The Peep or the Egg

Easter has the best kind of candy.

I don't celebrate Easter and am sort of weirded out by the plethora of "spring dresses" in store windows at the moment (few people look good in washed out blues and pinks with subtle flower prints), but I can completely get on the Easter candy bandwagon.

Other seasonal candy is good. I mean Chanukkah gelt is a welcome addition to any December festivities, and I never shy away from a good candy corn pumpkin... but when it comes to seasonal candy, my heart belongs to Easter.

I have a cultural favorite and a taste favorite.

The cultural favorite obviously goes to Peeps. Who doesn't love 'em? I feel like there is no way I can write about all the funny ways people get into Peeps as they seem to be a world-wide cultural phenomenon... I decided I could best celebrate Peeps while dispelling some common misconceptions about the product here:

Common shocking Peeps comment #1: "Did you know that Peeps also come in shapes for other holidays?" (REAL ANSWER: Yes, I did know that! My favorite are the "JOY" Peeps which turn into a more Jewishly themed marshmallow treat when you remove the "J" to simply spell, "OY."*)

Common shocking Peeps comment #2: "You know what would be such a good idea? CHOCOLATE COVERED PEEPS!" (REAL ANSWER: The company that makes Peeps, Just Born, makes chocolate covered Peeps and I can tell you they are GOOD. They come in both milk and dark chocolate flavors and are really, really delicious.)

Common shocking Peeps comment #3: "I heard somewhere that people make little scenes with Peeps and dress them up in costumes. Isn't that wild?" (REAL ANSWER: Yes, it is called the Washington Post Peep Diorama Contest and this year was the fourth year.)

I hope I am not coming across as jaded or Peeped out. I really do LOVE Peeps (in fact, they were featured on the table of snacks at my goodbye RCRC going away party last week because my colleagues knew how much I love 'em... but the party was SO fun I think it is deserving of its own post so I won't go into too many details here). I love Peeps and the culture surrounding them so much, I recently accompanied a friend to the aforementioned Peeps Family Day at the Washington Post offices.

The Family Day featured all of the 2010 Peep Diorama Contest finalists on display in addition to healthy snacks, Peep related games, craft projects, and face painting. It was obviously a photo taking dream. Here are some of my favorite shots:


I also had the opportunity to meet the famous Peeps artist, David O. His work can be viewed on his website, www.peepsshow.com. Yes, that is the correct URL.

David has been working with Peeps since 1998 and is well known in the Peep enthusiast community. I caught up with him at the Family Day during a chat with Ross B. (co-CEO of the company that makes peeps, Just Born). This was basically one of the most amazing moments, ever. You see, Ross B. is one of the most amazing people ever (so warm, easy to talk to, enthusiastic, proud of the Peeps brand) and I loved the chance to listen in on his conversation with David. I was trying to be a passive observer and not interject with unnecessary comments, but then the conversation turned to something VERY VERY important.

Let me back up for a moment. Have we discussed my love of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority? If I were to EVER join a sorority, it would be AKA. I first discovered the AKA world when I was interning at Planned Parenthood and my supervisor, Jamia W., was pledging it. She suggested I consider pledging too and since then, I have really been an AKA fan (from the AKA community's pride and enthusiasm for their other soros and AKA history to everything salmon pink and apple green). And who wouldn't want to be associated with the AKAs? Their members include Maya Angelou, Ella Fitzgerald, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Faye Wattleton (who used to be the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America so I obviously snapped a photo with her and mentioned my love of the AKAs when we were at an event together in 2005).

So, back to the conversation between Ross. B. and David O. The chatting is happening, the the exchange turns to some new pieces David is working on for the Peeps Store (YES, there is a Peeps STORE at the National Harbor, and YES we should go on a field trip there). It seems that there is an AKA convention coming to the hotel at the National Harbor so David is working on some salmon and apple (read: pink and green) Peep works of art. Basically, this moment was such a delightful combination of two things I love. Here are some photos from the conversation (Ross is the jovial guy in the red, and David is pictured in the middle on the left along with some of his pieces).


From the chicken (or marshmallow chick), the egg...

I also love Cadbury Creme Eggs. I know some people love 'em and others really dislike them (in fact, my friend Caeden D. convinced his brother that he loved Cadbury Eggs and for years used this as leverage to trade one egg from his Easter basket for several other candy items from his brother's, when in fact he really hates 'em and was just a sly little kid using the power of persuasion to get more candy from his brother). I try to eat at least one Cadburry Creme Egg a day during Cadbury Creme Egg season, or at least tried until my local CVS (and when I say local I mean all 4 CVSs within a 2 square block radius of my office) were out of them almost a month before Easter.

SO I did what any good Cadbury Creme Egg aficionado would do: I ordered a case of 48 online. I had to do a little shopping around because many online shops were out of stock. And I needed to find a site that would overnight them to me or package them with a cold pack so they wouldn't melt (all the research I did about buying candy online had me really scared about the potential of a solid block of melted gross Cadbury Creme Eggs waiting for me outside my door). So I placed the order and the eggs are sitting in my kitchen at this very moment.


The best thing about having a case is that I don't feel like I need to eat one everyday. I can spread out my Cadbury consumption and maybe even save some for the off-Creme-Egg-season and share them with friends in the dark days of Winter when they're not stocked around town.

Cadbury Eggs are not all created equal in my book. I am not endorsing the Cadbury Mini Egg or the Caramel Cadbury Egg (although, they are not bad, in fact I find them both very delicious... just not in the same category as the CREME EGG). The Cadbury Creme Egg is special because of the "fondant" center. The consistency is unlike any fondant I worked with in my cake decorating days, but that's how the Cadbury folks describe the filling so I'll go with it. The best part of the Creme Eggs is obviously the yellow "yolk" in the center of the "egg whites." It is so artificial and sugary, and gross if you think about it too long. But, after you've bitten off the top of the egg and the yellow and white center is staring back at you... you just have to stop and appreciate that Easter candy is by far, the best type of seasonal candy. Then get a big glass of cold water to drink because you'll need it after you finish the second half of the egg.

And with that, I ask: Are you in the love or hate Cadbury Creme Egg camp? If you love 'em, stop by my apartment because I have 48 and need to give some away before they melt in the steamy DC summer.

*Thanks to Wendy B. for cracking this joke during the Family Day festivities...