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September 10, 2007
Purple Week, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms
Here is a true thing: I am not a big fan of candy. I eat it when it’s around, sure, but it’s not something I normally buy or keep around the house. When I do eat candy, though, my favorite candy – the only candy I eat with any kind of zeal – is peanut M&Ms. I don’t know why people eat regular M&Ms, to tell you the truth, and I have no idea why anyone would eat the ones with peanut butter or crunchies and whatever-all they’re putting in M&Ms now. Several years ago, my love of peanut M&Ms took a fateful turn when they started selling dark chocolate peanut M&Ms as a promotional tie-in to Star Wars: Episode III (Revenge of the Lack of Tension of Any Sort Between Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen). I ate those things by the big one-pound bagful. It was heaven.
Then, about a month after the film’s release, they were gone.
Regular dark chocolate M&Ms have remained available in some markets through the ensuing years, but the peanut variety disappeared entirely. I couldn’t even find them at M&M World in Las Vegas when I visited, and, believe me, I asked (Clerk: “We have the regular dark chocolate ones.” Me: “That's not what I want.” Clerk: “They’re practically the same thing.” Me: “I don’t think so.”).
A few weeks ago, though, I noticed an ad for dark chocolate M&Ms in my Entertainment Weekly that made me think, “Oh, maybe they’re bringing them back!” Then I told myself to stop being silly and concentrate on something else before this cruel world once again dashed my hopes and dreams. Then, yesterday, there they were in the checkout line at Wegman’s:
Naturally, I purchased a bag, took all my groceries to the car, ate the M&Ms (which were EXACTLY as good as I remembered), and then went back in to see if they had them available in a one-pound bag.
They didn’t.
So I went ahead and bought another little pack in the checkout line.
Then I found one-pound bags at Eckerd today: ON SALE, BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!!!
Before this happened, things like Chasing Ray’s kidlitosphere-wide Recommendations from Under the Radar week and 7-Imp’s Picture Book Week and my usual obsession with the color purple had me thinking that maybe, just maybe, I should have an entire week devoted to purple here at watat.com
Did you happen to notice the color of the dark chocolate peanut M&Ms package?
Oh, yeah, baby. It’s a sign.
And so I think that my entry introducing Purple Week is going to be longer than any of the entries I plan to post during Purple Week, but at least we know that, thanks to the fine people who make M&Ms, I should have plenty of energy.
Posted by adrienne at September 10, 2007 05:17 PM
Comments
Adrienne, when a girl loves her special M&Ms, no one should stand in her way. Can't believe the Vegas woman tried to sell you substandard goods.
I think it's good to have a deep love for a particular food, and even better when you can indulge it. I raise my spoonful of white chocolate frozen yogurt with Reese's peanut butter cups on top to you.
Posted by: Robin Brande at September 10, 2007 06:26 PM
Congratulations, Adrienne! That's very cool. I, too, have some specific food obsessions that are hard to find, so I can empathize with your joy over the dark chocolate peanut m&ms in the one pound bag. So nice to take joy in the little things.
Posted by: Jen Robinson at September 10, 2007 07:22 PM
Now all that's left is writing to the M&M company and giving them a link to your page showing how you endorse their product and maybe they will send along a few free coupons!! Just think of it... :)
Posted by: Kristen at September 11, 2007 06:08 AM
I LOVE IT! Let's see. There's Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Purple Balloon (but depressing subject matter there), Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Captain Underpants And The Preposterous Plight Of The Purple Potty People . . . oh, you don't need me to go on.
I also very much heart peanut M&Ms and don't understand why anyone would choose regular over them, if given the option. I also heart dark chocolate and didn't even KNOW about those dark chocolate peanut M&Ms. Could there BE anything more perfect? Where can I find them?
By the power of Greyskull, are we psychic brain twins or what?
Posted by: Jules at September 11, 2007 10:25 AM
And I think they should make up a big pile of personalized (WATAT) d.c.p.m&ms for you. Right?
Posted by: Liz Garton Scanlon at September 11, 2007 11:10 AM
Can you believe I've never had a dark chocolate M & M? I have enjoyed almond M&Ms, though.
Posted by: Alkelda at September 11, 2007 04:00 PM
Thank you for the dark chocolate peanut M & M you gave me today. And oh - guess where I'm writing this from? Downstairs at the dining room table, on this lovely laptop someone gave me. :) It took S. like less than five minutes to connect it to the network. Living with an IT guru is so awesome!
Posted by: Olivia at September 11, 2007 07:04 PM
So many comments! Yay!
Robin and Jen, I'm glad to know I'm in good company.
Kristen, I like the way your mind works.
Jules, Speaking of being psychic brain twins, yes, I have every last one of those books in my potential purple week pile. Wonder twins unite!
Liz, That would be AWESOME. Could you imagine pink personalized dark chocolate peanut M&Ms with watat.com on them? How cool would that be? Of course, they only personalize regular M&Ms. Maybe one of these days they'll expand....
Alkelda, Keep your eye out. I did like those almond ones, too, incidentally, but I haven't seen them around in forever.
Olivia, You rock on, woman! (Of course, I believe someone gave you a laptop with watat.com as the default homepage. Glad to see you're putting it to good use.)
Posted by: adrienne at September 11, 2007 10:38 PM
Mmmm. I love dark chocolate. My favorites are those little dove dark chocolates with the sayings written on the inside of the wrappers. Maybe I should write a blog entry about them on my blog and see if they will give me a years supply for free? :) The dark chocolate m&ms come in a close second, but I haven't seen the peanut ones! There is absolutely nothing better in the world than peanut butter (or peanuts) and chocolate. Yummy!
Posted by: Cathy at September 12, 2007 10:30 PM
Cathy, Jack and Cathy's librarian in training sister Jen visited my library today (great to see you guys) and Jack found this poem for purple week in a BabyBug magazine:
Taste of Purple by Leland B. Jacobs
Grapes hang purple
In their bunches,
Ready for
September lunches.
Gather them,
No minutes wasting.
Purple is
Delicious tasting.
The magazine gives credit to Somewhere Always Far Away by Leland James
Posted by: Pat at September 13, 2007 02:57 PM
Purple IS delicious tasting! And I love that poem! :)
Posted by: adrienne at September 13, 2007 04:16 PM