A Cool Candy Thing

I think my love of Lego is fairly well known.  This silicon mold would be perfect for making chocolates, ice cubes, or even little cakes.  The only thing that would improve this mold is if instead of making full Lego men, you would make the parts to make a Lego man.  That way you could maybe make a fully functional Lego man that you could take apart.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Beer-Flavored Lollipops - Lollyphile - For those of you that enjoy the flavour of beer, but don't like getting any kind of buzz. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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New Ice Cream Cool T-Shirt

Ice Cream Dream Tees by candycritic
Make personalized shirts.

I always felt that strawberry ice cream gets a bum rap.  I can't say that it's my favorite ice cream, but I don't think it has as much to do with the strawberry as a flavour, but more about how most companies make their strawberry ice cream.  Chocolate ice cream often contains real cocoa, vanilla ice cream often contains real vanilla (in extract or bean), but how often have you bit into a strawberry while eating strawberry ice cream.  Haagen-Dazs made a really good strawberry ice cream called Very Berry Strawberry, and it was great because when you bit into it, you would bite into strawberries.

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This Week In Candy

This is the week where I hunker down and really start to write.  I have a big writing project that I'm starting in earnest this week, and I also have a few smaller blog projects to finish up as well.  It's all going to be about me, and the written word.  While I can't really give too much away on any of these projects, I can tell you that the big writing project is all about chocolate, and the smaller projects for the blog will be coming this summer.  I'll also be interested in getting as much help and feedback as I can as these projects come along, so I'll be dropping random questions on our Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr sites as I go.  You might be able to piece together an idea of what I'm working on as I go.

So last week we posted yet another edition of the Junk Fud podcast with our pal Brent.  I'm going to do everything in my power to set up a few more of these over the next few months, since I have such a good time making them.  I may do an interview, maybe I'll record myself writing a review, and maybe I'll just rant about something again.  I have nothing solid yet, but that's often the best way to go into these things.

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Snickers Special Edition Is A Let Down

I have to be honest, when I see the words "special edition", "limited edition", or anything to that regard on the label of a candy bar I'm expecting disappointment.  It's not that I always get disappointed, but it does happen more often than not.  For some reason candy companies continue to believe that making special editions of their popular bars is a good way to introduce the world to new candy.  I've always argued that I think this is really lazy, and many of the candy companies doing this have the budget to invent new treats instead.  New treats are always better in my opinion, even when they're bad.

Click here to read about the latest Snickers failure.

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Candy News

Apparently Adam Rifkin is looking to make a movie about marshmallow Peeps.

Once again Doritos is asking you to name their chips.  This isn't the first time they've done this, personally I think it's a little lazy, but it appears to be a popular campaign.

The Huffington Post has a list of 50 great US tourist traps (one in each state) that include some classic candy and snacking must visit places.

I always love reading about passionate candy fans that decide to open a candy store.

Got a few Cadbury Cream Eggs left over from Easter?  Here's a few clever ways you can deal with them, other than just eating them.

If you have a few Peeps left over, as well as the ability to create the environments of space, you can always try out this experiment.

The Girl Scouts make up to 800 million a year in cookie sales, so where does that money go?

Here's a great tip to keeping those frozen crystals off your ice cream in the freezer.

Smoking pot and snacking has always gone together in popular culture, but now they've crossed right over.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Vegetable and Tomato Ice Cream - Haagen-Dazs - I like to eat healthy foods too, and healthy ice cream sounds good. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Friday Candy Video

Here's a pretty fun collection of gum themed candy advertisments.  My favorite is the Pop-Rocks commercial that features such great lines as "the sizzle makes you giggle" and "the cracklin's what's happenin'".  I'd imagine that if they brought back these lines, people all over the world would clamor for pop-rocks themed merchandise.  I wonder what all those kids are doing right now, and I wonder if they'd be willing to reprise their roles?

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Junk Fud Podcast Episode 8

Just posted the latest episode of the Junk Fud podcast.  This episode features my good friend Brent, a talented artist living in Japan with his wife and daughter.  Brent while not a huge fan of sweet foods, loves unique snacks, and always has time to sample a new beer.

Right click here to download the latest episode of the Junk Fud podcast.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

I generally don't like watermelon flavoured anything.  I find that not one candy company has every managed to duplicate the texture and flavour that you get when you bite into a slice of watermelon.  I'm sure that this has mainly to do with the texture over the flavour, as many companies that have attempted to make a tasty watermelon and failed, have created some of the best flavours with other products.  Jelly Belly is a great example of this.  Their buttered popcorn Jelly Belly is fantastic, as are a few of their strange flavours like baby powder and grass.  Yet I can't stand watermelon Jelly Bellies.

