Easter is the perfect convergence of many of my obsessions. A short list: pastels, spring, lilacs, sundresses, brunch (meaning drinking before noon is socially-acceptable), renewal (needed after a long day of drinking), and, of course, Peeps®. I spent last week scouring my local drugstores, stocking up on the top-selling non-chocolate Easter candy. But not to eat, mind you. To craft.

True, Peeps® possess inherent physical qualities that just scream for a gastronomic improvisation every true fan has got to try at least once. (Yes, it works: Roast Peeps® over a medium flame—the sugar caramelizes on the outside for a nice crust, but don’t overdo it or you’ll end up with a black hunk the consistency of plastic—place between two vanilla wafers for the ultimate spring s’more.) When it comes to their anthropomorphic fluff, their marshmallowy versatility, however, I’m more inclined to put Peeps® in a flower arrangement than in my mouth. This year, I bought 200. I ate two.

Peeps® have superseded their sugar-coated status to become a hot grassroots creative medium. A plethora of Peep® diorama contests in the last few years has surfaced too many Peep® pop culture references to consume (my favorite: Reservoir Peeps® with a brilliant casting of Mr. Pink). Artist David Ottogalli has been putting on his Peeps Show for over a decade, and Peep Research has been studying the effect on smoking and alcohol on Peeps® for years. My friend Ashley sent me a post from Hostess with the Mostess that points to Real Simple getting in the game. See? Peeps® are good for you.

Now craft projects can even be found on the official Peeps® site, and this year Chronicle Books and Urban Outfitters are sponsoring the Peeps® on Film contest to promote the new book Peeps: Recipes and Crafts to Make with Your Favorite Marshmallow Treat. Deadline is April 30, so there’s still plenty of time to sweep the clearance aisles of their half-off Peeps® and get shooting. Here are some ideas to get you started, created by me and my Peeps® during Easter brunch:

1. Arlo’s Chick Magnets
2. Playboy Bunnies
3. Chick de Soleil
4. Peeps® in a Blanket
5. Rabbit Slug
6. Bottlecap Holder
7. Decorative Punchbowl Garnish
8. Peep®-sicle Ice Cubes (good with punch)
9. Drink Bunny (to easily identify your glass of punch)
10. Really Bad Star Wars Characters, which would have been better if it wasn’t for…the punch.

More Peep® (and punch) photos right this way!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 8:25 am and is filed under crafting, eating, partying. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.