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O'Ryans Village Archive Page
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
There's old saying that holds true probably as much now as when the phrase was coined who knows how many years ago. "The more things change, the more they stay the same". Social Networking on the Web has taken the world by storm over the last 5 years. It was reported last week that Facebook served up over 1 Trillion page views in June. Accurate figure or not, it's still being debated, that's a lot of of Hellos. Comments to people that we enjoy making contact with. Point is, we still want to do the same thing, we just change how we do it. Some good old fashion things are too important to us to let them slip away so we find better ways to do them. We find new ways to socialize, eat food, spend time with our families, and communicate.
Being a candy store, obviously I'm going to relate to something in the line of treats. Of course, it's what we do, it's our passion. An old time treat manufacturer that's changing things up on a new level is our friends over at Fizzies. Not Alka Seltzer, the Fizzies drink tablets that make a fizzy Kool Aid type drink for you when you plop, plop them in water. Most of you are familiar with the traditional flavors of this drink. Lemon-Lime, Cherry, Root Beer, and the new Hot Cocoa flavor. Now, just in time for that Autumn, chilly night time of year, we bring you Hot Apple Cider Fizzies! Yep. Plop, plop these in hot water like you'd make your tea and Voila, you have Hot Apple Cider flavored Fizzie. No alcohol like the real stuff can contain, just the great flavor of Apple Cider but with a fizz.  If you've read any of our recent blog posts you may notice that we're getting awful pumped about Fall heading our way and Hot Apple Cider Fizzies are no exception. Such a great time of year looking forward to the coming Holidays that we all enjoy after the warmth of Summer starts to fade. If you get a chance check out the Fizzies and all the other great nostalgic candies in our store. Maybe there's something you've been looking for and didn't know if it was still around or where to find it. We can even help you plan a Holiday party or event. Thanks for reading and Have a Sweet Day! Need to socialize more? Join our Facebook page. Play trivia, learn about deals, and get free stuff. Labels: Fall drinks, Fizzies Candy Drink Tablets, Free Old Time Candy by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post 
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
When you own a small business there is always some job to do, usually because there is no one else to do it or no one else that wants to do it. So... You do it. One of the jobs that I like to do is candy reviews. Not that I'm an expert or anything, just I own a candy store and I like candy. So I take it upon myself to occasionally try something and let everyone know what I think of it. Definitely a perk of the job. Sometimes it's new, old, obscure, or reinvented.
Today I thought I would try out the reinvented or new if you rather, Slo Poke candy bar. It used to be a sucker, but that's changed for various reasons. Read my view on the New Black Cow Candy bar for those insights. So we go from a big 'ole sucker lollipop thing to a bar. All in all I think it's a good thing. So here I am, sitting at my desk, chewing on this delicious carmel candy bar, trying to be objective and type all at the same time, while attempting to keep the keyboard clean. Boy! This thing is good. Now, I prefer the twist off a hunk method being that it's almost impossible to bite off a chunk. Pinch and twist off an end and drop it in your mouth. The Slo Poke is definitely caramel, where as the Black Cow is more of a taffy. This stuff is sticky. But oh so tasty. The Slo Poke also freezes well if you prefer the crack it up style of enjoyment. The Slo Poke is more like the original sucker who's name it carries sans sucker stick, whereas the Black Cow is a great candy, just not a lot like it's original. Enough of the side by side comparison, just had to know for myself. The New Slo Poke is a wonderfully reinvented old time candy. The foil wrapper sure does keep it nice and fresh compared to the old wax paper way. Classic Caramels is the manufacturer of Slo Poke just as the Black Cow is. The company has done a real nice job of taking a fabulous vintage candy and adding some modern touches to it to make it an even better treat.  I tested the Slo Poke in 3 different ways:
There you have it. Great candy, great ideas. Enjoy. Labels: Classic Caramels, Popular Candy From The 50's, slo poke by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Monday, August 29, 2011
 Fizzies have come out with two new flavors just in time for Fall. Hot cocoa fizzies are one of the flavors that just came in and I have to admit I was a hesitant on whether or not I would like them. I was pleasantly surprise at how great they taste. Fizzies drink tablets were a very popular candy in the 60's & 70's and are now made by Amerilab Technologies Inc. which purchased the trademark in 2006. They are known as the Alka Seltzer candy, as you drop the drink tablet in water and watch it fizz just like an Alka Seltzer. They are a healthy alternative to soda's as they have 100% RDA of Vitamin C , low in calories and are sugar free. Normally fizzies are dropped in to a glass of cold water, however with the hot cocoa fizzies you place them in hot milk. Before you know it you have a delicious cup of creamy hot chocolate. It's pretty amazing that just one little candy tablet can make such a great drink. I love hot chocolate and it seems that is my favorite winter time drink. As the weather continues to cool off I am sure I will be drinking more cocoa then usual. I think the next time I have some I am going to try adding two tablets, however that might be overkill, but I have to give it a try. These hot cocoa fizzies will be available for a limited time only. Each box has 8 individually wrapped tablets and retails for $2.99. Hurry and get yours today. If you were a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's and have enjoyed fizzies as part of your childhood share your stores with us and our readers. We would all love to hear your experience with these yummy drink tablets. Labels: Candy From The 60's and 70's, Fizzies Candy Drink Tablets, Hot Cocoa Fizzies by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Sunday, August 28, 2011
To any of you who have been reading our blog lately knows that I've been kind of pushing the Seasons, Summer season that is. I'm such a fan of cooler weather that I've almost leapfrogged Labor Day in my mind and landed squarely into Autumn. My deepest apologies to all you Summer lovers out there.
