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.

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!

Corporate Gifting

Several years ago, I wrote a blog about my job responsibility of employee recognition. Along with this task, I was also responsible for finding the perfect holiday gift to recognize our customers and thank them for our business partnership.

I really enjoyed this part of my job but was surprised each year by the difficulty of the task. I am a highly skilled shopper with YEARS of training – just ask my husband. So finding something that expressed appreciation AND would be valued by the recipient should have been a piece of cake piece of chocolate.

The difficulty was finding a gift that contained a quality product, looked festive, and could be enjoyed by many staff members, rather than a single business contact.

Van Otis offers several corporate gift options in their gift guide that will relay your company’s sincere appreciation. Each option contains handcrafted confections and/or Van Otis’ cashews and popcorn, wrapped in elegant and festive packaging. You can check out your options at www.vanotis.com or stop by the retail shop in Manchester to place an order.

Chocolat

One of my favorite movies of all time is Chocolat. If you haven’t seen it – DO! The acting, scenery, and storyline are fabulous. It has multiple plotlines, some dealing with serious topics, but remains quirky throughout. The authenticity of the little town and characters make you want to move there. Of course, then you’d be living on a movie set.

I won’t ruin the story for you if you haven’t seen it. But to tempt you, the gorgeous Juliette Binoche plays the main character. She befriends the amazing Judy Dench and talented Lena Olin. The movie is dripping with all things chocolate, and just when you think your sweet tooth is satisfied, in comes Johnny Depp.

One of the many chocolate items featured in the film is hot chocolate. Now, this isn’t just any hot chocolate. It’s ultra thick and has a hint of chili pepper in it.

This movie sparked my interest in chili chocolate. I was hesitant at first, imagining chocolate with strong Mexican flavor. Really, chili chocolate is nothing more than yummy chocolate with an after bite of heat in your mouth. It’s wonderful.

And because they have it all, Van Otis offers their version of spicy chocolate. Dark Volcano Bark and Milk Volcano Bark can be found at VO’s retail store in Manchester, New Hampshire. Well, I say they have it all. Johnny Depp isn’t included.

Let the Games Begin

The Olympics reminded me how important it is to train for any sport. Therefore, I started early and believe I’m prepared for fall sports season. I streamlined the time it takes me to maneuver a folding canvas chair in and out of its ridiculously compact carrying case. I can throw my voice to carry “Go Team” a fair distance. I’ve also worked my rotator cuffs so that I can swat mosquitoes in my nether region. I’m ready to play sports spectator.

If you have elementary-aged kids, they may participate in a volunteer recreational program. This is the time when the parents are divided – volunteer coach or spectator. I’ve always fallen into the spectator category. I figured I’d be much better at it than coach.

Not every parent volunteer does this type of self-analysis before raising their hand. My kids have had their fair share of well-intended volunteer coaches who carry a For Dummies book in their back pocket and yell, “Good Try!” a lot.

I never judge. I think that anyone who will give up 6-8 hours each week to teach kids how to field a baseball rather than pick dandelions deserves only gratitude.

But here’s the dilemma. What do you give these volunteers at the end of the season to express your appreciation?

Van Otis has a tasteful solution to your gifting needs. The Sweet Impressions line offers chocolate plaques for football, tennis, soccer, baseball, and music enthusiasts. Most plaques also have accompanying foil-wrapped chocolates to compliment each theme. 

Be a Winner

Every once in a while my husband and I talk about what we’d do with a major lottery prize. And like most couples who do this, we don’t actually buy lottery tickets. However, we do occasionally purchase raffle tickets to support a cause and have been winners.

My husband once bought a single raffle ticket at a hunters’ banquet and was the big winner of some fancy, schmancy gun. I wouldn’t recommend winning the grand prize and bragging about it in a room full of multi-weapon owners.

When it comes to games of chance, most people say, “I never win anything,” and they don’t enter. I’m horrible at statistical math, but I have to believe this reduces the odds. Although in my case, I once won a trip to the Women’s US Tennis Open in New York without personally entering.

My dad likes games of chance. He isn’t in a local convenience store every night buying scratch-off tickets, but he takes advantage of any free opportunity to win something.

