PB&J

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are further proof of my assertion that salty and sweet should be represented during every dining experience. I tried using this logic on my kids when defending my love of chocolate ice cream with plain potato chips, but they still think I’m weird.

I was unable to find solid evidence of the origin of the popular PB&J. It appeared in history during the 1904 World’s Fair and was later a standard during World War II.

Due to meat being scarce and expensive during WWII, PB&J was originally a necessity; however, it has held its popularity ever since. The National Peanut Board reports that the average kid eats 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before graduating from high school.

The popularity of the fruit and nut combination has spawned things such as crustless sandwiches and canned PB&J. Yes, canned.

Visit Van Otis Chocolates at their Elm Street, Manchester retail store or www.vanotis.com for some of their handmade fruit and nut confections. None of them come in a can.

Peanut Cluster - Dark or Milk Chocolate
Large, crunchy peanuts surrounded in chocolate

Peanut Butter Crisped Rice
Crisped rice in a creamy peanut butter center encased in milk chocolate

Peanut Butter Cup - Dark, Milk, and White Chocolate
Creamy, salty peanut butter center encased in chocolate

Cherry Cordial - Dark and Milk Chocolate
Maraschino cherry, floating in a liquid cherry center encased in chocolate

Orange Nougat - Dark and Milk Chocolate
Chewy orange nougat with candied orange bits encased in chocolate

Pineapple - Dark and Milk Chocolate
Candied pineapple slice encased in chocolate

Fruit Slices
Sweet and sour, sugar-coated, fruit-flavored jellied slices

Marzipan
Ball of almond-flavored goodness, artfully designed to look like a ripening piece of fruit

The Creams
Raspberry, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon, Cherry
Dark, Milk, and White Chocolate (Limited)
The creamiest fruity centers encased in chocolate

The Jellies
Raspberry and Orange - Dark or Milk Chocolate
Subtle berry-flavored, jellied center encased in chocolate

Mystery Solved

You know that popular saying, “Which came first, the chocolate coating or creamy center?” Well, maybe it’s not as popular as, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” But it’s a mystery that YOU can solve!

Go beyond Van Otis’ enticing display cases and step into a world where handmade confections are made. You can watch chocolates leave the enrobing line, as they’re coated with chocolate and individually marked by hand.

Learn about stringing, a method of marking the chocolates to indicate what’s inside, and drizzling, a method of decorating the chocolates with opposite chocolate types(white on dark, dark on milk, etc.).

Drizzling is done by dipping a dowel in melted chocolate and, well, drizzling it over another confection. Drizzling techniques are used to decorate chocolate dipped pretzels, Temptation Twinkies, Temptation Oreos,etc.

At other companies, where the chocolates are mass produced, equipment is used to drag a chain across the chocolates to create a particular design. At Van Otis, this process is still done by hand.

Join a VanOtis tour by calling 1.800.826.6847. Reservations are required, and groups ranging from 12-25 people can be accommodated.

Tours are appropriate for ages 8 and over, and the cost is just $5 per person. Enjoy an environment free of Oompa Loompas, a fun candy making activity, and of course, delicious samples!

Less Than Three

I’ve embraced texting as a mode of communication. I appreciate that it’s a really quick way to convey information without a lengthy conversation. But what I struggle with is text language – abbreviations, codes, and total disregard for grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. I’m a product of my English teachers. I fear the red pen.

Maybe I’d be more apt to embrace text abbreviations if I’d learn them. I’m certainly capable of learning. After all, I used to communicate across the classroom with my calculator turned upside down and a friendly 07734.

I do understand when I’ve made people laugh out loud or when their butts fell off while they were laughing. But for the longest time, I was concerned with all the people who thought they were less than three. I mean, I’m no ten, but I have enough self-confidence to put myself at a six on a good day.

Once I became aware that <3 is actually a disconnected heart turned sideways – of course it is - I was able to appreciate the love from these former low self-esteemed folk.

The month of February is a great time to less than three those you love with specialty items from Van Otis Chocolates. Chocolate-covered strawberries, heart-shaped boxes full of assorted chocolates, and heart truffle boxes are the perfect expression of love. Post-holiday sales offer an extended opportunity to make up for stinky carnations and cards written by someone else that didn’t truly reflect what’s in your <3.

Super Bowl

I am one of those crazy New England Patriots fans. During football season, my husband and I spend all week planning our Sunday menu. It’s the most important family meal of the week, served on paper plates and TV trays, without any eye contact whatsoever.

Sometimes we invite friends over to justify the quantity of food. These friends have gone through a secretive, but highly scrutinized, screening process. They must meet criteria such as both spouses watch AND understand football, and their kids intuitively army crawl when passing in front of the TV.

As you can imagine, when the Ravens put the Patriots into the Super Bowl - you heard me - I was ecstatic. I feel like a wedding planner this week, focused on seating arrangements, jersey and hat ensembles, and of course, the food.

Football food is complicated. You want to serve hot items but don’t want to be the rock, paper, scissors loser who has to tend a stove or grill. That’s why I am so reliant on good food that can be accessed from a seated position without much effort.

Van Otis chocolate-covered popcorns are a great game snack. Although white chocolate is usually my third choice to dark and milk, Van Otis white chocolate popcorn is by far my favorite. The combination of sweet, salt, and popped corn is the perfect flavor balance.

Grab some Van Otis popcorn for the big game this weekend, pour it into a bowl, and there you have it – a Super Bowl.