One of the things we love most about May is that it’s National Strawberry Month. Celebrating all things strawberry just seems right as spring emerges before our eyes. The fruit’s fresh, sweet flavor tantalizes our taste buds in a way that few other berries manage.

Strawberries are incredibly healthful, which is another great reason to indulge. They’re loaded with antoxidants and vitamin C, two immune-system boosters that we don’t like to skimp on as the weather grows warmer. In fact, according to the California Strawberry Commission, a serving of strawberries contains 93 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. The ruby-red berries also offer up healthy doses of folate and fiber.

Though we love the berries in their fresh form, we also satisfy our cravings with delicious dried and freeze-dried strawberry products from NutsOnline. Our dried strawberries, which are one of our top sellers, are moist, soft and delicious. They rival any processed fruit snack that you might buy the youngsters in your family, and they’re also an amazing addition to baked goods and salads.

Freeze-dried Simply Strawberries are crunchy and a bit tart, and contain no added sugar, salt or preservatives. (They’re also available in an organic version for those who prefer.) Our natural dried strawberries are infused with apple juice to make a sweet, good-for-you treat that has no sugar or corn syrup.

We also like to snack on berrytastic treats such as natural strawberry fruit leather, our berry mix and Simply Fruit Cocktail. Though they don’t rank as highly in terms of health benefits, we have to say that we also adore strawberry covered pretzels and gummy strawberries as special treats, especially this time of year!

Though all of these treats are fantastic on their own, one of our favorite ways to use dried strawberries is in chocolate chip cookies. Mix up a batch of the cookies according to your favorite recipe, but substitute about ½ cup of chopped dried strawberries for ½ cup of chocolate chips. When the chocolate and dried strawberries meld during baking, the result is a gooey, sweet dose of deliciousness that tastes an awful lot like a chocolate-covered strawberry. They’re an amazing way to mark National Strawberry Month (or just to get your berry fix at any point during the year)!

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday. Since it’s your day to celebrate all that your mom has done for you over the years, you should really treat her to something sweet. Luckily, we have quite a few special selections and there’s still time to order! The best thing about these spectacular gift baskets? They’re so big that your mama might even share some of her goodies with you!

If your mom has some NutsOnline favorites, a Custom Tray is probably right up her alley! You can use the special function on our website to assemble your mother’s surprise, filling each of the tray’s five sections with dried fruit, nuts, sweets, chocolate goodies and snacks such as pretzels and trail mix. Mix and match to create a tray she’s sure to love!

We also offer pre-made snack selections with moms in mind. Our Box of Love, specially designed for Mother’s Day, includes incredibly tasty treats such as honey cashews, salted pistachios, pastel chocolate blueberries and jumbo buttercrunch mix. The Overflowing with Love Basket contains more than a dozen different items, with specialties like chocolate espresso beans, figs, dried kiwis and milk chocolate almond clusters. The Golden Gift Basket is worth its weight in gold, just like your mom, and offers eight pounds of dried fruit and nuts.

If your mother is more health-conscious or has special dietary restrictions, we’ve got you covered! Both the All Natural Gift Basket and the Delectable Organic Gift Basket contain an array of good-for-you treats such as raw nuts, energy squares and nut butter. We also offer a Sugar Free Tin of Indulgent Treats and a gluten-free Very Berry Gift Tin for those with specialized diets.

When it comes to decadent delights, chocolate is definitely the way to go. Our selection of premium chocolates is wide-ranging and includes the NY Espresso Mix, a jumble of flavored espresso beans. We recommend our variety pack of rich chocolate truffles. Dark chocolate covered almonds are also a delightful treat, and they offer antioxidant benefits that can’t be beat!

What will you give your mom for Mother’s Day? Whatever you decide on, don’t forget to also sweetly tell her how much you care!

Though we offer a variety of sweets and savories at NutsOnline, today we’re celebrating something we like to call nature’s candy: raisins. It’s National Raisin Day, and we couldn’t be more excited! These tasty dried grapes offer boatloads of vitamins and nutrients, and we have so many kinds from which to choose.

