Our company president appears to be having fun at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago today. Good thing the Glee Guy is too busy jumping for joy to be jealous of other mascots!

Oops! Wrong mascot!

Around Valentine’s Day this year, we were daydreaming of some of our favorite duos. Fred and Ginger! Punch and Judy! Peaches and cream! Chocolate and…?

We were stumped trying to decide what goes best with chocolate!  So we asked our gum chums to tell us the sweetest pairing they could think of, for a chance to win 1 of 3 Make Your Own Chocolate Kits of their own.

The Make Your Own Chocolate Kit includes everything you need to make chocolate from scratch. One of the last steps involves pouring your chocolate mix into little paper liners. This is the time to experiment and make each treat different. Add a pinch or scoop or spoonful of something—whatever you’ve got in the pantry! Here are some of the delicious and creative suggestions we received.

• “Strawberries!” – Stefanie S.
• “Pretzels! Cherries! And raspberries!” – Jodi D.
• “Crystallized ginger and a pinch of cardamom. YUM!” – Dallas N.
• “Class A espresso coffee!” – Marcelle L.
• “Chopped walnuts because I love them, and for the Omega-3 fatty acids. Dried cranberries for their taste and health benefits. And…. A little honey, because I like to experiment and see what happens.” – Craig W.
• “Ooh, chocolate and coffee! A little bit of prepared espresso, a pinch of cinnamon, the barest touch of salt, and yum!” – Lisa S.
• “Add a pinch of:  NUTMEG!” – Zolt
• “A churro, which is fried dough traditionally made in Spain (although also found in the US).” – Alejandro D.
• “Peanut butter.” – Courtney C.
• “Raspberry.” – Kathy M. W.
• “Watermelon!!” – Emma E.
• “Marshmallow.” – Leann L.
• “Bacon.” – Sharon P.
• “Walnut cream.” – Sally Jo P.
• “Cherries or mint.” – Lori M.
• “Caramel!!!” – Terria V.
• “Orange!” – Sherry F.
• “Berries like cherries.” – Njunkie C.
• “Cinnamon and just a titch of cayenne pepper.” – Melissa S.
• “Organic coconut and pecans.” – Cynthia S.
• “Almonds and sea salt. Can’t beat it.” – Gilliland C.
• “Peanut butter is the obvious choice! However, fruit of almost any kind is wonderful, as well. Actually, there’s not much that DOESN’T go well with chocolate – I mean, its CHOCOLATE!!!!!” – Shannon H.

Well, if anyone needs us, we’ll be making chocolate for the next millennium. We gotta try all of these!

Good news, gum chews!

As promised last week, we’ve got an exclusive interview with the lovely and talented Andrea Donsky. Co-author of the hit new book Unjunk Your Junk Food and co-founder of NaturallySavvy.com, she’s got the skinny on how you can shop smarter, eat healthier, and still fully enjoy your next snack attack!

Glee: What are a few of the worst offenders among junk food ingredients?

Andrea: There are seven ‘worst ingredients’ found in packaged foods that we know are linked to a host of diseases and symptoms. They are:

1.     High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS);

2.      Monosodium Glutamate (MSG);

3.      Partially Hydrogenated Oils (these always mean trans fats);

4.      Artificial Colors;

5.      Artificial Sweeteners (including acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K; sucralose [Splenda], and aspartame);

6.      Artificial Flavors;

7.      Preservatives including sodium benzoate, sulphites (sulphur dioxide), polysorbate 60, 65 or 80 and BHT/BHA.

Glee: What are a few of your favorite, healthier junk food options?

Andrea: My favorites are anything with dark chocolate since they are high in antioxidants. We provide 200 pages of healthier options in our book that are fully taste-tested and healthier alternatives to what many of us are currently eating.

Glee: What if you are really, really craving something ooey, gooey, fried or fatty?

Andrea: Anything in moderation that doesn’t contain any of the seven worst ingredients I mentioned above is a good option. If it contains fiber and protein, then that’s an added bonus.

Glee: What are some of the benefits of choosing healthier snacks?

Andrea: We will feel better, look better and minimize potential side-effects from these dangerous additives. We will also become better role models for our kids by showing them first hand how they can make better choices just by reading the label.

Thanks, Andrea!

Wanna win your OWN copy of Unjunk Your Junk Food?

Visit our Facebook page for a quick & easy contest!

