Get ready to swing with the Spicy Pickles

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By : 

Herald and News 

Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles will bring vintage jazz and swing to the Ross Ragland Theater on Friday, Oct. 12.

Submitted photo

Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles Jazz Band is a Denver-based vintage jazz band intent on bringing swing back to a new generation. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, the Pickles will take to the Ragland stage with a high energy authentic big band sound and look that celebrates the unique American spirit of swing.
Long before jazz became a spectator event, it was dance music. The big bands that played swing made their reputations on being able to flood the floor with dancers. Joe Smith & The Spicy Pickles are on a mission to bring back those days. Formed in Denver in 2013, and led by trumpeter Joe Smith, the band has been focusing on dance oriented swing since their 2015 release, “High Fidelity.” Now expanded into a septet plus a vocalist, they hope to revive the music that got America swinging.

Power, personality, wit
Joe Smith & The Spicy Pickles does a magnificent job of replicating not only the music, but the general atmosphere of the era as well. This is music that takes skill and dedication to perform correctly, as the high standard was set by the originators. The Spicy Pickles are recognized for their sensational live performances. This small group-style swing band packs a punch of power, personality and wit into each show with the beloved charm of big band swing from the late ‘30s and early ‘40s.

“You’re not going to want to miss Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles,” said Michael B. Miles, associate director of the Ross Ragland. “Their music will make you want to get up and swing.”

tickets for the event are $15, $19 and $24 before transaction fees. Student, senior, military and low-income discounts are available.
The Ross Ragland Theater is at 218 N. Seventh St. Call 541-884-5483 for ticket information and reservations, or visit the theater’s website at www.rrtheater.org. The box office is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and two hours prior to show time the day of any weekend show.

 

 

10 surprisingly useful things you can do with a jar of pickles

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By:Taylor Tobin

Insider 

Get the most from your pickle jar. Flickr/apple_pathways

10 surprisingly useful things you can do with a jar of pickles.

After the summer cookout season dies down, a lot of us find ourselves stuck with half-empty jars of dill pickles wedged at the back of our fridges. Now that we’re not flipping burgers over a charcoal grill while sipping a cold beer or lemonade, it can be hard to find a productive use for these briny, crunchy cucumber chips and spears. But with a bit of creative thinking, you can give these BBQ sidekicks a second shot at glory.
Try these 10 less-obvious uses for your pickles (and the jars they come in).

-Come full-circle by using an empty pickle jar to make your very own batch.

Store-bought dill pickles have a place in the pantheon of traditional BBQ accents, but if you make the effort to pickle your own cucumbers, you’ll be rewarded with richer flavor and more flexibility to customize.
It can be tricky to find a second use for old pickle jars, largely because the pickling liquid imparts a strong scent and flavor with a tendency to linger. But if you use a discarded pickle jar to make your own batch, the abiding pickliness won’t be a problem. Plus, you can repurpose any leftover brine from the store-bought pickles to add an extra dimension to your own pickling liquid. For a full look at the process, check out this Lifehacker piece.

-Try a pickleback shot.

Pickle brine isn’t just good on a cucumber spear or in a savory relish. With its vinegar-based acidity and salt content, this liquid makes an unlikely but completely perfect partner for a shot of whiskey.
Invented in a Brooklyn dive bar, the “pickleback shot” involves taking a shot of whiskey (preferably, of bourbon), then chasing it with a shot of pickle juice. The flavors play off each other beautifully, giving you a robust one-and-done drink packed with enough electrolytes to make it an equally-excellent choice as a “hair of the dog” libation in the morning.

-Stay in the homemade-condiments game by using dill pickles in your own Thousand Island dressing.

A “salad dressing” that’s more famous as a sandwich spread (especially on Reubens), Thousand Island dressing comes with an air of mystery. In fact, it was for years the suspected key ingredient to the “secret sauce” used on Big Macs.
As it turns out, Thousand Island dressing includes mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, hot sauce, mustard, paprika … and, very importantly, dill pickle relish. If you follow the relish recipe above, you’ll be well on your way to whipping up your own Thousand Island dressing, and you can find a full recipe from HuffPost.