Raisins are cholesterol-free, fat-free and low in sodium. They also contain solid amounts of fiber, protein, potassium, iron, calcium, antioxidants and B vitamins. Raisins are also 70 percent pure fructose, a natural sugar that can provide an energy burst before physical activity. They’re great snacks for athletes, especially kids who are taking part in after-school sports.

Raisins slide naturally into many recipes, including those for granola bars, trail mix and homemade granola. They also add moisture to baked goods such as breads, cookies and cakes, without contributing an overwhelming flavor.

When many people think of raisins, they picture small, purplish-brown dried fruits. Some of our raisins, such as our dark raisins and midget raisins, fit the bill in that regard. However, raisins are far more diverse than that.

Our jumbo golden raisins are almost as large as full-sized grapes and have a tender texture. Reddish crimson raisins are incredibly sweet and moist. The jumbo golden flame raisins are plump and delicious.

We also offer a selection of specialty raisins. This includes organic varieties, such as the organic raisins and the organic sultana (golden) raisins. Our jumbo Thompson seedless raisins are the biggest you’ll ever see, and cluster raisins are dried on the vine, which gives them incredible sweetness.

Want to try a variety? The raisin medley features five of the most popular varieties, including jumbo golden, crimson, Thompson, flame and golden flame raisins.

For a truly rich experience, try some of our special raisin-based treats. Yogurt raisins are rolled in a thick, sweet coating. Chocolate raisins and dark chocolate covered raisins are both classic combos. Milk chocolate raisin clusters are drenched in rich chocolate.

What’s your favorite way to cook with and eat raisins? We admit to enjoying a good helping of extreme trail mix every now and then, but our absolute favorite is the plain ol’ dried fruit, gobbled by the handful. Delicious and nutritious!

We sure do love a nutty holiday here at NutsOnline, and it turns out that we’re in luck today! April 14 is National Pecan Day. Excellent news! Pecans are a delicious and nutritious addition to just about any diet.

According to the National Pecan Shellers Association, a serving of this mighty nut provides about 10 percent of your Recommended Daily Value of zinc. They’re also a fantastic natural source of fiber, antioxidants and protein. That’s a lot of power packed into a tiny package!  The residents of Albany, Georgia, even host a festival honoring the pecan each year. The pecan capital of the U.S., Albany is home to more than 600,000 pecan trees. Festivities at the annual celebration include a pecan cooking contest and the crowning of the National Pecan Queen.

Pecans are a scrumptious snack, and they’re great to eat as-is. Whole paper shell pecans are easy to crack and have an incredibly fresh flavor. Raw, shelled Georgia pecans are tender and sweet. Roasted pecans (available in both salted and unsalted varieties) are crunchy and delicious. A heaping bucket of pecans makes a great gift for the nutty pecan fan in your life!

Of course, we also offer dressed-up pecans for special occasions or those with a sweet tooth. For a sugary sweet, crunchy treat, try indulgent favorites such as praline pecans, cinnamon pecans, sesame honey pecans and butter toffee pecans.

Of course, we can’t ignore one of our most popular pecan delicacies: Oh My! Pecan Pie. This out-of-this-world baked good, which is studded with mammoth pecans, is a gooey, amazing dessert that we cannot get enough of.

We’re also offering a new product that will help you get your pecan fix. Pecan meal, which is pecans that have been ground into a fine flour, can be used as a flour substitute in recipes or as a coating on chicken or fish. When baked or fried the meal comes out crisp, with a light, nutty flavor and texture. Simply mix the pecan meal with seasonings of your choice, such as garlic powder, parsley and seasoning salt. Dunk the meat in beaten egg, then dredge it in the pecan meal mixture and cook it as usual.

Pecans can be used in a variety of scrumptious ways to contribute to a healthy, well-rounded diet. Want to learn more about enjoying pecans in your day-to-day life? Hop on over to National Pecan Shellers Association’s recipes page for suggestions!

April is National Soy Foods Month, and we know there’s plenty of cause for celebration. Soy products have myriad health benefits and are packed with essential nutrients. Sounds like good reason to snag some soy-based treats!

