WHAT THE PEEP?

Happy Friday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

My name is Lily and I love sugar.

I am a huge fan of candy.  I love candy and refined sugar so much, that I want to dress it up in a little tuxedo and invite all my friends and family to watch me marry it.  

I also love holidays that have a candy-related tie-in, like Halloween and the upcoming Easter.  Any holiday that gives me a basket with a hollow chocolate rabbit bigger than my head is a good holiday in my book.  And frankly, other holidays need to step it up.  (I'm looking at YOU, Arbor Day!)

Once upon a time in another lifetime, my co-workers gave me a Marshmallow Peep making kit.  Even though I am 9000 years old (which is pretty old even for an emotional vampire like me), I have the maturity of a five year old.  I like Hello Kitty, Marshmallow Peeps and shiny, sparkly things.  I have no idea what happened to that Marshmallow Peep making kit …but I am pretty sure an alien abduction occurred.

A PEEP CORNER! Dylan's Candy Bar - The Grove - Los Angeles

Lately, I have been trying to limit my refined sugar; which has been hell.  No more can I have my nightly snack of 80 oatmeal raisin cookies with a 16 ounce glass of maple syrup.  No more can I eat my body weight in Hot Tamales candies until my teeth snap at the roots.  Life is so unfair.

But even though I can no longer eat myself silly when it comes to candy, I can still look!  So when I was at the store the other day, I went for a stroll in the Easter candy aisles (yes aisles plural - four aisles of sweet, sweet candy and big Easter baskets!)  It was like visiting a long lost love who was now tragically dying of a disease that leaves them still super hot and healthy-looking, but emotionally weak and really appreciative.  I was torn between sadness and sugar lust.

But what was this?  My old love had had some plastic surgery performed!  For my entire life, Peeps have come in one flavor - sugary marshmallow.  Yet here amongst the racks of sweet decadence were FLAVORED PEEPS!

Lemonade, Blue Raspberry, Bubble Gum and Sour Watermelon?  WHAT?  WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?  I texted a friend who replied back that of course she knew about flavored Peeps.  WHY HADN'T ANYONE INFORMED ME?  WHY ARE YOU ALL TRYING TO KEEP ME IN THE DARK?  WHY AM I SCREAMING?    

Because I am limiting my sugar, I have not tried any of the flavors … which is killing me inside, a little bit more every single day.  Have any of you tried these flavored Peeps?  Are they delicious or nasty?  PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME!

When I was in Los Angeles, I went to SWEET! - the candy store at the Hollywood and Highland Complex.  

Side Note:  I used to work with a woman who legally changed her name to include an Exclamation Point at the end of it.  Because of this, I felt punctuationally obligated to emphasize her name with a "beavers are eating my toes"-like intensity whenever I said it.  

My joke was that I was going to legally add an umlaut and an ampersand to my name.  Of course there is always the traditional "Lily?" version as well.  Oh punctuation is fun in the hands of crazy people.  Not that I am saying my former co-worker is crazy.  She's a visionary!!!!

At SWEET!, on a lower shelf, tucked away were these little beauties …

Chocolate Mousse-flavored Marshmallow Peeps!!  Like the true addict I am, I wanted to buy these soooo sooooooo badly.  I did not, but I will now live in constant wonder … were these the best tasting Peeps ever … or?  I may never, ever know.  Someone please buy these and tell me if they are any good!

DARN YOU SUGAR- YOU SEDUCTIVE TEMPTRESS!

P.S.  Happy Early Easter for those who celebrate it - or Happy Early Sunday for those who do not!