Marshmallow bunnies line up every year to compete in a grueling series of obstacle courses, just to be selected to perch awkwardly and most uncomfortably atop a champagne flute during Easter brunch. This year’s winners completed a three-meter swim through tequila-spiked waters (without melting), a five-meter run through Easter-basket grass, two pull-ups, deadlifts and presses with pretzel sticks at 1 repetition maximum (1RM), and a ten-meter row in a hollowed out chocolate egg, across a pond frequented by Peeps-hungry seagulls.
For one lucky winner, Easter brunch came early at my household (March 30th at 7 p.m., after an evening walk—to replenish lost fluids). This bunny Peep’s name was Mystery Blue (MB), and MB was absolutely delicious.
The drink itself is simply a mimosa, which typically consists of fruit juice, such as orange juice, and champagne, but I wanted my mimosa to also feature a matching Peep, and I didn’t have any Peeps in the house. However, Nate, my husband, and Alex, my son, were going for a mid-week grocery run to get a bunch of crap I normally don’t get at the store, so I added the following to the list:
Peeps (small package)
Champagne
Orange juice
And then, I made a fatal mistake. I gave some other instructions out loud, which were promptly ignored. I thought they were important/self-explanatory, but they were not:
Me: You don’t have to get orange juice. You can get any juice you think might match the color of the Peeps you picked out.
Nate and Alex: Okay.
So, Nate and Alex came home with orange juice and blue Peeps.
For half a second I thought, “Just add blue food coloring? It might work?” But then, I saw that they also picked up limeade—pre-mixed—good and pulpy, so problem solved! I mixed the limeade in with the champagne and forced MB’s tiny marshmallow rump onto the glass.
I took a sip of the drink and followed it up with a nibble of MB. The whole thing, together, tasted like Sour Patch Kids. I’m not sure which flavor, but maybe all of them? At once? In a drink? It was magical. So, this drink is a transformational experience. And dunking precious little Peep heads into fizzy blue cocktails just feels like an oh-so-fantastical-way, to spend a brunchy, munchy, bunny day.
Cheers!
Cecilia Kennedy once taught Spanish and English courses in Ohio for many years. She now lives in the Greater Seattle area, and writes horror stories. Her blog (Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks: https://fixinleaksnleeksdiy.blog/) chronicles her humorous (and perhaps scary?) attempts at cooking and home repair.