Best Candy Bar You're Not Eating

The candy company Just Born is most famously known for Peeps, but here's what I have to say: they make the most underrated candy bar in America today. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Goldenberg's Peanut Chews are one of my all-time favorite candy bars. According to the company's website, they were developed in 1917 and used in World War I as a ration bar. My memories of them go way back to when I was a kid and my mom stashed them in the candy cabinet in the livingroom.

Just Born is rolling out a new campaign, "Chewin' it Old School Since 1917." I hope this attracts a new generation of Peanut Chew lovers, because they are so darn good and there's no other bar to compare them to. Yes, they have peanuts and chocolatey coating like other candy bars, but there's something truly magical about the molassesy chewy center. The traditional chews are dark chocolate, but there's also the newer milk chocolate variety. They can be hard to find, but if you put your zip code into the finder on their website, you can get directions to the nearest Goldenberg's dealer.

Let's Get This Party Started!

As the kids say, "Woot!" This Friday will be the six-year anniversary of Candy Yum Yum! How cool is that? To celebrate (in addition to the Candy Giveaway), I'll be posting some of my favorite blog entries from years past.

I now give you some gems from 2006:

Circus Peanuts. My mother is the only person in the whole world who likes these orange-colored marshmallowy things. I bet secretly deep down she doesn't even like them. She probably buys them because she feels sorry for them. That's the way I feel, too. I hate them, but still have a fond affection for them. Kind of like the lamp in the IKEA commercial. The Circus Peanuts are not real. They don't have feelings.”

(2009 Editor's Note: Check out the IKEA lamp commercial here.)

Sunday, Aug. 10, 2003:

Just got back from Washington D.C. where Joy and I shared a wonderful candy moment on the Metro. We were sitting across from a guy who reached into his CVS bag and pulled out a package of Starburst. Now, instead of tearing the paper away at one corner, this is what he did-- he snapped the package in half in the middle! Brilliant! The best part was when I looked over at Joy and she looked over at me and we both knew we were thinking the same thing. Ha! Joy, however, was bothered by the fact that now all the little Starbursts would be loose in the bag rather than all nicey-nice in the package. Something to consider.

Sept. 24, 2003
What I would eat now if I wasn't doing this dang Weight Watchers:

• dark chocolate nonpariels
• vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting
• grande moccacino with whipped cream
• chocolate chip cookies
• cream horn
• Any of the following: Devil Dogs, Ring Dings, Funny Bones, Yankee Doodles
• Scoop of chocolate ice cream with hot peanut butter topping
• Goldenberg's Peanut Chews

What I'm really eating: Pasta Fagioli and a glass of water