I must admit: it’s those darn cute Easter baskets, filled with candy, that set my heart racing. Turns out I am NOT alone, either. Today, for the fun of it, I hosted a pre-Easter mini-party for a few tweens and a 22-year old pal, since we do not enjoy the holiday together.
My own tween was ecstatic.
“Do you mean you are going to give me a basket today with my friends and then the Easter Bunny is coming Sunday?” she asked, wide eyed.
Yes, I replied, though her faith in the Easter Bunny threw me for a bit of a loop (she is 12!).
So, I grabbed our traditional favorite treats plus a new one and filled a straw basket.
Inside the basket were Peeps; Mike & Ike Easter treats jelly beans (new to us); Mike & Ike assorted fruits Jelly Beans; Mike and Ike Tangy Twister Jelly Beans and a very new cool dark chocolate Goldenberg’s Peanut chews but in a new bite size.
When the kids piled into the kitchen, they screamed - very loudly. But that didn’t bother me, our sweet 22-year old sitter Brigette or the pets (one cat, one dog).
Before they dug into the Easter treats, I set some ground rules. We were going to do this right. We were going to talk about our candy, and go from one taste to the next.
It started out so well. We were organized, and the first few bites of the Mike & Ike Easter treats jelly beans were incredible.
First of all, they are not shaped like round jelly beans, but more like ovals. And they are just so perfectly sweet with a hint of tartness that is totally refreshing and addictive. Sure, all jelly beans are great but for some reason, I got totally hooked on this version.
(Yes, I admit it: I am eating more right now!) They just have that perfect chew - and as you chew they sort of transform from the tart side to a more sweet side. Wow.
Alexa and Alana, two of the tweens, agreed with me: refreshing is the word here. Brigette said she loved the chewiness.
Then, to cleanse our palate (ha) we moved on to the Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, in the original dark chocolate but bite size. Oh boy. We all had 2 or 3. These bites are delectable. And, to my delight, not out of my calorie range either. My two bites were less than 100 calories with protein and under 2 grams of fat. The dark chocolate is perfect as a foil for the sweet filling which I had assumed was caramel but turns out to be Molasses! But the best part was the definite peanut-iness (forgive the new word) of the nut portion of this candy. You know it’s fresh, real peanuts, and not some weird combination of sorts. This is the real deal - and truly honors it’s birth, which was founded as the World War II ration bar. I can see why this family name, the Goldenberg’s, have kept their intensely delicious candy popular for over 90 years.
The kids agreed, and I had to promise to let them have more of these tiny bites as desert - after more jelly beans and Peeps.
The Peeps have been a stalwart in my life since I was but a toddler. These are snacks I enjoy year round. I adore the new colors, and every Easter I bake a big layered chocolate cake adorned with some jelly beans and colorful Peeps. Needless to say, we polished off a large sized packet of Peeps, and left only one that fell out.
We then sampled the two new tastes: Mike & Ike assorted fruits Jelly Beans and Mike & Ike Tangy Twister Jelly Beans. These two versions were similar yet wildly different.
The tangy jelly beans had a stronger fruity flavor, and the assorted fruits ended up being the hit of the day. Of course, every jelly bean was a ten but for some reason these fruit jelly beans were beyond incredible and just heavenly.
Somehow, though I had so carefully separated all the different jelly beans and chocolate the entire basket's worth of sweetness ended up mixed, all in colorful little bowls, looking like small and heavenly dyed Easter eggs. Mixing these jelly beans by the fistful wasn't just a sugar rush. Instead, it was a happening. There is something magical about kids and jelly beans and chocolate and the fairy tale of childhood.
Today, I got to take a tiny trip back to my own younger days - with my tween. And neither of us will ever forget it.
Which brings me to the real idea behind my foodie experiment: the holidays are a festive celebration of a big day in the Christian community. Yet, the world embraces the light heartedness and sweetness of spring, with a giant Easter Bunny who hops into our homes miraculously and leaves behind candy. You don't have to be a Catholic to enjoy these candies and treats.
As we all savored just a bit more of our desert, the bites, my daughter started pointing and laughing.
Our mischievous cat, Coco, was licking a Blue Peeps. She was totally enraptured, and when I took it away, she skulked off to chase Marley, our dog.
Happy Easter to all - and enjoy those jelly beans, peeps and intensely delicious Peanut Chew bites.
As for me, in the hopes that perhaps just this year I too will receive an Easter Basket filled with jelly beans and chocolate and Peeps: I do believe in the Easter Bunny, I do believe!
This is NOT an ad.
