Tasty Tuesday | Chick-O-Stick Candy

The Atkinson Candy Company has been manufacturing Chick-O-Stick since the Great Depression. Regarded as the company's most popular candy, it is made primarily with peanuts, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and toasted coconut. Fans of the sugary confection claim that it tastes very much like a Butterfinger Bar, but you'll have to decide that for yourself.

Chick-O-Stick's original wrapper featured a stylized cartoon of a chicken wearing a cowboy hat and a badge in the shape of the Atkinson logo. Recent wrapper designs, however, have since removed the chicken because it is believed the chicken contributed to the confusion over whether Chick-O-Stick was a candy or a chicken-flavored cracker.

And what's with the name? According to Atkinson's website, the company's founder "came up with Chick-O-Stick one day because, in his mind, the product resembled fried chicken." The name stuck, and the rest is history.


Photo taken at Candy Heaven in Old Town Sacramento.

Wordless Wednesday :: Woodhouse Chocolates

Handmade chocolates at Woodhouse Chocolates.

Woodhouse Chocolates

1367 Main Street

Saint Helena, CA 94574

800.966.3468

OOTK's "12 Days of Christmas" | The Eighth Day

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Eight s'more lollipops

In this photo: S'more lollipops from Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates.

Made with Ginger Elizabeth's own house-made graham cracker and vanilla bean marshmallow, this decadent snack is a favorite in our household. Make to sure to call ahead, because these bittersweet chocolate-dipped goodies aren't made everyday and once they are gone, they're gone. You'll have to wait to get...s'more.

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

1801 L Street, Suite 60

Sacramento, CA

916.706.1738

Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Chocolates | Central Point, OR

According to a recent posting on Yahoo's news blog, The Lookout, there's a new sheriff in town when it comes to the hottest chili pepper in the world. Developed by Gerald Fowler of the Chili Pepper Company in Cumbria, England, it's said that the Naga Viper chili pepper is so hot, its effects can be felt for "an hour after taking a bite, and you just don't want to talk to anyone or do anything." Aptly put, given that the Naga Viper clocks in at 1,359,000 heat units on the Scoville scale and outdistances the previous champ, the noted Ghost Chili (a.k.a. Bhut Jolokia), by more than 400,000 heat units. To put it another way, eating one Naga Viper is equal to eating 440 jalapeno peppers. That, my friend, is HOT!!!

So, why am I bringing up heat units and spicy peppers? Well, during a recent trip to Southern Oregon, we had the pleasure (and pain) of being introduced to a very unique chocolate bar with the ominous-sounding name, Do Not Eat This! That should have been enough to keep us away, but the little devil inside urged us to break off a piece.

Now, eating the Do Not Eat This! bar starts out simple enough as the sweetness of milk and dark chocolates coats your tongue. But that euphoric feeling fades in a hurry as the heat from three chilies -- the Aji Amarillo Chili, the Arbole Chili, and the Ghost Chili -- kicks into gear and doesn't let up. I tried to put on a brave face, but I was soon begging for a tall glass of anything to put out the fire that reached all the way down to my core.

The megamind behind this inventive confection is Jeff Shepard, a self-trained chocolatier who created his own company, Lillie Belle Chocolates, as a way of making "people happy with my creations. To brighten their day, even if it's for only a moment, with something I made with my hands."

Jeff got his start six years ago making chocolates and other organic products out of his home. Then, as business starting booming via word of mouth at various farmers' markets and specialty stores, he and his wife, Belle, began renting commercial kitchen space at local restaurants to keep up with the demand. But even that wasn't enough, especially after they began to attract attention beyond their Applegate Valley location.

Soon, Lillie Belle Chocolates was opened in December 2007, and what began with just four truffle flavors turned into an award-winning operation. They now offer countless varieties of flavor-packed fare such as bons bons, ganaches, and specialty bars. Even more exciting is when convention is uniquely twisted with imagination. Your choices quickly expand to include chocolate-covered pears, cayenne caramels, chocolate-covered bacon, smokey blue cheese truffles, and red velvet almonds which hits you with a bit of heat on their own.