So to be fair to all the Seasons, I thought I'd do a little post on Labor Day. Quite honestly, Labor Day is a pretty great Holiday. The weather is usually good, unlike poor Memorial Day who usually gets rained on. Spoiled BBQs, everyone crowded in the house and the men hanging out under an awning by the garage. Labor Day weather usually is good, all the flowers are at the peak of their glory, the lawn is like a big green carpet and the breeze carries the aroma of all the cookouts in the neighborhood mingling above everyone's yard. Hosting the Labor Day festivities gets passed around the circuit of family and friends. We have in recent years gained in the family department. Our Sons are adults now and have the families of their wonderful women. Lucky for us, both families are super people and everyone gets along well and we enjoy each others company. So over the Holiday weekend we have gatherings at a variety of places. Everyone has fun and the weekend buzzes by. The Labor Day Holiday is about just that, The labors of the American worker. It gives us a much deserved 3 day weekend, an extra day off for what we do to keep the wheels moving. It's our day and we choose to spend it camping, traveling, staying home at our castle sharing it with the ones who mean the most to us. It's almost like Thanksgiving in the summer time. Instead of Turkey and stuffing, it's brats, burgers, ribs, chicken and potato salad and baked beans. Everyone brings something to the party to share. Mom's famous potato salad, maybe Aunt Lucille's odd desert that no one can describe but everyone loves. I make a pasta salad that gets requested every year. But being in the candy business we also have the duty to bring along some fun summertime candies. Gummy hot dogs, gummy hamburgers, and gummy soda pops are always expected by the kids when we arrive. They take them apart and reassemble before eating them. The Moms quite often hold the gummys and the candy hostage until after the real food is eaten. We have all types of Summertime candy to share with your party. If you can't be there for the party, just click on www.oryans.com, order it up or give us a call and we'll send it to the party in your place. Thanks for reading and Have a Sweet Day! O'Ryans Village Labels: Gummy Candy, haribo, picnics, Summer Time Candies by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Saturday, August 27, 2011
That's right folks! The days are getting noticeably shorter, the nights are getting cooler and I Love it! I'm not too much of a hot summer day kind of person. Autumn is definitely my time of year. However, it does serve to remind me of the snow and bitter cold that we get around here in the Upper Midwest during the winter months. So I relish these few weeks of Autumn weather bliss that we get.
On the subject of weather, let me get very serious for a moment. Hurricane Irene is rumbling up the East Coast of the United States as I write this. We send our prayers and best wishes to our friends, family, and everyone else in the region that you stay safe and suffer the least possible damage from this monster storm. This time of year brings all types of changes to many parts of the country courtesy of Mother Nature. As I mentioned, we really look forward to the cooler temperatures. Soon the leaves will be changing and falling and our thoughts will turn to the beginning of the Holidays. To some that means Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yep! Same here. But the kick off to our busy season starts with Halloween. Oh yes, the spooky time of year when the ghosts and goblins come out and the Pirates and Superheroes show up at your door in search of the goodies.  Trick or Treat, like all things, have changed from when we were kids. The costumes, the traditions, and even the treats are a different than from years past. When i was a kid we could have drawn a map complete with those little red pins that you see on maps all over the Web now. Of course the pins would indicate not the nearest Sushi joint or Starbuck's, but where the most prime treats could be had. I grew up in a small Midwestern town where everyone knew everyone. And we knew what treats everyone usually handed out on Halloween Night. That changed too. We actually had Trick or Treat at night. It's hard to be spooky and scary in broad daylight, but it is safer. Here at O'Ryans Village we are getting pretty psyched about what we are rolling out this year for your Trick or Treaters. We have Old Time Halloween candy, some traditional stuff, and a bunch of new treats to greet the little devils with. Witches'Caldrons and Jack-O-Lanterns filled with candy for the long distance gift giving or for having around the house for your Halloween parties. Keep on the look out for our Halloween candy pages to magically appear anytime now at oryans.com. Grab the rest of the Summer by the horns and have a good time. The Unofficial end of summer is Labor Day, that's next weekend, Don't let the remainder of the season slip away. Autumn will be here before you know it. Then it's time for a road trip. Door County here we come! Thanks for reading and have a sweet day! Labels: Door County Wisconsin, Halloween Candy, Popular Candy From The 50's, Retro Candy Baskets, summertime, vacation by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Friday, August 26, 2011
Every year in late Spring or early Summer we start monitoring the local temperatures of where our customers are ordering from. One of our customer's most popular choices is Chocolate Ice Cubes. Chocolate Ice Cubes melt somewhere around 75 degrees depending on exposure to direct sunlight and humidity. And nobody wants to buy, pay for, and wait for their delicious chocolate to arrive only to have it show up ruined from the heat. We don't like it either, unhappy customers and wasted money, not to mention ruined gourmet chocolates.
