Typically, when I’m looking for a fun and unique recipe that incorporates candy, I find myself searching through the oodles of inspiration the internet offers. After all, there are far more creative people out there than me, and if they’re willing to share their creations, who am I to not take them up on the offer? But this morning, as I sat on my front porch and enjoyed the sunshine and warm air, a little inspiration of my own struck. And now it’s my turn to pay it forward by throwing my little idea out into the universe!

A Lovely, Flavorful Front Lawn

Don’t get me wrong – for as delicious as some animals seem to find grass, it has never struck me as a scrumptious snack. That said, I do love me some sprinkles! My idea – which can be totally customized to include any number of additional delights – starts with a rectangular cake in your favorite flavor, generously coated with a layer of green icing. You can allow the green icing to serve as the grass all on its own, or add extra texture with green sprinkles.

Put Up a Fence

It might actually work better to put up the fence before the sprinkles, but really, either way should work fine. I find a white picket fence to be most attractive, spanning the full perimeter of the cake. As for what to construct your fence from? Candy sticks! (Note: Some of you may know these as candy cigarettes, though the name has been changed to sticks. The candy is still the same, though!)

Give Your Yard Some Life

From Sour Patch Kids to gummy bears, there are countless delicious inhabitants for your yard to consider! Other tasty options include gummy worms, mini gummy butterflies stuck to the fence with a dab of icing, and/or anise bears or cinnamon bears. If there’s room on your cake, you can even make a ‘swimming pool’ with blue sprinkles and fill it with gummy octopi, assorted Swedish Fish, Gummi Peach Penguins and more.

The options are truly endless, and I hope you’ll give this summery cake idea a try! If you want to get really inventive, consider adding a dog house made of graham crackers, or building a trampoline whose center is made of a Fruit Roll-Up. Or – a fire with little pretzels as logs! I don’t know where all these ideas are coming from today, but I like it.

When most people think of Blair Candy, they naturally think of the sweet stuff. Lollipops, licorice, gummy candy, nostalgic candy, and more. Lots more! But what you might not know is that we also stock the freshest, most sought-after snacks of the salty variety as well, perfect for filling your own pantry, or stocking a concession stand.

Our sweet tooth will always come first, but we’ve found there’s plenty of room on our shelves and in our heart for chips, Slim Jims, French Burnt Peanuts, and other salty snack must-haves. And if there’s room on your shelf and in your heart as well, here’s some tasty treats to consider adding to your order!

Lance Crackers – If you’ve never tasted Lance crackers before, now is your chance to order a new snack favorite! These affordable crackers are packed with flavor and make a great addition to school lunches or as a small something to keep hunger at bay mid-day or before dinner. We offer 2 peanut-butter filled varieties – Toasty and Toast Chee. Toasty have a more traditional cracker flavor and texture, while Toast Chee have a deliciously cheesy edge. I’m a Toast Chee crackers kind of lady myself, but they’re both great! With 0g Trans Fat and no preservatives, these are a snack you can feel good about. And with 20 packs in each box for just $6.00, your budget will love ‘em, too!

Freestone Deli Pickles – Nothing complements a sandwich and chips or a burger hot off the grill quite as perfectly as a large, crisp deli pickle! These individually-wrapped pickles are ideal for taking camping, on picnics, on road trips, and more. And, of course, you can also keep them in your fridge at home – I personally like ‘em best cold! Each is sealed in its juices in an individual pouch for maximum freshness and flavor. Choose from Dill, Kosher, Hot or Sour.

Planters Nuts – Maybe we love Planters nuts so much because of their adorable, iconic mascot, Mr. Peanut. Maybe we love Planters nuts so much because they found their flavorful beginning over 100 years ago in our home state of Pennsylvania. Or maybe we love Planters nuts so much because they’re so super good! It’s probably a combination of all those things and more, but at the end of the day, these are a Blair employee and customer favorite. You’ll find Dry Roasted Peanuts, Honey Roasted Peanuts, Salted Cashews, Dry Roasted Pistachios, Smoked Almonds and more in our extensive selection of Planters nuts.

We’ve got so much amazing new candy here at Blair, we couldn’t resist putting it in the spotlight any longer! From Sugar Free Life Savers to our Movie Theater Candy Gift Tub, we’ve been scouring the globe for the latest and greatest treats, and creating a few of our own in the process. Let’s take a closer look at a few of my personal favorites, shall we? I knew you’d say ‘yes’!

