Dipped Caramel Apple Granola Bars

This time of year, we usually spend so much time talking about the big name brands that the smaller ones tend to fall to the wayside.  Sometimes, the little engine that could turns out to be much stronger than we gave him credit for.  Other times, we realize they're small for a reason and they confirm why they're much less-known than the big dogs.  Which category will today's Halloween treat fall into?  Well, we're talking about Market Pantry, and extension of the Target brand, and they've surprised me a few times in the past.  Market Pantry certainly goes all out for the seasons and does their part in celebrating the holidays, but not everything has been solid.  Today, we're talking about a product that sounds amazing, but may be too much of a long-shot to actually be any good.

Caramel Apple Twizzlers

No way, another Caramel Apple product?? Oh yeah, get used to it because it's surely been the theme of the season!  Everybody is getting involved, everybody is throwing their hat into the ring, and we're all reaping the rewards of their hustle.  Over the last few years, I've demanded companies to go above and beyond to bring us more seasonal products.  Many people have and although I'm merely a tiny goldfish in this deep ocean, I like to think we've all collectively gotten our message across.  Things like this make Halloween more enjoyable and obviously our voice makes an impact.  Look at the return of Surge, for example.  That's the power people hold, especially in this day and age of social media. Together, at the risk of flavoring every single thing on earth either Pumpkin or Caramel Apple, we've asked for more and have received just that.  That's why this nerd isn't complaining about yet another Caramel Apple candy!

Brach's Caramel Apple Candy Corn

While I'm obviously having a blast bringing you my Holidaze Pop! collection, that's merely a bonus during this amazing time of year.  The Holidaze, at it's very core, thrives on products, new and old, that bring out a certain emotion.  Whether it be that of nostalgia or making completely new memories with family and friends, a few bucks spent on junk can actually go a really long way.  In today's case, I can't find much nostalgia attached, but it's fun to say "Brach's" like I'm Paul Heyman introducing you to the next big thing.  When I scream it out loud to nobody in particular and all 4 of my readers, it makes this post feel much more special than it actually is.

Caramel Apple Blow Pop Lollipops

As usual this time of year, work and real-life tends to get in the way of posting on The Holidaze.  I don't know when people will begin to realize how important it is to write about toys and candy, but we're not going to let that ruin our fun.  Continuing with this season's unofficial Caramel Apple theme, I'm back today to talk to you about the newest Blow Pop lollipop flavor.  I think I was as surprised as anybody to see Tootsie break away from their traditional flavors to join in on the Halloween celebration, but it's certainly welcomed!  As a kid, Blow Pops were amazing!  Because they were more readily available on an individual basis, I had no problem dishing out a few cents to enjoy a Sour Apple lollipop.  Let's face it, that's the top taste and most popular flavor of the classics.  Watermelon is a close second, but it's still no contest.  That's why this bag stood out to me so much!

Caramel Apple Laffy Taffy

When I told you that this season belonged to the Caramel Apple flavor, I wasn't kidding!  As I write this, I have at least 4 new Caramel Apple products in my kitchen and we're only half-way through September.  Although Pumpkin Spice may be the unofficial flavor of Fall, there's no denying Caramel Apple is making a strong run at the title.  No matter what aisle you turn down, you're bound to find companies cashing in on Caramel Apple's popularity!

Caramel Apple Oreo Cookies

These have been out for a few weeks now, but after today's announcement that Nabisco will be releasing Pumpkin Spice Oreo Cookies on September 24th, it was only right that I finally bring these Caramel Apple Oreo Cookies to The Holidaze!!

Jolly Rancher Caramel Apple Lollipops

Well, it's been a while and I don't like that.  I recently started a new job and that's great news, but it requires so much time and effort that I now find myself in bed by 10pm every night.  That leaves very little time for The Holidaze and, personally, my Halloween season is taking a big hit.  But that doesn't mean the season is dead, that just means I have to go about things differently.  While I may not be able to post as often, I'll still do my best to make the most out of the spooky time of year and share those experiences with all of you.  To make somewhat of a comeback, I bring to you a product I've yet to see on any other blogs..

Jolly Rancher Caramel Apple Lollipops!