Love junk food, hate junk in your trunk?

We know the feeling, and that’s why we we’re thrilled to be included in the new book Unjunk Your Junk Food!

This handy, dandy guide shows you healthier alternatives to nearly every snack you crave. Bubblegum Glee took the coveted spot as a yummy, all-natural option for chewing gum!

This past January, we asked our gum chums to tell us their favorite alternative snack food or recipe. One lucky winner received a copy of the book, plus gum samples. But all the suggestions sounded super tasty, so we wanted to share ‘em with you. Next time you’re hungry for a treat, try one of these!

• “Air popped popcorn dipped in salsa!” – Crystal M.
• “Edamame steamed with a little bowl of kosher salt.” – Tammy W. C.
• “Cooked oats + almond butter + fresh raspberries = PB&J sandwich. (Sort of!).” – Sarah M.
• “Ants on a log- celery, peanut butter and raisins.” – Elizabeth S. W. * Runner-up winner!*
• “Homemade salsa!” – Rebecca L.
• “Frozen grapes.” – J.K. *Runner-up winner!*
• “Chilled lychees! Naturally sweet, fragrant and refreshingly delicious!” – Deb W.
• “I use flax seed in everything I can. I replace candy or toppings in my yogurt and yogurt ice cream with flax cereal, and replace oils and eggs in recipes with flax. It really is great! I can’t eat nuts, soy or gluten so I get a ‘nutty’ taste too that I miss so much in my treats!” – Teri I.
• “Apples with peanut butter.” – Stefanie S.
• “Popcorn with cinnamon and sugar.” – Jordan F.
• “A good trail mix. I usually can buy mixed nuts on sale, then I add Ghiradelli 60% cacoa chocolate chips (secret ingredient) and dried cranberries.” – Kraig M.
• And, from the winner, Sam W.: “I don’t know if granola bars are considered junk food, but they sure have a lot of junk in them when you buy them from the grocery store. Here is the recipe we use & love.”

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium-size mixing bowl, cream together the butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. (I use an electric mixer for this step.)
2. Add flour, baking soda, and oats. Stir until well-mixed. (Mixing with clean hands works great for this step.) Mixture will be a soft, fluffy, and somewhat crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Press mixture into a lightly-greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes, until edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and place dish on wire rack to cool.
4. After granola bars have cooled for 10 minutes, use a smooth-bottomed measuring cup or glass to press the bars flat. (Pressing while too hot will smear chocolate everywhere!) Allow to finish cooling and then cut into 18 bars using a pizza cutter or thin sharp knife. Store in a sealed container or bag at room temperature for up to a week or so, or freeze for later use.

Yum, huh? Eat up! And stay tuned for a new interview with the author of the Unjunk Your Junk Food, and another chance to win a copy for yourself! Coming to your favorite mascot’s blog next week…

This flavor is feeling the love!

We got a bit of Glee-ful fan mail recently, from Cathleen W. She suffers from dry mouth syndrome, and told us that Sugar-Free Refresh-Mint Glee helps to moisturize her mouth. She writes, “I order the large amounts in the white container because I go through it so fast!”

Got a story about Glee? We’d love to hear it! And, for a chance to pick up free samples for yourself or someone you know, be sure to check out our list of upcoming community events.

EggFest 2012

Robe Ann Park

April 6th, 2012

Greencastle, IN

Eggfest.org

The Green Metropolis Fair

The Green Exchange

April 14, 2012

Chicago, IL

Greenmetropolisfair.com

Bump Club and Beyond

Whole Foods Market

April 16^th, 2012

Austin, TX

Bumpclubandbeyond.com

The Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor Conference

Westin O’Hare

April 19^th-22^nd, 2012

Chicago, IL

Aath.org

Sixth Annual Autism Information Fair

Westchester County Center

April 22, 2012

White Plains, NY

Coachforhealthyliving.com/31713.html

Earth Day Event

Whole Foods Market Arroyo

April 22^nd, 2012

Pasadena, CA

Wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/arroyo

WHEF Bowl-A-Thon

Town Hall Lanes

April 29th, 2012

Johnston, RI

Whefri.org

Bump Club and Beyond

Whole Foods Market

April 30^th, 2012

Chicago, IL

Bumpclubandbeyond.com

FAAN Walk

September 29, 2012

Charlotte, NC

Foodallergy.org