This is how my mind works, when I become obsessed with something I think about why, so here’s the break down of why I think I’m so obsessed with peppermint. Speaking of peppermint, which from here on out will be called Food of the Gods (FOG)…every time I go to the store in this season it’s all around me. There are entire isles dedicated to FOG’s. There’s peppermint taffy, peppermint and chocolate, peppermint hard, soft, long, short. There’s peppermint for my coffee or tea. It’s everywhere. Why are they torturing me this way?
What if Beauty were to enter a store and see nothing but cake everywhere she turned? Chocolate cake, lemon cake, strawberry, red velvet? Every single isle she went down there was some sort of extraordinary cake perhaps even with roses on them. Could she concentrate or would she be thrown off her shopping game? I think she, like me, would slip in her own drool. She may even slam her bread to the floor, walk out of the store and vow to never return. But the draw is too strong, she, like me, must return. There in lies the problem, what is the draw? Why am I addicted? What deep seeded psychological illness need keeps me up at night pacing as I hear the Food of the Gods call my name in the wintry night? My rosy cheek is pressed against the chilly window as I longingly look into the bitter night of cold. Auussstinnnnn….Auusssstttiinnnnn. I hear you my love. ……..Alright, I think I’m okay now. You don’t need to know my filthy peppermint fantasies.
So anyway….my first insight into my peppermint sickness is that not only do I like the taste but the candy includes my favorite color, red. I’m often distracted when I see red. It’s sort of like a person who can’t concentrate when they see something shiny. All focus is lost and they’re in a trance until said shiny object is removed. Such a person could never work in a silver factory, not with the lights on anyway.
This FOG includes my favorite color and it has swirls and repetitive movement which I find soothing. I like how the swirls all lead to the center or in candy canes how they swirl around the stick. It’s difficult to tell where the first swirl started but one thing is for certain, it’s a repetitive stroke. One thing leads to another then back to itself. My art therapy work contains swirling and spiraling. It meets itself coming and going. It’s not so much the actual disk candy shape that can be seen in my art but swirls and lines that all lead back to one point. I hope that made sense.
For me there’s something pleasing, even reflective when I see and eat peppermint. Now, all of this must sound strange but when you think about it, comfort food gives us a little more than a treat to the pallet. There’s an emotional side to it. I just chose to point out what emotions and what senses are peaked for my comfort food. What does all this prove? I’ve got too much time on my hands 
In my excess time I’ve decided that if I ever become rich I won’t open a homeless shelter or an orphanage. Screw nobility! I want a peppermint factory. Why even lie and say I’ll help the poor and underprivileged when I know dang well a self serving act is the plan? Let me tell you now I’ll be knee deep in the mint. Don’t try to call me begging either cause I can’t get reception through the locked down, poured cement walls named Austin’s Peppermint Heaven. And don’t show up either because the armed guards will be instructed to remove all intruders by any means necessary.
I’ll be nice though and send Beauty a white chocolate peppermint cake with red roses on top.
J of A
Peppermint, an Analytical Discussion – Saturday, December 12, 2009 – 5:45PM EST
Tsk tsk, there are so many things wrong with this entry I hardly know where to begin.
Last things first: do not, I repeat do NOT send me a pity cake of white chocolate peppermint. Why not? you ask, arching a brow rather arrogantly. Well here’s why: I hate white chocolate. There is no such thing as white chocolate as a matter of fact. Chocolate is brown, deep delicious brown in many lovely shades. Whoever made up the whole white chocolate thing must be laughing up their sleeve at all you silly people thinking you’re eating chocolate when you’re eating . . . who knows what?
Secondly, I do not like peppermint. I’m sorry that this admission will come between us, as I know it must. The thing is, peppermint reminds me of toothpaste. If I want to brush my teeth I’ll brush my teeth. If I want candy I’ll reach for a dark brown piece of chocolate!
C): Are you going to sit there on your high and mighty stool/chair/high horse and tell the whole world that should you ever become rich, you won’t even give out free mints to the homeless? Are they not worthy of a treat every now and then? (True, in my estimation it would be a tad bit on the abusive side to give mints to the homeless when what they’re all craving is chocolate, but that’s six of one and half a dozen of another, as it were.)
Fourthly: Why bring me into this entry in the first place? Are you hoping to distract attention from your greed by inserting me into this rather self-promoting post? What have I ever done to you that you would drag my good name into the mud (white mud, no doubt) along with yours? Oh what oh what I ask have I ever done?
And bye the bye, as much as I crave chocolate cake I do not wish to receive a pity cake from you of any flavor. Some of us have our self-respect. Some of us would rather go cakeless (there, I’ve said it!) than accept handouts from those who look down on our current cakeless state.