Smarties Gummies – 24 rolls per box – 10 yummy gummies per roll! In flavors of strawberry, orange, lemon, green apple and grape, this latest addition to the Smarties family of flavor is a two-toned gummy with a slightly creamy side. They are gluten-free and vegan, but are made in a facility that processes wheat and milk ingredients. And… they’re delicious and unique! Relying on the same style packaging as Smarties, they really stand out in a candy bowl or favor bag.

Candy Blox – 4.5 oz. box – tons of fun inside! The moment Candy Blox arrived at Blair Candy headquarters, yours truly was tearing open a box with childlike excitement and anticipation of supremely sweet fun. Let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed! While I was eventually pleasantly surprised by their terrific fruity flavor, the fun started way before I chomped down on one. These candies are actually designed to be played with, and play with them you will! Just be sure to wash your hands first, because eventually your taste buds will start calling the shots and you’ll find whatever you’ve built working its way toward your mouth!

Jolly Rancher Bites – 10 oz. bag – Go ahead – bite ‘em! Love the impossibly fruity freshness of Jolly Ranchers, but simply can’t resist biting down before the time is right? Jolly Rancher Bites are here to save the day and your teeth! And, this bag in particular stars 2 of the most sought-after flavors – Green Apple and Watermelon. With over 100 pieces of flavorful goodness inside, Jolly Rancher Bites are the best of both worlds – Jolly Rancher yummy in a gummy!

Starting April 1, 2013, World Confections began making their candy cigarettes with the original, classic recipe. And no – this isn’t an April Fools’ joke! The original is most definitely back, and having gone without one for a few years, they taste to me like a sugar-wrapped memory mountain of amazingness! But to understand what makes this moment in time so monumental, we’re going to have to take a look at the sometimes-sweet, sometimes-sour history of what happened. I understand this might be hard for some of you, but hold tight, dear readers – this flavorful fairy tale has a happy ending. Deep breath…

A change just happened. The magical kind of change that turns the clock back and sets things right with the world. The kind that happens when the people make some noise and ‘the man’ listens! And the proof, my friends, is in the pack. In fact, it’s in every pack of Kings, Lucky Lights, Target, Stallion, and oh yes – even Round Up!

Just a few years ago in 2011, World Confections decided to switch up the formula for their classic candy cigarettes. For those of you keeping score, they’re actually called candy sticks now, but around these parts most people still call them candy cigarettes. Perhaps it’s because bubblegum cigarettes are still called cigarettes and not sticks – you know, the kind with the puff of powdered sugar ‘smoke’? I’m not sure, but I know I’m getting off track! That happens when I start ‘talkin’ candy’. OK – back to 2011…

The team at World Confections decided they’d try a slightly altered recipe for their famous candy cigarettes. They didn’t go all the way back to the drawing board, but they changed them up enough that a discerning public most definitely took notice. And – that’s what they were hoping for! They had made this change with the best of intentions, and really, truly believed they had improved the recipe. Well, guess what, folks? The candy cigarette lovers of the universe were blowing a bit of smoke – out their ears! And where there’s smoke, there’s usually a fire. As for this fire? This fire was fueled by one of the purest, simplest sadnesses there ever was – the sadness that comes when a favorite candy is seemingly different or gone forever. (*cue sad music – grab a tissue – scream ‘Whyyy?!?!’ as a single tear falls*)

Don’t worry – the story doesn’t end there. (*cue happy music – throw the tissue on the floor – dance around the tissue!*) World Confections only ever wanted to make us happy, and by making us sad for a bit, they get to make us happy all over again! Once it became clear that people preferred their original candy cigarettes recipe, with its melt-in-your-mouth consistency and slightly rough texture, they decided the change they needed to make was obvious. They needed to toss that new recipe in the recycling bin and go back to the classic recipe we all grew up with and love. And… they did! (*the crowd goes wild!!!*)

While our Custom Candy Bar Box is still a favorite that excites us, we wanted to feel the pure adrenaline of something brand new. What can we say – we’re candypreneurs! And, we came up with just the thing, at the exact right time. The latest homerun at Blair is our Can of Ball Park Treats – currently on sale for just $24.95!