Soy items contain quite a bit of dietary protein, including all essential amino acids. This makes them quite helpful for rounding out vegetarian diets that derive most of their protein from plant-based sources.  Because soy contains no cholesterol, it’s also a heart-healthy alternative to animal-based proteins such as meat and dairy products. Cutting back on fattier proteins can decrease your heart-disease risk and lower cholesterol levels.

Soy also offers isoflavones, which some doctors believe have estrogen-like effects in the body. Consuming soy foods can be beneficial to women who are going through menopause for this reason. However, some people are more sensitive to soy foods than others, so it’s important to ask a doctor before incorporating soy into your diet as a treatment for symptoms of menopause.

These days, there are thousands of different soy products available! Soy milk, soy cheese, tofu and soy yogurt, as well as processed soy items like veggie burgers, are among the most common. However, it’s also simple to slide soy foods into your day as snacks in place of your usual chips, crackers or cookies.

Dried organic soy beans are delicious when they’re cooked and added to soups or salads. Salty roasted soy beans and dry roasted edamame are so satisfyingly crunchy that you’ll never miss fattier fried snacks.

If you like your munchies on the seasoned side, try hickory smoked soy beans or spicy BBQ soy beans. Garlic onion organic soy beans are a zesty treat, and chili lime organic soy beans feature just a hint of spice. The wasabi soynut explosion mix really attracts those who crave variety.

Soy snacks can also be sweet. Honey roasted soy beans are rolled in a sweet coating. Chocolate covered soy beans and dark chocolate covered soy beans are rich and delicious. Original Creamy SoyNut Butter is a solid substitute for peanut butter in sandwiches and baked goods.

Soy foods are just waiting for you to give them a whirl, and what better time than during National Soy Foods Month? Whether you crave sweet or savory, we’ve got a treat for just about anyone!

Here at NutsOnline, there’s nothing we love more than salty, sweet, nutty peanut butter. Well, maybe there’s one thing we love more: combining that peanut butter with a dollop of fresh fruit jelly.

We’re in luck! Today is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, and we are ready to celebrate this classic duo! What about you?

You can, of course, start by making a basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich on your favorite bread. Smear a couple tablespoons of organic smooth peanut butter or organic crunchy peanut butter onto a slice, then top it with strawberry jelly or grape jelly. Simple, delicious, and popular with kids and adults alike!

Dress up the old standby by adding a twist on the basic ingredients. Try a spread from our line of gourmet peanut butter. With flavors like organic dark chocolate peanut butter, organic vanilla cranberry peanut butter and banana peanut butter, you’ll never get bored! You can also change up your jelly choice with sweet plum jelly or sassy double raspberry jelly. Butter the outside of both pieces of bread and grill the sammie in a skillet for a warm, melty treat. Slide in some thinly sliced bananas and apples to get a fruit fix.

Try sandwiching the spreads between vanilla or chocolate cookies for a simple dessert. If you’re up for a greater challenge, a rich peanut butter and jelly sundae may be just the way to celebrate today.

Slightly soften a pint of vanilla ice cream. Fold 1/4 cup of jelly to the ice cream so that it’s evenly swirled throughout. Transfer the ice cream mixture to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for at least two hours.

Combine 1 tbsp. honey, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup of half and half in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then remove it from the burner. Add 3/4 cup of peanut butter and stir the sauce until the peanut butter melts. Scoop the ice cream into bowls and drizzle it with the warm peanut butter topping. Enjoy!

With that rough wintry weather melting away into our memories, spring’s sneaking up on us more quickly than we could’ve imagined! Easter is less than two weeks away, and we know you’ve got some snuggle bunnies and sweet buddies who will require some cheerful treats on this special holiday.

You can pack up an Easter basket with any combination of candy and non-edible gifts. Fill the bottom of a colorful basket with plastic Easter grass, shredded paper or bunched-up cotton fabric. Place games, toys, books and other large items in the basket before filling in the cracks with loose and packaged edible items.