Many people sit in front of their computer screens dreaming about capturing some of their favorite treats and are ecstatic to find them in our store, not realizing the process that must occur for their treasures to arrive safely at their home. For a better understanding, follow me through the process. When you hit the "place order" button, this is what happens in most cases. - We get an email alert that a new order has been received. That's the exciting part for us! - Your order appears in our order center control panel listing all the details of your order including shipping info, items ordered, your comments, gift messages etc. Giving us all the basics needed to fulfill your order. - Every order is reviewed personally by a member of our staff to double check the particulars of your order, verify inventory to fulfill your order, and during this time of year, we check your local temperatures against what you have ordered. - If everything checks out as explained above, the items you have ordered are pulled from stock and are placed in a shipping box with a copy of the packing slip for the order. - If all systems are "GO", the order is double checked for accuracy and sealed up for shipping. Once the shipping method is determined, and there are no discrepancies with your order, your order receives the shipping label and is placed in the outgoing area and awaits carrier pick up. - Usually that day or the next, depending on what time of day your order was placed, your order ships out. - Now, we are located in the Chicago / Milwaukee area, so depending on where you live, your order will take 1-5 days to get to you once we ship it. Your candy rides along on one of those Fed Ex trucks or U.S. Mail trucks that you see scooting around everywhere. These trucks don't travel at the speed of light nor are they refrigerated. So your precious cargo has to endure the elements just as you would traveling 3 or 4 days in a hot truck with no air conditioning. And hopefully you are home when the package arrives so it doesn't sit on your porch in the Sun until you get home to rescue it. That's why we check the temps. As the temperatures start to fall, we don't worry so much about this stuff. Cooler weather makes our jobs easier and makes for happier customers. So as you shop our store and decide what to treat yourselves with keep the weather in mind. Once it jumps on the truck, there's not much we can do to protect it. We take all these extra measures to ensure your satisfaction. If you do need to order meltable candy during the warmer months, consider ice packs and expedited shipping methods. If you're not sure what fits your needs, just call, we'll be happy to figure it out for you and advise you of the options available and the costs involved. Getting your favorite chocolates, caramels, and taffy during the hot summer months isn't an impossible task, just one that requires a little planning. Review our warm weather shipping advice and general shipping info and FAQ's here. Glad to be of service! O'Ryans Village Labels: chocolate, Christmas Candy, Classic Caramels, Halloween Candy, Oh Henry, Popular Candy From The 50's by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Being in the candy business for so long as we have you sometimes catch yourself just thinking about certain candies or gums or something along those lines. Well, the other day we were discussing creating a gift basket for O'Ryans Village focusing on gum. So we started tossing around the names of all the different gums that would fit the idea of what we had in mind for this gift basket. So here are some of the varieties that we've come up with. Let us know which ones you think should be included, and more importantly, ones that we haven't included that you think might be fun to have in the new gift basket. We of course will be featuring the brands from our Old Time Gum page.
 Bazooka (Joe): This all American bubble gum is a must and was the first brand that came up for inclusion. This chunky block of pink bubble gum is as iconic to gum as freedom is to America. It is such a simple pleasure with it's texture, aroma, and flavor that one can't help but to work it around bringing all the flavor out just to get to that moment of truth. The bubble. How many of us have peeled the remnants of this treat off of our faces after the triumph of the big bubble has popped? The bubble is not the only treat of this gum. From the colorful wrapper to the tough guy image of Joe himself and of course the silly jokes found inside all come together to tell us that this is serious gum fun! Rain-Blo: One of my favorite gums as a kid. I loved the big round, almost jaw breaker shape of this gum with each pack containing the different flavors. There was always a selection process when I bought some Rain-Blo. Which flavor to pop into my mouth first? It was all about that candy coating that gave you the big rush of flavor right from start. I usually grabbed the yellow one with the red polka dots first. Don't know why, just did. I was never disappointed with Rain-Blo, just a little bit of cash and it would go all day. There never was a lot of marketing behind Rain-Blo, just a lot of good fun and flavor. Razzles: This stuff blew us away when it debuted in the 70's. There were candies and suckers that were candy and had gum in the middle once you got through the candy. But Razzles were candy that you would grind up in your mouth like a Sweettart or a Wacky Wafer, but instead of disappearing in a couple moments, it turned to gum! Not a huge piece, but you had gum now. So the process was, keep eating the candy on top of the gum in your mouth and you just kept getting more gum. Awesome! These guys should've got like the Nobel prize for cool or something we thought, if there were such an award. This treat still behaves the way it did then and is now available in Tropical too.  Hot Dog Gum: What a classic this is. Cool Hot Dog shaped gum that goes through a flavor transition as you chew it. Kind of sweet apple to spicy cinnamon. I think. I can't explain it, you'll just have to try it if you've never had it. Not the best for bubbles, but what a flavor. And you get two pieces in each tube so you can experience it twice. As far marketing for this gum, who doesn't love the crazy dancing hot dogs on the box? Never noticed? They've always reminded me of the treats that did the tantalizing dance for me during intermission at the movies. Honorary Mention. I love the C. Howards scented gum, but.... that scent would overpower all the rest. These are in a class and box all their own. Ok, so of course I didn't list them all here. Just a teaser of what will be going into our new Old Time Gum gift basket. Let us know what you think. by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
