Saturday, July 31, 2010

Oddly delicious!

We're always on the lookout for new and unusual chocolates, and the folks at Cocopotamus in New Mexico don't let us down....Woohoo!
New flavors of Coco-P. fudge ball truffles are here! 
Their diabolical chocolatiers have been cooking up 4 fab new flavors of  handmade dark chocolate fudge truffles for our awesome customers (that’s YOU!)  Good news?  They are yummy and they are in the house! 
bopeep.jpgBO PEEP – Meet Bo Peep, the black sheep of the Cocopotamus family.  Deeper, richer and of course darker.  She’s a darling at a stunning 88% dark chocolate.  Infused with a double dose of pure Mexican vanilla and just a sheepish hint of organic black raspberry. 
Rolled in Swiss fort brut extra dark cocoa powder.

mangotango.jpgMANGO TANGO – Meet the extreme fruit around town, Mango Tango.  It’s organic mango like you’ve never seen it before – the fruit flavor explodes!  Enhanced by a pinch of lime and ancho chili (or chile, as they call it in Albuquerque). 
Topped with a dollop of cute mango frosting.

lovepotion.jpgLOVE POTION #10 – Meet their darling romantic, Love Potion #10.  Inspired by Grandma’s pie,  it is organic strawberry and a generous dose of Mexican cinnamon.  Sweet, bashful, romantic.  She’s a darling!  What’s not to love? 
Topped with a cute dollop of strawberry frosting.

cowgirl.jpgCOWGIRL – Meet the feisty new girl on the ranch, Cowgirl.  She’s deep (infused with spices), she’s rich (kicked up by molasses), she’s sweet (that’s the organic honey talking!)  Cowgirl is a Honey BBQ fudge truffle, mole poblano style.  You’ve never tasted anything like it! 
Topped with a drizzle of ancho chile frosting.

We'll continue to carry the most delicious, unusual chocolates from around the world, and we'll keep pursuing new avenues of culinary excellence!  It's a challenge sometimes, especially when customers are a tad skeptical or assume it's too unusual.  Our jobs...MY JOB...is to introduce Candy Basket customers to the best chocolates we can find!

Happy thoughts (of chocolate)...
Gyan

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Ah, yes, I remember.....

Since it's Father's Day, I've been thinking a lot about my Dad, Robert G. Summers.  He was a great guy - very smart, an accomplished musician, disciplined, thrifty (in a good way), and devout.  
My dear daughter-in-law sent me this, and it made me think of my days growing up in my Father's home.  I think his thumbprint is on everything I do, from being a parent to being a shop proprietress.  This one's for you, Dad.....I miss you.


How's This For Nostalgia?

All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?

Gym uniforms for girls were fairly ugly

It took three minutes for the TV to warm up?
http://williamsager.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/old-tv-set.jpg

Nobody owned a purebred dog?
http://dogtime.com/system/shelter/02/63/92/37/rufus-mutt-dog-picture-thumb.jpg

When a quarter was a decent allowance?
http://www.coinstudy.com/images/1955-quarter-top.gif

You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?
http://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/1955-doubled-die-penny.png

Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?
Opaque Thigh Highs with Lace Top

You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time? And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?

http://www.dizzypigbbq.com/images/CompetitionPics/20Jack05/2TennesseeGasStation.jpg

Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?
http://i.ebayimg.com/14/!BiYfh5g!2k~$(KGrHqMH-DsEsMi7PV-rBLOo-JD!!Q~~_35.JPG

They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . and they did it!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gFkopAM5g0s/SZG17CLL1fI/AAAAAAAAAio/ucJLys1Ug8g/s400/n587691767_1110864_2906.jpg

No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never
locked?

http://www.swclassiccars.com/images/parts/5/DSCN0408.JPG


Playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?
http://www.strongmuseum.org/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/stickball.jpg

Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?
http://img1.eyefetch.com/Portfolio%5CTheresaPotgieter%5C108883.jpg

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?

http://www.rbhsclass1958.com/Remember%20When/Principals%20office.jpg

Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.
http://www.grimshaworigin.org/images/NorthAmerica/AnnaSehnertAndGrandchildren1.jpg 
Summers filled with bike rides, Hula Hoops, and visits to the pool, and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar.
http://blog.al.com/finaltaxi/2008/01/large_Hula-Hoop_1958a.jpg
 



Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles.

