Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Marshmellow Peeps

Who in their right mind would write about marshmallow peeps? No one is the answer, but I never have claimed to be in my “right mind.” I’m not even sure I know what my “right mind” is since I keep writing about things no one in their right mind would write about – meaning I must generally be in my “wrong mind;” and when put that way, it is very disturbing for me to think about – being in my wrong mind . . . obviously that is a place no one would ever want to be.

But, here I am, all in my wrong mind, (starting not only a sentence, but an entire paragraph with a conjunction!!) writing about marshmallow peeps. I will say, in my defense, that rather strong feelings seem to exist out there concerning these little treats. I once read an article about how many are produced and about web-sites devoted to doing crazy experiments, etc. with marshmallow peeps (the more I type that name, the sillier it sounds). So, I’m just saying that I am not alone in having thought about the little guys. Apparently loads of people are in their wrong minds when it comes to the sugary bunny shaped delights.

Now, to the meat of the matter (though there is probably no meat in the peeps): I couldn’t quite understand how I could have such unreasonable differing opinions about the treats when they are the same whatever the color or shape. Here are my feelings:

1. Marshmallow peeps are good at Easter time only. They are awful and not even worth considering when made as Halloween pumpkins and ghosts or as Christmas trees.

2. Even at Easter time, the only acceptable colors for peeps are pink and yellow. It makes me shudder to think of consuming the blue, green or purple varieties.

3. A peep, even one that meets all the above criteria, is only good if it has sat out and gotten a little hard.

There you have it. That is how I feel about the fellas. I confronted these thoughts the other day when Goldie had me buy some marshmallow peeps at the store. I was happy to oblige, it was Easter, they were pink, but they are still sitting down stairs in an open container waiting to harden. All at once I realized why the craziness of my thoughts. It is this: marshmallow peeps are really not very good. That is why I don’t like them at other holidays or in other colors. The soul reason I like them as I described in my three points is that in that way they are associated totally with happy childhood memories – before peeps started expanding their horizons with other holidays and other colors, when they were simply the two colored Easter variety that my parents would hide for us to find on Easter morning – after they’d sat out all night getting a bit crunchy. It makes me happy to remember this and it makes me laugh that I could like a treat purely through association with a happy childhood memory. Thanks mom and dad for all the happy holiday memories I have! I will always remain loyal to the pink and yellow Easter peeps because I will associate any attack upon them as an insult to my happy childhood.

With that warning said, you may as well all comment because I know every last one of you has something to say about the very odd little treats.

10 comments:

Welcome! said...

I think I agree with your entire post. Good thinking on all points. The only thing I would add is that an pink Easter chick peep is only better if it has a little bit of dirt on it from being hid in some of the plants in the living room. I get upset when people hate peeps, even though they aren't very good. I think you figured out for me why.

Perla said...

oops! haha. That comment wasn't from kathy. she asked me to figure out something for her on her blog and i forgot to sign out. that was from me.

Liz said...

Nanc- Weren't you the one that helped eat an entire box (not just one container but a box with many containers) full of peeps that I for some reason had stored in my freezer. It had to be you or Jess because I know we eventually got rid of them all and I won't go near those creepy, sugary bunnies. And why are the bunnies called peeps like the chicks and not something like "hops"?

Liz said...

By the way I meant no offense toward you or Perla or your childhood memories. I must not like them because I have no memories of them when I was young, but I do love 8 inch solid chocolate bunnies.

Nancy said...

Liz, as I was typing that I had some vague thought that you once had a bunch of frozen peeps in your freezer, wether I actually got to be a part of the eating of those peeps or wether Jessica just told me about it escapes me. Hehe. I don't blame you for hating them after that . . . although we once ate an entire box of doughnuts and still seemed to love them, so who knows.

Gracie J said...

Remember how we used to eat a gazillion of these and the Cadbury eggs (OH SO GOOD) in high school? I'm sure you have not forgotten. And I don't think we are in our "wrong minds" at all. I think we are in our "left minds" rather than "right minds"...we are digging deep. Isn't it perfectly natural to like such a sugary, yet intolerable sweet for sentimental reasons? Your post got me really giggly!

jami v. said...

wow. peeps. :) i will have to say that although i'm not a huge fan (although i eat them sometimes-crazy how that works) i do like them for the reason that they remind me of my mom - not because she's sugary and squishy, but because she loves them. :) this time of year i can always find them hidden in her cupboard, with the plastic open, so they can get "just right" - nice and hard. :) funny ...

Lover of Sweets said...

Ugh...odd little treats indeed! I too have a little something to say about those offensive creatures> They are nasty beyond nastiness! They are NOT good by any sense of the word and I despise them...No, I LOATHE them! My kids always THINK they want some when the holidays come around and then they just sit and get hard and finally get thrown out. I bought some candy cane looking ones for Christmas that were peppermint flavored of all things because I thought I would give the peeps another chance. They failed miserably! They smelled good enough, I probably could have used them around the house as air fresheners, but I didn't think of that useful idea until now. From this day forward, those nasty little "odd treats" that you so endearingly call them can stay on the store shelves until they rot for all I care. Oh, and I'm sorry if I just attacked your happy childhood; be grateful there wasn't any eye-scratching involved.

Anonymous said...

You know - I bet they would make a great addition to hot chocolate. Why haven't I ever tried that? Marshmallowee, colorful goodness - sugar on sugar - what's wrong with that? I'm sure that if those Peep Companies would just redefine them as the perfect Hot Choc. topper - they'd sell like crazy around Christmas. Just a thought. Loved the Post Nanc.

BS and the Kids said...

Oh Peeps. The thought makes my stomach churn. I had a bad experience once (the only time I ate anything of pure marshmellow and sugar) and can't even look at them. My mother-in-law finds it necessary every year to buy them and send them home with me and I try not to watch my HUSBAND eat them. The kids don't really care for them. I think it has something to do with his childhood memories as well.

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