There are plenty of different types of candies that will fit right in on Easter Sunday. Jelly beans, of course, are among the traditional offerings and are small enough to fill plastic eggs. Assorted gummy sweets, including traditional gummy bears and more off-the-wall gummy fruit salad and gummy fried eggs, are also general crowd-pleasers. If chocolate and nuts are more your speed, try some pretty pastel Jordan almonds and bright gourmet chocolate mints.

You could also opt to fill your baskets with some savory treats. Supreme roasted mixed nuts are a decadent delight appropriate for any holiday. Carrot chips are a light, healthy alternative to heavier snacks.

If you don’t have time to fill your own basket, we’ve got you covered! Bunny’s Bucket of Sweets features classic goodies like chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, white chocolate cherries and Swedish fish. The Easter Sweets ‘n Treats Basket is packed with even more treats, including Swiss petite fruits, ice cream sundae malted milk balls and cappuccino cocoa cordials. These packages both contain more than enough for several people to share.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make traditional vanilla-nut candy eggs to top off your baskets. These chocolate-covered treats are time-consuming, but are a quite special once-a-year sweet!

To make vanilla-nut candy eggs, you’ll first want to line cookie sheets with either wax paper or silicone mats. Use an electric mixer to beat two egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Measure 2 ½ cups of white sugar, ½ cup of light corn syrup, ½ cup of water and ¼ tsp. of salt into a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Raise the heat to medium-high, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and continue cooking the mixture (without stirring) until it reaches 260 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the sugar mixture is heating, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Pour the hot mixture, along with 2 tsp. of vanilla extract, into the egg whites, beating constantly. Continue to beat the candy on high until it turns from a glossy mixture to a rough, dull mixture. Add 1 cup of white or semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 cup of chopped walnuts to the candy.

Shape the candy mixture into eggs, placing each piece onto the cookie sheet. Slide the cookie sheet into the refrigerator until the candy is firm, then dunk each egg in melted chocolate and allow it to harden.

Got a craving for something sweet? Do you ever have a reason to celebrate: Today is National Chocolate Caramel Day!

This classic combination is often showcased in candies, ice creams and other treats, and for good reason: The smooth richness of caramel pairs perfectly with the creamy, occasionally bitter flavor of chocolate. Though this holiday may not have quite reached the status of other, more well-known celebrations, we can’t think of a better way to recognize a toothsome twosome that brings such joy to so many people!

Celebrate this delicious duo by indulging in some sweets. Milk and dark chocolate sea salt caramels provide the perfect combination of savory saltiness and delicate sweetness. Goetze’s chocolate caramel creams offer a vintage take on the pairing that you might remember from childhood. Mini milk chocolate caramel cups feature rivers of liquid caramel oozing from a chocolaty shell. Chocolate covered caramel popcorn is a sweet treat with a delightful, light crunch that’s sure to please.

If sweets aren’t your cup of tea, try some chocolate caramel coffee on for size. This brew incorporates the flavors of chocolate and caramel into freshly roasted coffee beans, providing a treat that is distinctly decadent without all the sugar.

If you’re in the mood for a special treat, you can whip up some pretzel turtle bites in your kitchen at home. These candies, which consist of a chocolate-covered caramel and a pecan half pressed on top of a pretzel, will disappear as quickly as they cool. To start, preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place about 20 mini pretzels in a single layer on the paper. Layer either a milk chocolate caramel or a dark chocolate caramel on top of each pretzel. Slide the cookie sheet into the oven and bake the treats for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chocolate appears slightly melted. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and immediately press a pecan half onto the top of each chocolate caramel, flattening the candy. Allow them to cool completely before serving, as the hot caramel can burn your mouth.

How will you celebrate National Chocolate Caramel Day? Anything goes, as far as we’re concerned! Have a sweet day, and don’t forget to treat yourself to something special!

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and with it comes special treats that reflect the season. However, you don’t have to stop at traditional corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread. NutsOnline makes it easy for you to expand on the traditions and put a unique spin on your St. Paddy’s Day in style.

Even if you aren’t Irish, green goodies can help you get in the spirit on St. Patrick’s Day. Why not share some Leprechaun’s Delight with your friends and family? These kelly-green, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face!

