Hot Cocoa & Marshmallow 3 Musketeers

If you're not ready for Christmas yet, then you need a shot in the eye because this holiday is rapidly approaching!  I only finished my Christmas shopping today and, of course, I'm second guessing everything I purchased.  Will this person like that?  Will that person like this?  At the end of the day, It's the thought that truly counts, but so does the gift receipt and that's why I keep everything handed back to me.  It gives me piece of mind and, now that I'm done, it's on to wrapping and celebrating.  Unlike some of you lucky bums, I'm only off from work for the next two days, but I'm going to take it, savor it, and make the most of my 48 hours.  Need a delicious way to do the same?  Go find these!

I did my research and, from what I gathered, these aren't new for 2013.  Apparently these were available last year and were pretty popular.  But see, in 2012, I didn't pay any mind to holiday products because I wasn't focusing on The Holidaze.  I barely had enough money to buy presents for my loved ones, let alone anything extra to waste on food and candy.  Thankfully, times have changed and I've been able to enjoy the best of both worlds.  Believe it or not, being able to indulge in a bag on Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeers and still go crazy on gifts for my loved ones is a blessing.  Not to mention how much my tongue thanks me.

Under normal circumstances, I generally avoid 3 Musketeers Candy.  I've always gone for the Snickers and Milky Way first and, if I had no other choice, the chocolatey trio would be my last resort for a sugar fix.  But when you read that they've changed their flavor for the season and release a Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow variety, you give the brand it's due and pick a bag up.  Believe me, it wasn't easy to find!  I looked at Target, Wal-Mart, Stop&Shop, and Shop Rite before finally stumbling across a bag at CVS.  Who woulda thunk?  It was a nice surprise, especially because I had given up my search, and now they won't go down the same drain as Gingerbread Oreo cookies.  They've alluded me once again.

Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeers minis don't look very different, but the flavor certainly is a welcomed change.  Yeah, for the most part, this is still a 3 Musketeers bar, but there's a hint of Hot Chocolate and it's enough to make this candy special.  It's obviously small, so if you chomp down and devour it with one or two bites, you're definitely going to bypass and miss the subtle flavor.  This is something you need to eat slowly and move around in your mouth.  I'm walking a fine line between sounding overly fat or sexual, but you need to suck it in order to taste it.  Sorry, there's no other way of saying it.  Put it in your mouth, suck it, swallow, and repeat.  Where your mind takes you from here is on you.  I take no responsibility ;)

If we can get our mind out of the gutter for a second, this is seriously one of my favorite Christmas candies.  It's new to me, and maybe it is to you, but it's been around for a bit and I think that's a testament to it's popularity.  If you can find them, give them a shot.  I don't think you can go wrong with this one.

Peppermint M&M's

It just seems like they're constantly releasing new M&M flavors!  I'm sure you've seen these before, because I know I have, but The Holidaze is behind on the Christmas times so I want to cover as much as I can in the short amount of time we have left.  If we're going to celebrate the season, we need to talk about everything - big and little - even if they've been released in the past.  Because next year, if these are discontinued, we can say we mentioned them.  For example, did you know there were Sugar Cookie Twix, last year?  I sure as hell didn't and now I regret missing out on the now extinct greatness!

When I first heard about these white chocolate peppermint M&M's, I was searching the Internet for various Christmas products.  This stood out to me because I couldn't find them and, on Ebay, they were selling for $15 a bag.  Really?  Were they that rare?  Was I gonna have to splurge on a bag of candy that I may not even like?  The answer is... no.  They're easy to find and readily available, somebody was just trying to cash in.  I'm sure somebody, somewhere, was suckered into the trap.  If they're reading The Holidaze, I hope they know I found stacks and stacks of Peppermint M&M's at Target.  Sorry, bud.. I was almost you.

I like how much they're using the snarky, sarcastic, red M&M to sell their products.  Out of all their characters, he's the closest thing to a used car salesman.  He gives you a smirk, points out the beauty of his candy, throws on a Santa hat to welcome your friendship, then charges you $15 for a bag you could have had for $3.  Isn't that how it goes?  He's good, and I like him, but I'll say it again - he needs a name.  I'm tired of calling him "The Red M&M."  I don't even like "Red," I just want him to have a traditional name like Joe or Bob.  It's funnier.. What would you name Red?

