CSNews' 2011 Realities of the Aisle Consumer Study

Manufacturers: Have your new product information posted here. Send press releases and hi-res photos to newproducts@csnews.com

Caramel apples to help area animals

OSKALOOSA — If you’d like to satisfy your sweet tooth and give to a worthy cause at the same time, the Mahaska Humane Society and Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter are doing their annual caramel apple fund-raiser in February.

Erie County woman and #8217;s pie takes 2nd at show

Erie County home cook Sue Mattis brought home the second-place ribbon from the Pennsylvania Farm Show for her Apple Toffee Streusel Pie recipe. She was up against 73 pies from around the state, the bakers of which all had to win county fairs to qualify for the state competition.

Homegrown: For some Santa Fe chocolatiers, 'it's all about Valentines Day'

A quick visit to Santa Fe's half-dozen artisanal chocolate shops two weeks before Valentine's Day revealed a bustling economic surprise: Local chocolatiers were filling Internet and phone orders and packing their painstakingly crafted fresh passionflower truffles, wax-dipped raspberry ganache hearts and Hatch red-chile peanut brittles just as fast as they can make them.

Oprah’s resolution: try Indiana-made marshmallows

Is Oprah Winfrey keeping her New Year’s resolutions? Columbus, Ind.-based gourmet marshmallow maker 240Sweet sure hopes so. 240Sweet owners Alexa Lemley and Samantha Aulick are familiar vendors at local farmers’ markets and have plenty of central Indiana fans who love their salty caramel swirl or key lime or chocolate chip marshmallows. But Oprah knows about the company’s fabulously flavored ...