 Pearson Candy Company which has been trying to sell their company for the last year was purchased by equity firm in Connecticut. They just sealed the sweet deal on Monday. Pearson candy company has been around for over 100 years. They are located in St Paul Larry Hassler has been the owner of Pearson for the last 25 years. You may not recognize the Person candy name, but I am sure you know their old time candy bars. The are the makers of the salted nut roll, nut goodie bars, mint patties and the bun candy bars which are available in vanilla, maple and caramel. They were also the maker of the seven up candy bar which has been discontinued many years ago. As the times change and the demand for feeling nostalgic increases it was hard for Hassler to continue to compete in the old time candy market. It was either sell his company or expand and he felt it was in his best interest to sell. If feels for the company to continue to stand strong it really needs to expand it's candy line and offer more sweet treats for the retailers and consumers. Brynwood Partners confirmed that Michael Keller will take over as chief executive and president. Larry Hassler will stay on as an consultant of the company. So now with the sale of yet another candy manufacturer it makes me wonder. Will Brynwood Partners change these old time candy bars as many new companies do ? Or will the realize they shouldn't mess with a good thing and remain making them without any changes. I guess all we can do it wait and see what happens. Labels: Bun Candy Bars, Old Time Candy Bars, Pearson Candy Company, Salted Nut Roll by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
 Caramel Apple Orchard Pops have arrived. Caramel apple pops are one of our top selling suckers. A tart green apple sucker covered with caramel. Tootsie Candy Company comes out with an assorted bag of the apple suckers for the Halloween Season this are available for a limited time only and sell out very quickly. For those of you who love the caramel apple pops the apple orchard pops are a must try. Each bag comes in assorted apple flavors. Not only do you get the traditional caramel pops, but you also get suckers in Red Macintosh and Golden Delicious apple flavor. All of them are covered with a creamy caramel. The suckers with green wrappers are the original apple pops. The suckers with the red wrappers are the Red Macintosh and the yellow wrappers are the Golden Delicious. It is amazing how good these taste. As you first eat these you get the taste of a rich creamy caramel, as you work your way through the sucker you hit the apple flavor. The combination of the two is remarkable. These pops are different then most suckers as like the charms pops , they are a flat oval shaped suckers, where most suckers are round. Many of our customers tell us the like the shape of these better then a round lollipops as they fit in their mouth better. We have found that adults like suckers as much as kids to. I am not sure why but they do. I wish that Tootsie made these suckers year round, however they are only available in the fall time. We have customers that call all the time for these apple pops and actually get put on a waiting list and are emailed with they arrive. If you are looking for something a little bit different to hand out to your trick or treaters for their Halloween Candy give these suckers a try. Labels: Caramel Apple Orchard Pops, Caramel Apple Pops, Halloween Candy by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Monday, August 22, 2011
The outdoor as we call it, has been the source of many good times for me as a child and later as a parent. The Outdoor, better known as the Drive-In theatre, is an American institution. It has been entertaining Americans for decades. Like all things, the experience has changed over the years. The fun and adventure remains.
A friend of ours was over at the house the other night and we mentioned "the Outdoor" and he replied, "What"? So we translated. I had to think for a moment of the term that he would understand. The drive in theatre I responded. You know, like in the Flinstones. Oh! He said and immediately began telling stories of his memories as a kid at the Drive-In. We talked for over an hour just about the outdoor. Swapping stories of some of the great times that we've had at the drive in. As a kid growing up in the '60s, we made an event of it. Pillows, sleeping bag and pajamas, Mom knew I'd never make it through the whole night. The theatre we went to had a big playground and a mini ride on train that circled the property of the theatre. So we'd get there late afternoon and make a day of it. Mom would make some sandwiches to bring along being that we were sure to work up an appetite at the playground and the concession stand wasn't open yet. We would get all settled back in the car at dusk, Dad would hang the speaker on his window, light the Pic mosquito coil up on the dash which was painted steel then, not textured leather and we were ready to go. Very seldom would I make it 30 minutes into the feature and I'd be begging for a trip to the concession stand. What a place! Burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and popcorn and every candy imaginable. Pizza, a coke, and usually a Chunky bar was my request. Having times like those sure make for vivid memories and great stories. This is why we do what we do. We welcome your stories and comments anytime. O'Ryans Village by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Sunday, August 21, 2011
 Over the past 50 years the candy companies have introduced new candy, discontinued others, and in some cases brought back the discontinued brands. They got it all figured out, right. Some companies insist they know best which candies to produce, while others listen to their customers and decide based upon their customer's feedback which ones to produce. In some instances, a company will drop a brand that is a favorite of consumers due to production difficulties or what they consider low volume. Tens of thousands of a brand may be purchased by consumers, yet the manufacturer will consider it low volume and discontinue the item. This item either goes away forever, or in recent years, new companies emerge and feel it worthwhile to produce and distribute the item. So, it's all about business, not really about what you and I like. One such manufacturer is Classic Caramels. They have bought up the rights to a number of old time candies and reincarnated them. They seem to be reinventing the recipes to match their production styles. Most times the new product is not as we remember it. Sometimes it's pretty close, other times, not so close. They bought and reintroduced the Flipsticks candy several years ago. Flipsticks were one of my favorites as a kid because of the unique texture and flavor. The new product is a weak