Thursday, March 26, 2009

PEEPS!!


I realized that one thing Iove about this time of year is not only the budding of flowers, but the simple budding of color. And you see it most pronounced with the new look of the candy. All your favorite candies seem to put on a new frock that is much more appealing than the drab garb they usually wear. Oh sweet candy, how you allure!


Apparently I AM taken in by a pretty appearance because I went to put together a little Easter basket for my sister and found myself smiling at all these little adorable sheep, delightful carrots, bunny rabbits and chicks and other favorites. And I thought, "Hey, I'm a grown woman! I'm smart! I'm college educated! What is it about these sweet little lambs that makes me want to buy them?" I still can't figure it out, but buy them I did.

If only healthy food tasted like chocolate! God's cruel trick. I guess fancy marketing is all it takes to reel me in! When did I become so predictable!?? What's your favorite Easter treat?

Once when I was little my parents bought Audra, April, and myself each our own little chick that had been dyed (so not PETA approved!) Audra's was an unnatural cobalt blue, mine was a deep fuschia (so odd see a bird of that color..her name was Ruby) and April's was a bright, bright Hollywood yellow (not sweet baby chick yellow. I have NO idea where my parents got these birds, if they dyed them on their own (which seems unlikely) and why no one else in the neighborhood had such an Easter treat. We soon became the freaky girls in the neighborhood with the scary chicks. All chicks died shortly, probably from complications of unnatural dyes mixed with feathers. Wow, crazy memory. Any great Easter memories you have??



Some Easter Candy Facts:

Easter is the second most important candy-eating occasion of the year for Americans, who consumed 7 billion pounds of candy in 2001, according to the National Confectioner's Association.

In 2000, Americans spent nearly $1.9 billion on Easter candy, while Halloween sales were nearly $2 billion; Christmas, an estimated $1.4 billion; and Valentine's Day, just over $1 billion.

Ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year.

Chocolate bunnies should be eaten ears first, according to 76% of Americans. Five percent said bunnies should be eaten feet first, while 4% favored eating the tail first.

Adults prefer milk chocolate (65%), to dark chocolate (27%).

Hot cross buns were among the earliest Easter treats, made by European monks and given to the poor during Lent.

Pretzels were originally associated with Easter. The twists of a pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossed in prayer.

9 comments:

jo said...

i love easter candy! those cadbury mini eggs are great, but really i just love anything chocolate-y. one year my parents got nene and i each a big SOLID chocolate bunny. they were great, but nothing compared to real live brightly colored chicks! that's crazy!
my parents were always so great to make easter fun for us. i remember one year when we were 16 or so, they had an easter egg hunt for us but all the eggs were filled with money! yea!

Michelle said...

Yum.......mini cadbury eggs are definitely my favorite.

arbee said...

My fave is Cadbury Creme Eggs...not any of the others, only the creme ones! :) Second fave is probably the Brach's chicks & rabbits (like circus peanuts). YUM!

Last weekend, I bought out the Easter candy aisle at Target. Combination of swap treats + I was hungry = not a good combination! AND they had Lindt truffle eggs...about the size of the chocolate Hershey eggs, but filled with Lindt goodness. Those are yummy too! :)

p.s. Love the little lambs, completely adorable/irresistable.

HWHL said...

What an interesting little post, Miss D'Arce! You know... those Peeps always look like they're goign to be SO delectable, don't they? And they always are SUCH a disappointment (at least to me).

But you're right about the color....all the wrappers and foils suddenly become QUITE attractive and alluring.

I still make baskets for the kids, even though we've long since given up doing Easter egg hunts (but boy those were so darn cute when they were little.....). I even used to make Hubster a basket when we were newlyweds.... stuffed with delicacies he likes like white chocolate, smoked oysters, micro-brewed beers, etc.

As far as ME... I love dark chocolate. Specifically, I love Godiva dark chocolate, with raspberry filling. ALMOST as good as sex. Almost. ;)

Chelle said...

Dang, now I want some chocolate. Remember all the beautiful elaborate Easter candy displays in Spain that were actually a work of art? Remember that bakery we went to where they ignored us for a long time and we didn't know how to order and you kept taking pictures? Lol. Remember the parade with the uncanny similarities to other more sinister American figures? Now whenever I think of Easter, I think of Spain.

3 Peas in a Pod said...

I love all of the treats you picked here!! My favorite are the Cadbury mini eggs. I make my kids Easter baskets and I have to get them made and wrapped quickly before I eat myself into oblivion with the chocolate. Loveeee dark chocolate.

Much love from NJ,
Sue
xoxo

Fletch said...

Yummy. Another good reason to eat chocolate, as if we needed one.

Nubian said...

My memories of Easter are of the wonderful lunch my mother would prepare. We would get one chocolate bunny from Germany.

We did not do the egg hunt, or paint the eggs, or baskets, or all the candy (different country, different culture). Tried peeps and not a fan.... Love anything Godiva....

Easter, new birth, new beginning, my new year....

Unknown said...

Lidia, you KNOW I'm a Godiva fan. I don't like peeps at all. Marshmallows in general don't tempt me, i just think the name is funny!

Thanks for all the chocolate you've given me my friend!!