I found this ad here.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Fruit Punch Oreos - Nabisco - I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like them, but I still want to try them. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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A Cool Candy Thing

This is another example of candy and toys that doesn't make sense to me.  Why would you want to make crayons that look like candy.  Wouldn't you just be tempted to take a bite, and wouldn't that bite be very disappointing?  Unless crayons taste good, I can't say I've ever sampled one.

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Lemon Creation

The Lemon and the Gummy Bears Print by bewarethecheese
Check out Prints & Posters online at Zazzle.com

They're scattering all over the place!!! Imagine you cut open a lemon and out spilled dozens of gummy bears.  Then imagine that all of these gummy bears made a run for it.  That would be the best, and worst day of my life.

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This Week In Candy

At this point I would imagine that most of you are sitting at your computer polishing off your Easter candy, with a bit of a chocolate/sugar buzz going on.  You might have a huge stash of treats waiting to be enjoyed over the next week or so, or you're waiting for stores to open to take advantage of the discount Easter candy.  Either way, I hope the bunny delivered everything you wanted, and I hope you had some good times with friends and family.

On another note, I'm going to be heading back to Canada for a while this summer.  I'm going to take advantage of this time to fill up on nostalgic foods and treats that remind me how cool it is to be a Canadian.  It's funny, I've been away for such a long time that I'm actually starting to forget some of the classic Canadian treats.  Let me know of any Canadian treats you think I shouldn't miss when I go back home.

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Mustard and Ketchup Review

All we're really missing at this point is a hot dog.  Whenever I think of these two flavours, hot dogs are the first thing that pop into my head, particularly those inexpensive hot dogs from IKEA.  I always know what I'm getting when I buy one of those hot dogs, but for some reason I always come back for more.  Fortunately today's review didn't taste like IKEA hot dogs, although I'm sure I'd buy a bag of chips that did.

Click here to read today's chip review.

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Candy News

Here are some pretty fun Easter ideas that the Easter Bunny might be trying this year.

What do you do when Easter is long over, and you're still craving Peeps (apparently they might continue selling them all year but if you can't find them)?  You can make your own.

Gummy bear sex goes wrong, and it ends with hospitalization and burns all over the body.

Speaking of sex, if you're looking for a little help after your gummy bear debacle, why not have some Viagra dosed ice cream?

If you still have problems in your relationship, apparently snacks may hold the key to fixing them, provided you don't pour scalding hot melted candy on the one you love.

Sometimes the name of your product can lead to problems on the global market, and here's a few examples.

Here's the concept for this Japanese game show, there's a room, and several objects in the room are in fact made of chocolate, now you have to find out which objects are made of chocolate by biting them.  This is a great idea.

Although this article claims that it's a recipe for "sprinkles flavoured ice cream", it's really a recipe for sugary cereal flavoured ice cream, and that's even cooler.

Every year there's a photo list of film scenes that have been re-created using Peeps, and every year I love it. And if film scenes aren't enough, here's a few internet Memes done in Peeps as well.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Friday Candy Video

Not enough people take the time to thank the Easter Bunny any more.  It's as if after the bunny leaves we just clam up and start the sugar high.  Well I found this old M&M's commercial that pays tribute to being polite to our favorite candy delivering rodent.

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Classic/Creative Easter Candy Advertising

I don't think I like the idea of the Easter Bunny being portrayed as lazy.  This advertisement is basically saying, "hey, I didn't feel like giving you a variety of treats this year for Easter, instead I'll just stop at Walmart and pick you up a couple of bars".

I found this ad here.

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A Cool Easter Candy Thing

It seems that every holiday has some kind of pooping candy dispenser. Although I think of all of the holidays Easter is probably the most appropriate.  First of all, the main commercial character that represents the holiday is a bunny (sorry Jesus), and bunnies do poop all over the place.  Secondly, the main attraction of Easter is to search out chocolate prizes hidden all over the place, and frankly poop is always hiding all over the place (the resemblance of chocolate and poop is also noted).  So really this toy is very appropriate to this holiday, and makes the perfect gift for anyone.

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Gumballs In Nature

Gumballs in Nature Print by bewarethecheese
Browse anotherPoster template design online at Zazzle

Other than all the chocolate, my favorite thing about Easter is the signifier that spring is here.  Nature starts to bloom, ice cream can be consumed, and the outdoors is habitable once again.  This photo, from our sister site bewarethecheese.com really screams springtime to me.  It reminds me how well nice weather, and tasty candy go together this time of year.

Click here to check out more candy posters from Beware the Cheese.

Click here to check out some candy greeting cards from Beware the Cheese.

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This Week In Candy

Easter is coming.  I understand that the bunny is... What does the bunny do to prepare?  I know Santa has his workshop and his elves, but what does the bunny do?  Does he make the chocolate?  If so, why would he make chocolate versions of himself for people to consume?  Also, how does the Easter bunny get around?  I've never heard of an Easter sleigh, you'd need snow on the ground for that to work.  The Easter bunny is a real mystery to me, but I can't complain, because I always love the treats he brings.

