Editor's Choice: Jelly Belly Countdown to Christmas Calendar

The advent season is always special for me and my family. I have warm childhood memories of getting some candy and a handwritten letter from St. Nick at the beginning of every Advent. The letter would tell me that I had been very good this year (with some kind of specific reference to something that had been accomplished), and that he and my parents loved me very much. Even though I am miles away from my family now, I still get a handwritten letter from St. Nick every year; when I call my dad to say thanks, I can hear him smiling on the other end of the phone as he excitedly exclaims, without ever once owning up to it himself, "Wow, St. Nick wrote to you? Man, he is quite a guy!" I can't wait to hear from him again later this year.

A great part of our household decor is the Advent calendar, that counts down the days until Christmas. We have a big, hand-knitted tapestry that hangs by the tree, with each day represented with a little pocket that gets filled with a small Christmas trinket as each day passes. It was always fun to be the one to put the last item in the pocket of the 25th, signifying that Christmas had arrived. 

So I was understandably excited to see Jelly Belly's new product for the 2013 holiday season -- the Countdown to Christmas calendar. The calendar is filled with 24 tiny bags of Jelly Belly Kids Mix jelly beans -- one for each day leading up to Christmas. The oversized and colorful advent calendar is poised to be a popular gift for the holidays, and would make a great little gift from your family's St. Nick.

The box is really quite large -- it's like the size of a big hardcover art book. It really adds to the fun and excitement of opening each numbered window. A colorful illustration depicts Mr. Jelly Belly in a winter holiday scene adding Jelly Belly jelly beans as ornaments to trees. The Jelly Belly Countdown to Christmas Calendar ships in 6-ct. cases.

The other great part about it is the Jelly Belly jelly beans, of course! The OU Kosher, gluten-free, peanut free, dairy-free, fat-free and vegetarian-friendly jelly beans come in such signature, true-to-life flavors as Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, Orange Sherbert, Very Cherry, and Buttered Popcorn. 

So if you're looking for a fun and tasty treat to kick of the holiday season this year, head on over to Jelly Belly's website. It would look great on display in your store, and would certainly stand out as a unique item that kids and adults alike would love to have.

-Marc

Editor's Choice: Gearharts Peanut Butter Pups

If you've read this blog, you know that I am a fan of chocolate, peanut butter, and chocolate with peanut butter in it. It's not surprising that I loved these Peanut Butter Pups from Gearharts Fine Chocolates - they feature premium milk chocolate and Virginia artisan peanut butter, and are then decorated with a dark chocolate face and toasted almond ears. The puppy-faced treats are extremely cute and would make a great gift.

I am also a fan of dogs - to be specific, shelter dogs. Cursed with a tiny apartment and a huge heart for dogs, I have never been able to have a dog of my own so far in life. To get my puppy fix, I spent time volunteering at Chicago Animal Care & Control, and fell in love daily with every dog there. I was overjoyed to spend time with these friendly and lovable pups, but left feeling empty because of the enormous quantity of dogs that were brought in daily, knowing that many would inevitably not get adopted. 

That's why I love that Gearharts has decided to donate 5% of sales for their Peanut Butter Pups to Companions for Heroes, a terrific organization that provides companion animals, skilled companion dogs, and service dogs obtained from shelters and/or rescues, who might otherwise be euthanized, free of charge to active duty military personnel, military veterans, and first-responders recovering from the psychological challenges they suffered during service to our country. C4H increases public awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other challenges confronting our country’s heroes; and rally’s support for animal welfare and the adoption of shelter and/or rescue animals.

Tim Gearhart, the owner of Gearhart's Chocolates, started cooking as a Marine in Kuwait. He's created a quality chocolate item and partnered with a great organization to make something to be proud of. 

Editor's Choice: Spanish Suitcase

One of the biggest regrets I have so far in life is that I have never traveled anywhere internationally. I've been to just about all 50 states in the U.S., but never anywhere outside of the border. Money and time never seem to combine into a perfect scenario to take a trip. For someone who loves food as much as I do, I can do nothing but dream of the many cuisines I'm missing out on around the world.