flavored stick of hard taffy. Still a good taffy, just not the same. The Original Black Cow was basically a chocolate Slo-Poke. Stiff chocolate caramel on a sucker stick. They were great and stuck like crazy glue to your teeth. The new Black Cow is different in many ways. This great old classic has been resurrected into an honest to goodness instant classic. The taste like many redo's is different. It is a richer chocolate, blended into a soft taffy like texture.I guess you could call it a caramel too. Taffy or caramel, it's hard to pinpoint it. You be the judge. Not the original, but in my opinion, almost better. If I tried eating an original Black Cow at my current age, I would lose my teeth to it. The new Black Cow is pleasant to bite or twist off a hunk and let it melt in your mouth. And the flavor goes all the way through. Along with the improved flavor and texture of the modern version comes better packaging too. The stick is gone, and for good reason. This allows Classic Caramels to package the entire contents in a slick sealed foil wrapper instead of waxed paper wrapped around the bottom of the candy. We all know air kills food. The new packaging doesn't allow this to happen. You can still freeze it and crack it if you desire. The foil wrapper actually makes this method of consumption quite convenient. Freeze it, crack it, tear it open and eat it right from the package. In conclusion, although Black Cow has changed from the original classic candy, it is very much made in the old fashion style complimented by modern techniques. It's a win win proposition. So check out the new Black Cow, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Check into our Facebook page too. We've been known to give this and other great old time candies away to our friends just for playing our Tuesday trivia, answering silly surveys, or giving us your feedback. Labels: Black Cow, Candy Contests, Classic Caramels, Nostalgic Candy, Popular Candy From The 50's by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Saturday, August 20, 2011
 We are happy to say that the original flavors of Necco Wafers are back and available to buy at our candy store. These wafers are a classic candy from the past that first came out in 1847. Everyone knows these for being a flat candy disk that came in an pastel colors and assorted flavors. Each roll was wrapped in a wax paper wrapper. Although this is an old time candy it is still very much loved today not only by the baby boomers and older generation, but also by kids today. For some reason Necco decided in late 2009 - early 2010 to change these to all natural ingredients. They started using red beet juice, purple cabbage, cocoa powder, paprika and turmeric to replace the artificial ingredients they were using for years. In the process the lime was dropped as they could not find a natural ingredient that worked. With these changes the colors were a bit lighter, but they claimed the flavor was the same. Many of our customers told us differently, they said they did not taste as good and was very disappointed in the changes. I often wonder why these candy companies mess with a good thing. I know today there are many people that are more conscious about what they eat and some prefer all natural, however when it come to candy the sweeter, gooier , messier the better. Candy is a sweet indulgence the fond memories these sweet treats bring back remind many of when they were a kid, when times were different and to some better. Apparently Necco listens to what the customers have to say and has brought back these classic candies. I guess this explains why Necco has been around forever and is still one of the oldest candy companies when there are so many others that are closing there doors. To tell if you are getting the natural or the classic wafers seeing both packaging as original is easy. First the original ones come in a yellow box, the all natural candy wafers in a blue box. Just check and see if the green lime flavor is in the roll, if they are you have the old time ones from years ago, if not you have the newer all natural ones. Did you know that the conversation hearts are the same ingredients as the candy wafers? In 2009 the flavors for those were also changed. So it makes me wonder if the conversation hearts will also be available in the original flavors. I guess we have to wait until January 2012 to find out. Labels: Candy Wafers, Classic Candy, Necco Original Wafers by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Thursday, August 18, 2011
 Let's face it everyone loves candy especially if it's free. Every week we ask a new trivia question usually relating to candy , but not limited to just candy. We post it on O'Ryans Village Facebook page. The first fan to guess the correct answer wins. Many of times we will also pick a random winner. Our fans seem to really enjoy our questions. Sometimes they are about history, other times facts and sometimes they are just plain silly questions. The answer and winning fan is normally announced on Fridays, however sometimes our fans can't wait that long to see if they are the winner so we post on Thursday. The question we had this week was: If you were a gummy bear what would you drink ? There was two possible correct answers 1 - Gummy Cola Bottles 2 - Trolli Soda Poppers We had over 75 guesses, many of which were just plain ole silly. Our fans really put some thought into their answers. Here is a selection of a few of the answers we received • Fizzies • Diet Cherry Coke From Sonic • Honey Tea • A smoothie at Jamba Juice • Gummi berry juice…. Makes me a jolly bear • Leinenkugels Berry Weiss • Jello Shots • A different colored gummy bear • Nothing Gummi Bears don’t drink • Shots of Sour Pucker…. Then I would be a sour bear And the list goes on. If you would like to see how creative our fans can be check out all their answers. From time to time we will also ask our fans to submit trivia questions to us. If we used their question, they would win a prize along with the correct guessing fan. If you are addicted to candy and enjoy having fun O'Ryans Fan Page is where you need to be. Besides trivia contests we have also had an Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween costume contest, coupons for savings exclusively for our fans and mail out candy samples for reviewing. If you would like a chance to win some fun retro candy become a member of our fan page and join in on the fun. We hope to see you there. Melody & Jeff Labels: Candy Contests, Candy Coupons, Candy Samples, free candy, Trivia Questions by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
A sad farewell to these old time candies. Many remember kits and b b bat taffy candies from their childhood. For those of you who don't remember them they are an old time candy from way back.
