They start calling to me the minute I walk into the grocery store.

“I’m here… buy me…” they whisper.

They look innocent, but they’re the devil’s bait.

I’m talking about the delicious, sinful Cadbury Mini Eggs.

These candies are about the size of an almond. The inside is rich, creamy milk chocolate, and not cheap chocolate. The chocolate is then covered in a crisp sugar shell dyed in pastel colors.

So sweet. So innocent.

So addicting.

The package pulls you in, much like a Venus Fly Trap.

Looks pretty.

Deadly inside.

There’s a sweet little bunny on the front of the package. One ear is gently folded, and he has a bit of a smile on his face. Delicate flowers surround the pastel colored eggs.

Yes, these candies look innocent, but one serving of nine eggs – realistically, who can stop there – is 160 calories. It’s 44 percent sugar, but if you’re going to eat candy, the more sugar, the better.

Cadbury Mini Eggs are only available for a few weeks before and after Easter. Innocent buyers will pick up a bag, open it, pop two or three eggs in their mouth and then they’re hooked.

I’ve munched through an entire 9-ounce bag in one stressful day. Did the chocolate make me feel better? I hate to admit it, but yes, the Cadbury Mini Eggs made my mind feel better, but my hips screamed.

If you miss buying the Cadbury eggs when they’re on the shelf, and by this time you’re an addict, you’ll pay for not stocking up. You can only buy them around Easter.

I know this because during a stressful summer, I looked for them online. The Hershey’s site stated they were unavailable.

I looked on Amazon, and they were $40 for a bag that retails for less than $5 at Easter time. Even I couldn’t justify paying that much for them, even though a little, evil voice in my head whispered “you know they’re worth it, get them, get them, get them.”

 

I bought Dove chocolates which are more expensive than the Cadbury Mini Eggs. But even at the higher price and supposedly better chocolate, they were a poor substitute for the Cadbury treats.

For those not familiar with the mini eggs, you might say they’re not the only candies that are only for sale during holiday seasons. It’s impossible to find marshmallow Peeps in July. I like sugar, but even those little confections are too much for my taste buds.

The chocolate companies have caught on to offering their treats year round. M&Ms are available for every holiday. There’s red, white and blue ones in the summer months, brown, orange and yellow ones in the fall and red and green during December.

The Hershey Company changes the foil on their Kisses to reflect the season. Red, green and silver at Christmas and red and pink for Valentine’s Day. They also offer different flavors depending on the season.

But the Cadbury Mini Eggs remain the same. Always the purple bag. Always the little bunny on the front. Always delicious, always irresistible and always addicting.

Do yourself a favor. Buy at least 10 bags right now. If you’re a recovering chocolate addict like me, don’t go down the candy aisle until April 1. In fact, avoid the side of the grocery store where the candy aisle’s located if at all possible.

Your hips will thank you.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.