A LOT of Peeps

According to Julia Boorstin in Fortune (3/21/05), grown-ups spend “roughly $80 million on 1.2 billion” Marshmallow Peeps per year. And the average American consumes 2.3 Peeps each spring.”

I’ve just now discovered that you can get Peeps decorating kits, and purchase Peeps in their very own chocolate eggs. You can even join the Peeps Fan Club. I remember getting a box in my Easter basket every year when I was a kid. (Who am I kidding? My parents just got me a box THIS year for my birthday.) Not sure what this says of me, but I always liked biting their heads off.

If you’re looking for something to do with Peeps other than eating them, you might try “Peeps jousting.” That’s when two Peeps armed with toothpicks face each other in a microwave oven. As they expand from the heat, their lances move closer; the first to strike a blow wins.

Apparently, the best time to score some Peeps is the day after Easter, when they go on sale upon the conclusion of Peep season (roughly February 15 thru Easter).

As creative as I am, I could not make this stuff up.