I just happened upon this little tidbit of information. Today is National Cream Puff Day. I am originally from the state of Wisconsin and transplanted to Minnesota in 1973, so I truly consider myself a Minnesotan. Whenever the Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings, I feel a bit torn as to who I should root for. Yesterday’s game was like that, but I digress. Being from the dairy state, I often attended the Wisconsin State Fair and would relish the thought of biting into one of these delectable treats. In fact, in 2011, the largest cream puff ever made weighed 125 pounds. This mammoth cream puff measured 38 inches wide by 7 ½ inches tall. Can you imagine trying to bite into something like that?

Cream puffs hold a special memory in the bank within my head. It was a couple years after we moved into our first home in Minnesota. We were, as we were most of the time, just getting by. I made a trip to the local Piggly Wiggly and there they were in the refrigerator case – cream puffs. My grocery budget didn’t include such a luxury, but I couldn’t help myself. I purchased 5 of the decadent desserts without a guilty conscience – even though I traded them for necessities. When it came time for dessert that evening, I brought out the little treasures. My family was eager to dig in as much as I was, so we wasted no time at all devouring them. After one bite, everyone looked at each other and I could tell this was a big mistake. The memory of those State Fair creampuffs shattered. Not one person liked them, so dessert time became a food fight with cream and puffs flying everywhere. When the table was completely engulfed, we took the fight outside. Even the dog got involved, enjoying every lick. At least he liked them. It was one of those spontaneous incidents that happen sometimes in families.

This story is true. We have not since had a food fight – nor have we purchased cream puffs. The entire incident did prepare me, however forty some years later when I was hit with a pie in the face, while onstage during a theatrical performance. I guess everything in life has a purpose.

HAPPY CREAM PUFF DAY!

Disclaimer – I have placed this blog in the parenting category, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this at home, unless you have mastered the art of cleaning cream puffs off the wall.