The Love Affair I Just Can’t Quit

Each year, nearly one billion Valentine’s cards, including the homemade variety, are given across America.  And while some people dislike its commercialization, I enjoy Valentine’s Day for its simplicity. The very thought of February 14^th transports me back to elementary school days, carefully cutting out half of a heart along a folded piece of construction paper, and trading chalky multicolored candies with little inscribed messages.

As an adult, I continue to appreciate the holiday because it offers me a chance to creatively celebrate love with my family, but I must admit that I mostly enjoy it because I get to cozy up to one of the its most famous celebrities -  chocolate.

Chocolate doesn’t last long in my presence, but it goes a long way to making me feel insanely happy. I’ll even admit that my love affair has at times verged on extreme. I have attended the famous International Chocolate Festival, and eaten at chocolate restaurants. I have tried lavender chocolate, spicy chocolate and visited chocolate boutiques in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

 

 I always joke that since it comes from a plant, it should be considered a vegetable, and indeed the dark variety does have healthful properties. But from whence did this wondrous substance originate?

My brother visited Ecuador and prepared chocolate from cacao beans. I'm so jealous...

Historically, the Aztecs were one of the first groups of people to appreciate chocolate. And their admiration was also extreme. They used its raw ingredient, cacao beans, not only in a frothy beverage served daily to the king in golden goblets, but also as currency. (These people had it right!) Upon his arrival, Spanish conquistador Cortez was so impressed with the stuff that he brought the beans back to Spain, where sugar and spices were added. Spain kept chocolate a secret, and it was enjoyed exclusively by Spanish nobility for nearly a century before spreading throughout Europe and eventually to America. Yes, my favorite of all confections thankfully lasted the test of time and lived up to its original Greek name which is translated to mean “food of the gods.”

Chocolate pizza at NY's Max Brenner's is an all-time fave.

Store shelves stocked with heart-shaped boxes bring a smile to my face every February. I always know that when Valentine’s Day rolls around, I will at least receive one or two gifts of chocolate from my family, and another three of four from myself, leaving me perfectly happy. Last year my husband even splurged and took me to a chocolate fondue restaurant. In honor of that amazing memory, I developed an affordable confection that is easy and fun to make, and beyond delicious to eat. I hope the following recipe inspires you to enjoy the simple pleasures of chocolate with your family this month. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Becca’s Chocolate Covered Crispy Rice Heart Pops

1 bag of marshmallows
8 ½ cups of crispy rice cereal
¼ cup of butter
1 bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips
Sprinkles or other candy to decorate
Cake pop sticks

Melt the butter in a large pot, add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Add crispy rice cereal and mix well. Spread mixture firmly and evenly on wax paper using the back of a greased spoon and allow to cool. Cut out hearts using a heart-shaped cookie cutter and insert cake pop sticks. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Over a double boiler, stir chocolate pieces constantly until completely melted. Remove hearts from freezer, quickly dip into chocolate and place on wax paper. Freeze for an additional 30 minutes to cool if you can handle waiting. Enjoy!

I always seem to bump into chocolate, even on the streets of NY!

Humor Has It

Have you ever been around small children and can’t understand a thing they are saying, yet their parents can interpret instantly? My kids are growing up- they will all be in school this year- but the younger two still say some adorable things: “Pamingo” for “flamingo,” “menember” for “remember,” “banilla” for “vanilla.”  And I just don’t have the heart to correct them, because I know all too soon their childish language will pass away.

Living purposefully means reminding yourself of what is important, and taking joy in life’s simplest and richest treasures. Kid-speak definitely makes the cut, and my family loves to talk about the funny things they used to say. My teenager, Cameron, has one of the funniest stories involving toddler language, so here it is-  I hope it brightens your week.

I had just picked him up from Pre-K, and I was asking him about his day on the drive home. As usual, I received a one word answer: “Fun!” In an attempt to dig out more details, I asked, “Well, what was your favorite part, and what was the worst part?” He responded with bright eyes, “Swinging was the best!” Then suddenly his countenance changed; “And the worst was when… we hit a girl at recess,” he stated soberly.

