A Lesson On Chocolate

I think I've mentioned before that I'm a chocolate snob. I didn't used to be. Used to be that anything that claimed to be chocolate was fine by me. Hershey's, Twix, Nestle, Reese's... as long as there was chocolate involved, life was good. Back then, Russel Stover or Whitman's was a big treat. Back then, I hated dark chocolate. How could anyone eat it? It tasted like dirt, it was too bitter. I think I heard once that your tastes change every 7 years or something. My tastes have definitely grown up and I am hoping that don't grow back! *** I'll start with easy to find good chocolate. Lindt Ghirardelli Both are easily available in most retail locations. Both are good quality, and even sometimes really great, chocolate. I prefer Ghirardelli when baking (prefer to generic or Nestle). Currently at my desk, I have Lindt Intense Pear. It's dreamy. Perfect for that combination of sweet, fruity, and chocolatey. Of course, there are also the lesser known brands. The harder to find. Patric This isn't at the top of my list but it is a good chocolate. Thanks to my friend Christy, my desk drawer has a bar of 70% Madagascar Sambirano Valley. Vosges I have a very unique bar that I know many will turn their noses up at (or stick their tongues out at). It sounded very odd- which is why I had to buy it. It was a good gamble because I really love it. Enchanted Mushroom. 66% cacao, reishi mushrooms, walnuts. Sounds weird but it's really good. Umami and all that. Santander This was a real treat to discover. It just sounded interesting and ended up being a favorite. It's all gone now... sad... Looking at the website, there are lots of other things to try from this brand. And something cool about the Santander website... once you click into a product, it shows a graph. I have no clue where the data comes from or even how to specifically read the measurements. But it is still a cool tool to give you an idea of the taste of the product, of the components and texture. And a shout out to Trader Joe's! My favorite chocolate treat are the french truffles. They are only sold during the colder months of the year. They are dreamy. But I've yet to really go wrong with a dark chocolate product from Trader Joe's. ***

Let's learn about dark chocolate, shall we?

Chocolate is made from the cacao pod. Inside the pod are beans. The edible part of the bean is called the nib. Unsweetened chocolate, generally used in baking, is made of pure chocolate nibs with nothing added to it. Dark chocolate adds fat and sugar. The percentage listed on the package tells you the amount of pure cocoa in the product- the remainder is usually cocoa butter and sugar. Dark chocolate also contains no milk product. Unsweetened chocolate tastes yucky. Dark chocolate tastes divine. The purer, the better. *** There are oodles of brands out there that Christy and I have yet to try. Some we've read about and drooled over. But mostly we have a list. As we discover new chocolates, I'll share our thoughts. And if you discover a chocolate that you think is interesting or you try something truly delicious, please share!

What Daddies Do Best

There are lots of things that Daddies do best... this is just one of many!

Aging

The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven't changed in seventy or eighty years. Your body changes, but you don't change at all. And that, of course, causes great confusion. ~Doris Lessing

Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts. ~Martin Buxbaum

Every living creature, every living thing, every one... we all age. From the day we are born, we are thrust onto this fast moving locomotive that takes us on this journey that we can't stop. For some, the journey ends sooner than for others. The rates at which our bodies and faculties deteriorate is different for each of us. Gray hair Aching joints Cataracts Hearing Loss Fatigue Just a few signs of aging that you one day realize are suddenly there. Things that you knew were coming but you hadn't noticed before. Things that happened each day before your eyes but that never "clicked" as being the signs that they are.

Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that happen to a man. ~Leon Trotsky

The approaching of Old Age. It's a joy to reach it, in many ways. A long life. Hopefully satisfying and fulfilling. Hopefully leaving a positive impact on those who surround you. And as we face Old Age, we face the other inevitable. The point when the locomotive, still moving fast even if we are no longer able, stops. Either grinding slowly, brakes squealing and fighting or slamming to a sudden and instant halt.

Age seldom arrives smoothly or quickly. It's more often a succession of jerks. ~Jean Rhys

It's difficult to feel the changes in yourself. It's difficult to witness the changes in a loved one.

I never had a dog growing up. One of the first things I did when I became "independent" was to get a dog. That little black pooch up there. Sassy. She's a toy poodle. She'll be 11 years old this September. I've been her Mama since she was 8 weeks old. She's been by my side through a divorce, a new marriage, a miscarriage, the birth of 2 children, the loss of our other dog (Ginger), and much more. Ginger's passing was very hard on Jeff and I. But I dread Sassy's even more. She doesn't get the time or attention that she used to get, pre-human babies. And I have to admit that I went from being one of "those" dog owners who believes her dog is her baby... to having children and realizing that Sassy is a dog. Not a baby. A spoiled, sweet, patient little dog. She isn't sick or anything. Nothing big going on. Just the eventual end of the ride on that locomotive. She still plays with my kids. She still spins when we first get home. But the little things... her night vision has dropped significantly. Her hearing is starting to miss the little cues. Her eyes are showing signs of cataracts. While still playful, she spends more time sleeping, napping, laying down. Her black fur is turning gray. She's a little stiff in her joints in the morning. A little less sure footed going down steps. But she's still my Sassy. Has been for 11 years and will be for 11,000 more. Always.

Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog. ~Sidney Jeanne Seward

My Alfabet Krew...

Here's a list of all my Peeps who are playing along in the Alphabet Game! The Letter F by Jim and Garret (RVing) The Letter B by Mim (Mim's Muddles) The Letter T by Alix (CASA HICE) And not yet posted... but coming soon... Another Letter F by Amy (Bitchin' Wives Club) The Letter L by Mel (I Got Something More) The Letter I by Michael (Michael Here and There) The Letter J by Joanie (Joanie's Random Ramblings) And adding... The Letter P by KPCL Girl (I'm Better In Writing) The Letter D by The Courteous Chihuahua

That Missing R

The Alphabet Game! Warning- Silliness Ahead!

