There is no hiding from it. I'm addicted to candy, specifically peanut M&M's. I've tried to cut down, but to no avail. Every time they are on sale or they are BOGO at the grocery store, I can’t resist. Sadly, not so much because I want to eat them, but because I love a good deal, even if it is on something I don’t need. But beyond my preference for them, I may be somewhat of a candy snob. I made this discovery while perusing the candy bowl in my office one day. I try to keep a good variety of items so folks walking by can stop in and forage if they like. It sometimes facilitates good conversations. While reviewing the selection, I came across some candy canes. They had been there for several months. There's no denying they're festive, but does anyone eat them?
Quick research revealed that some two billion candy canes are produced annually. As you might imagine, most of them are purchased between Thanksgiving and Christmas. One source says about 90% are snatched up during that period. But buying and consuming are entirely two different things. So, I ask again, does anyone eat them? I think not. At least not two billion.
The fact that I, a confessed candy addict, would ask such a question led me to the realization that to be candy in my world, you must be chocolate or at least contain a fair amount of it. Otherwise, it's just wasted sugar. It's not that I haven't eaten a candy cane or two along the way. I have, but I was young and hadn't refined my sweet tooth.
I don't know why I didn't realize this earlier. All the signs were there. The last items of my annual Halloween haul to be consumed were the non-chocolate variety. Gummies, suckers, and any hard candies were left in the bottom of the bucket where they would languish until after the Christmas chocolate was gone. Only then did I consider eating them and only if I was going through serious withdrawal. Often the early arrival of Valentine’s candy and having a mother that would occasionally swoop in while I was at school and dump the Halloween bucket into the trash saved me from having to deal with it.
One of the gold standards as a kid were Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They were rare and therefore much sought after in the Maine household. So much so that it caused some questionable decisions in my college days. I was working part time in a movie theater. After each showing, we would have to clean the trash out of the theater. Occasionally I would come across uneaten Reese's cups. We sold them in packages of three and for some reason folks would forget about the third one. While it might have been left behind, it didn't go to waste on my watch. That sucker was mine.
Growing up, to satisfy the craving for a Reese's I would sometimes have to improvise. Mom liked to get those chocolate stars and place them in a fancy candy dish. Fancy as in one with a lid which made it harder for me to indulge my addiction without being detected. "I heard that" was a warning shot across the bow to steer clear. But when I could make a run undetected, I would grab a couple of those chocolate goodies and head for the pantry. Then I would grab the peanut butter and start dipping. Think of it as chips and salsa for the sweets eater. Over time I was able to perfect the balance of peanut butter to chocolate resulting in a convincing imitation of the real thing.
I must confess that time has mellowed me some. I can go for the occasional Twizzler (you don't know what you're missing until you Twizzle). I have also been known to enjoy a gummy worm or two, but not very often and certainly not when there is chocolate available.
Peanut M&M's are my passion now. So much so that Yellow is my favorite M&M character. I've also become somewhat of a NASCAR fan because of that candy-shelled delight as they sponsor Kyle Busch's car. Crazy I know, but that's the power of the M.
Still the question remains: does anyone really eat candy canes? Do you?