-Pickle juice will make your copper pots and pans sparkle

Thanks to its acidic nature, pickle juice makes a useful cleaning agent for copper pans and pots. Taste of Home tipster Agnes Ground insisted that you “save your pickle juice to clean the copper bottoms of your pots and pans. It works wonders!”

-Use pickle juice as a quick meat tenderizer/marinade.

Pickle juice includes both acid and salt, making it an ideal substance for tenderizing and marinating meat. Even tough cuts are no match for the power of pickle brine; just whisk the pickle juice with some minced garlic, ground pepper, and mustard, then brush the mixture on your meat of choice. Let the flavors get to know each other for at least an hour, then start grilling or roasting.
The result? A delicious, protein-packed dish that’s tender, tangy, and perfectly savory.

-Swap out your energy drinks for pickle juice

Speaking of electrolytes, pickle juice contains enough of these charged salts to make an effective and budget-friendly substitute for energy drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. When consumed in moderation, pickle juice can do everything from soothing muscle cramps to helping control your blood sugar levels to keeping you fully hydrated, according to Healthline. If you want to keep it simple, you can drink the pickle brine straight, but it works just as well when diluted with some H2O.

-Make your own relish.

A classic condiment for hot dogs that gets plenty of mileage during the summer, pickle relish can be used year-round to add an extra zing to sandwiches, cold salads, deviled eggs, and tartar sauce to pair with fried seafood. Sure, you can easily grab a jar of the ready-made stuff, but for a punchier version that you can easily customize to fit your preferences, use the dill pickles withering away in your fridge to create some handmade relish.
This recipe from Chef Michael Chiarello comes together in a flash and requires only some dill pickles, the brine they soak in, some hot or sweet mustard, and a few pinches of fresh dill. But if you’re in a creative mood, you can always add an extra kick of flavor by adding onion, garlic, shallots, or hot peppers.

-Put together a classic Cubano.

As anyone from Miami would be only too pleased to tell you, the Cuban sandwich (also known as a Cubano) is an absolute masterpiece. It’s rightfully famous for its use of slightly-sweet Cuban bread, roast pork, ham, and Swiss cheese, all pressed on a hot plancha until it fuses into one delicious and portable meal. The Cubano, however, includes one additional — and crucial —ingredient: dill pickles.
If you thinly slice the pickle spears in your fridge, they’ll be ready to layer atop the pork and ham and set your Cubano up for flavorful success, lending a welcome tartness to the richness of the sandwich’s other fillings. For a step-by-step assembly guide, try this recipe from Chef Jose Garces.

-Pickle juice can also be a gardener’s best friend.

Acidic soil can be a real boon to certain plants and flowers…and what contains lots of acids? Pickle juice, of course. According to One Good Thing, “hydrangeas and rhododendrons thrive in acidic soil. You can add pickle juice to the soil around these plants to help increase its acidity. Avoid pouring it directly on your plants, which could cause damage.”
OGT also praises pickle juice as a powerful weed killer, capable of taking down pesky plants like dandelions and thistles. And because it’s safe to consume, it’s a great pet-friendly herbicide.

-Freshen up the pickle jars and use them to store office supplies, sewing equipment, and other small goods.

Like their trendier cousins, Mason jars, the jars that store-bought pickles come in are the perfect size for holding small knick-knacks and craft supplies. But as we mentioned previously, the briny scent of pickling liquid can be tough to banish. Luckily, there’s an easy fix. On a HomeTalk message board thread about reusing pickle jars, commenter Loretta offers the following advice on freshening up these containers:

“If you dump some baking soda in [the jar] and allow it to sit for a few days with the lid on, the pickle odor will go away. I use these jars to hold pasta, rice, flour, sugar, etc. I have painted them, decoupaged them, and covered [them] with collages. They make great coin banks, can store just about anything, and can even be used for terrariums! The possibilities are endless.”

 

Now is a good time to catch up on ‘Kidding’

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By Alexis Nedd

Mashable

musical number starring something called “The Pickle Nickel Choir.

Image: Erica Parise/SHOWTIME

There used to be a tier of celebrity that seemed unimpeachable. They were the icons, the people whose front-facing personas dovetailed so nicely with public opinion that everyone felt like they existed in a world apart from regular humans and loved them for it.

In the current era of social media and paparazzi surveillance, it’s hard for anyone to maintain that level of fame. People now know too much about celebrities to hold them on a pedestal, and in the 24-hour entertainment news cycle it sometimes feels like the world is just waiting for them to crack.
Kidding is about what happens when they do.

 

In Kidding, long-lost superstar Jim Carrey plays Jeff Pickles, a Mr. Rogers–type personality whose musical children’s television show is universally popular. So popular, in fact, that when Jeff’s car is stolen, the thieves frantically return and restore the vehicle once they see his name on the registration. Mr. Pickles is a true icon, one of those characters as beloved as Betty White and as unchanging as Big Bird.

Mr. Pickles is also a man in crisis. One year before the events of Kidding, one of his twin sons died in a car accident, leaving a wound in the center of his family. In the time between the accident and the show, Jeff’s wife separated from him, his living son turned against him, he moved from his family home to a dingy apartment, and his grieving process…well, it never really existed.

 

What follows in the first two episodes of Kidding, which are streaming on Showtime, is a darkly funny portrait about what happens when the world’s most famously cheery and empathetic man doesn’t have an outlet for his valid negative emotions. After introducing Jeff as a kind but somewhat ineffective character (his own son calls him a pussy, and the kid’s not wrong), Kidding then begins to expose the hairline cracks in his psyche — smash cuts to objects breaking imply that Jeff is unaware that he has begun lashing out in violent outbursts, and he demonstrates a terrifying lack of boundaries on multiple occasions.

Nothing good seems to lurk in Jeff Pickles’ future, and his descent into whatever madness awaits him is set to be the crux of the show.
Now is a good time to catch up on Kidding because the first two episodes do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of setting the plot in motion. Side stories about Jeff’s son Will pay off when the high school freshman finds his own, likely destructive way of dealing with his brother’s death. Jeff’s sister has a whole host of her own issues, from a daughter who exhibits signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to a husband who appears perfect and falls very short of his image.
Getting to know the characters and where they are in reaction to the accident is crucial in understanding the relationships that drive the show, and with half hour episodes watching the first two together is roughly the length of any single HBO dramedy. It’s better and clearer to take them as shot and chaser.
And of course, watching Kidding is a great excuse to see Jim Carrey again. Sure, he popped up in a few indie movies here and there, but he has largely retreated from the spotlight since his heyday in the 90s and early 00s. It’s easy to see what about Kidding drew Carrey back, even he hasn’t been on a TV show since In Living Color ended in 2001 — it’s the story of an icon who is forced to grapple with the worst parts of being a human.
There are elements of Jim Carrey in Jeff Pickles. He’s as rubber-faced and goofy as ever in some moments, but is also straight-backed and stiff with repressed emotion. The

weight of being Mr. Pickles feels physical on his exhausted-looking face, but he also delights in being able to be kind and change the lives of children. It’s an actor’s dream role, and one that could hardly be filled by someone who doesn’t already remind the audience of the character.

Kidding is filled with musical moments, sharp dialogue, and lovely character moments, but it most importantly contains a low-key type of emotional horror that can only get more present over the course of the season. Now’s the time to hop on the Mr. Pickles train and see where it lands Jeff and the rest of his family.

Pickle Flavor Is Overtaking Avocados As The Millennial Staple Food Trend

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By: Gene Kosowan

the talko

Pickle Flavor is the new  food trend

 

A generation that’s known to be fickle is finding satisfaction with a pickle. No kidding here folks, it seems everyone’s favorite vegetable that’s fine in brine has become the trendiest taste among millennials.
It makes sense, actually, strictly on color alone. The green hue not only won’t clash with the vegetation that the younger set craves more these days, but it’s also in lockstep with environmentalism, another trendy piece of subject matter. Or maybe it’s that salty and bitter element tempting the tastebuds that reaffirms that millennial lives will continue to be a slippery slope until those dastardly boomers finally retreat to the sidelines.

egardless of the reasons, there’s no shortage of pickle-inspired nosh items out there for those impressionable teeth to chomp on, such as Boom Chicka Pop’s pickle-flavored popcorn or 365’s dill pickle potato chips. Between bites, wash all that munchable greenery with Gordy’s Fine Brine or even Sonic’s pickle slushie.
And as proof that a blend of pickles and ice cream is no longer the exclusive domain of pregnant women, New York-based Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co. is selling scoops of the frozen dairy wonder with the tarty taste of that cucumber concoction. For those into spirits of the bottled sort, a few clubs in the city are offering pickle juice as mixers for the hard stuff, especially whiskey.

