By Jeanni Ritchie
A pregnancy craving brought me to Mama V’s last month.
Not mine, of course. I didn’t hotwire a DeLorean or anything. But these cravings are just as important—they are nutrition for one of my new grandbabies.
My daughter-in-law Amanda was six months pregnant, and sour candy was currently high on the baby’s wish list. So I met her one afternoon and told her to fill up a sack on Mama V’s Pick & Mix wall.
The long wall of colorful bins lets customers create their own combinations, purchasing candy by weight or simply giving the staff an amount. Amanda chose several sour favorites, and they sent her home with a cup of sour powder to roll her candy in for even more pucker!
They have a multitude of these powders—dill pickle is a customer fave—to enhance any candy you choose.
But candy is only the beginning of what visitors will find at Mama V’s.
There are squishies and dumplings, a D-I-Y slime cart, novelty toys, and Mini Critters.
When I first saw the Mini Critters, I wondered how many I’d find on the floor after the grandkids left. (I’m still discovering Nerf bullets two months after the last family gathering!) But then I met the creators and discovered that the toys in the huge bin are created on a 3-D printer! Eleven printers, to be exact. Mind. Blown.
Of course I’d heard of 3-D printers, but it still seemed a little sci-fi to me. Not only was I fascinated with the manufacturing of the toys, I loved that Mama V’s is creating a space for local business owners to sell their products.
Mama V’s has its own off-site factory in which they make the candy that went viral and allowed for expansion to the current storefront. They also manufacture their own cotton candy in flavors like green apple, lemonade, and bubble gum.
The shelves extend far beyond traditional sweets. Shoppers will find well-known specialty brands such as Hammond’s chocolates and Taffy Town alongside freeze-dried treats, flavored peanuts, jerky, pork rinds, pickled foods and plenty of novelty items that make for a midweek pick-me-up or a unique gift.
And then there is the reason I went back again the very next day: the cookie dough bar.
After seeing Mama V’s videos featuring scoops of edible cookie dough and toppings, I had two thoughts: First, that I needed to hire these young employees to do some of my social media videos. And second, that I must have some of that cookie dough!
I got a scoop of loaded Biscoff, with Biscoff cookie crumbles and drizzle, and a scoop of chocolate chip with chocolate syrup on top. There are sprinkles and shimmies and caramel syrup and whipped cream as well. Delicious!
And brand new that day was Young + Wild & Friedman. The Grab & Go Sensory Dough is slime plus toys for a full sensory experience. They even have Sensory Surprise Boxes which remind me of a modern-day Grab Bag!
Support local. Support cravings. Support candy in Cenla.
Mama V’s Candy
1260 Texas Ave., Suite F, Alexandria, LA 71301
Monday–Thursday: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
