PEEPS come in all sizes but they taste the same as always

… and we eat more than our share – we will eat 600 million PEEPS this Easter. (I call them all PEEPS, even if they are bunnies.)

PEEPS marshmallow candy – those bright-colored chicks and bunnies that we see at Easter have a long history. In 1953, it took 27 hours to make one Peep. Now the factory in Bethlehem, PA makes a billion a year. The first PEEPS were squeezed out of a pasty tube and the eyes were painted on by hand. Each PEEP is a character – as they settle the nose and eyes rearrange and they get a personality.

The Washington Post has an annual PEEPS Diorama contest. One year they discontinued it but caught a lot of flack. Now the diorama back. I’m telling you, PEEPS’ mania is real, it’s fun and I am joining.

Some years ago, National Geographic did PEEPS in Places. There were PEEPS in Las Vegas, on the beach, in a subway, at Big Mill B&B Extended Stay.

Did you know that PEEPS go with fine wine?

Ever wonder what wine to serve with PEEPS? Someone has already done the wine pairing for PEEPS and the suggestions are Riesling or Chardonnay.

You can create your own Peeps character – pick a color, outfit, give him a name and POOF he will jump on Facebook if you want him too. I am telling you, folks really get in to their Peeps.

Can you believe folks cook with PEEPS? There are many PEEPS recipes out there, much to my surprise. So I tried one.

Peeps just make Rice Krispies treats better!

Print

Rice Krispie Treats with PEEPS

Everyone loves Peeps - why not add them to the classic rice krispie?

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Peeps rice krispie treats, Peeps rice krispie treats recipe, rice krispie treats with Peeps

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Freeze 8 hours hours

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 bars

Calories 191kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 10  oz. pkg. Marshmallows about 40 or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 12 PEEPS
• 1 Tablespoon marshmallow cream for glue Optional

Instructions

• Freeze PEEPS overnight.
• Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan or dish and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt 3 Tablespoons butter over low heat. In a small pan melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter (this is your glue) or you can use Marshmallow cream.
• Add marshmallows to the large pan and stir until melted. Add Rice Krispies and stir until coated. Remove from heat. Using a greased spatula, press the marshmallow - Rice Krispie mixture into the greased pan. It is really sticky!
• Press the frozen PEEPS on top, spacing each PEEP about 1 1/2" apart. Allow to cool and cut into 12 squares with PEEPS in the middle. Best served the same day.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 17mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1050IU | Vitamin C: 8.8mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 4.3mg

I believe the old adage As American as Apple Pie, should be As American as Marshmallow PEEPS. A word to the wise: Don’t mess with PEEPS fans.

…from Innkeeper at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast Extended Stay 252-799-8787

2026 is the 47th year that the folks of Piney Grove Baptist Church in the Farm Life Community near Williamston, NC, have been performing this 90-minute outdoor drama of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

North Carolina loves its outdoor dramas. Every year, our hometown folks pour their time and talent into this production that feels every bit as grand as a big city show, sharing a powerful story with all who come to listen.

In its first few years, The Message of Easter was performed on the lawn. Now visitors enjoy the performances in a large outdoor theater that seats 3,000 folks with special lighting, surround sound, and ample parking. And all this is offered at no charge.

Big buses often roll in, and on some nights the crowd reaches into the thousands. If you go, remember the bleachers are hard, and they can get chilly as the night wears on. Take a cushion, a blanket, and a flashlight never hurts.

It is more than amazing what this small community has done – all hometown folks, and many of them are my cousins. “Pilot” was my first boyfriend – he was three and I was two. Billy’s wife Betty Jo says she is tired of hearing that story! (Sadly some of these folks are gone)

(A special thanks to Piney Grove Church for use of photographs)

For information call:  252-792-1342

The Message of Easter drama is just a few miles from Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 252-799-8787. At this time, we are only taking Extended Stay rentals.

PERFORMANCE DATES in 2026:  This year’s 2026 drama is the 47th year.

Spanish Performance is March 27 , beginning at 8 p.m. 

English performances:  March 28, 29 and April 2, 3, 4, 5 at 8 p.m.  For information about the Message of Easter call 252-792-1342. Remember, spring can be chilly. If our Big Mill B&B Extended Stay guests attend the Easter drama, we send them off with cushions and blankets.

DISTANCES FROM:
110 miles of Raleigh, NC
114 miles south of Norfolk, VA
54 miles north of New Bern, NC
39 miles east of Greenville, NC
8 miles south of Big Mill Bed &Breakfast in Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

When it snows in eastern North Carolina, we absolutely fall to pieces. The moment the weather man whispers the word “snow,” folks rush out and clear every shelf of the grocery stores of milk and white bread. Me? I stock up on heavy cream, popcorn, and artichoke hearts. Then we settle in, cozy up, and wait for that rare, beautiful snowfall. Schools close, cameras come out, and suddenly everything looks worthy of a photo. And of course, we do the one thing that’s uniquely ours: we make snow cream.