Meanwhile, up in Canada, food bloggers are offering ideas for making preserves that are requisite consumables during the hardy winter months. The biggest trend in this traditional food prep practice? Well besides, pickles, how about pickled fruit, as bloggers regale their viewers with tips on recipes on how to brine-up their favorite fruit from mangos to peaches.

Further down south, where folks like almost everything crispy, pickled fried chicken has been the rage over the summer, even with KFC offering a variation of its famous cooked poultry with a briny taste to them. Ditto for tacos. And while the motives for adding pickles may not be anywhere as political as millennial tastes, it turns out the technique of adding brine to a carnivorous dish has the same effect as citrus juice on fish. It tenderizes the meat and makes it more flavorful.

Preserve jalapeños now for chipotles, pickles and more heat all winter long

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By: Ari LeVaux, More

Southern Kitchen 

Jalapeños are a all time fav

 

Sriracha sauce, for example, is made from red, ripe jalapeños. Mexican escabeche, meanwhile, is a style of pickles made with carrots, herbs and green jalapeños.

Green jalapeños can also be roasted like a New Mexico green chile, and with comparable flavor. I’ve enjoyed roasted jalapeños dressed in butter and Maggi (a type of Mexican soy sauce) alongside the escabeche at the salsa bars that grace Mexican restaurants.

Back in the day, farmers would pick enough green jalapeños to enjoy fresh and bring to market, and at the end of the season the chile plants would be full of unpicked red jalapeños. Following an ancient practice, the farmers would leave these ripe peppers on the plant as long as possible, allowing them to shrivel and dehydrate, before smoking them to complete the dehydration process. These Aztec-style smoked red jalapeños are today known as chipotle peppers, and their sweet, smoky, earthy flavor is important in many dishes.

Meanwhile, jalapeños of both hues have taken off among Asian Americans. Sriracha sauce is as ubiquitous at American Vietnamese and Thai restaurants as ketchup is at a burger joint, and sliced green jalapeños garnish virtually every bowl of pho that is sold in America, while pickled jalapeños are a common fixture in American banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches.

In my general approach to dealing with the seasonal glut of my favorite pepper, I try to emulate the jalapeño farmers of Jalapa. When they are green, I enjoy the fresh jalapeños in my meals, and make pickles. When they turn red, I make chipotle.

My current preferred form of preserved green jalapeño is based on Vietnamese-style pickled jalapeño slices, a la banh mi. These pickled slices are an easy way to store jalapeños for later, and they are even easier to scoop onto everything, where they rightly belong.

Pickled Jalapeño Slices
Note: In order to properly trim the jalapeños, you must know how hot they are relative to your heat tolerance. If they’re not too hot you can leave the seeds and inner membranes in place. I brought a load of jalapeños home from the farmers market recently, and they were so hot I had to clean them carefully, then wash my hands with equal dedication.

Ingredients
Jalapeños
Vinegar (distilled or cider)
Salt
Sugar

Instructions
Begin by slicing off the stem end of the jalapeño. If the peppers are too hot, use the tip of a narrow knife to carve out the seed-bearing membranes. Slice the peppers crosswise as thinly as possible, and pack them into a sterile jar.
When all of your peppers are packed, add vinegar to each jar until it’s full, then pour the vinegar out of the jar(s) and into a sauce pan. Bring vinegar to a simmer on medium.
As it’s heating, add two teaspoons sugar and a teaspoon of salt to each pint jar (adjusting sugar and salt quantities accordingly for larger or smaller jars). When the vinegar reaches a simmer, pour it into the jars and screw on clean lids and rings. Place jars in fridge, where they can last for longer than you can refrain from eating them.
If you’re doing massive quantities and don’t have space in the fridge, process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath, which will render them shelf-stable.
To use, simply scoop the pickled jalapeño slices from the jar and apply them to your food. You’ll get the hang of it.

Smoked Chipotles
Note: Remember, this is a process that has been in use for thousands of years, and there are a lot of ways to smoke a red jalapeño. As long as you don’t touch your eyes before washing your hands, messing around with jalapeños is a tolerant process.

