Power of Chocolate

Probably the Only Johnny Depp movie I have ever enjoyed

 

It has been proven through much research that chocolate brownies are the anti-dote to just about any illness, physical or otherwise.  The chocolate has riboflavin which boost the system and generally makes the sick person feel better.

While this most likely be disputed, my daughters and I have tested this out many many times and found it to be true.

One time my oldest daughter (then mid-20s) came by to visit.  We both had miserable colds.  Sick as dogs, as my mother would say. 

We put on Chocolάt, opened a bottle of Champagne/bubbling wine.  Then we baked a large pan of deep chocolate brownies.  While we watched the movie, we drank wine and ate the brownies (not even bothering for them to cool) straight from the pan.

We laughed, we cried, blew noses, and coughed.  We talked about past painful events, apologized, laughed, hugged each other, and fell asleep on the couch.

 

When we awoke, we felt much better.

Brownies always work.

Note: Not everyone can eat brownies for a variety of dietary restrictions.  I hope this post does not offend, and I hope that everyone has a "feel-good" food to eat when sick.

 

Chocolate and Coffee

 

Chocolate: Say the word and watch the heads nod.  Coffee/caffeine: Would you like a cup of coffee? and heads will nod again.

Aroma and taste

 

Why is there such a connection to such appreciation?

Theobromine* is basically in both coffee and chocolate. It has something to do with taming the alkaloids.  Note the two differences in the molecular formula.

Theobromides in Chocolate

 

Chocolate= C7 H8 N4 O2  Caffeine= C8 H10 N4 O2

Chocolate and Caffeine are close cousins, if not siblings.  God created both. Both came from the New World. God meant for man to consume them. Go out now! Buy some. 

Now, for some tea, a gift from the Far East. 

Tea= C10 H12 O5 Ca N2 Na2 2H2O

How to make a perfect cup of English tea

 

I have NO idea what all the above means. Do not believe for one moment all these numbers and elements that I know how to read them. My husband can, but was not interested.

Note for tea drinkers: the molecular formula is much more complicated, as it contains so many variations, with unique and delightful stuff in it. All the variations make no sense to me either.

 

Coffee with Chocolate? Best food ever.

*Go to this site. It is about a 13 year student in England who worked this out.

This is a re-post of 2019. We were back from Switzerland, and ate a fair share of that heavenly food. We ate a lot of chocolate, lots of it.

 

You Forgot an Important Holiday.

 

 

When the doorbell rang, James realized that he was an idiot. He had forgotten a big day.  When Annie has a diamond on her finger, there are certain actions a guy must take:  Buy gift, buy large obnoxious card, search for flowers, find… Oh, he is so dead. 

Throwing on clothes and grabbing his wallet, James flew out to the nearest store, a CVS pharmacy.  List in hand, James checked off each gift. 

Anything wrapped sticky, chocolate covered? Check. Obnoxious glittery card? Check. Flowers? A little shy on that supply. What else? What else?  James’ chest constricted.

This gift had to be something she wouldn’t expect. 

Frustrated James looked around him and giggled. Grabbing a basket, he walked along each aisle, tossing whatever he found into the basket.  Animated teddy bear? Oh yeah.

 Hello kitty plush in a mug?  Yup.

James lost control.  Aisles rolled by a supply of miraculous items he threw into the basket. Water pistols? Heck, yeah. Six pack of Diet Coke? Hello Kitty bath toy? Better believe it.

James was exhausted. At home, he wrapped up the haul with Christmas paper, and finished just in time.  Annie walked in, giggling with delight.  When she got to the Hello Kitty, James sensed the moment passing.  Desperately, James handed her a gift bag.

Annie pulled out a red and pink wood chip wreath (good price, $25). Life was good again. Until next time.

Here’s what Elephant’s Child writes to explain the meme: “Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music, or an image.  What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, or a poem… We can use some or all of the prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.” Writers may post at the word site, and/or at their own blog site. Be sure to tell the world that you wrote something really good.

The Magic of the Oreo

                                                          

The existence of such Oreos

These are not real, thanks be to God.

Over the decades after WW2, there was a burgeoning of fast foods and junk foods. Drive-Thru and fast: No one even needed to leave the car.

That has not changed, not one iota.  More of this and then more of that appears.

On the sugar front, oh boy!  The list is too long to read through, but this one item is high on the list: 

The simple Oreo, at least it used to be simple. 

The Oreo started with 2 chocolate biscuits with a creamy white filling. It was heavenly. We never had them in our childhood, having only homemade cookies (that can be described only as amazing). We then learned about the only way to eat an Oreo was to twist it apart, scrape the cream goodness with top teeth, and eat the biscuit later. 

Here are some newly distributed peculiar Oreos:

                                           

The existence of such Oreos These are not real, thanks God.

Some are real and others could be "are you kidding". Time for a field trip to the store. Heck, serve them at a holiday buffet. Your family will finding this highly amusing.

Beware the danger of....