 Kits came in 4 flavors Banana, Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Strawberry. Each little package had 4 bite size taffies each individually wrapped. At one time these were considered a penny candy.  B B Bats were made from the same recipe as kits and came in the same 4 flavors but they were a sucker. These first came out in the late 1920's. The B B part of the name meant bigger and better, the wrappers had little bats on them. Over the years these nostalgic favorites had been sold from one candy manufacturer to another. They were one of those candies everyone remember eating as a kid. Classic Caramel was the most recent company and the last one to make these. It's funny how many people liked kits over the b b bats or visa versa seeing they were the same candy. However many had the definite preference of which one was there favorite. As the news has traveled that they are now discontinued we have been getting many calls and customers telling us just how sad this news makes them. All the stories we have been hearing about this being a favorite old school candy. Everyone had their favorite flavor, mine was the peanut butter then banana and forget the strawberry. These were one of the candies everyone wanted for 50's party favors. I know these will be missed and hope that maybe someday they will be made again. Labels: B B Bats, Discontinued Candy, Kits, Nostalgic Candy by: O'Ryans Village 2 Comments Links to this post
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
 Beemans gum is back ! It will only be available for a short time. This is one of 3 chewing gums that is made by Cadbury Adams that is only produced for a limited time. Not only that, but it only comes out every 3 years or so. Many ask why it's not available all the time. That is a question we ask ourselves. The only answer I can come up with is supply and demand. About 10 years ago the sales for this nostalgic gum dropped so it was discontinued for awhile, when they brought it back the sales soared. I guess this is a good marketing idea for the company , with it being a limited edition the demand is huge and it sells very quickly. The consumer on the other hand isn't very happy when they can't find their favorite old time gum when ever they want it. Beemans chewing gum as been around for over 100 years. It was actually invented by Dr. Edward E Beeman. He had many patients with stomach and digestive related illness, which he always gave them pepsin as an aid. He invented a pepsin powder which due to a suggestion from his bookkeeper he added the powder to chicle and came out with Beemans pepsin gum. It's slogan was you can eat like a pig, the package actually had a picture of a pig on it. Today I am sure there are some people out there that chew on the beeman's gum to help with heartburn , but I believe most chew it because they like it. This old time gum will definitely bring back some nostalgic memories. Every time this gum becomes available we buy as much as we can get our hands on as the self life is good for approx 1 year. No matter how many cases we buy, it seems we purchase enough. If this was one of your favorite gums you ate as a kid or even as an adult and it is a must have for you hurry and buy yours now as it is selling quickly. We have it available in either just one pack or you can get a box of 20 packs. You can chew till your jaws hurt. Don't forget to also pick up some Black Jack Gum and Clove Gum as these two are also an old time nostalgic gum. Labels: Beeman's Gum, Nostalgic Gum by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Monday, August 15, 2011
I am so excited that the county fair is almost here ! Over the years we sure have had some good times there. Great food, fun games, fast rides and good entertainment oh the memories.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am crazy about monkeys ! My fascination started when I was about 4. As a little girl my dad would take me to Wilson's Variety Store and in the corner with the birds and the fish they had a monkey. Oh I wanted that monkey so bad, needless to say I never got it, however that has never stopped me from wanting one. In 2005 my aunt and I were spending the day at the fair , we were getting ready to leave and of course I had to have my cotton candy before heading home. I purchased my blue cotton candy and went to search for a place to sit. Off to the side there was a show going on so we thought we would go check it out. Well imagine my surprise to find out it was a monkey show. There was the cutest little monkey and boy could he do the tricks. I laughed and giggled as much as the little kids. Near the end of the show they announced they would be taking pictures with your child for $5.00. The show ended and I sat there. I looked at my aunt and she already knew what I was thinking. I waited til there was 1 child in line and got my 5 bucks and stood in line. When the guy got to me I handed him my money. He looked all around searching for my child , then looked at me and said " You want to hold the monkey " my reply was you bet. So I sat down and everyone still standing around was laughing at me, but I didn't care it was a dream come true for me. Now the best part was with all the "other kids" the monkey sat on their shoulders, but I got to hold the monkey I my lap.  So I would like you to meet my friend. Many of you probably already know him. His name is Wilson he was the monkey that was in the first Dr. Dolittle Movie. When it was time to give him back I wanted to pay another $5.00 just so I could hold him and play with him a little longer. It was the best 5 dollars I ever spent. I have had a lot of good memories at the fair, especailly when my boys were small and we would all go as a family. I have to admit I was feeling a bit blue that my boys now had a life of their own and jobs they had to go to instead hanging out with me at the fair. It turned out to be the best fair ever. Now there is another thing I can cross off my bucket list. So tell us what your favorite memories of the county fair was. by: O'Ryans Village 2 Comments Links to this post
Sunday, August 14, 2011
There is just something about food from the Fair or festival. Maybe it's the excitement going on around, maybe it's just that good. I enjoy eating, but a glutton I am not, however the Fair gets me pretty close to it. I have my favorite vendors at each one of the respective events. I believe Italian sausage is my favorite of the normal foods. Normal foods meaning, not desserts and candy. Planning and plotting out the order in which you procure and enjoy these things are oh so important to the success of the mission. I must resist every time, no matter how fantastic the Italian sausage are, because that's where I start, to not indulge in a second one. This lack of willpower will ruin the remainder of the venture. There will be no room for corn on the cob, ice cream, funnel cakes, and cotton candy if you consume the second bomber. If you do, there is a price to pay. You must pace yourself. Sounds like a glutton? No! Just making sure to take advantage of the particular event being that it only occurs once a year.
