Showing posts with label pumpkin pie spice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkin pie spice. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Sew Scary












Having been raised in a household of creatively-minded people, Halloween has always been a holiday of expression, from the pumpkin carving to the costumes. My sister and I had some enviable and memorable costumes over the years. Our mother, the seamstress, put all store-bought, nylon and plastic apparel to shame.


My love of a good disguise has been passed down to my daughter. She and her close friend spend most of their trick-or-treating time discussing their costumes for the following year. This gives them a mere 364 days to prepare.

Last year, her old lady costume was complete with a walker and crocheted handbag. She insisted on walking like an elderly person with aforementioned walker which made for slow trick-or-treating. She also carried hard candy and distributed a piece at every household we visited. I put my foot down when she asked to put moth balls in her pockets.

This year it’s all about simplification. The girls are going to be mimes, primarily so that they can write “Trick-or-Treat” on a sign and won’t have to talk. I guess last year’s costume really tired them out.

The real treats can be found at Van Otis Chocolates’ Elm Street, Manchester retail store and online at www.vanotis.com. They carry decadent seasonal items such as pumpkin spice malt balls, pumpkin pie creams, pumpkin fudge, peanut brittle, chocolate Halloween-themed molds, chocolate Halloween-themed pops, and chocolate/caramel dipped apples. Happy Halloween!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Most New Englanders choose to endure tough winters because they love the very in-your-face change of seasons. Fall is truly my favorite. I love the vibrant colors, a slight evening chill, football games, and pumpkin-infused everything.

I can’t get enough of the flavors and aromas created by the combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. It’s in my coffee, candles, ice cream, and body lotion. My husband and I literally had a high-five moment when we discovered our favorite pumpkin-flavored beer on the grocery store shelves.


I seek it out knowing that candy cane and gingerbread flavors will soon oust my beloved pumpkin. Like a squirrel preparing for a long winter, I hoard pumpkin-flavored items that won’t be seen again until next fall.


I recently added two items to my seasonal stockpile: Van Otis’s White Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Spice Creams and Pumpkin Fudge. Encased in a white chocolate shell and sprinkled with sugar crystals and pie spices, the creamy pumpkin center of the pumpkin pie creams is melt-in-your-mouth good. The fudge is a more subtle blend of pumpkin flavoring and spices. The creamy, buttery fudge doesn’t leave a greasy coating in your mouth like most fudge does, and it’s complemented by a light cinnamon and sugar topping.

Sugar, spice, and everything pumpkin. That’s what this little girl is made of.