Happy Friday and welcome to December!  That means Christmas is just around the corner and this week we turn our attention to candy canes.

Enjoy!

This is the time of year that you encounter candy canes everywhere.  You will find candy canes on windows, in yards and on Christmas Trees.  The best candy canes are the ones that you can eat, I have always liked peppermint.  According to the National Confectioners Association (NCA), candy canes are the No. 1-selling non-chocolate candy during the month of December.  The biggest single week for candy canes is the second week of December. “Likely because most people decorate their Christmas trees that week,” says Carly Schildhaus, public affairs manager for the NCA.

“Legend has it that the candy cane dates back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet during the Living Creche ceremony,” Schildhaus says. “In honor of the occasion, he bent the candies into shepherds’ crooks.”

According to Schildhau, white candy canes made their debut in the States 1847 in Wooster Ohio, when August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant, decorated a small blue spruce with paper ornaments and candy canes.

Perhaps you, like me, associate candy canes with red and white strips and peppermint flavor; however, there are many variations.  Here are just a few.

Bacon Candy Canes – well, they do say bacon makes everything better. The box promises the smoky, savory flavor of a crispy piece of bacon.  Might be worth a try.

Ham Candy Canes- I suppose if there are bacon flavored canes, there might as well be ham flavored ones as well.  When they come out with egg canes and toast canes, you can have a full and complete breakfast.

Funfetti Candy Canes – it appears there is an attempt to transform Funfetti cake into just about anything.  I am not a big fan of Funfetti cake as cake and I can pass on this one.!

Pickle Candy Canes – the opportunity to enjoy the tangy taste of pickle candy canes?  Sounds like a big dill to me!

Mac & Cheese Candy Canes – Mac & Cheese might be a great comfort food, but as a candy cane?

Ketchup Candy Canes– I guess they are the right color and I suppose someone had to try making the omnipresent tomato-flavored condiment into a candy cane. 

Clam Candy Canes – why?  Just why??

Pizza Candy Canes – Who doesn’t love pizza? But as a candy cane?  Is it thin crust or pan?  New York or Chicago or Detroit style?

Caesar Salad Candy Canes– The list would not be complete without a “healthy option” – right?  Did you say that you like a crunch in your salad?  Well, here you go!

Sour Cream and Onion Candy Canes – That bag of chips is just so messy and greasy so instead of reaching for chips, reach for these candy canes!

Kale Candy Canes – What better way to ruin the whole idea of candy canes than with a kale flavored version?  In a uniquely American way, let’s take a  Superfood load it with sugar and shrink-wrap it in plastic.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.”~Dr. Seuss