My very first Holidaze post focused on Caramel Apple Lollipops.  It featured the classic pops from Tootsie that we've all seen on store shelves.  They used to be a seasonal item, but now you'll find them throughout the entire year.  They're good!  They're green apple flavored with chewy caramel.  9 times outta 10, that equals delicious.  But if I'm being honest, the only reason that was my first post was because it was 9/10/11 and hardly any Halloween products were available.  Yet, I was too excited to start writing and I picked up the first thing I could relate to the season.  Hence, a star was born.  But today, as I tell you about JOLLY RANCHER Caramel Apple Lollipops, it has nothing to do with desperation or needing a filler.  No, these popped out at me and screamed Fall.  Now, if only the weather would be so cooperative.

When I was a kid, my cousin and I used to buy 5 cent Jolly Ranchers all the time.  We loved them.  I used to buy the hard-candy packs and suck on them instead of Halls cough drops when I was sick.  It did nothing to help my cold, but did wonders for the taste buds.  It was like eating Luden's in school.  We all know it was candy we could eat in class and get away with.  I tried doing the same with Jolly Ranchers and my favorite was always Green Apple.  The Watermelon flavor comes in close behind in second, but gets slightly edged out.  So when I saw that my favorite flavor was being combined with the taste of caramel to create an upgraded Caramel Apple Lollipop??  It was on like Donkey Kong.

In terms of packaging, I like these wrappers a lot.  The design doesn't represent Halloween, but it's really not supposed to.  Over the years, thanks to places like Starbucks and Yankee Candle, seasonal products have grown from spooky skulls and Snickers to Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple.  Now, as consumers, we get the best of both worlds and, for me, that's what makes Fall the greatest season of all.  Besides the obvious colors, that's what this wrapper symbolizes.

When you compare the way these Jolly Rancher Lollipops look next to the Tootsie variety, there's no contest.  Jolly Rancher wins, hands down.  Unlike the Tootsie Pop, this actually has a shape, size, and texture.  It has a real appearance and isn't just a big blob of candy thrown on a stick.  I know that doesn't seem very important, but I like the extra attention to detail.  These stand out as classics and remind me of when I was a kid and chomped down on cheap Cherry lollipops from the dollar store.  Besides that, I like to think Sam from "Trick R Treat" would use this a substitute if he ever discarded his Pumpkin Sucker.  It looks that cool.

What can I say about flavor?  Well, let me put it this way -- I opened this Caramel Apple Lollipop to try and throw away.  Before I realized it, the entire pop was gone.  It's delicious and, unfortunately for Tootsie, this could put their lollipops out of business.  There's a new hot shot in town and he's sponsored by Jolly Rancher.  With this lollipop, it's completely hard candy.  There's no chewiness or stickiness.  There are no fillings.  It's just a traditional lollipop with two contrasting flavors that work perfectly together.  One second you're tasting the Green Apple Jolly Rancher, then the next you're tasting a Sugar Daddy.  It's a whirlwind of flavor and taste that makes for an awesome Fall treat.  For some reason, these are either underrated or unheard of, but I've only seen them at Rite-Aid and they deserve a chance to shine!

I knew Sam would like the Jolly Rancher Caramel Apple Lollipops!!  They're perfect for Trick R Treating!

Halloween Dollar Candy

Yep, it's Candy Time! Work has been a bit busy lately and I haven't had as much time as I would like to dedicate myself to The Holidaze, but this is my favorite time of year and, really, not much can stop me from Halloween cereal, treats, drinks, decorations, haunted houses and, in tonight's case, candy!!

When you go back to the root of Halloween, you'll most likely find candy as the number one reason behind your love for it.  When you're a kid, there are two things you care about on October 31st -- Dressing up in your costume and Trick-or-Treating.  Who didn't love walking from house to house, ringing the doorbell in hopes that somebody would open their door and greet you with candy!  Sometimes, you'd get a Milky Way.  Other times, you'd get a Snickers.  Hell, I even found a dollar every now and then.  As a kid, I pushed right past that.  As an adult, I'd love to go Trick-or-Treating for dollars.  That's why there's a donate button on the right-side column ;)

Now that I'm too old to go Trick-or-Treating, I don't care about the big bags of candy or mini Hershey bars.  Don't get me wrong, they taste great, but I look for candy that ignites an emotion.  I want something that represents Halloween more than I want tasty snacks.  In fact, I don't even care if it tastes good at all.  I just want to look at fancy Halloween art and cool candy.  Taste, at this stage, is just a bonus!

