How can I resist a bag of giant Twizzlers? Weighing a whopping 25 ounces (1 lb 9 oz) , there are about 40 Twizzlers in the bag – each measuring more than 16 inches long. They are so long, you only need just one to satisfy a craving and they are really fun to look at. You will surely surprise your Twizzler-loving kiddies with a bag of these. For adults, the Twizzler website suggests that you can utilize the licorice by making a bow for a gift box. Kids often enjoy biting off the ends and using as a drinking straw. 1 extra long Twizzler equals 60 calories and the product is marketed as a low fat snack.

Cool Fact: According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest licorice twist ever made measured 1,200 feet (370 m) and weighed 100 pounds (45 kg). It was made at the Y&S Candy Plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and was submitted into the record books in 1998. Y&S Candies, which manufactured Twizzlers candy is one of the oldest confectionery firms in the United States (dating back to 1845) and was acquired by Hershey Foods in 1977.

The coconut-caramel cookies with the chocolate drizzle known as Samoas in Girl Scout cookie world are one of my favorites, so naturally I jumped at the chance to try Edy’s Slow Churned Samoas Cookie ice cream. Caramel flavors (including ice cream) usually do not float my boat. I’m like *this close* to saying the Samoas Cookie is my current favorite Edy’s ice cream flavor, and as luck would have it – it’s a Limited Edition.

Generous pieces of Samoas Girl Scout cookies are scattered throughout the light vanilla and caramel flavored ice creams. There is no caramel (the ooey gooey stick kind) in this ice cream. It’s a delightful mixture of ingredients and flavors.

Edy’s Girl Scouts Samoas® Cookie Ice Cream offers rich, creamy flavor that doesn’t taste like it has 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories. You can easily mistake it for premium ice cream texture and flavor. A ½-cup serving is 120 calories (40 from fat) with 3 grams of protein. There is 6% of your daily recommended value of calcium.

This limited edition is only available from January to April.

Am I the only person in the world that has not tried Nutella yet? While I was waiting in line at Walmart, I spied with my little eye the Nutella & Go! package decorating the aisle shelves.

I truly believe Walmart never has enough lines open so that you are forced to stand there salivating over the chips, candy and other snacks. In the past couple of years, haven’t you noticed Walmart has even extended their lines with more shelves that surround you with tempting goodies and other products. Ok, I’m digressing here…back to the Nutella and breadsticks.

The Nutella & Go! package comes with 13 breadsticks and a side container of Nutella.

The crunchy breadsticks offer a slightly vanilla taste, but the real star of the show is the Nutella. It’s like I’ve fallen in a vat of Ferrero Rocher at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. This is a premium splurge if there ever was one.

By the Numbers

(one unit)

• 260 calories
• 120 fat calories
• 2 grams fiber
• 4 grams protein

When you’re looking for a quick and easy dessert, doesn’t a bit of chocolate mousse sound divine? Tasty things really do come in small packages. Jello makes a line of tempting treats aptly called Jello Temptations – in both refrigerated ready-to-eat cups and easy-to-make dessert kits.

In the refrigerated section of your dairy aisle, you will find French Silk Pie, Double Chocolate Pie (which I sampled), Lemon Meringue Pie, Key Lime Pie, Raspberry Cheesecake, and Strawberry Cheesecake.

One Double Chocolate Pie (dark chocolate filling and milk chocolate mousse) refrigerated snack cup equals 120 calories and offers 3 grams protein and 1 gram of fiber. My favorite part is the dark chocolate filling (pudding) – it really is a rich, satisfying treat.

The Jello Chocolate Mousse Decadence dessert kit includes a filling mix and mousse mix. Only 110 calories per serving, you can prepare eight ½-cup servings with three cups of 2% milk. The chocolate filling paired with whipped chocolate mousse creates a delicious indulgence that you can make as creamy or thick as you want.  Other flavors include Chocolate Truffle Indulgence and Boston Crème Pie.

Up for grabs is 1  Chocolate Mousse Decadence Jello Temptations Dessert Kit.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When I was younger, I used to eat raisins in the little red Sunmaid box, but then something happened and I can’t stand them anymore. BUT, then I discovered golden raisins and I love their taste. The colorful packaging of Raisels caught my eye one day. Advertised as a Sour Watermelon-flavored golden raisin, how could I resist?

Raisels have a sugary, sour-flavored coating that distinctly resembles a Sour Patch Kid. They are marketed as a healthy alternative to sour candy. One serving of 1/3 cup equals 130 calories. You get 100% of your daily recommended value for Vitamin C. There is also 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein thrown in for good measure.

Will Kids Eat It?

I asked my nephew if he wanted to try a couple of Raisels (he is super picky about the texture and look of food). At first, he said ‘no’ and then he said ‘yes’. When he took a second helping, I knew I had him won over…because he eats sour things (like pickles). Also, I repeat…Raisels taste like Sour Patch Kids.

