I’m a holiday girl. Birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, July 4th – if there’s something to celebrate, then I want to be doing some celebrating. I love the decorating, the preparations, the food, pretty much everything that goes along with the theme.
I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite holiday, although Halloween, with all the monsters and witches and goblins, ranks pretty high up there. At least when considering the holiday as a whole. Holiday treats, however, are another story. Because even considering trick-or-treat candy, Christmas cookies, 4th of July barbeques and the food extravaganza that we call Thanksgiving, there is no holiday that boasts better treats than Easter.
By “better treats” I of course mean chocolate, because chocolate is the only treat I really care about. Truth be told, it is the reason that I run and bike and swim so religiously. Sure, getting in shape and being healthy is all fine and good, but let’s be honest. The real reason I do it is so I can eat chocolate without guilt.
Most people know Easter is quickly approaching when Lent begins. But the real sign of the upcoming holiday is those beautiful Cadbury displays that appear out of nowhere.
Photograph from Svadilfari on Flickr
Cadbury Crème Eggs. With their thick milk chocolate shell and their white and yellow fondant filling that looks like the white and yolk of a real egg, they are as cute as they are delicious. The perfect mixture of chocolate and sugary sweet, the perfect texture combination of firm and gooey. As an added plus, the eggs fit quite nicely inside the palm of the hand, making them easy to hide from the hawkish eyes of any children lurking about. Because let’s face it – Cadbury Crème Eggs are almost too good to give to children.
Photograph from This Week for Dinner
Cadbury Mini Eggs. Oh my God, these little morsels of chocolate heaven are going to be the death of me one day. Adorable little unassuming milk chocolate eggs encased in a hard candy shell boasting the delicate and pleasing colors of white, yellow, pink and light blue. They are a joy to look at and an even better delight to eat. For instant gratification you can pick up a 12-oz. bag during the Easter season at pretty much any grocery or drug store. But if you’re like me, you’ll want to head to your nearest warehouse store and select the extra large 36-oz. bag option. Actually, while you’re there, better stock up on a couple of those 36-oz. bags. By tomorrow, you’ll be glad you did.
Clearly, the Easter Bunny doesn’t need to work that hard to make me happy. A 36-oz. bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs and a dozen or so Cadbury Crème Eggs and I’m pretty much good to go. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the other seasonal treats that make the Easter season so special.
Forget about the Easter ham and the coconut pie. What people really look forward to is jelly beans! And Peeps! And chocolate bunny rabbits! Oh, and what about those ridiculously wonderful Reese’s chocolate peanut butter eggs? As if a peanut butter cup weren’t already perfect enough, they go and shape it into an egg! Everybody knows something shaped like an egg is going to be better than that same something shaped like, well, something other than an egg.
Like those egg-shaped Sweet Tarts and Milky Ways and Snickers and malt balls. All wonderful and tasty signs of the Easter season.
Of course, I understand the significance of Lent and Easter and am not so shallow that I don’t appreciate things like an uplifting Easter morning church service. I’m just saying. There is a stash of Cadbury Crème Eggs and Mini Eggs hidden in the far recesses of my bedroom closet that have my name on them. I do not intend to share and I will endure not an instant of guilt.