I believe that about wraps it up. I do trust I haven’t been too harsh. And just so you won’t waste your unwanted pity on me, I have (even as I type this) a coupon in my purse for one FREE box of Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes. You heard me, the Little Debbie Corp. doesn’t deign itself too highfalutin’ to share their wealth with others. I have the power to redeem this coupon any time I wish. The fact that it’s been residing in my purse for weeks prove that I, dear lady, have self-control, something of which you are obviously bereft.
And now if you don’t mind, I have better things to do than scold you on proper sweet tooth etiquette. I’ve had my say; let’s never mention this subject again.
Ungrateful, just ungrateful as to not accept my cake offering.
How dare you bad mouth white chocolate? What’s wrong with you and your so-called standards? And yes, our friendship has been tested with this new revelation of peppermint bigotry. I thought for certain you were a woman of class but now I see I made a mistake. All these years of reading your blog and talking to you you’ve kept this candy hatred to yourself. How did I miss it? What signs did I let fly over my head as you wowed me with your poetry and lyrical recollections? Surely you sat behind the computer screen snickering as you held this secret, HA! You said, “Austin has no clue that I hate peppermint. I’ve got her eating out of the palm of my bloggers hand all the while stabbing her in the back with a crooked candy cane.” I didn’t get even get a high quality candy cane stabbing, no, you used a cane from two Christmas’ ago as if I, the peppermint connoisseur, wouldn’t notice. Well I know now….oh I know now so to you I say good day. I SAID GOOD DAY!
Hmmm… I’m going have to agree with Beauty on the white chocolate thing. Yuck.
No white chocolate, what’s wrong with you people? I’m not that crazy about chocolate in the first place but I’d choose white chocolate over milk chocolate any day. I HATE dark chocolate. Now that’s nasty!!!
I’m not giving you any peppermint, neither one of you can have any peppermint. I know you guys are just trying to get under my skin so I’ll remember you when I’m rich. That way I’ll look into both your sad eyes and feel compelled to give you mint. Well that’s where you’re both wrong. I will not feel sorry for you. I won’t feel sorry for any of the little people I stepped on to get my riches. Nope, I’ll be drunk and satisfied with peppermint. Can’t you see my chubby hands stuffing my face as I laugh an evil laugh? wahaha ha ha ha
I probably shouldn’t admit it, but I’m not a huge fan of mint (in any variety)…..
Oh geez, katm just had to push it a bit farther by admitting she’s not a huge fan of any kind of mint. Wow, here comes the wrath of Austin!
Well, I can’t let katm take the full brunt of that wrath, so I may as well let it all hang out. I LOVE dark chocolate. It’s my favorite. Wait though. Before further bad-mouthing it, you should know that small amounts of it have been known to be good for Chronic Fatigue, which I happen to have (in case you care.)Where would I be if I had a dark chocolate prejudice like some people I could name? Where, I say?
Has mint ever done one blasted thing for me? Does it help with my CF? Uh, no, I think not.And come to think of it peppermint is a little too cheery. Chocolate is dark and brooding, deep man, deep. But mint? It’s all surface. It’s got no soul. Why do you think that flavor is used so often in toothpaste? What do you do with toothpaste? You brush your teeth with it then spit it out in the sink! Why? Because it’s fickle. It’s fickle and surface and namby-pamby.
In conclusion let me say that I will not even wish you a GOOD DAY. I know that should I do so you’ll misuse that good day by imbibing in the horror known as “white chocolate.”
PS Lest you think katm and I are the only peppermint rebels, you should check this out:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/225389?GT1=43002
Just so you know…it is the time of year when *buck’s brings out my all time favorite DOG (drink of the gods)…I have thrown caution (and diabetes) to the wind during this one month of the year when I am able to partake of the wonderful decadence of…wait for it…Peppermint white chocolate mocha!! And I absolutely MUST receive at least TWO giant candy cane sticks every year.
Nice find Beauty.
I occasionally partake of a Dark Cherry Mocha thingie at Star Bucks. I have no idea if you poor souls even have such a beautiful thing in the US. A quick google suggests no.
I may have to get up early just so I can indulge in one before work.
Actually Beauty, I have read that about CFS as well as Fibro but perhaps I’m not in enough pain to warrant such disgusting foods. I’d rather take illegal alternative measures to deal with my pain.
The fact that you two don’t like white chocolate or peppermint is something I’ll have to try and deal with in my therapy session tomorrow. I feel rather depressed for you both so I’ll take it up in my therapy session and try to find a way to come to terms with it.
Battle Weary, Oh my gosh the white chocolate peppermint sounds sooooooo good. Oh my gosh!!!