Flavors

Raisels come in 5 different flavors – Sour Watermelon, Orange, Peach, Apple and Lemon. I really want to taste the peach flavor and wondering where they are hiding that flavor in my neck of the woods.

Up for grabs are 3 boxes of Raisels (2 Sour Watermelon & 1 Sour Orange).


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas was just a sniffle away and out came the Valentine’s Day candy decorating the shelves at grocery stores and Walmart. It was the ‘tart & sassy’ that caught my eye on a bag of Brach’s Conversation Hearts. Filled with tangy flavors (cherry, grape, lemon, lime, orange and pineapple), the hearts have their signature sayings that fade into the background – “Awesome”, “You Rock”, “Guess Who”, “Marry Me”, and “Be Mine”.

There are a few phrases I’ve never seen before, like ‘Go Boy’– and I’m trying to figure out where “Don’t Tell” fits into the bag…that’s not very romantic if you ask me. I love the flavors and the texture…how most of them melt in your mouth with tarty sweetness. Then, you get one of those rock-hard ones that you have to suck on forever before it disappears.

All in all, I really like the tarty flavor. 11 pieces is only 60 calories, so if you are looking for a rush of fruity-flavored sugar – this could be a nice treat for you.

I was a youngster of the 80′s and one of the things I remember in my lunchbag (I brown-paper bagged it) is Boppers- a Nature Valley product. Every now and then, I have a flashback of them when I have a peanut butter craving. As a child, I was oblivious to calorie counts and saturated fat content, but I can imagine the numbers would probably make my stomach turn today.

Anyways, Boppers came in flashy purple packaging with pink letters. The snack was basically peanut butter covered in chocolate with a crispy outside coating. I don’t really remember what that crispiness was made out of – but I loved the texture and taste. Over the years, they had different flavors, like Fudge Graham and Cookie Crunch.

Am I the only one that remembers Boppers?

I am participating in Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner because this was one of my favorite old school lunch snacks.

I had a Christmas wish list (or wish list for 2012) in my head that I didn’t tell anyone because I just planned on using Swagbucks or Amazon.com gift cards to get myself, BUT my sweetie surprised me this holiday with one of the items on my list. I really wanted a glass cake holder (I may have mentioned it under my breath one day…and he remembered). When I opened the gift, it was a complete surprise. He went above and beyond my request with the Essentials for the Home 6 in 1 Footed Cake Dome. This sizeable glass dream is incredibly heavy yet versatile.

You can use it for:

• Cake display
• Punch bowl
• Salad bowl
• Serving dish
• Vegetable dip platter
• Appetizer server

Absolutely love it.

I am participating in Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner because this is definitely one of my favorite Christmas gifts.

Calling all chocolate lovers! Inspired by Pinterest, I decided to offer a prize pack including some of my favorite things in the chocolaty treat department – my go-to splurges. With a decadent wrapper, Ferrero Rocher delivers a crispy crunch of sweetness that covers a hazelnut gem in the center. I think I’m also addicted to the nutty burst of almonds and toffee chips of the smooth milk chocolate Hershey’s Symphony bar.

When you just want a little bite-size popper of a treat, Hershey’s Pieces will satisfy your need – I prefer the Almond Joy kind. A longtime candy bar favorite of mine is the crispy wafers of Kit Kat – light, airy and doesn’t make you feel too guilty. Also, I often get in the mood for chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting around the holidays.

Who is going to pass up on free chocolate?  

Up for grabs is a few of my favorite things:

• 1 12-Count unit of Ferrero Rocher
• 1 Hershey’s Symphony [Giant Bar] – Milk Chocolate Almonds with Toffee Chips
• 1 10-ounce Bag of Almond Joy Pieces
• 1 Kit Kat coupon FREE product coupon
• 1 Duncan Hines FREE product coupon [up to $3.99]

a Rafflecopter giveaway

McDonald’s tucked a sheet of coupons in the Sunday paper a couple of weeks ago, and I have been using them up a storm – a lot of Buy 1, Get 1 Free products. They even have a coupon for their holiday drinks (Peppermint Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Mocha for 25 cents). One of the coupons is Buy 1, Get 1 Free any McCafe drink. It wasn’t until I spied the Eggnog Milkshake in a McCafe cup on the menu board that I got really excited.

An egg nog milkshake?

Hmmmm – had to try.

The McDonald’s Egg Nog Milkshake comes topped with whipped cream and is smoothly delicious. It tastes just like you would expect – frozen, creamy egg nog. If you are a fan of holiday drinks, holiday flavors, and eggnog, you have to try this. I usually reveal the calories and nutritional facts of the edibles I review, but this is a splurge – something I ‘m not going to let the numbers spoil. I haven’t even checked the damage…and I won’t. Happy holidays to me.