Jeff once said, "Making chocolates is a lot of fun. I treat it like an art form. I do everything by hand, including the chocolate paintings." That's right, when visiting Lillie Belle Chocolates, take more than just a look around. Their "gallery" showcases a variety of paintings and sculptures that are not only made entirely of chocolate, but they are completely edible too.

Lillie Belle Chocolates is located in Central Point, Oregon, and is open daily to visitors whether you live in the area or just passing through. And when you do stop in, be sure to ask about their organic berry farm. It's not regularly open for visits, but should you happen to catch either Jeff or Belle behind the counter, they won't mince words or stories about their modest 2-acre establishment, especially since it provides most of the ingredients that go into their confections.

But that's another blog for another time ...


Lillie Belle Chocolates
211 North Front Street
Central Point, OR 97502
551.664.2815

Yummy Monkey Popcorn | Ashland, OR

To be honest with you, when the craving for a mid-day snack starts to build around that 4:00 p.m. hour, eating a bagful of popcorn is the last thing on my mind. Rather, my habits are generally reserved for a plate of Oreo cookies, a bowlful of Planters peanuts, or perhaps a small serving of M&M's candies. On hot days, I'll drag myself from the cool confines of my office to hit the nearby vending machine for an It's It ice cream sandwich or a frozen Chocolate Taco.

But on a recent visit to Ashland, Oregon, I found myself unusually drawn to a closet-sized storefront that bared a simple sign noting, "Organic Kettle Korn!" I just had to have a bag, and as quick as that first handful was downed, Yummy Monkey Popcorn had a new fan ... Actually, make that six new fans since the bag of salty-sweet goodness was passed between my daughter, son, wife, uncle, and aunt. And there was nothing but smiles on our faces.

Established in 2008, Yummy Monkey Popcorn produces four flavor-packed varieties: Hot Buttered, White Cheddar, Kettle Popped, and Just Salt. Each is made in small batches to maintain quality and contains only fresh organic ingredients. There's also a lot of love and enthusiasm that goes into the popping as well. As the person behind the dutch door noted, "It's fun to pop popcorn, especially since it's the perfect snack. Low in calories, high in fiber and protein, and just plain yummy."

No need to convince us. We'll be back, and hope others will also stop by. Just look for that fortuitous sign!!!

THE SIDE DISH :: Chocolate

Did you know that the first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America?

The pre-Columbian peoples of the Americans drank chocolate mixed with vanilla, chile pepper, and achiote. Europeans sweetened it by adding sugar and milk and removing the chile pepper. They later created a process to make solid chocolate creating the modern chocolate bar. Since then, new technologies and innovations have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.

This photo:

Wine Country Chocolates | Sonoma, CA - Raspberry and the "Elvis" truffle (peanut butter & banana)

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates | Sacramento, CA

The first thing that grabs you after walking into Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates is, well, the distinctively sweet smell of chocolate. Next thing you know, your sense are put on alert to the anticipation of receiving something quite decadent whether it's a s'mores lollipop or one in a variety of chocolate desserts or Parisian macarons.

I wish I could describe the sensations, but simple words just won't do. Rather, the best indicator of knowing just how special the confections at Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates are is to look at the customers' faces...pure joy and happiness!!! And that's the trick, isn't it?

As the story goes, Ginger Elizabeth's career began at the early age of 16 after attending a summer course at the CIA Greystone in Napa Valley. In the following years, she would learn from some of the greatest masters of their craft, including Jacques Torres, Daniel Budd, and En-Ming Hsu. At 24, she opened her first boutique where she honed her skills and practiced a very simple philosophy: To use only the freshest of ingredients to illicit the best look and taste that chocolate has to offer. Now you can find her creating new products every day at her midtown Sacramento locale.

Certainly, the steady stream of customers is glad she's arrived, and as adoring new fans, so are we.