Coffee shops with Table Side Jukeboxes.


Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum.

http://www.oldsweetsong.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/clove.jpghttp://www.candy.org/cleanimages/gums/teaberry.jpg
Hey, wait.....we still carry these nostalgic gums, but they're definitely more than a dime, or whatever they cost way back when!
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, 'Yeah, I remember that'?

http://collection.movingimage.us/media/mmi/images/3/5/38936_object_representations_media_3541_medium.jpg

And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today.
http://www.mentalfloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/435_porch9.jpg


Happy Father's Day, fellas.  Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane!
Until next time, I remain Bob's little girl,
Gyan


Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Initially Yours




Welcome to June!  June always brings Father's Day and weddings - lots of them! It's hard sometimes for me to think of a good gender-neutral gift for the newlyweds.  But this year I have a store full of perfect gifts for both Dad and newlyweds, and I think you're going to like it when I tell you we're offering all of our Mud Pie glass initial gifts at HALF PRICE throughout the entire month of June! This includes this gorgeous barware you see here, plus lots of other great, functional pieces for the home...perfect for Dads and newlyweds!

The  cool decanters pictured below are our favorites.  Think outside the box with these - they're so versatile!  Fill them with bath salts and put them in the bath...or load them up with peanuts or gumballs for a desk or side table!  Do something creative with them now - the timing's great, because they're one of the initial glass gift items HALF PRICE!                            
  

Another great gift for throughout the home are our initial frames.  They're heavy glass, hold a 4x6 horizontal picture, and feature the same bold font. UBER cool for men and women!                                         


These great little bottle stoppers are not only useful, they're the perfect add-on gift to let someone know you're thinking just of them.  Might as well think of yourself, too, since they're now HALF PRICED through June!
                                                                                        
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these trays!  I've personally given them as gifts on several occasions, and they look even more attractive at HALF       PRICE, don't you think?!   If you ever wanted to put out some cheese  and crackers, add some grapes, and maybe some apple slices, these   are the perfect serving pieces!                                                                                     
So we obviously have some great personalized gifts, and obviously I am ready to let them go  HALF PRICE for a limited time, namely the month of June.  It's a perfect match!  I do hope y'all will take advantage and will come shop and stock up on these great gifts!                            
                                                                                                          
Gyan

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Happily ever after.....

We're smack-dab in the middle of wedding season!  With so many things to think of,  every Bride can use some assistance! We have a multitude of little things to help her with her journey to the BIG DAY!  Everything you'll see here is from our gorgeous (Tiffany blue) Mindy Weiss collection.
Sometimes even Brides forget!Their brains become housing units for loads of information, and there's NO WAY to remember it all!  This handy-dandy notebook is perfect to use to jot down all the necessary appointments, meetings, etc.  PLUS, it includes a wedding schedule to keep Brides up-to-date on their planning.


No sweat over how to ask friends & family members to be a part of the special day AND let them know how much they mean.  This darling little 'Wish' necklace has a sweet poem, a little silver heart, and is the perfect token for the gals who will be fair maidens!  

                                

Every Bride wants to cherish memories forever!  
This triple photo-album set is a fantastic gift. There's an album for engagement photos, one for the actual wedding photos, and an album for all the pics from the honeymoon!  This triple set is perfect for the Bride-to-be, and makes a wonderful shower gift.



As she's wrapping up all the loose ends, the Bride will need to be thinking about how to thank all those who helped her.  We recommend this set of 8 Tip Envelopes, which includes  note cards and decorative seals.  Might as well share the 'love' with something chic, right?!