Famous meat market in Rome. Nutella candies can be purchased at the checkout
seriously. 

Last year 2019--although it seems like a decade ago--we took an old people bus trip to Rome. Had a grand time, and realized how important Nutella is to their economy. 

Walking along ancient streets, we discovered that Nutella in one form or another can be purchased just about everywhere. At the Vatican Official Gifts store, we could have bought Nutella that had been blessed by a priest. Not really, but it had a possibility of being true.

The question is: Who likes Nutella? My granddaughters do, in a major way.

Where are these guys and how can I find them?

It happens.

 Having said this, let it be known that I have an unopened jar of Nutella in my cabinet. It will find its way to their house, very very soon.

Good stuff

Go out and buy some for yourself. Be sure to have a spoon at home on the counter, ready scoop up the food of the gods.

Food of the Gods

Swiss Chocolate

Chocolate: Say the word and watch the heads nod.  Coffee/caffeine: Would you like a cup of coffee? and heads will nod again.

Aroma and taste

Why is there such a connection to such appreciation?

Theobromine* is basically in both coffee and chocolate. It has something to do with taming the alkaloids.  Note the two differences in the molecular formula.

Theobromides in Chocolate

Chocolate= C7 H8 N4 O2  Caffeine= C8 H10 N4 O2

Chocolate and Caffeine are close cousins, if not siblings.  God created both. Both came from the New World. God meant for man to consume them. Go out now! Buy some. 

Now, for some tea, a gift from the Far East. 

Tea= C10 H12 O5 Ca N2 Na2 2H2O

How to make a perfect cup of English tea

I have NO idea what all the above means. Do not believe for one moment all these numbers and elements that I know how to read them. My husband can, but was not interested.

Note for tea drinkers: the molecular formula is much more complicated, as it contains so many variations, with unique and delightful stuff in it. All the variations make no sense to me either.

*Go to this site. It is about a 13 year student in England who worked this out.

Joy of Pumpkins

English pumpkin field

Already stores are setting out Christmas decor.  No more ghosts or witches haunt stores. Halloween night is a few hours away, so best hurry, get the good candy (chocolate for yourself, and Jolly Rogers) before ragged monsters and fairy princesses knock at your door.

But, for little children, there is no bigger joy than sitting on one’s first pumpkin.  And we adults are awed by their smiles. Oh, sure, they like the candy, but sitting on a pumpkin will always be a photo op, a fond memory.

It takes just one pumpkin experience to remind us how marvelous creation is and how utterly awesome is God who created it all.

Sis...let's make some...

Robert Peck, 1951 - 1997

All my life, my family has called me "Sis".  Now that there are only three of us, hearing "Sis" comes less and less frequently. That fact pulls out stories  about a few of those times.

My brother Robert was born January 14, 1951.  Then about eleven months later, I was born on December 4, 1951.  We were inseparable, sometimes enemies and sometimes friends.  But, always always we were ready to be there for the other.  

Robert was able to talk me into cook or bake a treat for him.  How, I don't know.  "Sis...let's make some..."  only he did not do the work. 

He convinced me to make deep-fried onion rings on Sunday afternoon. My hair smelled like onions even when we went to church at night.  Had to shampoo several times to remove that odor.  Then he thought frying up some bologna sounded good and I made that for him.  

But, Robert's favorites were anything sweet.  Again, he would say, "Sis...let's make some..." I would sigh, but there would quickly be some dessert of any type.

Here are some of his favorites, taken from Mom's cook book given to her as a wedding present in 1946. The binding is gone, pages fragile and crumbling. Lots of splatters and wear speak volumes.

God bless Betty Crocker.

She taught many war brides how to cook.

Sis. How I would love to hear Robert say "Sis...let's make some..." again.  I probably would mix up hundreds of batches, just for him.

Love is in the air...

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.  Rejoicing all around!

Please don’t get me wrong—it is a wonderful day and a HUGE money maker in all sorts of ways.  Who doesn’t love Godiva chocolate?  Strawberries dipped in cheaper chocolate?  Triple-the-regular price roses with chocolate?  Champagne with chocolate?  An over-the-top Hallmark card (with chocolate)?

Yes, I am a cynic when it comes to Valentine’s Day.  Maybe it is the twenty years of teaching that crushed the joy within.  In fact, it IS the twenty years of teaching.

Valentine’s Day created pervasive insanity in the classroom.  The day of the traditional “making the individual Valentine’s Day boxes” was the instigator.  The neat stacks of red, pink, white, and lavender construction paper and the Elmer’s glue bottles set off an explosion.  From there it was always hard to contain.

The next day the cards were placed into the personalized boxes, sly smiles exchanged.  The parents brought in obscene amounts of sweets, cards were opened in a flurry, and then BAM! the day was over. 

What will my beloved and I do on Valentine’s Day?  We are going to see Garrison Keillor at Point Loma College.  Tickets cost $45+ each.  That blows the chocolate budget right there.

Here is something for your Valentine's Day pleasure: