Some people tell time with a watch, or a calendar. Some mark the days by counting birthdays and anniversaries, or changes in the weather. For some it’s by movies and TV: summer blockbusters, the new fall lineups, the sweeps months.
For me, its sweets.
For every sweet treat there is a season, and for every season a sweet treat.
Right now, we’re in jellybean season. It lasts from about 46 days before Easter until the big furry rabbit arrives. Known as “lent” in some circles, this is the time of year that I forgo my usual chocolate indulgence and must turn to other glucose hits. Brightly colored sugary pellets, here I come. This time of year, I’m not about the Jelly Belly fanciness. I just want the spring-colored generic Easter kind. The simple stuff. And this year, I found a couple of bags of “Easter Basket Eggs” which look like massive jelly beans (about 2.5” long) and are filled with a fluffy white filling instead of the bean-jelly. Mmmm.
Jellybean season frequently overlaps with Cake Week. Known merely as March 18-23 to those outside my immediate family, this is the week where we celebrate my birthday, my son’s birthday, and my mom’s birthday. That can add up to five cakes some years—one for my birthday, cupcakes for Trystan’s school classmates, Trystan’s real cake, another cake for the both of us with my husband’s family, and one to celebrate all 3 generations when we see my mom (usually around either the birthdays or Easter). And, usually there’s a cake at work, to celebrate all March birthdays in my group, not just mine.
Following Easter, for about two weeks, it’s chocolate rabbit hunting season. And Cadbury cream eggs.
Late spring is all about berries. Strawberry shortcake. Fresh blueberry muffins. Canning jars and jars of jam.
Once the weather warms up, its all about the ice cream. Homemade is best, but I love softserve from Dairy Queen or McDonalds. As a kid, I was into popsicles, and my kids still are.
Late September through Mid-October it’s the candy corn harvest. And the candy pumpkins. I eat so much of those before Halloween every year that I get sick of them until the following year. And apples. Apple pie, apple sauce, crisp apple slices with caramel dip, apple-and-onion pork roasts…
From Halloween till Thanksgiving is well, Halloween candy season. Mini Three Musketeers and Snickers, Smartees, Bottle Caps, Atomic Fireballs. Yum, yum, yum, yum and yum.
Then come candy canes, peppermint mochas, and cookies. Gingerbread. Cookie Monster Cookies. Biscotti. Fudge. Oh lovely fudge.
The beginning of every new year there’s always a pause in my candy consumption as I ponder scary things called “diets”. And then I resolve to just exercise more while I polish off the last of the Christmas goodies.
That lasts until Valentines day, and the inevitable boxes of chocolate. Not that I always receive a box of Valentines chocolates—sometimes I buy them myself the day after Valentines at 50% off. I use those to supplement my Dove Dark chocolates for a last binge before jelly bean season.
What are your favorite seasonal treats?
1 comment:
ICE CREAM! Most would say that ice cream is a summertime "candy", but I say it is good all year long. Heck, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard stand is only closed for a couple of weeks in the dead of winter. May I point out that they only post what time they open, not a closing time? My older sister worked there during high school and they stayed open as long as there were people coming. Cardinals games goes extra innings? They'll stay open! Gotta love that in your favorite sweet stop.
My favorite ice cream these days? Häagen-Dazs hawaiian lehua honey & sweet cream ice cream. Absolutely decadent. I just visited the Häagen-Dazs website, and they have a flavor finder by zipcode. I can find the nearest grocer that carries my "reserve" flavor. Very cool!
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