 Finally, after a  long day of wedding planning, every Bride deserves to slip her tootsies into something soft and snuggly at the end of the day.  These "I DO" slippers will help her escape the planning and concentrate on feeling good!

There are still many more treats from our Mindy Weiss collection, but we just wanted to give you an idea of how we can help the Bride-to-be prepare for her special day in a special way! 


Never Mother of the Bride, only the Groom....
Gyan

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner!  We haven't had a chance to do anything special at the shop for a while, so we're celebrating the day with another  "Sip & Shop"!
Festivities get underway at 5:00 next Wednesday.   Several of our 'hot and spicy' foods will be served, as well as liquid refreshments.
Best of all, we're offering 25% off STOREWIDE (except coffee).  
It's the perfect time for some last minute Mother's Day and Graduation gift shopping, as well as general "I Want it" shopping for all of us!
We're going to shut down at 7, so for two hours next Wednesday, we hope we have lots of celebrants who will join us with a little spicy sipping & shopping!
Mamasita Gyan

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The French Connection

Looks good, doesn't it? Guess what...it IS good! Tres' bien! It's straight from Paris, by a great chocolatier named Michel Cluizel.  He's been creating artisan chocolates since 1948, so I guess he knows his stuff!
Enchante', Michel!

We're proud to announce the arrival (today!) of these terrific truffles and bonbons (bites).
The two featured here are the Cappucino cup, which features a dark chocolate cup filled with coffee and milk chocolate ganache, and the Champignon Caramel, a cute little mushroom filled with caramel croquant.

Other flavors we are now carrying include lots of fancy French names I can't read OR pronounce!  Suffice it to say I'm going to give you a rundown on flavors and let you come in and try your hand at proper pronunciation!

Flavors include a dark chocolate cork filled with a Bordeaux ganache, dark chocolate with lemon marmalade, Cointreau with orange peel marmalade, a dark cup filled with hazelnut praline' and topped with gianduja, a huge raspberry truffle paste enrobed in dark chocolate, a dark chocolate piece filled with coffee ganache topped off with a speck of (edible) gold, Cointreau with dried fruit pieces, and one more dark chocolate with Los Ancones ganache.

We'd love to introduce you to these pieces!  Michel Cluizel is basically the quintessential chocolate, and we feel we have a very pleasing assortment with this first order!  

Bon soir,
Gyan

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Administrative Professionals' Day

Next Wednesday is the official Administrative Professional's Day, and we all know what happens when the boss forgets...that's why it's been broadened to include the entire week!!
These delicious Nam's Bits cookies will be a thoughtful way to thank your 'peeps' for all they do...and perhaps more importantly, there are plenty to share in each bag!!  Yeah!
If one bag of delicious baby chocolate chip cookies seems inadequate, we'll be glad to help you give bigger thanks!  How about adding a box of Godiva chocolate, perhaps some coffees or teas, a bag or two of candy, and other delicious treats?  We'll put them all in a gift box/bag for you, add an enclosure card, and we'll even deliver to your office! 
We also have a great assortment of Anne Taintor's outrageous office-related items, like coffee mugs, sticky-notes, file folders, notebooks, boxes of notes, even emery boards!  Anne's off-beat humor is matched with vintage images, and brings howls of laughter to everyone who eyes it!  Some of our favorite phrases are "Someone called about something", "Why, yes, I am over-qualified", and my personal fave "She rather enjoyed working for an idiot"!!!!!
Whatever you decide to do for your Ad-Pro, let her/him know how much you appreciate them!
The boss lady,
Gyan

Monday, April 12, 2010

Easter, be gone!

Easter, you are my favorite time of year in our little store, but all good things must end.  Sorry, but you gotta go!
We've reduced the price of ALL of our Easter merchandise, including CANDY!  
Won't y'all be kind enough to drop by, look it over, and puh-leeeeze buy it!  It's like we're paying you to take it off our hands at these prices! 
It's adios to Easter for this year....we'll have a grand old time next year, I promise!
Gyan

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Cuppa' Joe


That's me in the morning>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Just give me a coffee I.V. and I'm okay.
Well...not exactly! See, I love the sound of the beans grinding, the aroma of the coffee brewing, the pouring of it so there's plenty of 'crema', and I love the taste of it!
Did you know we carry 100% Arabica whole bean coffee here at the shop?  Yep - we have since we first opened our doors way back when (1983), and although there's a lot of competition now, we still sell what we consider to be some of the best coffees around!