To All Peppermint Nazis:
Peppermint is good for concentration and has calming factors. It is also good for minor pain relief. You can’t rub chocolate on pain filled knees and feel better. You can’t burn a chocolate candle and expect to concentrate better nor can you smell chocolate and have anything other than your senses peeked instead of calmed. Uh huh, it seems peppermint has better healing factors (w/out caffeine) than does your nasty brown stuff. All in all peppermint is God’s gift to humanity. That’s right, I said it! It’s God’s gift to humanity. One day I shall have a whole factory of it.
Austin of Austin’s Peppermint Heaven where no dark chocolate is served
Also…a dab of peppermint oil on the tongue can help ease an upset stomach.
I just returned from an 8 hour cleaning jag at my sister’s, so I’m too pooped to do justice to Austin’s last comment (which I’m sure she thinks is so clever.) I’ll have to respond tomorrow.
However, just to show her (and all you other peppermint fanatics out there) that I’m a generous soul, I thought I’d pass along the offer I just found on the Shop4Freebies website: a free coupon for Peppermint Pancake Puppies at Denny’s. That’s right, I who hate peppermint, am passing this along to those who ridicule my more elegant tastes.
Here’s the link: shop4freebies dot com
@ Battle Weary,
What a breath of fresh air your minty words are. I worry about these people. I really do. They are lost and I fear they will not be found.
@ Beauty,
After 8 hours of work clearly you are delirious which would explain why you’ve passed along the *nastiest* sounding pancakes I’ve ever heard of. Please go refresh your energy, gather your mint-free thoughts and ask yourself what real friend would suggest that crap. I take it as a personal insult to all peppermint loving people that you’d put that link on my blog. Why I’d never do that on your blog. As a matter of fact I’m nice and sweet and my halo is large and glowing. As I skip down the street whistling my innocent tune I think nothing but clean minty thoughts. You, however, think of squishing all minty souls under your chocolate thumb. I believe it was you who said all people who like mint should be sent to a chocolate prison and have a cell mate named Little Debbie. How did she stay little all these years any how? What’s more…..I could have sworn I told you GOOD DAY!!!
No white chocolate? No dark chocolate? What’s with the discrimination? I like chocolate of all colors. White, dark, regular colored. Yummy!
I especially love to make hot chocolate – white, dark or hershey’s regular – and stir it with a peppermint candy cane. Oh heavenly.
And Starbucks white chocolate mochas this time of year are awesome too.
@ Enola,
Sweet tooth racism is what it is. Why can’t all sweet tooths live together peacefully?
Give peace a chance.
I have a dream ……
Austin,
We all know you have a dream, and that dream is PEPPERMINT DOMINATION OF THE ENTIRE WORLD! Why, you ask, can’t all sweet tooths live together peacefully? I’ll tell you why, it’s because of such statements as the following:
“You can’t rub chocolate on pain filled knees and feel better. You can’t burn a chocolate candle and expect to concentrate better nor can you smell chocolate and have anything other than your senses peeked instead of calmed.”
Now I ask you, are these words for the betterment of world peace, or are these fighting words? If you look deep into your soul, much deeper than your minty fresh breath, you must admit you love stirring up trouble. No doubt you love stirring it with a peppermint stick!
As for your allegation that you can’t rub chocolate on pain-filled knees and feel better, I beg to differ with you. How do you know this? Ever tried it? I have! I do it every night and as a result have the knees of an agile teen. Ever lit a chocolate candle to aid in your concentration? No, but I bet you have breathed your minty breath over one and all, recklessly spewing out that overbearing scent on store clerks, fellow shoppers and yes, even your housemates.
Oh it’s a wonder that halo of yours doesn’t just float off your overblown head from the sheer force of your peppermint breath polluting the atmosphere. I beg of you, as I would of anyone who is on the brink of losing her sanity, to stop and consider your careless actions. We’ve all heard of the dangers of secondhand smoke, but there’s a conspiracy in our land to hush the dangers of secondhand peppermint inhalation. This is not a joke, and I am not making it up. People around you are in grave danger, but what do you do? Go skipping and sashaying around, tipping your tarnished halo at one and all, and making up stories about putting Little Debbie (poor innocent freckle-faced kid!) behind bars.
You, Ma’am, may have told me GOOD DAY but I refuse to accept it. You will be hearing more from me.
Oh my gosh I love getting you going. LOL
I just wanna know, do you let people pay for your artwork in peppermint?
Kate
Actually, yes. If you can find $15 worth of Peppermint Peeps you’ve got a deal!!!
They’re $1 each, that’s 15 boxes shipped directly to me. I’d so do that.