candy -

by snebbu

Top 10 Halloween Foods

YES. Halloween is upon us. Break out the Hocus Pocus, The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, and your favorite horror DVD. But what good are these delightful fall productions without fall-themed food? Well, frankly they are nothing without our beloved food. Clearly, you’re doing it wrong if you have not yet enjoyed some sort of “halloweeny” food. Here are our top ten suggestions:

10. Acorn Squash Fondue

Who needs the melting pot? Get the acorn squash while their on sale and fill it with ooey, gooey cheese.

9. Caramel Apples

Yes, that apple is supposed to be me. My favorite part (other than eating them) is trying to design the most vulgur apple.

8. Butterfinger Cheesecake

Tell yourself that you didn’t have to go back to the store for candy because you didn’t blow through the first bag. OR, you could make a more refined candy treat that won’t tempt you to go through that second bag “for the kids.”

7. Pumpkin Caramel Mousse Cake

Pumpkin at a whole new level.

6. Baked Stuffed Pumpkin

This version is pretty much a pumpkin pie in a pumpkin. If that’s not your thing, think of the other possibilities (cheese, meet, ya know – the basics).

5. Black Bean Spaghetti

BS showed us the blood and guts of spaghetti with a gourmet spin.

4. Pumpkin Chai Ice Cream

In the BEST of households, ice cream is NEVER out of season. Don’t you dare tell me otherwise.

3. Three Musketeers Pop-Tail

Who needs candy anyway when you can have a dessert that also has booze?

2. Butternut Squash Pizza

No, Domino’s does not have this flavor.

1. Butternut Squash Quiche

And finally, something for those who still want to eat “healthy” on Halloween.

by Emily

This Exists: Pecan Pie M&Ms

Hot on the heels of my explosive pumpkin spice M&Ms review of Fall 2014, I’m back with my thoughts on Pecan Pie M&Ms. Just call me the Jebidiah Atkinson of the fall novelty candy world.

Just look at that sultry green minx, tempting us with a slice of pie! That’s a snapshot of said Pecan Pie M&Ms in their natural habitat: on the countertop of a shared workspace, free for the tasting. And taste I did. I also tasted the Pumpkin Spice Latte M&Ms, which I first did not realize were different from last year’s Pumpkin Spice M&Ms. More on that later.

Pecan Pie M&Ms, similar to last year’s Pumpkin Spice, actually, really don’t taste that different than regular M&Ms. I was foolishly hoping for pecans inside the M&Ms, but no. No real nuts at all. Just a vague butter flavor infused into the chocolate. If I gave them out in a blind taste-test, I would be shocked if anyone could guess what their flavor was imitating.

Oh, and those aforementioned Pumpkin Spice Latte M&Ms? They can be summed up in one word: barf. They taste like a giant mouthful of dry, powdery allspice and cinnamon. They are an affront to the phrase “pumpkin spice.” There is no pumpkin to be found, just WAY too much spice. Maybe we rename them Old Spice M&Ms. In the battle between Pumpkin Spice M&Ms and Pumpkin Spice Latte M&Ms, the former reigns supreme.

This has been my formal, journalistic review of the new M&Ms fall flavors. In my opinion, you’re better off buying a bag of normal M&Ms (I personally prefer almond and/or peanut butter, but I will allow you to enjoy plain, peanut, crispy, or even pretzel if you’d like) and washing them down with a pumpkin spice latte.

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by snebbu

Top 10 Foods to Go

Whether you have a 30+ minute commute to and from work, like to hike, take the train to work every day, or you are just always on the run, sometimes your travel mug of coffee just isn’t enough. In my travels to and from work, I’ve learned how to eat yogurt on the go and even cereal from a travel mug. But I also end up arriving to work with yogurt on my favorite tie or a splash of milk in my crotch. Whether it’s the risk of mess that keeps you from enjoying our food/drinks on the go, or lack of variety, here are our top ten food (and drinks) to go. While I won’t say the dirty “c word” just yet, these would all make great gifts as well.