 We bring in  most of our coffee in whole beans, but we are always  glad to grind it for your coffee maker, and there's never a charge.
One of our favorite non-flavored coffees is from the La Minita Plantation in Costa Rica. We carry the La Minita coffee two ways - light (regular) roast, and Viennese roast, which is darker and has a more intense, pronounced flavor.  We also blend the two.  You'll never guess what we call it?!  La Minita Blend!  We're so stinkin' clever!

We carry coffee primarily from two suppliers - White House Coffee Company in New  York, and Neighbors Coffee in good old Okie City!  For years, Neighbors "Snickerdoodle" has been our best selling flavored coffee.   We also love our White House Creme' de Noisette (Hazelnut), and when we blend the two, it's an incredible aroma and taste.  We call it "Hazel-doodle"...again with the clever!!
We offer other blends, too, and several varieties of decaf.
Whole bean or ground, there's nothing like a good, fresh hot cuppa joe to get the morning (or afternoon) started.

As we always say in our 'tag line', we're more than just a candy store!

The spoiled sipper,
Gyan

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Easter Egg Hunt, CB Style!



Okay....here's our own special version of an Easter Egg Hunt!

Behind our counter is a basket full of special Easter eggs, each with a slip of paper offering a different discount amount.

When you come shop Friday and Saturday, let us know you saw this blog post, and we'll let you 'hunt' for your own egg!
We'll then take that discount of your entire purchase!!

Sweet treats for Easter are still available.  Hop on in to The Candy Basket, where we're more than just a candy store!!

Mama Bunny 

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Sharin' of the Green!

 Okay, it's Sunday afternoon and I'm trying to think of something special to do for St. Patty's Day for our fantastic customers.  
Here's the deal - When you come in next Wednesday, March 17th (St. Pat's Day), anything you want in the store that has green in it or on it will be 20% off... IF you tell us you read it here!  
We frequently do a little something extra for our e-mail (Candygram) customers without giving away the store! I think 20% is pretty significant for nothing other than acknowledging the color GREEN! 
BTW - if you'd like to receive our Candygrams, just let us know your e-mail address and we'll add you to our list.  
It's a little electronic newsletter I write when I get around to it.
I'll let you know what's new, anything of a personal nature regarding The Candy Basket and/or our family/staff, and we try to offer a little special for our readers.  We DON'T share the addresses, either.  I bring them home, enter them in my personal home computer, and sit down (usually w/a glass of wine) and try to condense all I have to say into a reasonable read.
Have a great week.....come in Wednesday for St. Patty's Day  sweets/treats, and if you buy something with green on/in it, we'll give you 20% off...IF you let us know you saw it here!
Top 'o the afternoon to ya...
Gyan

Monday, March 8, 2010

Choclatique is here!


Our 'chocolate boutique' now features Choclatique chocolates!  Made in California, they are a great new find for us! Marcy and Melissa are showing off four of the new flavors....What's Up, Doc? (Carrot cake), key lime creme, Tuxedo mousse, and Grand Marnier Creme.  
The other new flavors we're proud to sell include Blue Ribbon Cherry Pie, Creme Brulee, Orangsicle, Root Beer Float, their Champagne truffle, made with Dom and adorned with (real) gold flecks, Cherry Creme, Strawberry Creme, and Blueberry Creme!
We love bringing in new and exciting flavors, and Choclatique is going to be a big hit!
If you 'dream in chocolate', come see us during your waking hours!
Madame Chocolate (a.k.a. Gyan)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

For the love of chocolate!