There are three varieties of Halloween Dots that come out every year.  Last year, we covered the Candy Corn and Bat Dots.  One was good, the other wasn't.  Go back and check which was which.  But by looking at the sign above (found at Stop & Shop) you can see there is yet another flavor that I never got to last year... Ghost Dots!!

I never picked this box up last year because I wasn't thrilled with the flavors.  Bat Dots were a cool Blood Orange.  Candy Corn was obviously Candy Corn flavored.  But Bat Dots?  Boring assorted fruit!  I totally get why they went this route.  A ghost is mystical.  You can't see him until he decides to present himself to you.  That's the catch here.  Since every Dot is the same color, each and every one is a mystery.  Is it Orange?  Is it Lemon?  You won't know until you chomp into the happy ghost and find out.  The concept makes sense, I just like unique flavors.

So why did I buy them this year?  Well, for one, I already tried the others.  But more specifically, that box is awesome.  I love the smiling ghost Dot with his transparent arms and body.  I like the way he hovers and looks as if he's wearing an invisible cloak.  The glow around the logo is ghoulish and the purple box works so much better than black.  

The box is cool, and so is the color of these Dots.  Who doesn't love eating green candy?  But, like I said, I'm not really into the assorted flavors.  However, at least they actually chose a unanimous color and didn't choose the rainbow path.  That would have been a deal breaker.  Really, the only thing that sells this box is the art, the color, and the "mystery."  Other than that, I'd say go with one of the following dollar boxes!

I absolutely love this box art!  Black background, Orange text and border, along with a man wrapped in toilet paper.  No, I know, he's supposed to be a Mummy, but that's not as fun.  I'm pretending that he's a 25-year-old guy who talks about Halloween candy and chose to wear 3 rolls of toilet paper to embrace the Holidaze.  The world needs more guys like that, don't ya think? ;)

I bought this box because of the art, but also with the hope that this "Mummy Mix" is black and orange.  Even though I know it's assorted, just like the Ghost Dots, I would absolutely love seeing black and orange Mike and Ike candy pieces.  You couldn't ask for better colors and fruit flavored black candy is a hell of a lot better than fruit flavored green candy.  This could be legendary, but the fact that the names of those flavors are rainbow has me on alert.  What do you think they're going to be?  Let's see!!

Booooo!  And not the type of Boo a ghost makes, the type of Boo I make at a Knicks game!  This was a disappointment.  With a box so cool, how in the world do you not sync things up on the inside?  There are a few orange pieces, and the purple can pass for black, and that would have been close enough for me.  But they didn't change a thing but their box.  Again, BOO!

I love Hot Tamales, but never enjoyed Mike and Ike.  Had it not been for the box design, I would have never ever purchased these.  And now that I know they haven't changed the candy colors to be more Halloweeny, I will never buy them again.  Even though I don't like the taste of Mike and Ike, I would have suffered through them just to say I had some black and orange candy.  But now, I'll probably let them sit on my counter until I make some type of gingerbread house...in December.  These aren't going anywhere near my Haunted House!  Ah well, if you do happen to enjoy Mike and Ike candy, then you're lucky to get such an awesome box with a candy you love.  That obviously creates a better 'daze!!  Luckily for me, I have more candy!!

Lifesavers Gummies presents us a simple box, but one that features three monsters that make it perfect.  Frankenstein (I don't call him Frankenstein's Monster,) Dracula, and a real Mummy!  They're drawn so well and we know they're evil because they live in a Haunted House surrounded by bats.  We can't be sure if they're using their bags to Trick-or-Treat or steal our candy.  One thing is for sure, if they want to take out Lifesaver Gummies, there's no doubt they'll do it!  And in the case of Mike and Ike, I'll make them take it just to get it out of my kitchen.

I've had Lifesavers Gummies before.  I remember the first time I ever saw them.  If I remember correctly, there was an awesome commercial featuring the Gummies bouncing around to show off their durability.  Obviously, we needed to know how soft they are compared to their counterparts.  They're great.  They taste good and I've never had any complaints.  So, for the first time ever, I had to get the Spooky Shapes edition.

