Browsing Tag

Easter

Candy History, Candy Memories, Easter Candy

It’s a Marshmallow “Peep” World

April 14, 2017 by

“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” ~From the television show The Wonder Years

marshmallow peepsWith a Peep Peep here, and a Peep Peep there, here a Peep, there a Peep, everywhere a Peep Peep!

Easter baskets loaded with all kinds of goodies. Jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and lambs and of course yellow Peeps peeking out of the plastic green and pink straw that lined my brother’s and my Easter basket! Mmmmmm. . . Delicious memories.

I remember my dad searching for that big plastic bag in our basement that held our Easter baskets captive. It was time to get out the coffee cups and the bottle of white vinegar out as my mom cooled the dozen of hard boiled eggs. Then my younger brother and I would sit at the kitchen table, plop the color tablets into the cups and see how long it would take to make the darkest purple, blue, pink, yellow and orange egg you’ve ever seen!

Yellow, pink and white were the only color Peeps I can remember way back then (I am old you know) but still young at heart. But the other day, I walked into a super store and was flabbergasted to see a myriad of Peeps in every color and flavor imaginable.

I saw orange creme, vanilla delight, strawberry, chocolate mousse, raspberry, cherry limeade, cotton candy, fruit punch, limeade, blue raspberry, triple chocolate, vanilla caramel brownie, bubble gum, party cake, sour lemon-lime, sour watermelon, and even sugar free Peeps! My eyes as well as my taste buds were thrown into a sugary, rainbow, marshmallow world!

Did you know that Sam Born founded Just Born, Inc. in 1923 in New York, and this family-owned candy manufacturer then moved its headquarters to Bethlehem, PA. in 1932?

It used to take 27 hours to make the Peeps but Born created a way to automate the cooling process and make them in 6 minutes from start to finish. About 5.5 million Peeps are made each day. And now you can find green trees at Christmas, orange pumpkins at Halloween and red hearts for Valentine’s Day in addition to chicks and bunnies.

If you love Peeps, you’re not alone. Justin Bieber, Miranda Cosgrove and even Joe Jonas love this sugary treat. More than 1.5 billion will be consumed this spring!

So what are you waiting for? Pick up a box or two for Easter and remember how fun they are to eat, and eat and eat. And now if you’ll excuse me those triple chocolate Peeps, oh and those vanilla caramel brownie Peeps are calling my name! And wait! Maybe just one box of the chocolate covered marshmallow ones. . .

Happy Easter Peepsters!

Candy News, Candy Reviews

Hear them Shqueep: Peeps Minis: Chocolate Crème

July 25, 2014 by

Peeps Minis Chocolate Creme

Peeps Minis Chocolate Creme

These peeps are of an unfamiliar sort. All cramped up inside the bag, 24 to a room, it’s the factory farming of peeps. They took them out of their bag free, free-range boxes and stuck them into a bag. After yesterday’s “Peepa” march against bagged peeps, I decided to get a bag to see what the disturbance was about.

I rip off the seal and unzip the dark cave where the peeps reside. My hand reaches down and the bag crinkles. It’s warm and soft, I just grab something because I’m not sure where each one starts and ends. I pull it out of the bag and it looks just like I’d expect any bagged peep to look after transport. Squished; no structural stability whatsoever, I can see the sadness in its eyes, it knows that life wasn’t supposed to be like this, it dreams of what else could be out there, but it knows of nothing else but the bagged life. He has heard stories of the strong, brightly colored peeps with a whole box of room shared with only four others, where they were able to grow strong and stand up on their own. But those stories are as good as myth to this cramped marshmallow creature.

These mini peeps are a soft, melt-in-your-mouth style gooey substance, not quite the feeling of a typical marshmallow. (My guess is that they must have been affected by the inhumane culture of the bag). This gooey substance is the tar of a hot-chocolate-packet-tasting feather.

Satisfying and highly sharable, but these peeps lack the structural soundness of that classic peep that holds the memories and taste of Spring.

Hot chocolaty squished peeps… hear them shqueep.

Candy Memories, Easter Candy

Peeps: The Taste of Springtime

April 15, 2011 by

I don’t know if it’s just me, but Springtime tastes a bit like marshmallow Peeps, at least in my mind. It’s hard to separate the two, since my childhood Easter memories are permanently intertwined with these little bits of deliciousness.

I love this photo because of the off-center placement of the Peeps, in addition to the combination of colors. Yellow and blue go together when set off by green, at least in this picture. Beautiful Girlfriend would tell me that they complement each other or supplement or something. She’s a real artist and knows this stuff. Plus she brings a whole palette of springtime colors to my day every time I see her. unfortunately, she doesn’t care for Peeps as much as I do, which I guess means more for me. If that’s not complementary, I don’t know what is!

Good job on the photo, Sofia, and enjoy the taste of Springtime!

happy couple

Candy News, Easter Candy

Candy for my Easter Party

March 30, 2011 by

Chá de BebêYes, I am thinking about having an Easter party this year. In the past that would have been a no-go, but this year I am open to change and thinking that maybe I will give it a whirl. After all, my seersucker suit and red bow tie missed a whole season of use last year, as I whiled away the time with other matters.

I like this photo because it shows a neat way to incorporate Easter candy into a party favor arrangement. I like the little jars with pink ribbon. I don’t know if I would do that myself, since probably my Easter party will be less, well, frilly, because I am a guy, but I think it is done well here. This is an easy way to make candy party favors.

Want to come over and help Beautiful Girlfriend and me carve a giant ham? We will have sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping too (maybe even circus peanut topping if BG isn’t watching too closely), if that suits your taste more than green beans do.

Candy by rodrigoturco.

Candy Memories, chocolate, Easter Candy

Easter Chocolates: Not Just for Easter Breakfast

March 23, 2011 by

Little known fact: Easter candy consumed while no one is looking contains zero calories.When I was a kid my brother and I ate almost nothing but candy, especially the yummy Easter chocolates probably until about mid-afternoon when our mother made us put down the sweet stuff in exchange for a plate of ham or something. Really? Trade chocolate for ham? Who wants to do that? One thing I always wanted to see in my Easter basket was one of those giant chocolate bunnies like the woman in the photo has. I practically dreamt of devouring one of those, eating it feet first so it couldn’t hop away.

That would have been awesome. Maybe Mom will read this and know what to send me. Despite my age, I would still accept an Easter basket if anyone offered. Yes, that’s a hint. Maybe Jon will send me some candy.

Photo by Theresa Thompson.