Hiding the Mallomars

No, it's not some euphemism for a bizarre sex act; I'm really talking about hiding Mallomars.

If for some crazy reason you don't not know what Mallomars are...well shame on you.  They have their own Facebook page (although it hasn't been updated since the cookie's 100th anniversary back in 2014).  In a nutshell (and according to Google): "A Mallomar is a graham-style cookie base topped with marshmallow and coated in chocolate.”  More importantly, they are incredibly delicious and are a "seasonal" item; they are only available from September to March.

Two complaints from me:  there aren't that many in a box and they are a bit pricey (at least when comparing them to other commercially boxed cookies.)

However, when Mallomar season starts (which means NOW), grocery stores tend to have a sale on them.  (At least the stores that I frequent.)  So during the first week of the season, I'm out there buying more than my share of Mallomars because while I'm willing to pay $4 for 2 boxes (or even better $3 for 2 with a digital coupon), I'm not about to shell out $4 or more for a single box.  (Well, maybe if I was having some kind of psychotic meltdown I would, but...)  

Suffice to say, I've been to two grocery stores this week and purchased 4 boxes at each.  This leaves me with 8 boxes of Mallomars.  Mallomars that need to be savored and not just gobbled down.  These boxes need to last for a while.  But I have a problem...I have a teen son.  And said teen son can go through a box of cookies faster than you can say Mallomar.

Let me just say that I have no problem with my son eating cookies.  Actually I have no problem with my son eating just about anything.  Except for the fact that he'll open one box of cookies, eat a few and then leave it before opening another.  This is the reason I currently have original Chips Ahoy and  Oreo Chocolate Marshmallow cookies open.  There was also a box (bag?) Chips Ahoy Chewy hidden in the back of the pantry (I think there were actually there were two) which went missing.  (Until I opened the kitchen garbage can and found the empty container.  (This is a step up from when I went into the freezer to see how many lemon Italian ices there were left in the box only to find that there was an empty box taking up precious freezer space.)  I'll be honest, the reason I was looking is because I wanted a Chips Ahoy Chewy.  (They seem to be a favorite between my son and I which begs the question, why did I buy the original in the first place?)

So...when I came home yesterday with 4 boxes of Mallomars, the question arose as to where I should store them.  I'm not a big fan of freezer cookies; especially when it comes to Mallomars.  Cold just doesn't work with their consistency.  (Plus you know my son would find them way too easily and once again I'd find an empty box taking up premium space.)  My husband suggested I bring them upstairs to our bedroom or the office.  I really do not want to go that route (yet).  I'm not a fan of "hiding" food...at least not outside of the kitchen.

I decided to put one box on the bottom shelf of the pantry (hidden underneath all the other types of cookies that we have), one of the middle shelf of the pantry (behind the various jars that live there) and two still in the plastic grocery bag on the right side of the very top shelf behind the large container of flour.  The reason I kept them in the bag is because I've tried this "trick" before and now I have no Chips Ahoy Chewy cookies.

This morning when I checked the pantry, the box on the middle shelf was sitting there, opened.  There were still plenty of my beloved Mallomars in the box, but my son had opened the wrong end of the box, so there was no proper way to close it.  (I can complain about that, but I can't fault him as I've done the same thing more times than I can count.)

Hubby and I went grocery shopping again early this morning.  (We moved our Friday morning date to this morning because of the holiday.  We hoped that the store would be less crowded and we were right.  Also our son had no school today so I didn't have the pressure of rushing home and getting him to school/chamber choir class.)  I bought more Mallomars.  This time I took 3 boxes, still in a plastic grocery bag and put them on the left side of the top shelf, obscured by some boxes.  Then I took one lone box and put it on the shelf by the sink.  I have a feeling that it will be this box that will actually be the last to go, but only time will tell.

Eight boxes of Mallomars "hidden" in the kitchen.  How long will they last?  How many empty boxes will I find?  Stay tuned for the fascinating answers to these and other inane questions (probably) in a future blog post.