Ingredients
Red jalapeños
Wood chips

Instructions
When it’s time to smoke red jalapeños into chipotles, my technique is less refined. I trim and clean the red jalapeños the same way as the greens, then roast them on the grill. When the skins have blistered, I move the peppers away from direct heat, add some wood chips to the grill and close the top so the peppers smoke, adjusting the airflow as necessary.
When the wood chips have all burnt off, I finish drying the jalapeños in the sun or a dehydrator. One could smoke them for days, Aztec-style, but a touch of smoke is fine with me. When crispy-dry, store them in airtight bags in the freezer.

All’s fair at the fair

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By:Jennifer K. Bauer and Michelle Schmidt

The Lewiston Tribute 

Outdoing Dagwood: Fair food is all about excess. Here are the ingredients for Inland 360’s ultimate fair food burger, from bottom to top: glazed doughnut, bottom half; hamburger patty; bacon; curly fries; nacho cheese sauce; hamburger patty; potato chips; ice cream bar; one whole pickle; glazed doughnut, top half; Oreos, crushed.

Photo By: Tribune/Barry Kough

Gone are the days when fair food was limited to elephant ears, corn dogs and cotton candy.
You can still find these staples, but these days fairs around the nation are featuring bizarre combinations of anything and everything that can be shoved between two buns, fried, put on a stick, or wrapped in bacon — the weirder, the better.
Here are six crazy fair foods and where you can find them around the U.S.

Fried beer
How do you fry a liquid? Stuff it in pasta for a start. Fried ravioli filled with beer is famous at the State Fair of Texas.
Bickle
A “bickle” is a battered, bacon-wrapped pickle on a stick. It’s popular at the Kansas State Fair.
Pickle juice pops
For some reason, pickles are a big deal in Kansas. Those watching their waistlines at the Kansas State Fair can opt for a pickle juice popsicle instead of a bickle.
Ice cream burger

No need to save room for dessert at the Florida State Fair where people voted the ice cream burger a top favorite 2016. It’s a cheeseburger topped with a crunchy scoop of Mexican-style fried ice cream. Could I get a bickle on that?
Donut Burger
Hold the bun and bring on the donuts. Two donuts, a beef patty, a slice of ham and bourbon glaze make up the Big Clifty Bourbon Donut Burger, one of the top attractions at this year’s Kentucky State Fair. Trains of thought like this may be why Kentucky has one of the highest heart disease death rates in the nation.
Spaghetti and meatballs on a stick
Spaghetti and meatballs on a stick sounds exciting at first because the mind must ponder how slippery noodles would perform this feat. When the answer is: mash them up with meat, glom that into a ball and fry it it, it becomes considerably less exciting, unless you live in Minnesota.

M&M’S Is Debuting Global-Inspired Flavors Like Mexican Jalapeño

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By Maya McDowell 

delish

Jalapeno M&M’S…hmmm…

 

According to Instagram users, M&M’S is releasing three flavors that are a far cry from the classic milk chocolate-flavored candies, or even the peanut version. Brent Timm, behind SnackChatLive (“The wildest and wackiest food vlog in the galaxy!”), posted a photo of the unreleased M&M’S. Per the wrappers, the M&M’S are “Internationally Inspired Flavors,” including English Toffee Peanut, Mexican Jalapeño Peanut, and Thai Coconut Peanut.

Brent writes that M&M’S is set to release the new flavors in 2019. In an Instagram story, he tries the English Toffee Peanut M&M’S, and says the toffee flavor is “super pronounced.” Apparently there’s a sort of coffee flavor to them, and he also compared them to M&M’S Espresso Nut flavor.
People commented on the post, seemingly intruiged and thrilled at the alleged flavors. One user wrote, “gimme that toffee and dat coconut.” Another person said, “I can’t wait for the coconut!! That’s going to be so good.”
Instagram user @candyhunting posted a photo of the Mexican Jalapeño flavor, as well, claiming that these will be the next M&M’s flavor vote contenders. This means once they hit shelves, M&M’S fans can vote on which flavor to keep. The most recent Flavor Vote winning flavor was Crunchy Mint, per a press release.

