P is for Peeps

I was scouring the house the other day looking for some candy to paint, when I remembered the Peeps I had stashed in the freezer. Woo hoo!
And this just in from Alexandra: a Peeps store ("Peeps & Co.") will be opening this fall in Maryland.

How Do You Like Your Reese's?

Here's a great video from the "Real Life With Married People" series. If you're a Reese's lover, you'll totally get it! I love the wife's expressions.

Still Life with Marshmallows and Lollipop

"Who did this?" I heard Mr. Goodbar say from the living room last night.
Uh-oh. I was expecting something like marker on the sofa or the cat dressed in pajamas.
Instead, we found this sitting on a little chair. Apparently a still life crafted by the Sugar Baby before he went to bed.

In the Red: Cherry Dum Dums are the Shizz

As I've mentioned before, Dum Dums have become quite a commodity in this house; they are the ultimate potty training tool. After reaching a successful goal, the Sugar Baby stands on a step stool in the kitchen and anxiously awaits the big bag of lollipops. He looks very carefully before choosing his precious reward. The thing is, he's all about red. So all the cherry pops went first, then the bubblegum and cherry cola. "We have to get more red ones," he keeps saying. It then occurred to me to look at the Dum Dums website to see if they actually do sell single flavors in bulk. Well, they do, but only flavors that are about to be discontinued. For $5.20, you can get a box of 120 pops in buttered popcorn, pink lemonade or cherry cola. (I haven't tried the popcorn, but I really dig the pink lemonade ones.) In the meantime, the Sugar Baby will have to try the other flavors. (He actually seems to have a fondness for the coconut ones.)

The Spangler website is pretty cool. You can order the usual T-shirts and mugs, but you can also vote on your favorite future flavor. The options they're offering are: apple pie, blueberry, cranberry, french toast, honeydew, pumpkin, peach and toasted marshmallow. Personally, I'd vote for honeydew and toasted marshmallow, although pumpkin might be interesting.

Mexican Candy: A Poop Theme

As I mentioned previously, The Connection brought me a bag of crazy candy from Mexico, which was incredibly thoughtful. The only thing was, I just couldn't bring myself to try it because I was afraid of swine flu tasting them. So I did the next best thing: I passed it all onto the Baron.

Pelon Pelon Rico:
Gretl says:
"Looks like something that comes out of the Sugar Baby's diaper. It's really bad, EW!"

The Baron says: "Really hard to dispense. It may be date or fig. Doesn't have a very good texture. Salty and gritty."

Limon 7: (not pictured)
Gretl says: "Smells like tires and I'm afraid to eat it, so I'll give it to Daddy to try it."

The Baron: "It tastes like Margarita salt mix for the rim of the glass. I'm not sure it's supposed to be candy?!"

Rellerindos
The Baron: "Looks like dog poop. You put this in your mouth? I'm not sure I want to play this game anymore!" (With this review, no one else in the family would try it.)

Veto Elotes
The Baron: "Gag, cough. Very salty. Sorry, can't get past the salt." He spit it out and washed his mouth out with water. "This is the lollipop that you give your kids when they are bad!" After the gag and the cough, no one else would try it.
Duvalin:
The Baron: "It's like cake icing, but with a thicker texture." He liked this one and didn't want to share.

Mini cow tales (not pictured, because these weren't supposed to be a sample. I had included a box of Mini Cow Tales for Memaw, who likes Bullseyes, which are similar.)
The Baron: "They don't have enough white stuff in them."

There you have it. Sorry Mexico. You may have good food, but your candy is really scary and gross leaves something to be desired.

Going Batty

Here's a piece of black licorice dressed up like a bat for Halloween. Consider this a sort of commercial break before I post the next not-so-tasty review.

Fair Warning: This Ain't Pretty

It's been a way busy summer here at the old Yum Yum headquarters, so I've had to dole out some of my stash to the wee Von Schokolats to review. First up, Tung Toos, Candy Tongue Art. I think this might be one of those candies that, in 30 years, people will be saying, "Hey, remember those tattoos you'd put on your tongue?" And someone will respond, "Oh yeah! I remember those. What were they called?" Kinda like Garbage Pail Kids or Freshen Up gum.
In any case, these tattoos are cherry, watermelon, lemonade, raspberry, strawberry and apple-flavored and come in different designs such as sports balls, princessy things like castles and wands, and the ever-popular vehicles of war (tanks and planes and helicopters and such).
First of all, let me just say that when I read the ingredients, I wasn't thrilled. They are:
Natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, edible ink (otherwise known as artificial colors) and aspartame. Now I know, a lot of candies are made with these ingredients. It's just that, I don't know, all that artificial stuff without at least something nutritionally beneficial seems a bit wrong. But I suppose wax lips and Nik-L-Nips never did any damage to us as kids, so there you go.
On to the reviews.