Here, we have a lime green Moon, a maroon witch, a forest green pumpkin, a red ghost, and a maroon black cat.  There aren't any flavors listed anywhere on the box, so I can only guess which each one is supposed to be.  Ya figure we have lime, cherry, strawberry, and possibly watermelon?  I can't be sure, but I can tell you that they're all tasty.  My only gripe, and this isn't Lifesavers Gummies' fault, is that they aren't more like fruit snacks.  Obviously they have to my gummy textured, but I just can't get over how cool these would be if they were more like the "Sharks" fruit snacks!  Those were, are, and will forever be my favorite fruit snacks and I'd love to see a Halloween version.  Instead of looking for the rare Great White shark, we could go hunting for an orange pumpkin or a black black cat!  Actually, come to think of it, this idea seems too simple to not have been done.  This will now become a 2012 mission -- to find Halloween Fruit Snacks!!

While there may not be a white shark in my box of Lifesavers Gummies, there was that monster shrouded in a sea of tiny shapes.  It's the classic Lifesaver Gummi that somehow made it into my box rather than it's traditional home.  I feel bad for the guy.  Despite his size, he stands no chance up against the Spooky critters lurking around him.  They'll eat him up quicker than I do.

Boogers!!  Flix Candy brings us gummy BOOGERS!  The box is awesome, especially the demented chef, but Boogers? How gross is that?  It's so gross that I actually picked this box up and put it back before convincing myself that this is just candy!  I couldn't get that into my head.  For Halloween, we'll find brains, arms, legs, teeth, and eye candy.  With them, I have no problems accepting that they're a fun novelty.  But these Boogers really played with my mind.  Look at the description!  "Tangy Gummy Boogies that Look & Feel Real!"  I appreciate the fact that they called them "boogies," because that's funny, but it just sounds so disgusting.  But since it didn't say "taste real," I convinced myself that they're candy, even if it's "SsssNot Your Regular Gummy!"

Ever had a gummy bear?  They taste great.  I've never met anybody who doesn't enjoy a gummy bear every now and then.  Well, imagine putting a gummy bear in your mouth and struggling to keep your vomit down.  That's what this was like.  Not because they taste bad, because they don't.  But because I kept thinking that a tiny Mexican in a sweatshop picked their nose for days to create my box of boogers.  I knew it wasn't true, but they gooey feeling and texture after I chewed had me fooled.  But, luckily, I'm not crazy enough to actually believe I'm eating Boogers for long and I was able to enjoy a few of these without any mind games.  Believe me, if you can get past the Boogers theme, or if you just enjoy eating disturbing items, then this is the perfect Halloween candy for you!

Out of all the dollar Halloween candy I found so far this year, Caramel Apple Sugar Babies candy is my number one choice!  I don't know if they're new, but they're new to me and this box caught my eye immediately.  I love the bright green and yellow colors.  The confetti, despite what seems to be bacon falling from the sky, evokes a party atmosphere.  But the clincher?  The sugar babies appear to be coated in a green shell!  Did they actually change the candy to match their Fall box?  Or are they messing with my senses to make me waste a buck?  Either way, I had to find out!

They're GREEEEN!!  Yes!  They weren't lying and It's sad how excited it made me.  They look like baby pears or peas on steroid, but no, these are Caramel Apple Sugar Babies and they couldn't look cooler.  I mean, maybe they could have made them red, but green is cooler for Halloween.  Now, I haven't had a Sugar Baby or Sugar Daddy in years, but even though they've always gotten stuck in my teeth, I've always liked them.  Now that they're green, this is a win!

The flavor is so distinct and easy to describe.  At first, you taste Sour Apple.  It's like eating a Charms Sour Apple Blow Pop.  Only, this time, there's a caramel Sugar Baby in the middle, rather than bubble gum.  They taste great and, believe it or not, the green candy coating lessens the amount of caramel that gets stuck in your teeth.  So not only have they enhanced the look, they've enhanced the texture.  I guess you could say that these are technically Sour Caramel Apple Sugar Babies, but I just choose to call them GOOD!  Buy them!

So those are the dollar Halloween candy boxes I've found so far.  Some are good, some not so much.  But they each bring a little something different to The Holidaze and, at the end of the day, that's all that matters!  Check out what you want and try as many as you'd like.  None of these are horrible and, really, you can't go long with any Halloween candy!  Go out, buy more, and enjoy!  If you find any that I haven't seen, let me know @HolidazeBlog or leave a comment!

