Yummy Stocking Stuffers (Christmas List 3/12)

Have you hung up your Christmas stocking yet?

I remember my old stocking. It was the typical red felt stocking with white trim. To make it more special, my mom carefully laid out my name with gold string. Every yuletide season, that stocking would make a cameo. While now it's mostly for decorative purposes, it used to house wonderful goodies from Santa come Christmas mornins. Usually they were candy canes and lollipops, but sometimes Santa would get creative and put useful stuff in it. I used to love having all the litte stuff, because they'd be so much more than bigger sized items! Lest we forget the extra goodies we'd get just before the feast of the Three Kings when Christmas decorations would be taken down and packed into boxes. This got me to thinking of list number three: Christmas stocking stuffers. Nowadays there are so many new goodies available in the market, it's hard to choose! These are the things I'd fill my kids' stockings with...if i had them haha. Then again, how said stockings had to be for kids only? :-)

1. Kitkat bites...little round balls of chocolate goodness...not too sweet, crisp and fresh, this new twist to the classic Kitkat is by far the best. Much better than the KitKat Chunky bar. Remember:need a break? Have a Kitkat :-) make it Bites! Downside to this: you can't stop munching on it till it's gone!!!

2. Flaming Hot Cheetos. Super yummy treat! Love it. Love the red fingers you get from it too haha. It has a spicy, hot kick but not too much, which makes you keep wanting more. Yummy. The only drawback is it comes only in one size.

3. E-aji Sour Cream and Onion chips. Very much like Lay's, but more affordable :-) It's chip is a little harder and thicker than the soft crispy chip of Lay's though, but not in a bad way. It has a good flavor too. I just hope it maintains this quality even as it gets more popular and well known.

4. M&M's Dark Chocolate/Peanut Butter. Yuuummmm....a twist to the classic M&M brand. Both these variants are so good! Being both a dark chocolate lover and a peanut butter fan, I can't choose between the two. Both rank equally to me :-) (photo from candyaddict.com)

5. Goya Dark Mint Chocolates. Surprisingly yummy for a local chocolate brand. No offense to the local market. For some reason, though, I still have to find a local choco that measures up to the rich quality of imported brands. I don't think it's just the quality, but maybe the recipe itself. In any case, this box of Goya chocolates is superb!!! Nice texture, good flavor...a perfect end to any meal. Plus very affordable. The Black and White version is just as good.


6. Chocnut. If you are a Filipino, then you will know what Chocnut is! This is the quintessential Filipino candy/treat. The classic amongst classic, any candy list would not be complete without this. Others have tried to imitate it, but to date, nothing comes close.


7. Flat Tops. Another Filipino classic. This, and it's relative Curly Tops, have been such a favorite treat for many Filipino children. For me, I can't just have one...further, for some funny reason, the older it gets, the yummier it is. Newly produced ones aren't as delicious, hehe. Of course, when it's too old, that's questionable as well haha.

8. Chupa Chups Strawberry and Cream. Growing up, this was an afternoon treat. However, during Christmas, it was even more special. I particularly like how it's not so sweet, and yet sweet enough to keep you wanting more.

9. Frutos Chewy Candy. A pack of this soft, chewy candy is bound to bring a smile to any face. My personal favorite is the strawberry, but all other flavors are quite good too. It reminds me of the old kind of fruittella candy.

10. Blow Pop Lollipops. An old favorite :-) however, it seems to me the gum in the center is not as good as it used to be.� It's kinda all sugary and it seems to melt away. I don't seem to have that wad of gum to chew anymore afterwards :-(

11. Kellogg's Rice Crispy Treats. I used to love this so much!!! It got popular way back when I was in high school, and for some time it was readily available in the local market. Nowadays it's more difficult to find. Luckily for my brothers (who love it as much as I did!) the DLSU cafeteria often has this in stock! (photo from stores.pkuperspectives.com)

12. Moniegold Gummy Tamarind and Plum. I think my friend T likes the candy one better than this, but for me, this is more like it. Kinda weird though, as it is not the typical tamarind candy, particularly the round ones with a seed in the middle and covered in sugar. I initially didn't like the taste, I particularly dislike the powdery stuff, but to be honest, it grows on you.

I could go on and on with this list....there's still Jolly Ranchers, Werther's, Kisses...but I gotta end it with this. I'm getting hungry. And I wonder why I've gained so much weight...duh!!! :-)

What's your favorite Stocking Stuffer?