Have you been known to drive considerable distances to track down Limited Edition candies that you heard about?

Do you raid your kids’ Trick-or-Treat bags and Easter baskets
to find new favorites?

Do you love discovering a new sugary treat or reminiscing
about an old favorite?

Then we’d love to have you join the Sugar Savvy team!  Interested in writing for us?  Drop Cate a line at info@wellfed.net.

The folks at Funky Chunky offer a nice selection of popcorn and pretzel items in clear glass jars that make them perfect for gift-giving.  Whether you like the caramel version or are a chocolate fiend, you just may find the perfect gift for giving here … whether for someone else or yourself!

Be sure to keep checking back for new flavors … we have it on good authority that there is a candy-cane popcorn version come the holidays.

Billy’s Bakery, founded in 2003, opened their newest sweet spot at 75 Franklin Street, located between Church and Broadway, and the new space is … well … spacious, especially as compared to their first location.  As with their original bakery, the new one will offer corporate and personal catering, along with delivery in the Manhattan and Tri-State area.  Throwing a party?  Their new individually sized favor boxes might be just the thing.  Holding just one cupcake, it is perfect for children’s birthday parties or just because.

And don’t worry.  If cupcakes aren’t your thing, you won’t go hungry.  You’ll also find layer cakes, cookies, cheesecake, breakfast items and much more.  If you happen to be in the NYC area, or passing through, do give Billy’s a try.

Williams-Sonoma now sells the famous bakery’s cupcakes in a mix that you can whip up at home in no time flat.  The available flavors include Red Velvet, Vanilla, Chocolate and Lemon and even include the frosting recipe in the mix can.  Each package makes a dozen cupcakes and will run you $14-16.  A small price to pay to get your Sprinkles sweet on.

They have a few different flavors available, but they’re not available at all Starbucks.  Out of the multiple Starbucks we have in our area, only one location sells cupcakes.  I’ve seen the Double Chocolate ones that I purchased (pictured here), a Red Velvet one and a recent visitor to A Nice Cuppa alerted us of a vanilla bean variety.

They sell for approximately $1.95 each, and the price for the fourth one was only about 40 cents more so no arm twisting was needed to buy four.  But how did they taste?

They are no Billy’s cupcake, that’s for sure.  I hate to say it, but they didn’t do anything for me.  But in fairness, I might just have a higher standard for cupcakes than the average person since we’re always scouting them out.  The frosting, while good, was a little thick for my taste, and the cupcake itself a little drier than I’d like.  That being said, my six-year-old son, another cupcake expert in the making, devoured them, so if you see them at your local Starbucks, do give them a try for yourself.

In the meantime, I’ll be hunting down the other flavors … all in the name of research.

To enter to win one of these fun kits, simply comment below.  For an extra entry, blog or tweet about this giveaway and let us know about it by commenting below.  We will choose two random winners on Friday, March 20th.  Good luck!

*Complete details about the “Unwrap March Madness” promotion and Hershey’s sponsorship of this year’s NABC College All-Star Game can be found right here.

Whether it’s Necco Wafers, Mary Janes or even chocolate and bubblegum cigarettes, you’ll find it easily and affordably.  Economy Candy even has an entire section dedicated to “Old Time Favorites,” and it’s a wonderful trip down memory lane.

And speaking of memories, Groovy Candies is another great site to bookmark, especially for gift giving. You can buy small and large packages of candy that was popular in a certain decade. Is someone special celebrating a birthday? Buy them candy that was popular from the decade when they were growing up, and I guarantee it will be a gift like no other.

Happy shopping!

Photo courtesy of economycandy.com.

“Well, I suppose you could get her that,” he said, pointing to the Choxie display, but practically spitting out the word “that” like Choxie’s were evil.“Yes, I could,” his girlfriend said, seeming unconvinced.Are they that bad,I wondered?  Or were they just skeptical because Choxie is a Target brand?  Who knows, but coincidentally, the very next day a box of Choxie’s Chocolate Flakey Truffles arrived on our doorstop, so I was about to find out.

I am a huge fan of melted chocolate, but the kind that is melting in my mouth, not the kind that melts before it even gets there.  I had this box sitting on my disk, near my computer and when I opened it, the little logs were mud-colored pools.  I had to get them back to solid before I could sample them.  The size and shape of them definitely lends itself to the “log” description, and with the way the chocolate melts, it’s not exactly appetizing.  That said, the chocolate itself was smooth and creamy and reminded me a bit of Nutella.  The chocolate flake covering is very apparent on the box photograph, but not so much on the actual chocolate.  For me, while I may like these chocolates, they are almost too soft for me, as they start to melt while you’re holding them taking bites.

The winning “Live in the &” entry will be awarded the following:
• Guest passes to the Classic in Aspen Grand Tastings
• Insider access to the exclusive Grow for Good Dinner
• Passes to select seminars
• Round trip airfare for 2 to Aspen
• Accommodations for 3 nights

To enter the Green & Black’s “Live in &” Contest presented with Food & Wine, visit www.foodandwine.com/greenandblacks. Entries are being accepted now through April 30, 2009.