We start with a gift-worthy, generously sized paint-style can, with a label that hints at the tremendous selection of treats inside. Then, working with only the finest, freshest baseball candy and snacks, we fill that tin to the brim with about 59 wrapped goodies! These include: 2 Bags of Planters Peanuts, 2 Bags of Cracker Jacks, 2 Bags of David’s Sunflower Seeds, 2 Cans of Jack Link’s Jerky Chew, 2 packs of Big League Chew, 5 Gummy Hotdogs, 5 Gummy Burgers, 8 BB Bats Taffy Lollipops, over 30 pieces of Baseball Gum, and – of course – a pack of baseball cards!

Great gifts for baseball lovers, these are also a fun tin-o-treats to pick up for yourself. You can also grab one or two to offer up in a raffle or baseball fundraiser, or to serve as tasty centerpieces at a baseball banquet or baseball-themed birthday party!

What do you think of our Can of Ball Park Treats? Do you agree we hit it out of the park with this one, or is there a candy player you would have included in the starting lineup that we missed? Let us know in the comments – and, in the meantime – play ball! Or at least eat sunflower seeds and chew some Big League like you do.

In our last blog post we let you know we were working on a bit of a candy project, which like so many things at Blair, turned into a competition! After all the entries were in, we built the following ‘virtual Easter basket.’ It’s up to you to make our example a reality, of course! Below is everything you’ll need to fill 3 Easter Baskets with oodles of candy awesomeness and keep your costs below $20 per basket. What do you think? What would you skip or add? Let us know in the comments!

Non-Candy Supplies You’ll Need: Easter baskets, decorative Easter grass (basket filler/foundation), Easter or Spring-themed small sandwich/snack bags. Note: These small plastic bags can be found at stores like Dollar Tree and Target, and are often put out by major brands such as Ziploc. Easter grass can also be found at stores such as these.

The Candy You’ll Need:

(3) Packs of Marshmallow Peep Bunnies – $1.00 each

(2) 10 oz. Bags of Just Born Jelly Beans – $1.40 each

(2) 8.5 oz. Bags of Hershey’s Easter Kisses – $3.05 each

(1) 6-pack of Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs – $5.00

(2) 10 oz. Bags of Whoppers Eggs – $2.35

(1) 32 oz. Bag of Gummi Fried Eggs – $7.00

(1) 20 oz. Bag of Gummy Butterflies – $3.85

(3) Chocolate Bunnies - $1.00 each

(1) 6-pack of Easter Kit Kats – $3.75

(1) 6-pack of Hershey’s Bunnies – $4.75

How To Arrange Everything: Once you’ve filled your Easter baskets with straw and have them ready for the fabulous fill, gather together all your bags of unwrapped candy (jelly beans, gummi fried eggs, Whoppers Eggs and gummy butterflies.) These are the candies you’ll be putting into the Easter-themed snack baggies for presentation and cleanliness’ sake. All of the other candies on the list can be placed right in the basket as they are individually wrapped. Just for fun, I like to ‘drop’ my Hershey Kisses in last, after I’ve filled the basket with the larger pieces. They tend to fall about nicely, filling in any gaps, making your already awesomely-full basket appear even more full!

Buying candy in bulk makes the most sense for those that will be filling multiple baskets. If you only have one child and you aren’t making a basket for yourself or someone else, it might not be the best fit for you. That said, it can still work out quite well if you like to keep a variety of candy on hand for your own enjoyment throughout the year. Sandwich bags go a long way toward keeping candy fresh!

Instead of just talking about how buying candy in bulk can be beneficial to your pocketbook, we decided to whip up a sample sweets scenario for someone filling 3 Easter baskets. You can, of course, feel free to customize the candy options to better suit the recipients, but we’ve got our eye on some popular favorites. This list is still in the works as we’re all vying for our personal favorites to be included! What we can tell you is there will be 10 candies included, and the candy cost per basket will be less than $20. We hope you’ll check back to see which ‘Top 10’ we decided on! (I am not caving on Gummi Fried Eggs. They’re eggs! It’s an Easter basket! I will win…)

We couldn’t be hippity-hoppity-happier that Easter is well on its way! Here at BlairCandy.com, we’re always sure to stock a superior selection of Easter candy. You can count on us for the freshest jelly beans, marshmallow Peeps, chocolate bunnies, and other mouthwatering must-haves. But it’s the most decidedly Easter-y candy of all that gets our taste buds talking loudest – chocolate Easter eggs!