Luckily, sometimes products come along that give me a chance to sample worldly cuisine from the comfort of my desk. I recently received a wonderful package from a retailer called Spanish Suitcase, and was incredibly impressed by this unique experience. Spanish Suitcase is based in New York City, and they specialize in unique gift baskets featuring gourmet foods from Spain. These "suitcases" are loaded with all kinds of goodies that were hand-selected for their excellence in flavor, packaging, production and sustainability.

Speaking of the packaging, it's nearly impossible not to be impressed with the presentation - everything is packed neatly in an attractive box, and each item features beautiful labeling. It is a lot like opening a present from someone who has mailed you a package from overseas, and my officemates and I couldn't help but ooh and ah with each thing we removed from the suitcase. Throw in a nice explanatory booklet, and you have a really handsome overall product that anyone would be thrilled to receive as a gift.

There are many different varieties of suitcases you can get - the Original Spanish Suitcase is an enormous smorgasbord of gourmet items including cheeses, chocolates, bread sticks and even anchovies! There are seafood and vegetarian suitcases, as well. They also make several smaller "carry-ons", which consist of the same quality items from the larger suitcases, in such varieties as Healthy Sabores, La Vide Dulce, and Bonito to Go-Go.

I sampled the Siesta Snack Pack Carry-On, which delighted me (and the entire office). I was a big fan of the San Nicasio Potato Chips, which were made with authentic extra virgin olive oil from the nationally accredited Almazaras de la Subbética (olive oil mills) in Córdoba. The oils in combination with the touch of sea salt really made a rich impression on my taste buds. The 1880 Marcona Almonds were immediately whisked away to the safety of my home after just one taste - these were, without any exaggeration, the best almonds I have ever had.

Everyone was a big fan of the Sweet Olive Oil Tortas - the aftertaste was an exquisite blend of crystallized Seville oranges and sugar. It was enjoyable on it's own, but is even more enjoyable with cheese. There were also some tangy peppers (great on sandwiches) and Dequmana olives, completing an excellent package of gourmet goodness.

If you're looking for a unique and tasty gift (or someone who wishes they could be on a warm Spanish beach during the cold Chicago winter), head on over to spanishsuitcase.com for a wonderful taste of life across the sea.

-Marc Kozak (mkozak@talcott.com)

Editor's Choice: Divine Caramel Creations

Salutations, Fancy Food blog readers! Today we have a special interview-style review with Fancy Food Magazine associate editor Marc Kozak. We will be talking about the gourmet line of sea salt caramels from Divine Caramel Creations - Ellie's Edibles. Mr. Kozak was very excited to try these out and share his thoughts. So let's get to it!

Fancy Food: Thank you for joining us, Marc. What can you tell us about these caramels?
Marc Kozak: Mfffph.....nomm.....

FF: Oh, I see you're still eating one of the caramels. 
MK: (Happy yet indecipherable noises)

FF: We'll give you a minute.

****MILK-BASED INTERMISSION****

MK: Sorry about that. I'm a little embarrassed.

FF: It's okay. We could tell from your desk that you snack hard.
MK: Oh man, really? Great, now I'm the "Snack Guy".

FF: We're not judging. It is a food magazine. So about the caramels?
MK: Right. Well first of all, let's talk a little bit about sea salt. It's a really big trend in the food industry. Chefs and food companies are using it on everything because of its stronger flavor in comparison to regular salt. I've been saying this for years, ever since I noticed this obscure local restaurant that I eat lunch at all the time was putting it on their side dishes.

FF: Are you talking about the fries at Wendy's?
MK: Uh....it's....well, I mean you've probably never heard of the place. Anyway, it IS true - there's a lot you can do with sea salt. These Divine Caramel Creations are a great example. The salt is only lightly sprinkled on each one, but the first few bites pack SO much flavor. It was really surprising in a totally good way.

FF: Ellie's Edibles mentioned that the sea salt caramels were their best sellers without a doubt.
MK: That makes all kinds of sense. And see, we're only talking about the salt. Even without it, these caramels would be special. They make it the old-fashioned way - with heavy cream, no harsh preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. It's really rich and flavorful in itself, and when you add the sea salt into the mix...I just can't stop eating them.

