Candy Review: Mike and Ike Italian Ice and Tropical Typhoon (Revisted)

Mike and Ike Italian Ice Box

I can be a vulture when it comes to candy. I have a predetermined list of stores I scout out weekly and gaze upon their candy sections. Supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, etc…. I usually do this to see if there happens to be a sale on candy, or even if I know there is a new product debuting that I should keep an eye out for. You can imagine my surprise whenever I discover a new candy product that I wasn’t expecting.

Yes, this is a rarity, but it happened this past week at a Walgreens. As if it was supposed to be stocked with all the other theater-sized box candy, a new version of Mike and Ike stood among its cousins of Tangy Twister and Jolly Joes: Italian Ice. I knew to expect the release of Lemonade Blends a few months back, but nowhere had I heard about Italian Ice debuting. In fact, it isn’t even listed on their website.

Quickly, I purchased the box along with a box of the new and original Tropical Typhoon, which boasted an assortment of new flavors, as advertised on its box.

Continue reading

Dove Limited Edition Giveaway

dove giveaway

To announce the unveiling of the NEW DOVE® Chocolate Center of Excellence, Mars Snackfood US and Candy Addict are giving away 20 limited-edition packages of DOVE® Brand chocolates made in Elizabethtown, PA. No purchase necessary!

Full details are below, but here is the quick summary: Send an email to dovegiveaway@candyaddict.com with a subject of:
Dove Pure Chocolate. In the email, include your first name and last name, your e-mail address and date of birth. That’s it! Limit one entry per person. The first twenty qualified entrants win. See full details.

Continue reading

Candy Review: Stretchy and Tangy Hanna Strawberry-Banana Laffy Taffy Bar

Stretchy and Tangy Strawberry-Banana Laffy Taffy Bar

As Monica correctly alluded to in her love ‘em or hate ‘em candies, taffy is definitely a divisive confection. I happen to be a lover of this candy, ever since the days I journeyed to Catalina and discovered what taffy is.

As a product, taffy doesn’t really have a large niche in the candy aisle. Most people only know it in its small, saltwater form. There are, however, a few big logo names out there. Yes, both Airheads and Starburst are forms of taffy (a lot of people have an “oh yeah” moment when they hear this). But even if it might not be as popular as these other two forms, the most recognized brand of taffy out there is probably Wonka’s Laffy Taffy.

Most people identify Laffy Taffy with the small little pieces purchased as penny candy or in bulk that contain jokes (which I tend to find not funny) on the back. The small ones come in a variety of single flavors. This product also has two other forms. One is a taffy rope, which is essentially the small pieces just in a longer, rope format. The second is a spinoff product called Stretchy and Tangy Laffy Taffy.

The stretchy and tangy variety consists of about an eight-inch bar of taffy. I have seen it at various gas stations mostly, which is where I bought mine, and was curious about them to see if the stretchy and tangy part made them taste any different from their smaller counterparts. Since most of the seven flavors this product offers are duplicates of the smaller product, I chose the strawberry-banana bar, as it had no equivalent mini form.

Continue reading

Candy Review: Apekoppen

Apekoppen

Our good friends over at Licorice International recently sent me a little licorice care package containing, among other things, a sample of Dutch company Katja’s Apekoppen. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to get the chance to try a new kind of licorice!

Apekoppen, translated as Apeheads, are half brown/half white ape-shaped candies. I briefly skimmed an explanation of the confection and saw that they were actually a melding of banana and licorice flavors – the white part was banana, the black traditional black licorice. I immediately thought they were going to taste, well… disgusting. But, being the brave soul I am, I bravely forged ahead. Happily, I was rewarded with one of the most interesting licorice candies I’ve had in quite some time.

Continue reading

Snackerrific Roundup: The Science of Dessert, Fish and Crackers Converge, and Pizza on Your Coffee Break

snackerrific.jpg

I spent this past week feeling sick. As a result, I didn’t really have any cravings for candy or snacks, as much as I just wanted my stomach to feel better; however, as much as my stomach wasn’t thinking about those things, my brain was still consumed in delicious thoughts.

I typically make an attempt to try at least one of the products reviewed on our sister site Snackerrific, but just couldn’t bring myself to down a fudgisicle while under the weather. The idea of Pepto-Bismol and chocolate was nauseating. Luckily, there’s a lot more to the website than just snack reviews.

This past week featured a fascinating article that scientifically explained why there indeed is always room for Jell-o (and any other dessert for that matter). And who says technology is stagnant these days? Check out my new favorite machine: Pizza Vending Machine!

So if your wallet is tight and just can’t afford some Trader Joe’s Canneles de Bordeaux, or maybe you just are watching your waistline this week and must abstain from Pringles Spicy Guacamole Chips, don’t fret. Snackerrific packs a variety of tasty and fun articles that will indeed sate a vast hunger spectrum from stomach to brain.

Continue reading