Peeps

When I was a kid, cream cheese on crackers was a big deal. Mom would keep a container of cream cheese in the fridge and when we wanted a snack we’d spread some on crackers. In a family of eight kids one container of cream cheese didn’t last long. The other “staple” Mom kept on hand was Marshmallow Fluff for making Fluffernutters. For those of you not New England born, this is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluffernutter

My sister often brought her snack up to our bedroom when doing homework. Inevitably I would ask “what are you eating” and with the answer, I would go make some for myself. One evening, tired of hearing me ask this question for the 100th time, (or maybe the cream cheese was running low) my sister replied “Marshmallow on crackers.” I went right downstairs and spread some fluff on saltine crackers. It was an interesting combination of sugar and salt that pleased my tongue. I became a big fluff and cracker fan. Years later, my sister, snickering at the memory, confessed that she had lied about what she was eating. I think she also discovered that day how gullible I was. I still wonder to this day in what other ways I had been mislead.

My love of Marshmallow Fluff led to experimentation with other types of crackers. Graham crackers are at the top of the list. There is also the breakfast fare of toasted bread with butter and fluff. So you can imagine my joy at discovering Peeps! How ingenious to make tasty shapes of marshmallow and top them with sugar. What a rush!

http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/

My love of Peeps did not pass on in the genetic code to my daughters however. Despite the knowledge that the kids did not like Peeps, the Easter Bunny persisted in leaving some in the Easter Basket each year. I always obliged in taking them off their hands. Blue Bunnies, Yellow Bunnies and Pink Bunnies, I ate them all. (I’m such a good Mom!)

One year, my daughter Stephanie spied snowman Peeps in the store. Being all grown up, she long understood why the Easter Bunny would leave Peeps in her basket. She bought a package then and there, eager to see the look on my face when presented with Peeps at Christmas. I was overjoyed! Finally, someone actually gave me something I liked, and not something I needed.

This past weekend, we headed to Plymouth to visit our oldest daughter for her birthday. After our visit, we headed to our Cape vacation home to spend the night. It had been a long day. Tired and groggy, I walked into the house and flicked on the lights. There on the kitchen counter, propped up against the coffee maker, were TWO packages of Peeps. There was one package of Ghost Peeps and one Package of Pumpkin Peeps. Stephanie, once again, couldn’t resist leaving me Peeps. All the girls think its funny their Mom loves Peeps, including Stephanie. But somewhere deep down, she respects it too. When I find a package of Peeps from Stephanie, I know it’s her way of showing love for her Mom.