Last year we learned the shocking truth that our good friend and colleague Tori had only had a couple chocolate bunnies in her whole life. Gasp! What kind of childhood did she have? I also learned last year that the ears versus feet debate is almost as serious as serious as the debate over what the top of a kernel of candy corn is.
But let’s keep the love in mind here. Either way you eat one of the little guys, you are sure to enjoy it. Let’s not let a philosophical dispute disrupt this sacred refuge of candy love we have established together.
While looking at chocolate bunnies online, I found that Lindt is giving away chocolate bunnies weighing one kilo each. They even have footage on their site of the gold bunnies frolicking about, so be sure to click that link. What do you have to do? Find all the gold bunnies in their online game. SOunds easy, right? Well, if you are up to the challenge, go win yourself a giant gold bunny.
And for those of you who can’t quite remember, a kilo is about 2.2 pounds. Yeah. That’s a heck of a bunny right there.
Lindt Gold Bunny by *Melody*.
In honor of Presidents Day we present Jimmy Carter Candy, which I found at the Desktop Cookbook site.
Ingredients
- 1 package vanilla almond bark
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1 3/4 cups Rice Krispies
Instructions
- Break up almond bark and melt in microwave, 1 minute at a time, stirring well in between, until completely smooth.
- Combine all other ingredients and mix well. Marshmallows will not melt completely.
- Spread mixture on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
- Cool completely until set up and hardened. Slice into squares.
Jimmy Carter by cliff1066™.
Live in Maryland? Forget to get your sweetie some sweets for yesterday? Hope is not lost. Head out to the store now, get your mitts on some discount candy and blame it on the recent storms. Gov. Martin O’Malley has declared this week Valentine’s Week. I bet the CVS around the corner has all that yummy chocolate and other goodies at 50% off this morning.
So if you didn’t stick the landing yesterday quite as well as Alexandre Bilodeau did in the Freestyle Skiing Moguls, fret no more. Just go to the nearest drug store, supermarket or convenience store and stock up. I won’t tell your secret. Just give Gov. O’Malley a thumbs-up or a high-five for saving the relationship.
Chocolate Valentine’s Sculpture by emilywjones.
We already know that candy in its various forms is the best Valentine’s Day gift. What about the worst? I surveyed our staff here at the Candy HQ about their worst Valentine’s Day gifts, either given or received, and found these selections:
- A crock pot
- An ant farm
- A singing stuffed animal
- A unicorn dancing on heart shaped clouds (No, I didn’t make this up.)
- Nothing. Zip. Nada. Bupkis.
Remember – Getting your sweetie a bad gift can be even worse than getting nothing at all. Be sure to get out today, before the pickings are even slimmer, to get your Valentine’s candy.
And if you get someone a unicorn-themed gift, be sure it is a candy unicorn, like on the cupcake above. They are sweeter than the normal ones you encounter.
Unicorn Cupcake by kristin_a.
Not a day goes by that I don’t hear about some new study linking chocolate consumption to heart health. No seriously, I get these daily pubmed updates e-mailed to me. They’re great. You should try them. Oh, what’s that? Normal people don’t read the latest scientific abstracts for fun? Oh well, you don’t need to be a nerd like me to know what’s going on with chocolate and health, as it is science anyone can bite into. 
Many studies in both humans and rodents have observed lower deaths due to heart disease in chocolate consumers compared to non-consumers of chocolate. This is an exciting and interesting phenomenon for us chocolate lovers, but certainly inspires wonder as to why this association exists. Tons of scientists are asking the same question, hence the growing body of research filling my inbox.
Results from most studies looking at blood pressure and chocolate consumption show that flavanols (the antioxidants in chocolate) reduce blood pressure and risk for hypertension. Studies have also found that these antioxidants fight inflammation in the heart muscles, leading to overall better heart health. Meanwhile, stearic acid, one of the fats in chocolate, is thought to have a positive benefit on blood cholesterol levels. These examples reflect some of the most common conclusions. However, scientists are coming up with new ideas about how chocolate might be beneficial to the heart all the time.
So when your sweetie gives you a box of chocolate from their heart on Valentine’s Day, remember it just might help out yours.
Editor’s note: Yes, we know it’s not Tuesday. In the midst of the blizzard coming through the DC area, some things slipped by us. I will continue to blame the oompa loompas until someone can legitimately point a finger my way.
Woven heart and passion fruit chocolates by jamescronin.
You may have forgotten with all the Super Bowl hoopla, talk of chocolate rivers and birthdays for our mothers, but Valentine’s Day is this coming Sunday. Remember to make this a sweet holiday for your special sweetie. Everyone loves a little candy, so stop by your favorite store and stock up.
I just got a Valentine’s Day gift from Susan, who was in New York yesterday with Jacques Torres, one of our favorite chocolatiers. Jacques’ work is incredible. It may be a bit late to order something from him, but if you are in New York, stop by one of his stores. In LA? Stop by and see Hasty Torres. Together they are a prime example of how chocolate brings people together and makes love grow. Great folks.
Think chocolate is too normal for Valentine’s Day? How about a gift basket of classic or old-time candies? Sweethearts, Mary Janes, NECCO Wafers, circus peanuts, mints, Boston Baked Beans, Lemonheads – they are all timeless in their appeal. Sometimes classic candies can be a great way to show that your love, strong as it is, is a classic itself.
What are you getting for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day?
The National Retail Federation just announced the results of its annual survey, which showed a number of interesting predictions for Valentine’s Day spending. Check this out:
- On average, each person will spend $103 on the holiday.
- Spending on friends, coworkers and pets (yes, I said pets) is up while spending on significant others is down.
- Men will spend about twice as much as women will, dropping $135.35 as opposed to women’s relatively miserly $72.28.
- Candy is the second most popular Valentine’s gift, with 47.2% of people expecting to buy it, bracketed by cards (54.9%) and flowers (35.6%).
Ladies, while you are out and about buying gifts for your coworkers, don’t forget that we guys like candy and pretty things too. Let’s try to balance the Valentine’s Day spend gender disparity once and for all. Tori, Susan, Susan and Laura, I hope you are reading this. I expect some nice goodies from you on that special day.
So how much are you planning to spend? And what do you plan to buy?
Chocolate heart by Bob.Fornal.