Gretl: "It's sour and it tastes bad"

Liesl: "It's sour first, then sweet. Good flavor."

The Baron: "Though the picture looks like a turd, it's supposed to be a football. It is burning my tongue, YUCK!"

No-Nuts just put a blue raspberry boat on her tongue and said, "It tastes good. For a second. Now it tastes totally fake."

These would probably be a fun party favor at the kids' next sleepover or your college-student's next kegger.

When Baby Candy Corns Get Sassy

Yesterday was just one of those days. So I funneled my fury into a candy corn translation. I think today will be much better.

Mexican Madness

Lookee here at this crazy assortment of candy The Connection brought me back from Mexico. That thing up top, right, which looks like a turd on a stick is a tamarind lollipop that's supposed to be corn-shaped. I'm not exactly sure what the Duvalin is, but it's the most appetizing-looking of all of them. The bag contains hard filled tamarind with chile candies and that other thing is ... well, I don't really know. So how do they taste?
I've got to admit, I don't know. I've been trying to work up the courage to taste these delicacies, but every time I look at them, all I can think is, "swine flu." I know that's so politically incorrect, but I can't help it. I know I should try them and give you the full report, but I'm just feeling a little wimpy. Anybody out there willing to give 'em a try?

D is for Dum-Dums

Great uses for Dum-Dum lollipops:
1) Cat toy. Put one on a slick surface and watch the kitty bat it around.
2) Potty training incentive. They're the perfect small treat. (That, or a single M&M).
3) Playing a miniature drum.

Mmmmm, beer fudge!

Breaking news from Alexandra! At Tin Bin Alley, a store in Cooperstown, NY, you can score some beer fudge! Yes indeedy, beer fudge is what I said! Here's a comment Alex got from the store owner:
"It's made using Brewery Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout. It makes for a unique Belgian taste, different from the everyday taste of regular fudge made with cream."
Sounds verrrryyyy interesting!

New Wonka Gummies: No Artificial Colors or Flavors!

I was pretty psyched earlier this year when I found out that Wonka would be releasing two new products: Sour Puckerooms and Sluggles Gummies. These sounded like just the kind of fun candy the market has been lacking for a while, because, let's face it, gummie worms and bears can only excite and amuse for so long.
The Sour Puckerooms are little mushroom shaped gummies with a sour dusting, similar to Sour Patch Kids. The flavors are cherry, grape and lemon/orange.
In contrast, the Sluggles are sweet and come in bug shapes (but not gross bug shapes, thankfully). The flavors are orange, grape, lemon and strawberry. I found them at Target.
I tossed the bags to No-Nuts and she went for the Puckerooms first. "These are good!" she said. I agree. They are good. Not too sour, but just puckery enough to have you reaching for another one. I like the contrast of the rough sour stuff against the smooth, chewy gummy.
The Sluggles are good, too, although I always prefer sour. These have a dense chew and a slick surface.
My overall thinking was, these are good. But how are they any different than any other gummie candies? One look at the ingredients will tell you: no artificial colors or flavors. Very cool. This is a big deal for parents of kids who have sensitivities to artificial ingredients, so yay for Wonka!

H is for Hearts

Hey Yumsters! Have a great 4th of July weekend! I'll be back on Tuesday. Here's a preview of what's to come: Mexican candy, Wonka's Puckerrooms and Sluggles, candy tongue tattoos and lots more!

Candy Postcards

Check out this awesome postcard I bought in Brattleboro, Vermont this weekend. The witch is saying, "Mi Casa es Su Casa" to Hansel and Gretel and pointing to her candy house. Haha!

Lindt Straccitella: No Matter How You Pronounce It, It's Yummy!

I've recently discovered the joy that is Straccitella. A new gelato place has opened nearby, and I've fallen in love with this traditional cream-and-dark chocolate flavor. I suppose you could compare it to chocolate chip ice cream, but it's just so much better.

At the evil WalMart the other day, I saw a bag of Lindt truffles that included a sample of their new Straccitella flavor, so I had to get it. Even though I'm not big on white chocolate, this is one tasty confection.

It's creamy, milky and sweet with little flecks of nibbly dark chocolate. So good.

I gave the bag of truffles to No-Nuts and told her she should allow me to have one truffle a night. She woke up this morning and said that was a bad idea; she'd already eaten two before breakfast.