Lisa at Adventures in Motherhood is playing an alphabet game and I'm playing, too!

I honestly considered being very serious with my answers but... being silly was just too tempting! (And I feel the need to tell you that the pic quality is bad because most of these pictures were taken with my cell phone, here in my office. Yes, I'm uber-productive.)

She assigned me a letter and I have to list 10 things I like that start with the letter...

Reading - I love to read. I can't say that I read everything like I used to. There simply isn't enough time for it. But I do love to get sucked into a good book. Heck, I even enjoy suffering through a not-so-good book! I'm almost done with "New Moon" (second book in the Twilight series) and then plan to tackle "Wicked." I'm generally a fast reader and can tear through a really good book in a couple of days. In my youth, I'd read 2-3 books in a day! Even created a reading nook in my closet- pillows and blankets and a lamp and a stack of books.

Radio (NPR) - I do listen to tunes but I've really gotten hooked on listening to National Public Radio. Wait Wait, Prairie Home Companion, Diane Rehm, Fresh Air... and many more... all shows I love to hear! All shows I learn a lot from or just find myself smiling while listening. I don't get to listen as much as I'd like to anymore. But it is the station I generally turn to when I'm alone. With the kids, we listen to a lot of 70's and 80's music. That's dad's influence. There is a station here that plays old broadcasts from the 80's of America's Top 40 Countdown every Sunday.

Raspberry... Specifically Graeter's Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. This stuff is sent to Cincinnati directly from heaven, I think. It's really that good.

Or maybe I just like blowing raspberries? I know it is one the cutest milestones for my babies... they are way cuter blowing raspberries than I am.

Roses. My favorite flowers are actually gerbera daisies or tulips. But who doesn't love roses, too? I'd be perfectly happy if Jeff swooped into the front door with a bouquet of roses... or had some delivered to my office. Heck, even the edible made-from-fruit kind are good! Running - I never thought I'd be at a point in my life that I could say that I even remotely imagine myself running, let alone actually enjoying it. I don't like it while I'm doing it... but I like it before and after. If that makes any sense. Relaxing - Yeah, this pic was taken at work... feet up on the desk... and that never really happens. But I do enjoy getting even a few minutes of relaxation each day. Honestly, one method of relaxation and centering that I've been enjoying lately is on my Wii Fit, of all things. One of the "balance games" is "Lotus Focus." You sit on the board, don't talk, don't move. The screen is mostly dark, save for a lit candle that emits a ring of light around it, illuminating a hard wood floor. You hear various nature sounds, the floor creaking, a throat clearing. And your job is to sit still on the balance board, good posture, legs crossed. For 3 minutes. I love it. It's 3 minutes that I can claim with no interruptions, no talking, no responding. 3 solid minutes.

Rooibos Tea- I discovered these red teas a couple of years ago and the flavor is dreamy. This Celestial Seasonings Madagascar Vanilla Red is one of my faves for a cup of hot tea! RV'ing - One of my favorite blogs. Not so much for the adventures that Jim and Garret take on but more just to get to know these guys. Jim only shares a story from time to time so most of the perspective comes from Garret. But he's become a great friend. He reads this blog daily, always has a funny comment to share. He has also linked around to other blogs that I follow so I get to enjoy his humor on other blogs as well. And, someday, Jeff and I plan to actually do the RV thing so it's interesting to read about the ins and outs of this kind of travel!

Rapping. Yep, it's true. I love to rap. I walk around the office, throwing down my rhymes. I have no idea if that link will work. I am beyond frustrated with the video taken on my cell phone that I cannot possibly retrieve or get to work in any way, shape, or form. So click it and hopefully you get to see and hear me really make a fool out of myself!! (Edited: We are experiencing technical difficulty. Once we work out our video issues, I will have to do a separate post for my crowning glory!)

Responsibility. An odd thing to claim to like. But it's actually what I love. I became a mom and not only did I learn levels of love, joy, anger, frustration, fear that I had never imagined before, but I discovered the weight and fulfillment of true responsibility.

So I hope I at least made you smile. Or roll your eyes. Or groan. At least I didn't tell pirate jokes (Arrrrrr)...

And if you'd like your own turn at the alphabet game (and please don't feel that you need to be as crazy as me to play), leave a comment letting me know that you want to play and I will pick a letter for you!

A Yummy Dinner

No pictures but I wanted to share the deliciousness that was dinner. And it was insanely easy. 2 flatbreads (Target, Archer Farms brand- I used the Asiago and Parmesan) sauce (we had a jar of red and a jar of white) toppings We made 2 pizzas. One was red sauce (plain old Ragu spaghetti sauce) with pepperoni (placed carefully by Teagan and completely covering the sauce. Drowning in cheese- a mozzerella and parmesan mix. The other was heaven. Christy stayed for dinner and she and I were both head over heels with this one. Alfredo sauce (again, Ragu). Fresh baby spinach. Sliced mushrooms. Oodles of shredded mozz and parm. All that goodness sitting on that Asiago and Parmesan flatbread... Lordy. And the night cap... a glass of sangria wine and some of those from scratch chocolate chip cookies I made last night. Aaaaaaaaaah. (And for those interested, I just put the flatbread on a cookie sheet, loaded on the toppings, baked at 350 for 7 minutes, rotated the cookie sheet, baked another 7 minutes.)