I’m not sure how far north snow cream is made, but I do know you won’t find it anywhere past Virginia. Maybe it really is a true North Carolina treat. When I was growing up, we could hardly wait for snow; and most years we had to wait, because those rare winter storms didn’t come often.

Print

Snow Cream

The kids will love making snow cream from new fallen snow.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword almond biscotti, snow cream, snow cream ice cream

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 3 servings

Calories 429kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
• 4 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg optional
• 1 bowl of light clean snow (6-8 cups)

Instructions

• Cream together the cream, sugar and vanilla. Some folks add the egg, but I don't. Using a flexible utensil like a spatula, add the snow a little at a time to the cream mixture until it is the consistency of creamy ice cream.
• You will have about 3 servings and you must eat it immediately because it melts fast! Oh, what a treat. (In a pinch you can use sweetened condensed milk in place of the cream and sugar. We always kept a can around just in case it snowed).
• If you are caught unprepared, you can use tinned Eagle Brand Sweetened Milk. it is quite tasty.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 95mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1535IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 0.3mg

At Big Mill Bed and Breakfast when it snows, we feed the birds, make snow cream, take photos of everything and play in the snow.

Sledding at Big Mill in the fifties

Above: a photo at Big Mill from years ago of Chloe Ann (left), that’s me and Chloe, Sr. on the right – my mother. Same yard, same outbuildings. We thought this was a big hill. Santa brought Nephew Barney and me these strange things called snowflakes. They were round, fast and steering them was impossible. But they were fun.

Be sure to check the December 2012 story by Scott Simon of Weekend Edition from NPR about my snow cream. Now it is famous!

   Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

Jockey’s Ridge isn’t just for climbing – it’s also one of the best places to try hang gliding. Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching folks to fly there since 1974. And yes, anyone can do it.

You start with Ground School, move on to a tethered flight, and then – if you’re feeling brave – you get to soar solo. It’s thrilling, a little wild, and absolutely unforgettable.

When you’re staying at Big Mill B&B Extended Stay, hang gliding at Jockey’s Ridge makes for a pretty unforgettable day – 94 miles from our front porch to the launch site – but the views, the thrill, and the bragging rights? Worth every mile.

Big Mill B&B Extended Stay to Jockey’s Ridge Hang Gliding School, 94 miles

To arrange Hang Gliding lessons and experience the freedom of flight over North Carolina’s sand dunes, contact Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding School, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nags Head, NC (252) 441-2426 

Big Mill B&B Extended Stay 252-792-8787

Quiet rentals for traveling nurses & professionals in eastern North Carolina

Looking for extended stay lodging in Eastern North Carolina? Big Mill Extended Stay offers quiet, fully furnished rentals ideal for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests relocating to the area. Our accommodations provide comfort, privacy, and Southern hospitality, perfect for short-term and long-term stays. We also have three RV rental spaces.

Vollis Simpson’s Bicycle Whirligig

A whirligig is a charming contraption frequently used as a decorative garden ornament. It spins when the wind blows, with parts that whiz around, creating a delightful visual and often audible spectacle. Whirligigs are a popular folk art created from rustic hand-carved wood to brightly painted metal designs.

Vollis Simpson’s Whirligigs Always Amuse

The town of Wilson, NC, has created a Whirligig Park to honor these whimsical creations of Vollis Simpson. This place is the heart and soul of Simpson’s legacy, a local legend & folk artist who turned scrap metal and worn-out machinery into works of art – his whirligigs. The New York Times referred to Vollis Simpson as “The Junkyard Poet of whirligigs and windmills.”

My dad told me that at one time Wilson was the largest tobacco market in the world. Even little Williamston had six warehouses. When the tobacco market declined, Wilson embraced a new idea –  a park honoring a local man. The Whirligig Park was born.

As you walk in, you’ll see them – a mighty, colorful forest of metal spinners dancing in the breeze, each one rigged up high to catch the light and the wind. Simpson built these pieces from old machine parts, broken fans, old toasters, and whatever scraps he could get his hands on, piecing them together with an eye for imagination and a whole lot of heart.

He originally had these whirligigs on his farm in Lucama, but as the years went by, he was no longer able to look after them. One day I was peeping in the chain link fence that he had around his shop, thinking he couldn’t see me – well, he did see me, and he invited me to come in. ‘so glad I did.

