MoonPies

The other day at the check-out counter of my local supermarket there was a display of the day's deals strategically placed to inspire impulse buying. In this instance, the tantalizing deal was for MoonPies for $ .50. Needless to say, I could not resist. MoonPies in and of themselves are a guilty pleasure of mine. At half the normal price, I wondered how it was possible there were still ANY left.

For the unititiated, MoonPies were born in 1917, a creation of Earl Mitchell Sr., who came up with the idea of sandwiching a marshmallow filling between two graham cookies and then dipping the entire confection in chocolate. The "moon" in the MoonPie came from a mine worker who told Mr. Mitchell he wanted something filling and solid and "about that big" as he framed the moon with his hands. The rest is junk food history.

MoonPies contain a whopping 300 calories and have virtually no nutritive value whatsoever. BUT, let us not discount the happiness they can provoke at each delightful bite. I must confess my latest attempt at dieting has overtaken my normally gluttonous behavior. That very same MoonPie that I purchased without a moment's hesitation, presently sits quietly in my kitchen cupboard where occasionally it will beckon to me in its characteristically seductive way. Thus far I have not succumbed, but as any devoted trekkie can tell you, "resistance is futile."