Lenten Peeps, my peeps!
Lent is upon us. There is the religious observation of some kind of fasting or giving during this season. Growing up Catholic that kind of giving up was aimed at our favorite vice. Candy. Teachers and custodians in Catholic school were reprieved from confiscating and cleaning up candy and gum for forty days. Lent starts with Ash Wednesday and ends in a binge festival on Easter morning. We kids try to be good, try to keep to falling to our base nature to sneak and devour candy in the afternoons. Someone was always going to tell a nun on you.
Now, I am quite lapse in my religious convictions, (That is another tale to tell) I enjoy the look and vitality that Easter heralds. A new season, spring. The sun is stronger blooms and pollen in the air, spring break a lightness to one’s being. Shedding winter coats (not so much in Florida this year) lifts people’s spirits. The University of Binghamton has a stepping on the coat ceremony marking the end of winter. The run up to Easter is the time of reflection. Winter is still with us through long days of Lent. Candy in the store aisles are there to tempt the most stalwart. Pretty colors.
I love Easter candy. Sure Easter candy at its base is the same as Christmas candy. Same ingredients, same taste, except it has better designs. Artistic eggs of multicolor pastels. Flares of soft colors. Christmas is full of red, green gold and silver. Easter uses a full pallet. Pinks and dusty light blues. The cool clean color of silver plays well with pale fake grass green and pale yellow.
As I have stated before I am quite lapse in my religious observance. I am by nature and skill a problem solver, I take to heart solving problems and work arounds to make my life easier. I solved the issue of Lent with giving up gum. That is right gum. For me gum is the first rung in candy ladder. To placate my mom over the years, she would call up and ask, “What are you giving up for lent?” I would reply, “Gum.”
“You need to give up more than that,” was her consistent her reply.
“Nah,” I would answer. My mouth full with a wad of Big League Chew or several sticks of Juicy Fruit. Not to mention Bubble Yum. Not all at once mind you.
I would start to prep my Lenten sacrifice weeks in advance. I would purchase gum and store it. Stored gum has a good shelf life. I once ate two year old Black Jack gum once because I forgot to purchase some. An old stand by is to keep some Coal gum handy from Christmas. ( note both kinds of gum make your tongue turn black) I would spend days chewing, blowing bubbles to my heart’s content. Well, once a day perhaps. Then at the stroke of Ash Wednesday I stop. (Is there a stroking of the day on Ash Wednesday??) I stop cold turkey. The unused three year old gum is stored for next year’s Lent.
Why do I do this? Because I love Easter candy. I enjoy the Cadbury Creme Eggs (You bite the egg and scoop out the cream with your tongue), Cadbury chocolate candy shell eggs and Yes, they do taste the same as the Christmas chocolate candies and Peeps. Peeps in their new flavors and bright colors. Back in my day there was only, yellow and pink. Now there is an explosion of color. The crunchy texture of granulated sugar, the sugar explosion as it makes its way to your brain synapse. Mind you I do not eat this everyday or consume it at a mass quantity. I like the knowledge that I have cleared the decks of my obligation and have guilt free access to it. Any time I wish. Also, I swim everyday. (Please see my essay on my daily commute)
I take the pragmatic view of my indulgence, candy manufactures and stores place the candy out for consumers well in advance of the holiday to temp consumers of a new product. Christmas candy is on the shelves a day after Halloween. There really is no Thanksgiving candy to speak of. Well, maybe left over Halloween Candy Corn. By the time the Easter Bunny is picking up his baskets of candy and eggs to distribute along the Bunny Trail, my feeling is that the candy would be stale. During Lent I have had access to the freshest of the Easter candy, (I have been told by Peeps and Company, Peeps manufacturing for Easter starts in the summer. They have a shelf life of 24 months. I know this because I called them. That is part of my research) therefore, I can pass on the Peeps that day. FYI, I do know one of my sisters will be loading me with basket of candy that will last until the first day of summer.
Happy Fat Tuesday! And have a Peep!
Thanks for reading please poke the heart if you would be so kind.
Roxanne Henkle - Spazhouse • Intuitive Research
@spazhousellc • www.spazhousellc.com
