who responded. They are:

1.Coleen M.
2. Jill H
3. Kristina L.
4. Jenny K
5.Leah K
6. Linda B
7. Sue K
8. Michael C.
9. Jennifer D
10. Alex S
11. Kathy M
12. Chris H
13. Kristina S
14. Robin E
15. Jessica H
16. Chelsea D
17. Rosa L
18. Laura B
19. Jeannette M
20. Kris B

(I left off your last names so your family and friends won't know it's you-- and then you won't have to share!)

A big thank you to everyone who entered. I wish I had enough to send to everyone. But check back soon-- more candy giveaways to come!

(*To the winners: you'll be contacted soon by the Dove people to get your mailing address.)

I'm sitting here, trying to do some *real* work, flipping through my notebook when I find this little haiku that I (apparently) wrote in the midst of the recent bout with the plague:

The two best flavors

Watermelon, green apple

Jolly Rancher bliss

The thing is: 1) I haven't had a Jolly Rancher in years and 2) I didn't have a fever, yet I don't remember writing this. What's up with that?!

Something Sweet for Everyone

Happy Hour for the Sugar Baby: chocolate pudding












Happy Hour for the Sugar Mama:
Dr. McGillicuddy's Lemon Drop Schnapps! Mmmm! Tastes just like a lemon drop candy!

Assorted Brach's goodies

Alexandra gave me a grab bag o' goodies for my birthday. The girl has a keen eye for stuff that I haven't been able to find! First, the Brach's Soda Poppers. These are hard candies with a chewy center (kind of like those little candies that look like strawberries). The first one I tried was Dr Pepper, because that's the only soda I really like. At first I was impressed; it seemed to have that same complex flavor profile that the actual soda has. But then after about 30 seconds, something went terribly wrong. It got all weirdly kind of root beer-like. I ended up spitting it out.

The Orange Crush was much better. It had that orange POW! of the soda. I haven't tried the other two yet: 7Up and A&W rootbeer.

The other goodie was Brach's Chocolate Caramel Candy Corn. I opened the bag and took a whiff. It was kind of strange. Not at all chocolatey or caramelly. More chemical. Then I tried one. It was ... icky. I don't know if I was just expecting it to be more chocolatey or what, but these definitely won't be replacing the traditional orange, yellow and white ones. Or even Indian corn.

No-Nuts is here for the weekend and she tried both candies. She definitely got a caramel taste out of the candy corn, and she liked the Soda Poppers. So there you have it.

Save the Snifters!

Breaking news! The New Zealand Cupcake Queen has contacted me with this important information:

Some of our beloved lollies (that's candy to us in the U.S.) are being axed and I'm gutted. Sparkles, Snifters and Tangy Fruits lollies are to be no longer produced. Its a sad sad day for the NZ candy lovers. These lollies have been around since I was a kid!You can read all about it in this news article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4697302a1870.html

There is so much outrage someone has set up a Save the Snifter website: http://www.savethesnifter.co.nz/

I think I need a cup of tea and a lie down after all this drama!!

***

New Zealand Cupcake Queen, please accept our condolences. I can only imagine how we'd feel if they decided to discontinue some of our childhood favorites, like Smarties or Necco Wafers or fireballs. Please take care of yourself.

Surprise!

You know what's exciting? When you open the door and find the UPS person standing there holding a box for you. You know what's even better? The fact that the box doesn't contain sustainable soy-based hemp exercise hand weights or some other craziness from a company that wants you to write about them something for work.
So look what I received the other day from the von Schokolats: a big delicious yummy creamy crunchy box of chocolates from Li-Lac Chocolates. Woo hoo! This is the ultimate assortment: milk, dark, caramel, nuts, fudge. And it was wrapped really pretty-like, with lilac paper and a purple ribbon. Oooohlala! I considered hiding them, which I should've done, because as soon as Mr. Goodbar got home that night, he said, "Ho ho! What have we here?" As you can see, this picture was taken after we'd already sampled a couple of pieces. Yum! Thanks von Schokolats!

Countdown to Halloween!

It's October 1, which means:

1. It's my anniversary. Oops.
2. Three days 'til my 38th birthday. (Oh yeah, I'm getting there.)
3. 21 days until Wombat Day.
4. 30 days until Halloween!

There's so much to do. I've got to figure out what to dress the Sugar Baby as for Halloween. I've got to plan the Wombat Day festivities. (I really wanted to do an all-out bash this year, but I don't think it's going to happen.) And of course I've got to get out into the field and report back about all the Halloween goodies that are out there.

But you have a duty, too, dear Yumsters! What are your plans for Wombat Day? Tell me what you're dressing as for Halloween. What will you be giving out to trick-or-treaters? And are you the type to buy Halloween candy in advance and then eat it all yourself? Let me know what's going on in your world this October!