Whirligigs in Vollis Simpson’s Field in Lucama, NC

He asked me if I had heard the urban legend about why he did this art? Legend was that he built it in honor of his daughter who died. Well, he told me, it just wasn’t true.

When you see the whirligigs, you will see the way they shine with reflective tape when the sun hits or how they glow a little magically under the moon. And let me tell you, in the evening light, this place becomes a sight that sticks with you.

Whirligig Repair in Warehouse

You’ll hear the sounds too—a creak here, a whir there—the hum of these giants as they dance with the breeze. Each whirligig has its own tune, like a metal symphony carried on the Carolina wind. It’s more than just folk art; it’s a whole experience that brings folks together. And if you close your eyes, it’s almost like you can feel Simpson’s spirit in the air – a craftsman who didn’t follow the rule book, but poured himself into each piece.

Restoration of the Whirligigs

So, don’t wait until you happen to be in Wilson – just go to this whirling patch of wonder and color. Snap a few photos, breathe in that Carolina air, and let the whirligigs work their charm. And don’t forget to visit the Whirligig Station, a converted tobacco warehouse that now serves as a visitor center and event space.  And sometimes they are repainting and repairing the whirligigs, so you get to see them close-up.

Vollis Simpson, The Junkyard Poet, in his Shop

BTW – I bought a whirligig that I couldn’t really afford, but I am so glad I did. I bought the helicopter that Vollis Simpson is signing.

You’re not just seeing some sculptures; you’re stepping into the story of a man who saw the beauty in the worn-out and the cast-off. Whirligig Park is a reminder that sometimes the most dazzling things come from the humblest beginnings.

Located at 301 Goldsboro Street South, Wilson, NC, the park is open daily and free to the public.

A  great day-trip from:
Big Mill B&B Extended Stay in Williamston, NC  55 miles
     Raleigh, NC – 49 miles
     Greenville, NC – 36 miles
     Outer Banks – 172 miles

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 

Quiet rentals for traveling nurses & professionals in eastern North Carolina 252-792-8787

Looking for extended stay lodging in Eastern North Carolina? Big Mill Extended Stay offers quiet, fully furnished rentals ideal for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests relocating to the area. Our accommodations provide comfort, privacy, and Southern hospitality, perfect for short-term and long-term stays. We also have three RV rental spaces.

READER BEWARE: Popcorn had a smart mouth and made some lewd signs depicted in the photos that he sent to me.

He was born Marvin Sutton; folks knew him as Popcorn. The story is that Marvin was in a bar and became agitated with a popcorn vending machine. He attacked the machine with a pool cue. I don’t know who won that fight, but thereafter he was no longer Marvin, he was Popcorn.

Popcorn was a legend – the ultimate Bootlegger and maker of Moonshine likker. I have a bottle he gave me – apricot brandy and it really is good. I am selfish with it and only let folks have a teaspoon to taste.

I never met Popcorn but I know folks who knew him. I never asked why they went all the way to Maggie Valley to see him, but I can guess! I was asked to go and visit – now I wish I had done it, along with other things I should have done.

My mother and father taught me not to waste and to recycle everything. I cannot, in good conscience, throw away a mayonnaise jar. I had collected boxes of Duke’s Mayonnaise jars. When I heard my friend was going to visit Popcorn, I sent my jars along with her to give to Popcorn. He was appreciative and sent me a bottle of Apricot Brandy and these photos. The bottle was dark brown and had POPCORN Apricot Brandy written on it.

Popcorn wrote a book that he sold for a while, but I think the revenuers made him stop selling it. The book was called Me and My Likker and in it, he gave recipes for how to make his brews. The New York Times called it a “rambling, obscene and often hilarious account of his life in the trade.”

PBS and other stations loved Popcorn. There is even a movie about his likker-making called The Last One.

In Sky Sutton’s book, Daddy Moonshine, she says, “Popcorn had a hand-written will and was very specific about what to do when he died — “Haul me on the Back of A Pick up Truck to the Grave yard and get Drunker than Hell while they bury my Ass…I do not want No viewing or Preaching or Singing or nothing when they Bury me.”

The feds finally got Popcorn and he was going to have to spend time in prison. For a mountain man, death was a better alternative. On March, 2009, Popcorn ended his life, rather than go to a federal prison.

Going out like he lived, his epitaph read:  “Marvin Popcorn Sutton / Ex-Moonshiner / October 5, 1946 / March 16, 2009  Popcorn Said f***k you.” I bleeped the last word!

Chloe Tuttle & Ed Gavit at Robbie’s in Islamorada, FL

Popcorn looked like a friend of mine we called Old Mr. Ed. They are both gone now and even though I didn’t know Popcorn, I miss them both. Rest in Peace, you one-of-a-kind characters.

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

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