If chocolate isn’t your cup of tea, don’t fret! You may have more luck with green apple licorice twists, Jelly Belly green apple jelly beans or, if you crave a more savory option, green bean chips. Top some lamb (or even just a sandwich or some ice cream) with some gorgeous mint jelly to give a meal a special touch.

Pistachios, of course, are the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day snack. These green gems are deliciously healthy. One ounce of pistachios contains 10 percent of the Recommended Daily Value for dietary fiber, vitamin B-6, thiamin, phosphorus and copper. They’re also a fabulous source of protein, potassium and monounsaturated fats.

Want to make a special, but simple St. Patrick’s Day dessert? Try some Luck O’ The Irish Ice Cream Sandwiches on for size! Dump two quarts of softened pistachio ice cream into a bowl and mix in about one cup of chopped pistachios and a few drops of green food coloring. Scoop the ice cream in 1/3-cup servings onto chocolate or pistachio cookies. Top the sandwiches with the remaining cookies, line them up on a baking sheet and slide them into the freezer for two to three hours before gobbling them down.

These treats aren’t just reserved for March 17, of course. They’re great anytime you need a goody that’ll make your friends and family turn green with envy. Happy St. Patrick’s Day from NutsOnline!

Candy buffets are quickly becoming all the rage at wedding receptions, and we can see why. What could be more fun than providing your guests with a sweet take-home treat to remember your special day by?

Setting up a candy buffet is simple and, in most cases, fairly economical. The base of the buffet should be a big table, along with some boxes of various sizes to give the buffet visual height. Arrange the boxes on the table, then drape a large, neutral-colored tablecloth over the whole thing. Place a clear, attractive vase on top of each box and fill the vases with different varieties of treats. Make sure to provide scoops or tongs for each vase to allow guests to select their candies in a sanitary way. Stack some personalized bags or containers at one end of the buffet that guests can fill and keep as souvenirs.

When it comes to candy buffets, buying big is key. It’s safe to estimate that you’ll need a minimum of one-fourth to one-half of a pound of candy for each guest in attendance at the reception. Another way to determine the amount of candy you’ll need is to purchase the take-home containers first, figure out the number of ounces they hold and buy enough candy to completely fill each of them. To create the most eye-catching candy buffet, offer five to 10 different varieties of treats. Popular choices include Jordan Almonds, jelly beans, mint lentils, and more.

That may sound like a lot of sugar, and it probably is more candy than most guests are likely to take. Keep in mind that, visually speaking, the display will look far more attractive if some candy remains in the containers throughout the evening. It’s better to have leftover sweets than not enough for each guest to take his or her share.

Candy buffets are great additions to wedding receptions because they are so easy to personalize. For example, the bride and groom can set up a retro-style display of items that were their childhood favorites, such as candy necklaces, gummy bears, and lollipops. It’s simple to create an elegant buffet by choosing sweets that match the wedding colors and adding an arrangement of coordinating flowers to the table. The candy buffet can even reflect the location of the wedding; for example, a couple getting married at the seashore might choose items like saltwater taffy, and colorful rock candy.

Not a huge fan of sugary sweets? No problem! Savory items complement most candies well and are a great addition to any candy buffet (particularly one that contains a fair amount of chocolate). Try tamari almonds, macadamia nuts, and wasabi cashews, for example. You can also mix the sweet and savory with items like chocolate-covered espresso beans.

If you are going to include nuts on your candy buffet, be mindful of guests who may have severe allergies. Keep the nuts and candies, along with their serving utensils, in separate vases at all times, and label them with place cards, either placed in front of each vase or clipped to the top of each container.

The containers that the guests will take home should really reflect the personal nature of the event. Have fun with them! Some ideas include purchasing Chinese-takeout-style boxes in the wedding colors, decorating clear party bags with monogrammed stickers or ordering inexpensive tins with the names of the bride and groom and the wedding date printed on them.

At the end of the day, a candy buffet is more than just a way to appease reception guests with a sweet tooth. It can also serve as a striking centerpiece in any party hall. A well-done, creative candy buffet will draw quite a bit of attention both as a decor element and as a fun, hands-on experience.

Browse NutsOnline’s wide selection of wedding candy here.