Candy cane fun

At least once a year or so we try to get up to Stowe, Vermont. To me, it's paradise on earth. A cute town center, lots of places to walk, great restaurants, fantastic spas ... the list goes on and on. And there's a store called Laughing Moon Chocolates where they make all sorts of yummy things. At this time of year, they make homemade candy canes and they give demonstrations to show how they do it. It's actually really fascinating. The candy starts out soft like taffy and they put it on a hook where they pull and twist it. They add the color and flavor and then knead it into shape. They do the traditional shepherd's crook, but they also do fun shapes like hearts and wreaths and initials. (Fun flavors too: peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon.)