 

 LOVE this stuff!!!
Right around Valentine's Day, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the proprietress of a chocolate 'boutique' in Florida.  We became fast friends, as we both loved doing what we do.....buying/selling fabulous chocolates!
She told me about this wonderful company up in Kansas (can you believe it?!?!), and I was able to get a big box of samples for our Chocolate Advisory Board meeting this afternoon.  Unanimous thumbs up!

Their name says it all....Cocoa Dolce'!  Indeed!  Hopefully they'll be in stock by mid-March.
In the meantime, if your sweet tooth is acting up, y'all know where to shop!  We got in fresh batches of Sweet Shop and Cocopotamus last week, and today our Godiva came in, so our chocolate cases are now fully stocked. 
C'mon in...you deserve a treat today!

Gyan

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Spring is coming!

    The weather was so dreary today, it was easy to feel down and dreary.  But something clever came in the mail to the shop today, and now I'm dreaming of spring in a big way.

Feast your eyes on these adorable edibles!
Are they not the cutest cupcakes you've ever seen?!?!  They're regular cupcakes decorated with Jelly Bellies and other candies from the company to look like spring flowers!
The Jelly Belly company sent us a cute little cupcake flyer, and besides Christmas trees and Halloween pumpkins, this picture stopped me in my tracks!  
The artists used bunny corn (candy corn in spring colors) and various pastel Jelly Bellies to create these precious cupcakes.  
It's too bad my little grandson lives so far away.....this is enough to make me want to borrow somebody's grandkids and get creative in the kitchen!
Our spring/Easter candy will be arriving next Tuesday, and we're anxious to get it all out and displayed on our shelves.  
Spring has always been my favorite season at the shop.  By now, I'm so ready for bright colors and pretty pastels....it's such a refreshing change!  Besides, candy just looks like spring to me....and I hope to be able to make some candy look like spring cupcakes like the ones above!
Happy, creative spring is just around the corner!
Gyan

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

CAB-Chocolate Advisory Board

Not a joke!  We take our chocolate offerings very seriously!  We've now had two sessions with our appropriately named CAB.

It's Fat Tuesday, and what better way to celebrate the day than with taste-testing some incredible French chocolates!  Our CAB met this morning and reactions from all staff and CAB members were favorable, indeed!

   As you can see, Joe enjoyed his and Kay was letting a piece melt in her mouth while perusing their catalogue.
 

 The 60 year old French company is called "Michel Cluizel", and we are getting ready to place our first order, based primarily on what we sampled today and how our CAB members reacted to certain flavors!

We'll make sure to let you know as soon as it hits the states and gets on our shelves! 

One fat, sassy Mamma....
Gyan 

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Sweets for your Sweetie(s)

It's that time of year again - time for LOVE!!
 If you're wondering what to get your sweetheart for Valentine's Day, here's what I suggest.....

.
 Yea, baby....that oughtta do the trick!
We bring in SO much candy and chocolate for what I affectionately refer to as "The Big VD", and it finally starts to sell about one week before the big day.  That means it sits there and stares at us for weeks until the message is satisfactorily delivered!  
The message here is, size DOES matter!!! Yea, sure, it's the thought that counts, but the BIGGER the thought, the more it counts!!!!!!
We have all sizes to offer, and for the non-chocolate lovers (yes, you know who you are), we have about 50-100 kinds of candies just for the special day.
I know anyone reading this blog is an intelligent, thoughtful person, so I KNOW you get the message!
See ya soon!
Gyan

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Christmas be gone...

Christmas merchandise, puhleeze go away....I adored you in the past, but frankly  I've grown weary of your constant, albeit cheerful, presence, and I want you OUT of my life!
My affections have turned to more romantic visions!

Starting tomorrow (1-8-10), ALL Christmas and Hanukkah goods, confections, trees, ornaments, EVERYTHING will be 75% OFF!


Adios seasonal stuff....you're crampin' my style.

Git...go on, git outta here, ya hear?  See if I care!  I know you'll be back in about ten months, but until then, we're done, ya hear me?  Finished.