All this week we're going to be celebrating Easter, our Instagram feed will be looking at Easter facts. The blog will have all of its regular posts, with an Easter twist.  And as you'd imagine, this week's review is a fun Easter treat.  It's an East-ravaganza this week at Candy Critic.

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It's Time For An Easter Review

I managed to convince the Easter Bunny to make a quick stop at my house early this year.  That way I could get the Easter review online well before Easter.  Fortunately the Easter bunny is a pretty easy going guy, so in no time he dropped off a couple of treats for me to review.  He didn't leave my whole stash, just a sampler.

Click here to read our Easter review.

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Candy News

Tic Tacs are now available in custom packages. If I did this I'd print a reminder on each package that I should only eat one at a time.

Did you know that the Icee came before the Slurpee?  Here's more fun facts about this cool drink treat.

What do you think about the idea of kosher Cadbury Easter Cream Eggs?

Vending machines have really evolved from their humble beginnings.

From these Easter candy statistics, it really looks like the modern Easter traditions are going strong from generation to generation.

Two articles about Ben and Jerry's came out this week, one with some basic facts about the whole Vermont factory, another that looked specifically at the Flavour Graveyard.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Friday Candy Video

Watching things get destroyed in a blender is always a good time, especially when it's a candy that's notorious for chipping dental work.  It's like exacting a sweet revenge on a candy that cost my parents thousands of dollars in dentist bills.

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New Junk Fud Podcast Is Online!

This is my first attempt at a solo podcast, it could be me just rambling, or you may be able to work out a point, I'm not 100% sure.  The subject is about how I feel that the candy and junk food industry is getting a worse rap than it deserves when it comes to the obesity problem.

Right click here to download the show.

Click here to check out some of our past episodes of Junk Fud.

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Classic/Creative Easter Candy Advertising

I always find it interesting when candy companies advertise their candies for Easter, even though their candy really isn't Easter like at all.  While I love Dubble Bubble, I don't really see how a square of gum is associated with Easter at all.  Maybe if they made little Easter egg shaped gum balls, or bunny shaped chunks of gum, but the standard chunk of Dubble Bubble just isn't Eastery at all.

I found this ad here.

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A Cool (Free) Candy Thing

Well it's sort of free, you don't have to pay for the design, just the Lego bricks.  I love Lego so much, and I love the fact that people are making cool Lego designs and giving them away on the internet.  You can imagine the squeal of delight I gave off when I discovered this design that let's me combine two of my loves, candy and Lego.

Click here to download the design.

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Ice Cream Season Soon

Sad Robots Tee Shirts by candycritic
View other Ice T-Shirts at Zazzle.com

I know that some of you are suffering with what seems like an interminable winter, but rest assured, summer is sneaking it's way here.  That's why I think it's the perfect time to order your Sad Robot t-shirt.

Check out more of our shirts here.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Mike And Ike, Hot Tamales Jelly Beans - Just Born - I always thought that Mike & Ikes and Hot Tamales looked like disfigured jelly beans already. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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This Week In Candy

Today I'm going to let you know about a little something about a project I'm working on.  I'm presently writing the second, more detailed, pitch for a book about the history of chocolate.  Right now I'm researching everything I can on the subject.  It's a pretty big task, but it's remarkably interesting as well.  I've decided that I'm going to post my progress on this blog now and again, as well as ask any questions I might have on the subject.  If you happen to fancy yourself a chocolate expert, even if you're not a professional chocolate maker, I'd like to hear from you.

It's also the time that I announce that I'm leaving Greece.  In about four months I'm moving on to a new and fun destination.  I'm not sure when, if, or how I'll talk about my new home, but things will change for sure at Candy Critic.  There's also going to be a transition where I'll be back at home (Canada) for a month or so.

This week we're going to bring back our daily Snack Fact on our Instagram feed.  We took the week off in Venice, and frankly forgot to post last week, but we're back with all kinds of crazy snack facts.  This week also marks the re-birth of the Junk Fud podcast.  The initial plan is to release two episodes a month.  Some will be short little stories and informative facts (delivered by yours truly), others will be interviews and chat sessions with my friends.  We'll be sure to post them all on the blog when they go up.

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Candy News

If you're really into statistics, and really into Easter candy, this is the link for you.

Feeling stressed?  Apparently the best thing you can do is chew a stick of Wrigley's.

According to a study chocolate can make a workplace more productive. By that science, Candy Critic should be the most productive workplace in the world.

Another study suggests that the food you prefer says something about your personality, so if you don't really like spicy food and love candy, then you too must be awesome.