He purchased a hairdryer, and in the box there were multiple entry forms for chances to win trips to various US Opens. He filled them out for each of our four family members, and I won.

I encourage you to be more proactive. Van Otis Chocolates offers a monthly giveaway of 1 pound of assorted chocolates. All you have to do is complete the online entry form for a chance to win delicious handmade chocolates. What are you waiting for? You could be July’s winner!

Spummer?

This beautiful spring weather has been lovely but confusing. For example, this morning when I barked a third get-out-of-bed warning, my daughter lifted an eyelid and said, “We have to go to school?” She is very bright – academically.

The cause for confusion is that our weekends have been filled with traditional summer activities. We’ve had so many BBQs that we’ll be craving a turkey dinner or any departure from potato salad by mid-June.

The kids have been in the swimming pool almost daily since the second week of May. My son even made a daring late-April attempt by jumping into the icy water. Before the father of my future grandchildren could ruin my chances for future grandchildren, he defied gravity and flew back out of the pool. Upon catching his breath, he announced the water was very cold - another academic wiz.

Those crafty confectioners at Van Otis are also anxious for summer. Check out their spring and summer line, including the artsy daisy pops and molded chocolates for motorcycle enthusiasts.

Happy Mother-in-Law's Day

I’m fortunate to have a wonderful mother, but this Mother’s Day blog is dedicated to my mother-in-law (MIL). She deserves all the love, happiness, and yummy goodness available at Van Otis Chocolates. VO Chocolate Covered Creams will be the perfect gift this year!

My MIL is fabulous and best of all, she’s funny. She’s rarely intentionally funny, but she can laugh at herself along with the rest of us. She’s entertained us so much over the years that I began to keep a journal of things she and my father-in-law have said that we want to remember.

Here are a few stories involving my MIL. Our Mother’s Day celebration is guaranteed to be filled with lots of laughter and likely, some new stories for the book.

Before heading to the prom, my MIL wanted to tell her daughter to be good and have a good time. Her parting words to daughter and date were, “Be a good time!”

In response to a text about my son’s game schedule change, my MIL replies “G7”. She calls not long afterward. Giggling, she says, “I meant to text G8 for great.” I point out that G8 would actually read “gate”.

Upon leaving the movie theater, my MIL says, “That was a good movie, except there was an awful lot of fighting in it.” She had just seen The Fighter.

My son said to me, “I wish you’d have another baby. I want a little brother.” My MIL responded, “No, you don’t. Soon you’ll be driving, and you wouldn’t want to have Joe Jr. tagging along.” My husband (whose name is not Joe) said, “Ma, who’s Joe Sr.?”

In his heavy New England accent, my dad was talking about a former, local ice cream stand called Averills. My MIL, sitting at the opposite end of the dining room table, said, “Who would name an ice cream stand A-holes?”

Happy Mother’s Day!

Meteorologists

If you live in New England, all you’ve done lately is talk about the weather. You mention it every day to at least seven people at work. Some people are even subjected to your morning AND afternoon reports.

You post, tweet, text, and tout your observations, using lots of exclamation points for emphasis. Gorgeous day! Went for a walk – beautiful outside!! Just sang harmony with the robins to The Sound of Music!!!

You chuckle with store clerks, “How ‘bout this weather?” The store clerks smile, secretly wishing for a major natural disaster so that they can talk about something else.

It’s what New Englanders do. We like our routine, and we especially like consistency in our seasons. So the prospect of wearing Easter attire without a parka is kind of a big deal.

We’ll get equally excited in a few weeks when skies turn gray, temperatures drop, and everything is soaked like a sponge from incessant rain. This will give us an entirely new topic to discuss – rainy weather.

No matter what’s happening outside, you can find a touch of spring at Van Otis’ retail store in Manchester, New Hampshire and online at www.vanotis.com. You don’t need to wait until Easter to celebrate the season. Foil-covered chocolate eggs, chocolate-dipped Peeps, and chocolate-filled eggs with peanut butter, caramello, buttercream, or coconut are available now to help you wish others (and yourself) a happy spring! Oh, I mean, happy spring!!!!!!