Heavenly Chocolate
I received an email yesterday that once-and-for-all proves chocolate is good for you. Chocolate comes from a bean, making it a legume, and everyone knows your body needs plenty of those. The beans are also full of antioxidants and flavonoids, and those little suckers help prevent heart disease, cancer, and aging. Be still my heart. I’m counting my blessings for I am an admitted chocoholic and have been since I was little. I inherited this weakness from my father. He would bring home a quart of chocolate ice cream, and we would each grab a soup spoon and dig in until the carton was empty. Mom would then roll us into bed.
As a teenager, a hundred years ago, my friends and I liked to hang out at Cook’s Ice Cream Parlor in Provo, whenever we had the money. I always sat by Carol (now my sister-in-law) because she could never finish an entire chocolate sundae. Being a good buddy, I would always finish it for her. She is tall and slim; I am not.
When I married and had a kitchen of my own, I learned to make all kinds of chocolate stuff. I’d bake brownies, cakes, and cookies, and finish off the leftovers while Bob and the kids were at school.
At Christmastime, I learned to make hand-dipped chocolates with cherry, coconut, and fudge centers. Since I needed enough candy to give away, I made huge batches, and I paid myself tithing by eating every tenth piece of chocolate. I learned to make caramel chocolate pretzels, chocolate popcorn balls, and even chocolate dipped potato chips. My kitchen was a chocolate heaven.
A few years ago while the entire family was home for Christmas, we had a chocolate contest. Each family would take their best shot at creating a yummy chocolate project. Our neighbors kindly offered to do the judging. They said it was a tough choice, but liked Dave and Jon’s Black Forest cake with cherries and whipped cream. I personally think they were bribed, because they ate the whole cake and not just one serving.
I’m going to have the chance to be immersed in chocolate, as we are about to embark on a cruise that features a Chocolate Midnight Buffet. Since Bob doesn’t stay up that late, I usually take a big plate and fill it with goodies for the two of us. The next morning we haul our plate up to breakfast and chow down on all that chocolate with a big glass of fat-free milk.
I will try to pace myself on this trip. I will allow myself three chocolate chip pancakes with hot cocoa for breakfast. I will have two chocolate cookies with my chocolate ice cream for lunch, and at dinner I will limit myself to one slice of German Chocolate cake with only one scoop of chocolate ice cream on top.
Before bed, I plan to swipe the chocolate off Bob’s pillow and replace it with a peppermint, and if he doesn’t smell my breath, I’ll probably get away with it. By the time we get home, I’ll be so healthy and youthful from eating all that chocolate, I’ll never need to go to the fitness center again!
By Jean A. Moore