FF: We noticed. What kind of varieties are there?
MK: Their #1 seller is the Vanilla Caramel with Fluer de Sel Sea Salt from France. I really enjoyed the fruit caramels, like Cinnamon Apple Cranberry and Huckleberry. Ellie's Edibles is from the Spokane, Washington area, and they have their own orchard where they grow and use their own fruit. The huckleberries are grown on a mountain that is literally just east of their farm.

FF: Do you even know what a huckleberry is?
MK: I'm assuming it's a berry in the plant genera of awesome. But really, the inclusion of dried, all-natural fruit, plus sea salt, plus the smooth caramel - we're talking about a lot of positive mouth emotions, here.

FF: That's a pretty ringing endorsement. Where can you go to purchase the caramels?
MK: They have a shop in Colbert, WA where you can stop in and grab some, or you can go to their website and order them. They even make special order caramels, including ones with chocolate and other seasonal fruits. I'd really recommend doing so. They'd make a great gift for Mother's or Father's Day, or just for yourself to greedily hoard and eat at your own convenience.

FF: Like you're doing right now. Because no one else in this office likes caramel....
MK: Hey, you're interviewing me because I'm the Snack Guy, right? I need all of the samples I can get in order to shape my expert opinion.

FF: Whatever, Gollum.
MK: My precioussssesssssssssss!!!! (stuffs face with remaining caramels)

THE END. 
-Marc Kozak (mkozak@talcott.com)

Editor's Choice: Texas Toffee Almond Delight

I have a pretty serious sweet tooth, but generally avoid candy because of a certain...over-zealousness. Butterscotch, truffles, butter-mints and Jordan Almonds have all been eaten by me in quantities so vast as to make me sick for more than 24 hours, but without real regret. My stomach does not respond fast enough. I love these candies.

Toffee has always been a favorite of mine. If I was very well behaved in the grocery store, when I was a child, my mom would buy me a Skor or Heath bar and give me half there and half at home when I helped unloading the groceries. And then I would OD on the sugar. In hindsight, perhaps this was not the best reward and maybe set the pattern of my adult life and candy. Bygones!

Regardless, I was excited when I saw the bag of Texas Toffee Almond Delight emerge from the box at the office. I don't want to say I dove on it, and consumed a whole bag before my co-workers got to try any, dreamed about it that night, came back into the office and schemed about how I could get some more...but that is totally what happened. I'm sorry, co-workers. You snooze, you lose.

Wow, is this toffee good! Buttery and almost creamy while still being satisfyingly crunchy, it fills the mouth with a lovely caramel taste, tempered by the tasty almonds, so the sweetness isn't overwhelming.  Perhaps it is the obvious freshness of this candy that makes it so good. Skor  and Heath bars are all well and good, but Texas Toffee tastes as though it has just cooled enough to be put into the bag; as though your grandma just handed you a imperfectly jagged square and said, "Careful now, I just finished this batch!". Texas Toffee touts their candy as a holiday treat, but why limit yourself? Check out Texas Toffee and their other flavors as well: Pecan, Macadamia, Peanut and Toffee Sprinkles for ice cream!

-Elizabeth Dugan

The January Issue of Gift, Gourmet & Decor is Now Available

Dear GGD Reader,

Welcome to the January digital issue of Gift, Gourmet & Decor Magazine.


This Month's Featured Content:
• Playing a Selling Song
• Lasting Ties
• Plush Perfection
• Gorgeous Glassware
• Tasty Toppings
• Hot of the Press

• Calendar

New Feature:
Enchanced Page Zooming Feature Now Available-Zooming is now easier then ever!

Please Note:
GGD Digital requires NO special downloads or applications to view in its entirety.

Please click HERE to begin reading now!

We hope you enjoy this issue and all future digital issues of GGD. Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and feedback at gwnplus@talcott.com.