These were obviously going to be red and white colored and anything different would have been a disappointment and epic fail.  We knew that wouldn't happen, and that's a good thing because these are perfect for the season.  Everything from the bag design to the candy coating is red and white and emits a true feeling of winter.  You'd think blue would do a better job than red, but not when it's paired with white.  Peppermint is probably the number one Christmas flavor and nothing does it better than the Candy Cane.  Hence, red and white M&M's.  How come this stuff was never mentioned in College?  I could write pages and pages on the color of candy but couldn't write a paragraph about "The Great Gatsby."  Grown up, baby!

Usually, whenever I try these white chocolate + random flavor concoctions, I don't taste anything out of the ordinary.  Use the Candy Corn M&M's as the perfect example.  However, this time, they really hit the nail on the head and did a great job!  These are, without a doubt, my favorite Holiday M&M's and it's with good reason - the truly taste like Peppermint!  Yeah, there's the subtle hint of white chocolate, and that's to be expected, but it's not overwhelming and walks the line perfectly.  

So if you're only going to buy one of the 472 M&M flavors this season, I'd make this the winner.  They look and taste like Christmas and that's enough to make up for those damn Pumpkin Spice M&M's last October.

Gingerbread TWIX

First off, let me just say - Happy December!! Only 24 days to go, friends!

Now, when I first starting searching for new, and not-so-new, holiday items, the first two to pop out at me were pretty damn awesome.  The first were those ever-so popular Gingerbread M&M's.  But the second, and even more enticing to me than the former, were Gingerbread Twix!!

I'm a big fan of Twix cookie bars, and we'll get into that a bit more in a later post, so I was pumped to see that they were releasing a limited-edition Gingerbread variety.  I looked everywhere to find them and it seemed as though they were becoming more allusive than the yet-to-be found Gingerbread Oreo cookies.  I looked to Ebay, but couldn't justify spending so much money on a bag of candy during what's already such an expensive season.  So, I gave it some time, kept my fingers crossed, and eventually found these babies at Target.  At first, I walked right by them because they blended in so well with the traditional bag, but those smiling Gingerbread men didn't let me get far.

When you take a closer look at the packaging, it's very well done while remaining true to the traditional Twix color and style.  They've added a few swirls to represent the caramel and, of course, two very festive Gingerbread men all decked out in their decorative icing for the holidays.  Although I missed them at first, it's hard to imagine how I could.  As such a big fan of packaging and graphic design, this is something I shouldn't miss at all.

Besides design, I always talk about going the extra mile and, yes, Twix definitely added that little bit extra and it goes a long way.  Take a look at the metallic Twix wrapper.  Not only is it brown and shiny, which is to be expected from Twix, but they added tiny Gingerbread men to the design!  You have to look closely when you purchase your own bag, because this picture actually makes them pop much more than the human eye, but they're there and they're beautiful.  It adds so much to the season.  Now, I don't feel like I'm about to open a regular mini Twix bar, I feel like it's something special and for the holidays.  It doesn't take much to do what Twix did and takes even less to make this nerd happy :)

Looking at the Twix cookie bar, you wouldn't expect anything out of the ordinary.  It looks traditional, but there is a faint smell of Gingerbread and it's enough to let you know that the season is upon us.  Now, I'm a fan of Gingerbread, so I was expecting greatness, but if you like Gingerbread the way I like Pumpkin Spice, then you should probably stop reading right now ;)

Gingerbread is gingerbread, but there are different levels and varieties and this one falls very high on the list of "extreme" gingerbread.  At first, even I wasn't sure what to think.  I actually didn't like them after the first few bites and that surprised me.  But, I realized, it's because I was expecting a traditional Twix flavor and that was throwing me off.  I've never had any Twix outside of the classics, so it's odd biting into one and tasting something that your mind says shouldn't be there.  But believe me, once I had my tastebuds talk to my mind and convince him that this is all going to be okay, it was awesome.  I just had one as I typed this to re-affirm my love for Gingerbread Twix and we're in the clear.  They're a bit bitter, maybe taste more like cinnamon than gingerbread, but it works and it works wonderfully.  I'm not sure if I like these more than the Gingerbread M&M's, but if you like gingerbread, you really can't go wrong with either one of these brands.  Pick 'em both up, have a taste test, throw a party, and enjoy the new candy gifted to us this Christmas.  It's the little things, really :)

Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch

Wow, can you believe Thanksgiving has come and gone as quickly as it did?  The holidays are truly sneaking up on us and leaving in a hurry.  For as much as I'd like the work weeks to speed up, I want Christmas to take it's sweet time getting to me.  The 25 days of Christmas are upon us and though that may seem like a lot of time to shop, write, party, drink, laugh, and wrap, it's going to move much faster than we realize.  So, because we've reached the last day of November and I'm still recovering from the Thanksgiving overload, I have a quick post for you about a box of $1.00 candy.

