The Joy of Jelly Bellys

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they eat jelly bellys.

Really.

For starters, everyone has their favorite flavor...tutti frutti, buttered popcorn, pina colada, or jalapeno. What's your pleasure? If you're conservative and predictable, you may opt for the standard flavors like blueberry, or lime, or orange.

If you're a spontaneous daredevil, on the other hand, you might find yourself creating your own on-the-spot recipes: kiwi & orange, strawberry & juicy pear, toasted marshmallow and chocolate. You could even go wild and concoct a licorice-strawberry cheesecake-margarita combo. (Get more "recipes" at jellybelly.com.)

I myself am either well-rounded or indecisive when it comes to jelly belly flavors, depending on how you look at it. I buy the standard mix, and I want to taste EVERY flavor (except cinnamon and licorice).

Sometimes I eat them slowly, sometimes I pop them while reading. But I'm in the habit of eating only one at a time. I want to absorb the bursting flavor and experience it to its fullest. Nancy from my water aerobics class says this makes me self-disciplined. Ha! For crying out loud, I'm eating pure sugar!

That said, jelly bellys for me are a rare indulgence. I bought them this last weekend because I knew my family would share them with me. And by the way, they are the new "reward" of choice for my two-year-old niece who is currently being potty-trained. She's partial to the "pink" ones--relying on color only to make her selection.

Well, enough is enough. I've beat this horse to death, and this might be the last time I ever speak of jelly bellys on my blog. It's time to move on to something more meaningful...like Easter.

That said, if you do happen upon these tasty morsels, I recommend placing them in a glass dish, lounging in a recliner, and slowly sucking up the delicious goodness. OK, I'm done. :)