Sincerely,
The GGD Team

Editor's Choice: Galison

As the stationery editor at one of Fancy Food’s sister publications, Giftware News, I constantly receive samples of the latest designs in greeting cards, note sets and other related items. Although many of the samples in my storage cabinet admittedly go unused (because honestly, I never plan on sending a birthday card with a giant cat on the front), I did receive one item in particular that I brought home and put to use right away. I immediately saw the utility in this product, and I have no doubt that it will be a saving grace for many of your customers.

Accordion organizers from Galison, a company known for its trend-forward stationery and office accessories, are the ideal solution for savvy shoppers who are currently clipping coupons to save money on groceries and other household items. These miniature books, which retail for less than $10 each, are portable filing systems that include six divider pockets to store coupons and ads; a notepad and an elastic pencil holder are also included inside, which makes it easy to keep grocery lists and menu plans on hand while shopping.

What’s even more exiting is that the hardcover organizers come in colorful patterns and designs from an array of famous artists (the organizer shown is a classic Andy Warhol option; the spine of the book even features a Warhol quotation). No longer do shoppers have to use boring, bland or flimsy plastic organizers; these sturdy little books truly bring a sense of style to the newly trendy frugal lifestyle.

To see more of Galison’s accordion organizers, as well as other coordinating kitchen and office accessories, visit www.galison.com.

-Ashley

Editor's Choice: Bouquet of Fruits

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, there's no better time to be sampling chocolate-covered strawberries... or chocolate-covered raspberries, mandarin slices, pears or apples for that matter! The Fancy Food office recently got a sampling of the products from Bouquet of Fruits, a Fresno, California-based company with deep familial roots (pun intended) in farming. In 1987 Steve Paul and his wife Gina took the idea one step further and began to offer fruit baskets, sharing the fresh fruit of Fresno with the rest of the world.

These highly perishable products didn't stick around long enough to perish. The strawberries, which were fresh, juicy, perfectly ripe four-bite berries, were enrobed in white, milk or dark chocolate and drizzled with pink (white) chocolate, coated with coconut, accented with almonds or covered in chocolate chips (chocolate-on-chocolate-on-strawberry -- mmmmm...).

As I was coming down from my chocolate-on-chocolate-on-strawberry-induced euphoria, it occurred to me to worry about the brief lifespan of such fresh fruit in regards to our retailing readers (man, I'm just full of alliteration today...) I asked Cory Colligan, directer of sales and marketing, about a wholesale/retail program, and found that the company does sell wholesale to retailers, and they do fulfillment and drop-shipping as well. In fact, the company has worked with such online giants as 1800flowers, costco.com, Red Envelope and Macys.com but is looking to connect with more independent, small-scale gourmet retailers.

In order to facilitate partnerships with smaller retailers, the company is in the process of creating a drop-ship network. Stay tuned for more info to come. In the meantime, check out the other fantastic chocolate creations from Bouquet of Fruits at www.bouquetoffruits.com.

Editor's Choice: Wearable Vegetables

While walking through the various showrooms at the recent Chicago Gift and Home Show, a group of kitchen accessories caught my eye. Actually what stopped me were a group of tea towels displaying clever plays on words such as "When Harry Met Salad" and "Silence of the Yams." They were joined by potholders proclaiming "Desperate Housechives" and "Thyme Is on Our Side", among others. You get it -- takes on movie and TV titles, as well as well-known phrases. I have to admit I could see these in my home and I bet you at least smiled as you read the titles. The collection from Wearable Vegetables (www.wearablevegetables.com) also includes aprons, oven mitts, paper napkins, T-shirts and other casual apparel. Besides the vegetables theme, there's a wine phrases collection, also the Asian-inspired "Shiitake Happens" and other related phrases collection. And introduced recently for dog enthusiasts -- a collection called Wearable Dogs, featuring the appropriate dog photos. "Silence is Golden Retriever" is a example of the group.

As I said, pieces from these collections would be a bright, fun addition to a kitchen. (And a good addition to a gourmet shop's product mix). They would make a cute gift for any occasion. I can see them as a great shower or housewarming gift, or as part of a themed gift basket.

As for me, I see a "Lawrence of Arugula" tea towel in the future of an older brother who likes to cook -- take a guess of one of his favorite movies.

-Barbara