Bring on the bunny. Be it dark, milk or white chocolate I will bite its ears off! And I am not alone. Eighty-nine percent of us nibble the bunny’s ears first. I have no idea what the other 11% eat first! I bring you this bit of trivia because I researched Easter Candy on the internet.
Did you know that in the 1800s the Europeans perfected the chocolate mold and created the first chocolate Easter eggs. The Whitman Candy Company introduced the chocolate Easter bunny to America in the 1850s. In the 1930s jelly beans became an Easter treat. Peeps made their first appearance in 1950s. Then in 1963, the Cadbury Crème Egg hit the shelves followed by the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg and finally in 1986, M&M’s made pastel colors for Easter.
We do love our holiday candy. We spend $2.4 billion on candy every Easter. This includes 16 billion jelly beans! Personally, I think they could cut this number by eliminating the black ones. My husband was outraged when I mentioned this because the black jelly beans are his favorite! I’m not a fan of marshmallow chicks and bunnies, however, five million are made DAILY in preparation for Easter. Ten percent of the lovers of this treat prefer their marshmallow bunnies and chicks stale.
I guess they must stock up after Easter when candy is 50-75% cheaper. At what point does this stuff go stale? Maybe they save them for next Easter.
I should not mock anyone’s taste in candy. I love malted milk Easter eggs, preferably frozen. This is fortunate for me because they still taste good in July. I also used to adore Brach’s cream eggs, particularly the maple nut ones. Although, I think that the thrill of the hunt makes Easter candy taste better.
Now that sugar is the enemy, many parents are filling baskets with crayons, crafts, stuffed animals, gift cards, small toys or coin-filled plastic eggs. My family was big on candy. My baby sister, Missy, once commented that perhaps the three aunts could bankroll her four kids’ dentist visits. Was that a hint?
Seventy-nine percent of Americans dye Easter eggs. Eighty-one percent of parents steal candy from their kids’ stash. Shame on you, parents! Why don’t you just buy extra for yourselves?
Whatever your Easter customs, HAPPY SPRING!
Spring Brunch Bake
8 cups cubed French bread
2 cups cut fresh asparagus (1 inch pieces)
1 cup cubed fully cooked lean ham
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
6 egg whites
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups skim milk
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
In a large bowl, combine the bread, asparagus, ham and cheese. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites, eggs, milk, lemon juice and garlic powder. Pour over the bread mixture and stir until blended. Transfer to a 9 by 13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 8-10 minutes longer until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yields 6 servings.
This is a delicious way to use leftover ham and fresh asparagus!
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