MAKE YOUR OWN CANDY CANE

Van Otis Chocolates is opening its doors on Saturday, December 7th, from 10am to 2pm, for a candy cane demonstration at 341 Elm Street Manchester, NH.

Customers will be able to watch our experienced candy makers handcraft candy canes the old fashion way. At the end of the demonstration, you will be handed a free sample ready to be given your final touch.

The event is suitable for candy lovers of all ages. In addition, a big candy cane will be raffled off in the store. Don’t miss this fun event on the first Saturday in December!

For further information, please visit our website at www.vanotis.com or contact us at info@vanotis.com or call us at (603) 627-1611.

PHYLLIS

Let’s talk turkey.

This year, Thanksgiving is three days before the month of December. There are 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, allowing four weekends to shop, decorate, mail cards, hang lights, sing a carol, wrap, tag, bake, celebrate, reflect, and generally prepare for Christmas.

This presents the dilemma of holiday decorating. Do you forgo the cornucopia and replace it with a snowman? On principle, can you eat pumpkin pie under blinking lights, while smelling balsam?

As usual, it’s Van Otis to the rescue. Since all of their handcrafted candies are works of art, they serve as both decor and dessert.

For 8 years, Van Otis has offered patrons Phyllis, a hollow, 13-lb chocolate turkey. She is a popular Thanksgiving fixture in the Manchester retail store and would be a great centerpiece on any Thanksgiving table.

After dinner, guests will surely help make Phyllis disappear, so you’re ready to hang mistletoe.

Easter

Several years ago, I admitted to the delinquent nature of our household’s mystical creatures in a blog titled Hop Out of Bed – It’s Easter! You would think that a public admission would have sparked improvement. Alas, it has not.

Part of the difficulty is that some holidays have incredibly erratic schedules. The Easter bunny gets super confused every spring. He can't even count on Easter falling in the same month every year. And the tooth fairy? Well, let’s just say she doesn’t come around here anymore.

This year, Easter is on March 31. That’s less than two weeks away!

Thankfully, Van Otis is a great holiday assistant. They offer traditional bunnies, pixie bunnies, and fudge-filled eggs in a variety of flavors including nutty peanut butter, peanut butter meltaway, caramel marshmallow, vanilla cream, coconut cream, and vanilla butter cream. Most are available in milk or dark chocolate, and all live up to Van Otis’ handmade confection perfection.

As with any seasonal Van Otis product, these are available for a limited time. So stop into Van Otis’ retail store at 341 Elm Street in Manchester, New Hampshire and stock up!

Time Change

It’s that time of year again – set your clocks ahead by one hour or “spring ahead”, which is a cheerful way of saying you just lost an hour of time.

Twice a year I roam about my house thinking, why does a chronically late family have so many clocks?

Our lack of punctuality could be blamed on the inconsistent settings. It’s not uncommon to see digital displays of 10:08, 10:12, and 10:13 all within a two-foot radius.

Twice a year we have the opportunity to synchronize our clock plethora, but twice a year we simply press the hour button until we've advanced or gone back an hour. As a result, each room in the house has its own time zone.

At Van Otis’ retail store on Elm Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, you’ll find handmade confections that will put a spring in your step. Check out their website (www.vanotis.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/vanotischocolate) to see the latest seasonal options before it’s too late!

Curses, Foiled Again

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. You know how I know? There are shiny pink and red displays everywhere. Heart-shaped candies compete for my attention in the grocery aisles, convenience store racks, and at my favorite craft supply store - because nothing says “I love you” like grabbing candy at the checkout counter while purchasing glue sticks.

If your love is not fully expressed through chalky chocolate disguised in fancy foil, look to Van Otis. Van Otis Master Chocolatier J.P. Pisciotta’s confections meet the same high quality appearance AND taste standards that customers have come to expect and appreciate.

Stop by Van Otis’ retail store in Manchester, NH to see what J.P. has created for Valentine’s Day or shop online at www.vanotis.com. They have assorted candies in heart-shaped boxes, chocolate cupids,chocolate-covered strawberries, heart-shaped chocolates, and much more. Any item bearing the Van Otis label will tell your loved one how much you care.