Dark Chocolate

Up until recently, I fought my chocoholism by avoidance. Avoidance of candy aisles in stores, of cubicles with come-hither candy jars at work. When on occasion, I succumbed I could go through half a pound of chocolate fast enough to scare myself. J has watched me transfixed as I've made a gigantic slice of Black Forest cake my dinner. When you abstain from your vice of choice for eight months in a row, such catastrophes are almost inevitable.

I rarely bought lacking both self-control and portion-control that it takes to make a chocolate a harmless indulgence for sensible adults. In fact, my utter helplessness in the face of a full bowl of candy often made me question my general competence as a parent. J will squirrel her supply of Halloween candy to last her for the rest of the year and still have plenty left over.

Then a few months ago, I discovered 90% premium dark chocolate and life has not been the same since. Much smaller portions satisfy my intense craving for a cocoa and I can eye an overflowing bowl of M&Ms at my coworker's cubicle with as much interest I as would her supply of paper clips. This has been an unbelievable transformation.

I have always liked dark chocolate but 90% cocoa is a whole different animal and I am totally loving what it has done for my tense and uncomfortable relationship with candy gratis and otherwise not to mention my wavering confidence in my child rearing abilities.