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The History of Easter Candy
tanagra writes "The days are longer, the sun is brighter, the colors are rich, and the candies are pastel. It's springtime once again, and in celebration of its triumphant return we enter into the saccharin sanctity of a world filled with Marshmallow Peeps, Jelly Beans, and other well packaged bits of sweetness sure to bring about a sugar-induced coma. Join us as we delve into the delectable not-so-distant past of Easter candy and learn, among other things, just how Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world."
When I saw this article being posted, I let out a little peep.
"There's companies that are just so cool that you just can't even deal with it," - Bill Gates, about Google
OK, so they're actually my wife's secret master. Last night, we spent over an hour driving to and looking in three different grocery stores all in a vain quest to find Cadbury eggs. This even included a trip to Wal-Mart on a Saturday night, something I recommend to no man who wishes to keep his car undinged, his sense of dignity whole, and the smell of the quite literally unwashed masses from accompanying him...
One thing we're sure of, the Easter Egg originated from the one and only Effram the Retarded Rabbit.
I knew my childhood was missing something...
But throwing up peeps?
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
I've never heard of Marshmallow Peeps. Are they our secret masters?
As an European, neither had I. Sweet Wikipedia to the rescue!
I like this part: The messy and largely self-entertaining game, "Peep Jousting" is played with a microwave. One takes two Peeps, and licks the right-hand side of each until sticky. A toothpick is thereby adhered to each Peep, pointing forward like a jousting lance. The Peeps are then set in a microwave, squared off against one another, and heated up. As they expand, the toothpick lances thrust toward each opponent, and the winner is the one that does not pop and deflate.
Because this is so high, I'll add it here:
Peeps are extruded marshmallow cover with all sorts of color material. They're quite pliable.
The Chicago Tribune had an article interviewing the president/CEO and said it's been determined Peeps have a three-year shelf life. (the pres offered the interviewer one and he passed it up.
I would liken this to be like the breakfast cereals which claim to be "part of this nutritional breakfast" and it's okay until they add the extra stuff which would already covers the necessary quanties.
Here's the Official Peeps web site.
Whatever they have in them, they have the bare minimum to qualify as food, just like ventored honey buns. It's like White Castle. (You can find a White Castle franchise when the bars have closed - just look for a list of cars of thirty or more. If somoeone sold White Castle & booze in the same location....
Actually, nothing quite symbolises Easter than the acknowledgement of Eostre, the welcoming of spring, and the fertility rites therein contained that nourish the hope of a forthcoming warm summer and good harvest. Hence the bunnies/lambs/eggs/wheat dollies symbology; after all, what could possibly symbolise fertility more than bunnies (as in "at it like bunny rabbits") or a good harvest like wheat dollies from the last harvest. And of course, since sheep give birth in spring (or 'lambing season') all of these references are absolutely spot-on. In fact, I can't see anything about Easter, symbolically, that's representative of Christianity. Wonder why that is? Oh, yeah, that's why. It's NOT CHRISTIAN!!!
Just because the Church of Rome, 'back in the day' needed to convert the masses, and thought that they'd do it by slowly nicking all the pagans' festivals, and putting a thin veneer of christianity on them, doesn't make it so.
Just once, I would like to revere my Gods, in my people's time honoured fashion without a bunch of dead-jew-worshipping nut-jobs coming in and spoiling it by claiming it as theirs. At least Christmas-nee-Yule has become so crass and commercialised that religion has very little to do with it all now, so we can hold our own, private religious rituals on Dec 21st then get down to the serious nature of Christmas/Hogmany; heavy drinking.
The truth shall always be free: Boris Floricic is Tron.
I made my own marshmellows today - bloody fantastic. Covered them in chocolate too. You should try hacking your own candy.
I once looked at the nutritional value on a packet of Marshmallow Peeps. I discovered that they actually contained more grams in Sugars than the Serving Size weighed.
I vowed from that time forward never to touch a product which violates all known laws of physics...
Only if we can integrate candy and the Martin Luther King Jr. day.. somehow....
I have a Dreamsicle?
WTF is this guy talking about? It may be a lovely sunny day outside but winter is on it's way. The days are getting shorter and it's sure getting colder. There are sure are some werdios posting on this website. While I'm at it, why do birds on TV fly south for winter? Every kid knows it bloody cold down there. Why do you think the Scarfies burn their couches! http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A420850
Sigh...
You can't take the sky from me...
It begins...
After reading about the concept of peep jousting on this post, I felt compelled to try it for myself. The peeps get to their fullest size (the size of a baseball) around the 30 second mark on high in the microwave (After that they just turn brown and start to fizzle). After 2 trial runs, I found it hard to adhere the toothpicks to the side by just licking, so I poked it in their bellies instead. While it didn't work too well (they never actually "stabbed" each other), it was still a great time watching them grow to the size of oranges.
That might be a good college prank, to shove 30 peeps in a microwave set to high for 2 minutes and run away.
If I had a blog, this would totally be in it.
Yeah, Yeah, you're right... I need friends.