 I always save the Cotton Candy for last. Cotton candy is all about the flavor and the fun, really doesn't require a lot of room. By room, I mean the ability to eat a fair amount of it without over doing it. Two Italian sausage or three ears of corn will make you suffer, unless of course, you are a glutton. They say "there's always room for Jell-O". Well, the same holds true for Cotton candy. Being swirled onto a hollow paper tube is the traditional way, just give me a big bag full of it. I eat the Charms Fluffy Cotton candy in a bag from O'Ryans Village, three bags are the usual portion. I love the stuff, being made by Charms and all, the flavor is out of this world. They also make Cotton Candy suckers, how awesome is that? Sucker company makes Cotton Candy, and then turns around and makes cotton candy suckers. We can enjoy the flavor even when the fair isn't in town. Life is good. I really enjoyed the Fairs and such as a kid, I enjoyed them as a young parent sharing it with my kids, and I enjoy them now. It lets me peek over my shoulder and see the great times again that I remember as a child. I sit down to share these stories with people, and sometimes have trouble getting them into words. Those times get my mind racing back. Pretty soon I'm daydreaming about a certain time or place and who I was with. Sometimes it's food or candy, sometimes it's a vacation other times just living life. Us Babyboomers grew up in such a great time, it's just fun to remember and reminisce. My Dad has always been a great story teller, I guess I get the urge to share my life with others like he always has. Thanks for "listening". by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Saturday, August 13, 2011
 We thought today we would talk about the Kenosha County Fair which begins in just a few days. Opening day is August 17 and runs through August 21. This is one of the summer events I look forward to all summer. There is so many different events going on that the whole family can enjoy. Plus it is an affordable way for the whole family to enjoy the day. Ticket Prices are very reasonable • Free – kids under 7 • $4.00 - kids 8 -11 • $8.00 - adults 12 and up • $5.00 – Senoirs 62 plus only on Wednesday 8/17 Admission Fees Include All Activities for the entire day except for the carnival and the IRA racing on Saturday night. Fair opens at 8:00 and closes at midnight. You will be amazed at how fast your day will go. So what is there to do at the fair ? Plenty ! Although every year there are new events added you can always count on some of your favorites every year. Kids love the Carnival Rides and the games.  What really nice is that the have the location of the rides in two separate locations. There is the main drag which if full of rides more geared to adults and older kids. Then not far away is a section for all the kiddie rides. It's makes it a much safer environment for the little ones. There is even wrist band days where you pay one low price to ride as many rides as your stomach can handle. Those carnival games are a parents nightmare. How many times I heard " Please mom just one more dollar, I know I can win that huge teddy bear " and many dollar later they come walking away with a 3 inch teddy bear instead of the 3 foot teddy bear.  Then of course there is the judging. Many are at the fair to show off their pride and joy. Whether is is for their animals, arts and crafts, sewing projects or foods. My favorite is the flowers. It amazes me to see all those beautiful flowers as I don't have a green thumb and can kill a flower just by looking at it. Then of course you have the shows and entertainment. They have many different show and activities throughout the day. One of my favorites is the pig races.  You can't help but laugh at these little guys. More than once the gates have been opened and you are waiting for the race to begin and they just stand there looking around at everyone. If you aren't into pig races that's ok as there are many other shows to watch. Whether you want magic, log craving, tracker pulls or music concerts. For a list of dates and times for all events here is the daily schedule. One of the best things about the fair is the variety of great eats. Check back tomorrow as we will be chatting about all the great food and sweet treats. Labels: Carnivals, Kenosha County Fair by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Friday, August 12, 2011
Black Jack Gum is back but only for a limited time so hurry and buy yours today. Adams makers of the Black Jack Gum only brings it out every 3 - 5 years. It is one of those old time candies that is here today , gone tomorrow. This licorice flavored gum has been around since 1884 and is one of the most popular when it comes to old time gum. It has a sweet licorice flavor and is black in color.It is the first come that came on in stick form. Although no matter how good this gum tastes it also serves out purposes then just for chewing. It has helped to sooth a soar throat, helps to freshen breath and is a great aid for upset stomachs. If you have been searching for you favorite gum, now is the time to buy it. Once we sell out , which we are selling very quickly it will be off the market again for a few years. On the bright side once you buy it you don't have to worry about eating it all quickly as it has a shelf life for about a year. by: O'Ryans Village 1 Comments Links to this post
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Summertime is all about getting out and playing. There seems to be an unlimited number of things to do in the summer. Any given weekend there are Church festivals, county fairs, ethnic fests, and carnivals set up in shopping mall parking lots. Small towns shut down entire sections of there town to host the vendors that provide food, fun, and goods that make these festivals worth attending. We have been to no less than six festivals this year and we haven't even gotten to the three county fairs around us or the big Kahunas, the State Fair and Summerfest in Milwaukee - The world's largest music festival right here in Wisconsin. We have our favorite events that we look forward to every summer and plan our other activities around them.