The world of chocolate Easter eggs offers something special for everyone’s preferences. If you like them on the little side, Cadbury Mini Eggs make an addictive option. I actually count them among my Top 5 favorite chocolate candies of all time, and wish they were available year-round! A perfectly petite egg of chocolate is dressed in a sweet, slightly speckled, pastel candy shell, and the result is simple, velvety perfection with a touch of texture.

When I’m craving something a little larger with a bit more crunch, I reach for Zitner’s Butter Krak Eggs. If you’ve never had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into one of these marvelous creations, don’t waste any more time! They’re buttery, coconutty, and wrapped in divine dark chocolate decadence. You might just want to put a few on a plate and call it dinner!

Once upon a time, two ingredients came together that had never been paired before, and since that magical moment, the candy and dessert world has never been the same. That palate-pleasing power couple is none other than Chocolate and Peanut Butter! While chocolate and peanut butter taste great any time of year, there’s something about them coming together in an egg shape that makes them even more amazing. And if a chocolate peanut butter egg is what you’re after, we’ve got you covered! Blair offers Zitner’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Lerro Peanut Butter Eggs, and my personal favorite, Gardners Peanut Butter Meltaway Eggs. Of course I don’t like to play favorites, though, so I just eat them all.

As the shelves full of pink and red Valentine’s Day candy get smaller and shorter with each passing day, the team here at Blair is preparing for the next holiday on the candy horizon. We don’t let ourselves get too teary when one holiday passes, as there’s always another hot on its heels! And in this case, as the romance of Valentine’s Day slips away, the luck of St. Patrick’s Day candy whirls in. Not a shabby trade – especially if you get both and you’re lucky in love!

Finding the perfect candy for St. Patty’s Day is as simple as going for the green and gold. Luckily, those two colors often yield some pretty tasty treats, many of which are also super cute to boot! We put together a list of our Top 3 St. Patrick’s Day Candy Must-Haves. Do you agree with our list? What might you add to the lineup?

#1) Chocolate Coins – It doesn’t seem to matter how old I get – gold chocolate coins never lose their cool! With 2 lbs. in each bag – approximately 150 coins – you’ll have plenty to fill a candy bowl with treasure, pass them out at parades or parties, or even invest in a little black pot to keep them in like an end-of-the-rainbow decoration. And, naturally, they’re good for eating as well!

#2) Bubble Gum Coins – An even more affordable way to enjoy the fun factor of coin candy, green foil-wrapped bubble gum coins make a wonderful complement to our gold chocolate coins. With roughly 100 to a bag, you can pop your way to St. Patrick’s Day!

#3) Gold Mine Gum – While most of us will never get the chance to call a genuine bag of gold our own, Gold Mine Nugget Bubble Gum lets us dream! It also lets us enjoy a fresh, fruity taste all wrapped up in a cute cloth pouch that beats a paper package any day of the week.

bud vase image credit: partyhire.co.nz

If you love shopping at the dollar store even half as much as I do, you may have stood before the tiny bud vases so many of those stores offer thinking, “They’re so cute, but what can I possibly use them for?” Yes – I have eyed up those vases more than my fair share of times. I’m drawn in by their charming tininess, but can never seem to think of a way I can use them, so I walk away well-aware that the last thing my house needs is yet another piece of decor I can’t figure out what to do with! Until now, that is.

I can excitedly say that I finally have a reason to pick up a few bud vases, and a good reason at that! Not only do I plan to create a few ‘arrangements’ for my own home, but I think my idea will make for darling little Valentine’s Day gifts for friends. And – it’s super cheap and chic! Aren’t you glad I’m the sharing type?

So, what is this genius idea? It’s super simple, and will take literally a few minutes to create. The only supplies needed are bud vases, conversation hearts, and Valentine’s Day lollipops. You can grab some ribbon too if you’d like to wrap a bow around the vase, but I think it would be pretty either way. Here’s the easy-peasy steps…

1.) Wash and dry the bud vases.

2.) Fill the vases 3/4 to the top with conversation hearts.

3.) Stick a Valentine lollipop or two in the center as ‘flowers’.

4.) Smile – you made an adorable decoration or gift!

In addition to the little vases I’ll be placing on my desk, bedside table, shelves and such, I think I’ll also make a larger one to serve as a table centerpiece. And that means I’ll also have to pick up a larger vase while I’m at the dollar store. Oh well – someone’s gotta do it!