When walking down the holiday aisles and scouring through the Christmas section for seasonal items, I see a lot that I overlook and don't consider worthy of my time and effort.  There are some things I buy for me and The Holidaze, and then there are others that I buy for The Holidaze alone.  If it doesn't fit either of those categories, then on the shelf it sits.  Normally, Junior Mints would be one of those products, but not this year.  Because The Holidaze has neglected Christmas in the past, this box of candy may or may not be new, but either way, between the Christmas box and classic Rankin/Bass font, I certainly wasn't passing up on Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch!

Now, if you've never tried these, you may be asking yourself -- what separates these from everything else I've ignored and left sitting on the Island of Misfit Products?  Well, with me, it doesn't take much and the fact that they added "real candy crunch" to the outer shell of these traditional Junior Mints made all the difference.  I just had to see what they looked like and how much of a change these crunchies made to the texture.  And no, Google and other reviews simply wouldn't suffice this time around.

Obviously, the Junior Mints look much more round, smooth, and chocolatey brown on the box art, but that's what I expected.  Junior Mints always come out looking like little black mushroom heads.  However, they're usually much smoother in their traditional pack and I attribute the bumpiness to the candy crunch.  Already, we've found one difference that they've made and, honestly, I don't know if I like it.  The little indentations and change in appearance make the Junior Mints much less appealing, but I was willing to overlook that because of the seasonal effort they put into the recipe.  There had to be a good reason for these distorted Junior Mints to be on sale.

I can't remember the last time I actually bought a box of Junior Mints, but I'm willing to bet it was at a movie theater.  Even then, it was probably because they were sold out of Raisinets, Gummy Bears, and Sour Patch Kids.  What I'm saying is, Junior Mints are never my first choice when buying candy, but they've definitely climbed through the ranks with their Peppermint Crunch.  These are so much better with the candy pieces that I think they should keep them in the mix from here on out.

The traditional Junior Mint flavor hasn't changed, but the texture has and it's enough to make this feel like an entirely new product.  Forget about their shape and appearance, because this is more than that.  Instead of biting down into a gooey Junior Mint that lasts one or two bites before it's gone, now you have a little crunch.  Now you find yourself looking for the little candy pieces to chew.  Who woulda thought a Junior Mint could give us so much to do in the span of 7 seconds?  Now, whenever I go to the movies between today and Christmas, this is the candy I'll be sneaking in with me.  In fact, I may just bring these with me to see "Frozen," tomorrow.  Sounds chilly...

Gingerbread M&M's

This is a big one, guys!  This is one of those seasonal products that make so much sense that you just can't believe it hasn't been done before.  But over the last few years, M&M's and Oreos have been indirectly going at it in the who-can-release-more-flavors challenge.  We've seen everything from Pumpkin Spice and Cherry Cordial to Carrot Cake and Peppermint.  No, they haven't all been covered on The Holidaze, but they should be and, hopefully, will be at some point.  But, on this day, we're talking about our main attraction - Gingerbread M&M's!

I know Christmas is all about family and that's what I dedicate most of my time to during this season, but in terms of products, these are the types that make me happier than others.  The bag alone is perfect for the holidays and can sit on a table as a decorative item and totally pass as acceptable.  We have the sarcastic Red M&M (they really need to name these guys) wearing a Santa hat and holding a giant gingerbread cookie on a plate branded with the M&M logo.  For somebody like me, that's enough to sell this bag.  I love promotional art and package design, so this hits a home run.  Plus, he's pointing at the cookie as if to say, "Yeah, see this? You know you want it."

Yep.. I do, nameless Red M&M!

The M&M's are appropriately colored for the Christmas season.  We have red, green, and brown to represent the gingerbread man who's been chopped up and blended into the recipe.  Now you go from having a decorative bag to having an equally effective bowl of M&M's that add just a little extra to the Christmas spirit.  Any time you can insert some more red and green into your environment, go ahead and do it.  You'll feel more Christmassy.

This is just one of many - MANY- gingerbread flavored products that you'll see come and go throughout the season, but it was a must-buy for this guy.  I like gingerbread, so I had to see what these tasted like.  If I was going to suffer through those damn Pumpkin Spice M&M's, I was definitely going to enjoy a bag of Gingerbread M&M's.  Fair trade off, if you ask me..

