Whitman's Candies

donna

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
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Whitman's Candy has been around since 1842. It was first made by Stephen Whitman of Philadelphia. It is now made by the Russell Stover Company.

Their sampler box of chocolates has been one of their most popular. It was my Granny's favorite box of candy. We always gave her a box for Christmas and her birthday.

See history of Whitman's at:

https://www.russellstover.com/whitmans-history
 
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It's early, my eyes are blurry and I haven't had my coffee but oh, the memories! Oh the memories!
Whitman's was our special treat candy! Given out only at Christmas and maybe birthdays! Oh what joy to open the wrappings and see that yellow box! My sisters and I would actually dance around in it's chocolaty heavenliness. We'd also fight over our favorites, since it was such a rare treat!
My Aunt Ann (who was actually my second cousin, but we were forced to call her Aunt and one of the meanest women I have ever know) kept a box on her coffee table to tease us kids. She always had that box there and whenever we'd go visit she'd tell us we could have ONE piece if we would behave ourselves and sit QUIETLY (on her plastic wrapped couch, blech) while the adults visited and then if we were GOOD she would reach in there with her long pink fingernails and pull us out the coconut ones (what kid really wants the coconut ones???) and give those to us! The woman was evil, I tell you!
When I started working and had my own money, I would buy the Sampler boxes just because and eat the whole darn thing. I'd give ones to my Nanny and sisters and we'd laugh!
Yeah, now that they are Russell Stover some of the magic is gone. I agree, taste just isn't there anymore but I'll buy a box every now and then to give as gifts for the holidays!
 
I gave a box of Whitman's out for a secret Santa gift this year and our daughter received a box for her birthday earlier in the month. I think they are very good gifts to give and receive.
See's candy is actually now our preferred boxed candy. We have a store here just down the road and when you go in they give you a free samples.
 
How cool, that Whitmans has been around that long!

When I was younger, my father always got my mother a heart-shaped box of Whitman's for Valentine's. She made him quit doing it when her doctor got after her about her weight. Her weight was fine, mind you. Her doctor wanted her underweight, swore up and down she was pre-diabetic, but after they moved and her next doctor didn't care she got up to the weight the first doctor was convinced would kill her and was actually in much better health! She'd get bronchitis every winter while underweight. But I digress....

After she quit dieting so stringently, Whitman's "didn't taste the same" (I think because they'd been sold those years she wasn't getting them), and dad switched to Russell Stover, often as not. But we still get the Whitman Samplers for stocking stuffers some years. When my parents lived in Tennessee, there was a Russell Stover outlet store on the route between their place and ours they hit pretty regularly. That stopped when they moved from Tennessee to South Dakota, alas.
 
Thanks Donna!
I have to laugh at myself when I see my post about my Aunt Ann. I still stand by my words as the gospel truth, but how dramatic! Lol! I must be mellowing in my old age.
We gave See's candies out as gifts this year. Also Hershey's Pot of Gold.
 
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