I think some 3D chocolate art might be in my future, for less than 100 bucks I can get a 3D chocolate printer.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Friday Candy Video

I'm not really sure what one might learn from this video,  but if you want to see an Italian guy freak out, something blow up, with just a dash of Nutella, then this is the perfect video for you.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Sports Beans - Jelly Belly - If I ever decide to start weight lifting, I know I don't have to stop eating Jelly Bellies. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

It looks like she's about to smear this mars bar all over her face.  I wonder if this is how I look when I eat a really tasty chocolate bar?  I do really like the ingredient list, with photos, on the bottom of the ad.  I also really like the old Mars bar package, I wonder if they'd consider bringing it back?

I found this ad here.

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A Cool Candy Thing

I'm not an science expert, but my experience leads to me to believe that gummies are water soluble.  That means when they get wet, the disintegrate.  That makes me wonder if gummy shot glasses are really a good idea.  You could however go a little meta and make jello shots in them.

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Back From Venice

Last week Allison and I decided to go on a little vacation to Venice.  Seeing as Venice is only a couple of hours away it made for the perfect long weekend flight.  While the goal of the trip was to relax and have a good time, being the Candy Critic I couldn't ignore some of the awesome treats around me.  So here's a quick round up of some of our finds.  We start at our stop over airport in Vienna.

I think I could dedicate a blog to airport snacks alone.  For some reason these places sell the most unique, and over priced treats available anywhere in the whole world.  Sometimes it's treats you know packaged in a weird way, like this giant package of miniature packages of Tic Tacs.

There was also regional treats available, like this Sacher Torte, a popular cake in Vienna. Apparently when the cake has the word dummy written on it that means that's it's a fake cake.  I thought that it meant you'd have to be a dummy to pay 25 Euros for a little cake.

The one great fine I discovered in the Vienna airport was Almdudlec (sp?).  It's a tasty sparkling apple drink that has the most retro cool graphics on the bottle.

On the airplane we got a bag of salty snacks with the crackers depicting an airplane and the pretzels depicting clouds. We then went on to reenact Godzilla with Allison playing the role of the airplane eating monster.

Finally in Italy, in no time we where inundated with classic Italian food and snacks.  There were hundreds of shops selling every shape and colour of past imaginable.  Strangely not one store selling pasta didn't include at least one obscenely shaped pasta.  See if you can spot the adult themed pasta in this picture.

There were also hundreds of shops selling all kinds of sweets.  I was fairly disappointed that most of these shops really pushed Swiss, German, and Belgian chocolate.  There was always a few Italian treats, but most seemed to be imported.

This was our first sweet treat experience.  It may look like a chocolate croissant or a pain au chocolat, but it was so much more.  It's called "fornarino al chocolate" and it has a denser pastry than a croissant, it seems to have a cinnamon spice added to it, and the pastry isn't as sweet.  Well worth sampling if you can find one.

I love the way some cultures interpret other cultures.  I've had many American pizzas in my day, but I can't say I've ever seen a pizza in the USA with eggs and bacon in it.

A Pope in chocolate, I'm pretty sure this would be sacrilegious to eat, but probably pretty tasty.

Of all the treats we discovered peering into windows, these green cookies where the most curious.  Our best guess is that the green comes from pistachios, and the brown cracks are chocolate filled.  We also saw them without chocolate as well, but what's the point in that.  The cookie itself is OK, kind of dry and really hard, but tasty enough.

As far as the best non-sweet food we tasted on the trip, it had to be these bruschetta from a local pizza place near our hotel.  8 Euros for a slice of bruschetta is very expensive, but just looking at all of the fresh ingredients pilled on top, we couldn't resist.  It's a good thing decided to give them a try because they were fantastic.  We paid many more Euros for full sit down meals that didn't deliver what this small pizza stall had to offer. All of the ingredients where fresh, it was heated up, covered with just a little cheese, and drizzled with olive oil.  It was perfection with each bite.

While the best non-sweet treat I had on this trip was the bruschetta, the best treat I had goes to the gelato.  I decided on this trip that I would have gelato only once, so I had to pick the perfect place to get it.  There are hundreds of gelato placed in Venice, and it took me two days to make my choice.  My pick was based on the the flavours available, and the presentation of the gelato.  The place I picked had their gelato decorated with all kinds of toppings, and they offered two flavours that I really wanted to try, dulce caramel and cheese cake.  Notice the dulce caramel in the picture above is drizzled with thick tasty caramel.

The serving size was ample, and the server made sure I got plenty of the toppings.  It was a smooth and creamy dessert that I will never forget.

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Most Popular Shirt

Baby Gummy Bear Tshirt by candycritic
Browse more Gummy T-Shirts at Zazzle

I'm not sure why, but lately, this t-shirt is the most popular design in our whole store.  Don't get me wrong, I really like it, but I'm not sure why people are buying it.  Maybe it makes a fun gift for someone having a baby.  I wonder if Zazzle sells maternity wear?

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