As somebody who likes gingerbread, I loved these.  In all honesty, I tasted more chocolate than anything else, but that little hint of gingerbread flavor was good enough to make this a bag of Christmas joy.  However, when my girlfriend tried one, she thought it was disgusting.  She couldn't believe I, being such a picky eater, actually liked it.  Even my Mom said they taste like medicine.  I was so confused that I asked my Dad to try them and he, like me, thought they were good and tasted nothing more than a traditional M&M.  

So the debate rages on.  Have you tried Gingerbread M&M's?  What's your opinion? I'm sticking with my taste buds and calling these a success for Mars Candy.  Now I just have to find the other 86 bags of flavors they release.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town Candy

Well, here we go, guys!  As far as I'm concerned, Halloween is long gone and it's now time to dive head first into the Christmas season.  To be honest, I've never celebrated this early before.  Usually, I don't begin any of my traditional festivities until after Thanksgiving.  However, between The Holidaze and my excitement, I just couldn't wait to kick things off.  I've already looked for things to write about, food to make, and presents to buy.  I'm already pumped to hit up NYC to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and possibly catch a Christmas Spectacular showing at Radio City Music Hall.  I'm really not sure what's in store just yet, but I know I'll do my best to make this one of the most memorable Christmas seasons I've seen in a long time.

Now, since we haven't even reached mid-November yet, we're going to start off slowly.  To do so, let me introduce you to Butterfinger and Nestle Crunch variations of Santa Claus is Comin' to Town chocolate candy bars!  Jeez, that's a mouthful..

These are nothing new to me, but they may be to you.  I'm sure you're all familiar with the classic Santa Claus is Comin' to Town claymation but, if you're not, then you need to look below and check the ABC Family schedule to find out the earliest airing this year.  It's legendary and, for that reason, it's no wonder why Nestle releases these candy bars every year.  What's better?  They've updated last year's wrapper and logo.  It's perfect for the season and is always one of the first releases I find at Walgreens every year.  Whenever I do, I know the merry season is drawing near.

The actual candy sphere hasn't been updated in years, but it really doesn't need to be.  It features Santa Claus, snowflakes, and the original logo.  Other than that logo, which is much more classic than the new one, there's nothing that needs to be changed.  In addition, the Butterfinger sphere is so much better than the bar, or even the pumpkin we discussed in September.  Whenever you lay a finger on a Butterfinger, you're almost guaranteed to get pieces stuck in your teeth.  But not with this Butterfinger!  This is reminds me so much of the Dairy Queen Butterfinger Blizzard.  It's so good, that I actually ate this candy three days ago, well before I even meant to.  I had to take the pictures earlier than anticipated simply because the craving struck.  They're that good, guys!

The Nestle Crunch version is almost identical, except for the fact that the wrapper is blue rather than orange.  Actually, I don't know if you would consider the Butterfinger wrapper orange or yellow.  I think, if I had a box of Crayola Crayons, I'd probably use Macaroni and Cheese to fill in any Butterfinger coloring book pages.  But how stupid would I have sounded if I said "blue rather than macaroni and cheese?"  Oh, that's right, about as stupid as I was to even think about a Butterfinger coloring book.  Moving on..

I actually like the Nestle Crunch wrapper better because it reminds me of a snowy night in the North Pole.  It better depicts what it would be like on Christmas Eve as Santa was gearing up for his night around the world.  However, when it comes to taste, I'm sticking with the Butterfinger.

Really nothing to say about the chocolate sphere that comes with the Nestle Crunch wrapper, because it's the same design.  Part of me wishes they changed things up, but I appreciate the package art much more than the candy itself, anyway.  However, if I really wanted to be a stickler, I'd love to see different characters introduced next year.  Let's get the Winter Warlock on one of these spheres in 2012!  How awesome would he look engraved in chocolate?

If you see these, and you probably will, buy them.  At my local Walgreens, they were 53 cents.  In this economy, that's what I call a bargain.  For a regular Butterfinger and Nestle Crunch?  Meh.. But for a Santa Claus is Comin' to Town themed Butterfinger and Nestle Crunch?  You know it!  I've already eaten each of these, but I'll probably pick up a few more before the week ends.  I suggest you do, too.

Now, before I end, let's quickly go back to the colors of each wrapper.  We have blue, and we have orange.  When I think of the Rankin-Bass classics, those two colors remind me of two characters...The Miser Brothers!  While Santa will always be the main man when it comes to Christmas, I'd love to see the Heat Miser and Snow Miser get their time to shine.  So, if anybody from Nestle ever reads this, you need to throw them on the wrappers next year.  With blue and macaroni and cheese wrappers, it only makes sense ;)