 As an adult my favorites of these are the festivals. Whether it is a Church festival or an Ethnic festival, the draw for me is the food! We have many churches in our area with Italian background. Needless to say the food is outrageous. Grilled Italian sausage and peppers, pizza, fried ravioli, and the meatballs. For dessert there is always Italian cookies, cannoli, and fried dough. The Greek and Italian fests are great also. Food, drink, live music and fireworks. What else could we ask for? As a kid, now that's a whole different story. It was all about the rides and the games! However we always made time for the roasted corn by the local JayCees, the fresh dairy chocolate milk shakes, and of course some cotton candy. We learned early on to get in on the rides first, corn on the cob and milkshakes aren't good to be enjoyed before the rock-o-plane, the scrambler, or the tilt-a-whirl. Shake up the system, THEN eat. Not vice versa. For a few months every year before the county fair came to our town in late July, I would be saving money by doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. All funds were earmarked for the fair. My Dad always threw in for the cost of admission and a little extra for food. "Mans gotta eat" he'd tell me. My cash stash was for the rides and games, Grandpa called them clip joints. "Just takin' a hard working boy's money" he'd add, but he still gave me a buck or so for the cause. Opening day would arrive and me and my buddies would be waiting at the gate for the opening. Usually about 9 or 10 hours later we would be dragging ourselves home after a completely exhausting day of fun. I actually remember getting scolded by my Dad for running through the entire $8.00 that I took there. I should have left half of it home for the next day. Wow! Times have changed. Sooo... For a few days out of the upcoming week or so, we are going to highlight these events here on our blog. We'll be sharing memories of the good times from our childhoods, our children's times, and some of the more recent years. Maybe you'll relate to some of our recollections and share your stories and comments with us here also. by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
 I am not sure how many people are aware that there is a day dedicated just for S’mores. August 10 is considered national s’mores day. A favorite treat that you will find most campers eating. S’mores chocolaty crunchy treats date way back to the 1920’s. Many believe that the girl scouts were the first to come up with this treat, however it is said that they were first created by the campfire girls. Campfire girls now called Camp Fire USA was a youth organization started back in 1910 which had camping and outdoor activities for just girls. The girl scouts quickly took over this camp side tradition. I always wondered how they came up with such a name. It is said that once these got popular everyone would ask for “ some more” hence the name S’mores. Not only are the fun to eat, but they are easy to make with a few simple ingredients. • A box of graham crackers • A bag of marshmallows • Original Hershey bars If you can toast a marshmallow you can make S’ mores. Here is the traditional way of making them. • First break your graham cracker in half • Then place a half of Hershey bar on one half – if you are a chocolate lover put another Hershey bar half on the other cracker. • Now toast your marshmallow until it is golden brown • Add the toasted marshmallow (careful it’s hot) on your cracker • Add the top of your cracker until the chocolate is somewhat melted • Now sit back and enjoy your treat For those who really want their chocolate to be melted you can also assemble your S’mores, wrapped them in foil and place the foil pack on the grates of the grill. Your chocolate will definitely be oozing. Caution making them this way they get very hot. If you try this method just be careful not to burn your treat, your fingers or your mouth. If you get a craving for your favorite camp side treat in the middle of winter no problem . You can also make them in the microwave or oven. Kraft came out with a new marshmallow specially for making S’mores. They are a flatter marshmallow that works get for S’mores. We tried these this year, however they are very hard to toast . Personally for making them over the campfire or grill I would recommend using the regular marshmallows, but if you are making them in the oven or microwave these would be perfect.  We hope everyone will celebrate today by making S’mores. Sit back, relax and enjoy the sweet gooey chocolate treat. Post your favorite S'mores story and be entered in a drawing to win the makings for S'mores. One winner will be pick randomly. We will supply the ingredients all you need to supply is the fire. Enter today through 8/15/11 for a chance to win. Labels: August 10, Hershey Bars, Marshmallows, S'mores by: O'Ryans Village 1 Comments Links to this post
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
 Did you know that super ropes licorice is the number one selling candy found at sporting events, skating rinks, county fairs and even video stores. Where ever you find fun you will find super ropes. What's not to like you get 34 inches of a soft and chewy licorice rope. The first super ropes came out in 1955, however back then they were slightly different then today's version that came out in 1970. When these were first available they were unwrapped and only came out in black licorice. Today's super ropes are wrapped to guarantee freshness and is available in rollin red flavor along with black, however the red is the number one seller. Candy manufacturers come and go. Candy recipe's are sold and changed throughout the years. Super ropes have always been and still are being made by the American Licorice Company still using the same process they started with in the 50's. I guess their theory is why mess with a good thing. These ropes of licorice has two distinctive features: • Super ropes have a smooth texture where most are twisted • They are a solid licorice not hollow But did you know that they are made from the same recipe that Red Vines Licorice are made from? Yep that's right one may be a rope the other a twisted licorice, but both have the same great flavor. You get a lot of bang for your buck with super ropes depending where you purchase them the average retail price is anywhere from $1.25 - $2.50. That's pretty reasonable plus with them being 34 inches parents can buy one rope for the kids to share. Not only do that taste good, they are also: • 100% Fat Free • They have no preservatives • Low Sodium • Made In The U.S.A. So where did you buy your super ropes ? Baseball game, skating rink or convenience store ? Post a comment and let us know. Labels: Red Vine Licorice, Super Ropes by: O'Ryans Village 0 Comments Links to this post
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