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: 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

September Top Shelf Advice

What kind of holiday promotions, events or sales do you offer?

"We always [decorate] the windows. We buy special props. Last year we had snowmen holding whisks and other kitchen utensils. We are known in town for our windows.
“We also have several open houses. We do food demos using products that we sell in the store, such as panini makers. In the middle of December, we offer a Men’s Night Out. We serve beer and pizza, and men can buy presents. We offer gift-wrapping and gifts with purchase. We’ve done it for two years and it’s been busy and fun.
“In town, an Art Walk is held the first Friday of the month. In December, it usually coincides with the Tree Lighting. We and the rest of the stores stay open extra hours.

-Erin Earles, manager at Epicure in Anacortes, Washington

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"We decorate and we will have a holiday open house. We also have holiday music playing in the store. I’m going to run a gift registry in early December. We have a lot of men in the area that like to cook, and their wives come in to see what they may want.
“Another thing I do all year round is what I call the Tuesday Special. I come in on Tuesday and write on the blackboard a certain special item, say hand soap, that is 20 percent off. The special runs the entire week, but it brings customers in on Tuesday to see what is on special."

-Karen Tuccero, owner of A Passion for Cooking — The Kitchen Store in Madison, Connecticut

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"Every fall, in late October, we have a Nordic Ware Day. We use the holiday cookware to make holiday food, and we cook and bake all day. Anytime we cook or demo, sales go up. We also have cooking classes that focus on holiday foods. During the holidays, we bring in merchandise, such as items from Trade Associates Group, and use them in part of the store’s decorations. We also offer free gift-wrapping.

-Barbara Freeman, owner of Kitchen Outfitters in Savannah, Georgia

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"We do a Vendor Day event on a Saturday afternoon in the latter part of November. We invite vendors in to demo their products. We do the demos one at a time, and each vendor gives away a prize. We invite people through our Cooking Class newsletter that goes out four times a year. We charge a fee of $10 a person.
“We also invite local cookbook authors to come in to teach a class and do a book-signing during the year. We do an additional book-signing close to the holidays. I also find one big thing to put on sale during the holidays. Last year it was a Scanpan 9.5-qt. Dutch oven for half price.
“Also, in mid-November we invited 26 people to come to a Wusthof event. We charged $10. Each person was set up with a cutting board, knife and fruits and vegetables. Each was led through a demo of handling cutlery, cutting, and maintaining the knives by a Wusthof representative. They had time to ask any questions as well."

-Martie Sullivan, owner of Sweet Basil Gourmetware & Cooking School in Scottsdale, Arizona

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"The first Friday of each month, we have music and food for our customers. During the holidays, it is a bigger event. Every Saturday during the holiday season, we have culture and food demonstrations. We will make a holiday treat native to some country, such as special Swedish cookies. At Thanksgiving, we offer cooking classes, including Native American cooking classes. And of course, we offer classes for baking pies and cookies. After Thanksgiving, on Black Friday, we don’t have a big sale. We try to create a more comfortable setting. People can come in and enjoy a glass of wine while they shop."

-Donna Okarma, manager of Rudy’s — A Cook’s Paradise in Twin Falls, Idaho