I had the pleasure of reviewing some of Lollipop Labs unusual lollipops this weekend. Given that they have flavors like “Dirty Martini” and “Earl Grey,” I would recommend these lollies more for the discerning Candy Addict than for, say, your five year old.

A couple of general notes: these lollipops don’t have a lot of scent when you open them, but don’t let that fool you. As soon as you lick them you get plenty of flavor. I thought one of the coolest things about them was the way the flavor nuances change as you eat them. Sometimes you’ll get more of one herb than another as you go, while still enjoying the overall main flavor of the lollipop. Neat! Plus, I love that I recognize and can pronounce every ingredient on the labels.

One more thing: if you don’t see a flavor below that appeals to you, Lollipop Labs will custom design the flavor and shape of their lollipops to your specifications. How cool is that?

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Now that the holidays (and all associated sweet eating) are over, I’m looking once again at the 100 Calorie Bars from The Hershey Company. If you missed the first two installments in this four-part series, you can still check out my reviews of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Wafer Bar and the Hershey’s Crisp Wafer Bar.

For those who are dieting (or pretending to diet), Hershey’s has a line of at least six different bars to satisfy the sweet craving without ruining the waistline. Five of the varieties are listed on the Hershey website – the four I’m reviewing here along with a small-sized 100 calorie version of Hershey Special Dark. I saw an advertisement recently for the newest member of the line – a small, 100 calorie Snickers. It just keeps getting better!

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I was recently given the opportunity to try a box of Ococoa’s Butter Cup Collection. I thought I knew chocolate. I thought I knew what flavors go well with chocolate (peanut butter, mint, and Sunkist, to name a few). I thought I knew what to expect from a box of chocolates. Then came Ococoa.

I get a lot of mail and have been receiving two to three packages per week for the last few months. When a box arrived last week, I assumed it was a homeschooling product I was expecting and didn’t bother to look at the return address. I got a knife, sliced the tape on the box, opened the flaps, and said, “I smell chocolate….”

That is a very pleasant, very enticing way to open a package.

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In my house, the holidays spell candy in a big way. When I was a kid, we’d start making Christmas candy a week or two before Christmas. Now that I have two children with birthdays in early and mid December, we basically have one big party from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

This year, mainly because of my new Candy Addict status, we decided to begin the candy making before Thanksgiving. I’d like to share a simple recipe with you, and maybe you’d like to start a new family tradition on this Thanksgiving Day. A tradition worthy of a true Candy Addict. Forget football – make candy after dinner!

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What did you say? A dark chocolate and bread candy bar? Yes, please.

As a man not unaccustomed to spreading melted chocolate chips on toast, Nutella on Ritz, and fudge sauce on pretzels, I was extra ready to try Theo’s 3400 Phinney specialty bar. I think bread (with its salt and texture) goes well with the sweetness of chocolate. (The name of this bar, by the way, refers to Theo’s factory address.)

The other appealing aspect to this bar: it’s certified organic and it’s Fair Trade. The first is better for your human body, the second for other human beings who farm and work in foreign countries.

That’s great, and justifies a higher price, but a candy’s got to deliver the goods, right? This one does.

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