Caramel Apple Milky Way

This was a nice surprise!  While at a meeting yesterday, I got a text from my cousin, Meghan (Follow her @MegIsHellaCool on Twitter.. she really is hella cool!).  In her text, she told me that she heard Milky Way made a Caramel Apple flavor and it would be great for The Holidaze.  She was right, that would be perfect for The Holidaze.  I was pretty pumped up, but didn't let on.  I just said thanks and that I'd check it out.  Little did she know I planned on hunting these down like a scavenger as soon as I was done with work!  On my way home, I stopped at Rite Aid in hopes of finding the rumored Caramel Apple Milky Way.

Well, at first, all I found were a bunch of pumpkin shaped Reeses and Butterfingers.  That's great, but we covered those last year.  I saw the Caramel Apple Lollipops, but again, that was reviewed in the very first Holidaze post ever! We need to find something new and what could be better than these Milky Ways?  They had to be somewhere, and they were, but I was looking in the wrong place.  I was thinking along the lines of a Milky Way bar.  But once I started thinking Mini's and scoured through the thousands of bags of Halloween candy, there they were.  Right in front of me.  In all their glory!

Once I finally found them, I tried figuring out why I didn't see them before.  I was in that exact same Rite Aid a night earlier and these never popped out at me.  How is that possible?  My Halloween Hunting skills are obviously not as sharp as they should be just yet.  This is something I usually wouldn't miss, but probably would have again if it weren't for the heads up from my cousin.  If not for her, we might have never found these beautiful Caramel Apple Milky Way Mini's.  What a shame that would have been!

Looking at the bag, how can you not love it before trying it?  First of all, the bag is red.  Has there ever been a red Milky Way bag?  I can't think of any.  I know I've seen green for Christmas.  I know it's also been clear.  I've seen dark brown/black and even a bit of purple, but I don't think there has ever been a red Milky Way bag.  Little things like this make me way too happy to be considered normal.  Then you add in the "Caramel Apple" text in some type of syrup font (that I tried to replicate in the banner) along with the caramel apple graphic and "Limited Harvest Flavor" leaf??  Are you kidding me?  I haven't taken a bite and I'm already in love with this.  Milky Way.. you had me at Harvest..

I really like the mini wrappers because Milky Way did a fine job of making sure these represented Fall and not Christmas.  Had they added too much green or not enough gold, the mood and atmosphere of this "Harvest" would have been lost.  Not everybody cares about wrappers and bags, but I do!  Having gone to school for PR/Marketing, I understand that those things are the first thing a customer sees and it's important to reel them in from the first glance.  Granted, I totally missed these the first time around, but regardless, I really do appreciate the attention to detail and if you've been reading The Holidaze for a while, you'll know how much of a fan I am.

The only thing missing on the wrapper?  An apple!!  That was the first thing my girlfriend mentioned.  An apple on the wrapper would have been awesome, but beggars can't be choosers.  Especially when we're talking about little candy pieces ;)

Okay, moving on to the flavor now.  I was expecting to taste nothing more than a regular Milky Way with, maybe, a bit more caramel than usual.  I didn't know how they were going to enhance the Fall feel or add an apple flavor.  The only way I saw fit was to change the flavor of that classic nougat.  As expected, that's exactly what they did and did it perfectly!

This tastes amazing!  It obviously tastes like caramel, but I wouldn't say it really tastes like apple.  It's more like an apple cider or apple spice.  I'm not sure.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly what type of flavor this is, but I can guarantee that it reminds you of Fall.  It keeps that same, traditional, Milky Way flavor that everybody loves, but packs a big punch of Fall.  It's so good!  

So far this Holidaze, we've found Fall's alcohol, Fall's soda, and now, we've found Fall's candy.  This is it.  There's no topping it.  Reeses, Snickers and Butterfinger can shape their candy into whatever they see fit, but without changing the flavor, it's really just the same old candy.  But not the Caramel Apple Milky Way!  This is new, this is definitely different, and this is the best Fall candy you'll find this season.

Looking for a combo?

Oh yeah! Now we're talking! Pop in a scary movie, sit back, relax, and overdose on sugar.

Thanks, Meg!