10. Chocomize

BUILD YOUR OWN chocolate bars! Take pride in the high calorie and sugar that you are chomping on by knowing it’s been created by you. Chocomize allows you to pick between a bar and a heart, the kind of chocolate it is made of, and then add toppings a la carte or pick one of their pre-designed bars.

9. Perky Jerky

Jerky that is not only all natural and gluten free (trying to figure out how it wouldn’t be gluten free – do they add gluten to others?), but also infused with CAFFEINE! Not straight up coffee, but with a plant called Guarana that produces a fruit similar to a coffee bean and acts as a stimulant. Not only are you getting a jolt of protein, but also a jolt of energy. Yum.

Food Porn Champion: Rolo Cheesecake Bars

God I love it when food drools right back at you.

Recipe: Rolo cheesecake bars by Hugs and Cookies XOXO

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by Emily

Two of Hearts: Ultimate Valentine’s S’mores

The best thing about Easter — PEEPS! — is now the best thing about Valentine’s Day! A few weeks ago, a box of glory appeared on my doorstep. A box full of VALENTINE’S PEEPS. Oh, yes. It was ON. (And by “it,” I mean “intense sugar highs and almost immediate sugar crashes.”)

Take a glimpse of the offerings:

Chocolate Mousse teddybears, Strawberry Creme hearts, Vanilla Creme hearts, regular marshmallow hearts, sugar-free hearts, and Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry chicks! My favorites are the Vanilla Creme and Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry.

So, what to do with all these marshmallows? There’s an obvious answer here: s’mores.

Recently, one of my (GENIUS) coworkers mentioned an awesome trick: instead of using a regular ol’ Hershey bar in your s’more, use a Reese’s Cup to add some peanut buttery goodness. What?! Mind. Blown. Lucky for me (and you!) Reese’s makes heart-shaped candies for Vday. This is some heart-on-heart action.

I mean… I don’t even know what to tell y’all about this. It’s so simple. The answer was there all along. REESE’S CUPS. I made mine with a Vanilla Creme Peep (because I love me some vanilla + PB) and it was heavenly. (By the way, no shame in using a microwave on this guilty little pleasure… it’s way too cold to be messing with a backyard bonfire this winter.)

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by BS

Cocktail O’Clock: Candy Corn Booze

Can’t find a way to stop eating all those candy corns sitting on your cubicle neighbor’s desk? Here’s a solution: drink them instead!

Candy Corn Collins

2 parts BACARDI Superior
¾ parts Fresh Lemon Juice
¾ parts Simple Syrup
½ parts Soda Water

Mix all ingredients except soda water in a shaker glass.

Add ice, shake and strain over fresh cracked ice and candy corns.

Top with soda water.

Drink. (But not so much that you scare the trick or treaters!)

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by Emily

Top 5 Trendiest Easter Recipes on Pinterest

You know what they say… “April showers bring May flowers, and early March food blogging brings late March Easter Pinboards.” Okay, well maybe they only say the first half of that, but the latter half is definitely true, so let’s just roll with it. These days, you can’t even have a third-tier holiday like Arbor Day without a million Pinterest boards popping up, so you can only imagine how big of a deal such a high-profile holiday like Easter is. Clearly we had to get our Peep-loving selves in on the action as well.

Presenting… the Top 5 Trendiest Easter Recipes on Pinterest.

5. Cadbury Creme Egg Milkshake from Chocolate Moosey
Milk chocolate eggs stuffed with frosting are amazing enough as it is, but incorporate them into a chocolate ice cream milkshake – complete with homemade fondant! – and you’ve got a real winner.

4. Easter Peanut Butter Buttons from The Curvy Carrot
Probably one of the easiest things ever. Peanut butter filled pretzels are a classic, and so are white chocolate covered pretzels. Adhere a Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg to a pretzel with melted white chocolate, and you’re in Easter snack heaven.