It’s unclear when or where the M&M’S will be available. M&M’s declined to provide further information at this time. So stay tuned for more info on these intriguing sounding flavors.

 

Add Pickle Juice to Your Sautéed Vegetables

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By:  Claire Lower

Skillet

Add pickle juice to flavor your vegetables

Photo: Sébastien Marchand (Unsplash)

 

Trendy faux-dive bars are all about the pickleback, but back in my day, I had to sneak sips of the salty brine because it was “weird” and “the pickles were starting to dry out.” But pickle juice is more than a cucumber-preserving liquid, and I’m glad the world is starting to appreciate its broader culinary uses.

I love a bit of pickle brine in a martini, but I have recently been splashing it into hot, sputtering pans of buttery vegetables with great success. Rather than tasting aggressive and sour, the vinegar reduces to a slightly sweeter form of itself while cutting through some of the butter’s richness. There’s also no need to raid your spice rack, as the seasonings within brine do all the work in that department. I particularly enjoy a garlicky Clausen brine with crispy, buttery baby shiitakes. The meatiness of the mushroom greatly benefits from the whisper of acid, and the pickling spices flavor without overwhelming. Add a tablespoon of brine just before you take your veggies off the heat, let it reduce for a mere minute or two, and serve as usual. (Other vegetables are good too, but try it with mushrooms first; you will not regret your choices.)

 

Mizkan introduces Sarson’s Pickle in 15 Minutes vinegar

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By: Jules Scully

FoodBev Media

Flavor your food with pickle Vinegar !

Photo By: FoodBev Media

 

Mizkan has expanded its Sarson’s vinegar brand in the UK as it aims to respond to the popularity of quick pickling.
Called Lightly Seasoned Pickle in 15 Minutes, the product is for use with thinly sliced, diced or spiralised ingredients to give them “a crisp and fresh tanginess”.
The brand said the vinegar blend gives food lovers a way to add vibrancy to their favourite dishes with “sensational flavours”.
In a statement, Sarson’s said: “With quick pickling a hot trend for celebrity chefs and restaurants, Pickle in 15 Minutes allows aficionados and rookies alike to replicate the industry’s best-kept secret in their own home, elevating their meals and accompaniments quickly.
“This latest release is easy to incorporate into home-cooked meals, with a simple three step process – slice, infuse for 15 minutes, enjoy, meaning those looking to put a mouthwatering spin on their food can do so with ease.”
The product is now available in the UK with a recommended retail price of £1.69.

Not Everyone Relishes This Pizza That Uses Sliced Pickles Where the Pepperoni Belongs

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By: Melissa Locker

TIME

 

Yes, this is a dill pickle pizza. If you love pickles this is all you need!! Made garlic sauce and mozzarella cheese.

(Photo by): Rhino’s pizzeria and deli

 

A pizzeria has been “convicted” of committing misdemeanors against pizza by the internet
Their crime? Creating a pickle-topped pizza with a side of ranch dressing.
Rhino’s Pizzeria and Deli created a pizza pie that swapped garlic sauce for the traditional marinara, put sliced dill pickles in lieu of pepperoni, and covered the entire thing in mozzarella cheese, according to WHEC. They posted the picture on Facebook with the suggestion to “Try it with ranch for dipping.”

That was the final straw for some pizza lovers. After the pizza shop posted the pizza on Facebook heir Facebook post has been shared more than 41,000 times as of Thursday morning and despite 14,000 comments, people continue to weigh in on the controversial pizza. While most seem to consider the pickle-topped pizza a travesty, demanding answers, “Why?! In the name of all that is holy, why did you do this to pizza?!” wrote one Facebook commenter. Another brought up that equally controversial topping—pineapple—writing, “And people have the damn nerve to complain about pineapples on a pizza.” One amateur food critic noted, “Pineapple and pickles have no business on a pizza. Once you vary off cheese and pepperoni it’s not pizza anymore…” Another summed it up, tidily: “Pickles on pizza, hell no.”

A surprising number of people, some admittedly in the throes of pregnancy-related food cravings, thought the pickle-topped pizza sounded delectable, some hoping for a sweet-pickle version, and others plotting day trips to New York state for a pie. These are undoubtedly the same people who like marshmallow Peeps on pizza and consider strawberries a reasonable topping.