               

“You did what?? Cameron, you know that you are not supposed to hit- especially girls!” I exclaimed in shock. He threw his little hands in the air. “Mom, we did it,” he replied emphatically. “That’s even worse” I said, “I don’t care how many people were involved- you never hit a girl!”

                 

Looking in the rear-view mirror, I felt confused. Why couldn’t he understand that his actions were wrong? Why had he given into mob mentality at such a young age? Was the girl injured? My interrogation continued for at least a full ten minutes until he started to cry.

               

“But mom, we hit the girl,” he wailed from his car seat. “You’re not wistening to me, mom, WE did it!” And that’s when the light bulb went off.

When Cameron was 4, he couldn’t say the “l” sound. When he sang “Mary had a little lamb,” it sounded like “Mary had a wittle wamb.” It all made sense now. Lee did it, not we did it. “Oh my goodness- the worst part of your day was seeing Lee hit a girl on the playground?” Cameron shook his head yes. “I’m sorry, sweety, I just didn’t understand you,” I said apologetically, “How about a milkshake to help us both feel better?” He wiped a tear away and nodded an affirmation to my suggestion. “A strawberry one with wots of whipped cream,” he added. 

Photo by: Eliza Adams via Flickr.

                 

One extra-large shake later, and Cameron had recovered. Milkshakes still work to this day to cheer him up. We love to laugh about this story and others when we are together. It makes the younger girls giggle with delight and start thinking about the cute words they used to say. It’s so funny to hear Madelyn, now 6, say, “Back when I was 4,” as if she’s quite the adult now. “I used to say ‘pasketti’ instead of ‘spaghetti’- menember, mom?” she asks. Yep, I menember.

                

Humor can brighten your day quickly, but you have to choose to use it. I hope you have fun thinking back on some of the funny things that happened with your kids, grandkids or siblings this week. Happy reminiscing!

This post was adapted from my column, "The Upside of Downsizing," originally published Aug. 9 in the Ellijay Times-Courier.

               

        

               

The Darndest Things

Because summer days are longer, my three children play outside later and consequently need a “bedtime snack” to tide them over until breakfast. It has become quite a ritual at our house, and it often makes me smile thinking back on having a bedtime snack with my own three brothers as a child. I have found that bedtime snack time is an amazing opportunity to interact with the kids. Everyone is fed, bathed and relaxed, which usually leads to the best conversations of the day. One night near the end of the school year really had me in stitches, so I thought I’d share it with my readers. It went something like this…    

On this night, the snack of choice was one of my personal favorites- a bowl of Reece’s Puffs cereal. As I was pouring the milk for everyone, Miley, who is four, asked, “Mom, can I sleep with my alligator tonight?” “Sure,” I said, “As long as the alligator goes to sleep.” The child does love her animals, and she always sleeps with her stuffed fox and pink “pamingo,” but lately, the alligator had become a favorite. I didn’t exactly understand the appeal, considering the gator was a foot long rubber bath toy, but she had emptied it of water and dried it well. She squealed at my response and hugged her alligator tightly in celebration. 

We LOVE Reese's Puffs!

“Hey mom, guess what,” six-year-old Madelyn piped up about that time. “A boy gave me flowers at school today, so we are going to get married. We’re in love,” she smiled dreamily, cocking her head to the side. Thank God my husband was not around. Her statement was so matter-of-fact that it caught me off guard, and unsure how to handle it, I blurted out, “I think kindergarten is a little young to talk about marriage, Madelyn, and besides, your big brother might not approve of that.” I stared at Cameron, who’s 13, sitting across the table. As our eyes met, and without missing a beat, he interlocked his fingers and stretched them outwards, popping his knuckles. “You are too young for a boyfriend, Madelyn,” he said calmly, punching his fist into his other hand. “I don’t want to hear about this again, or I’ll have to come to your school and break…his crayons.”

I started laughing so hard that it caught on, and we all were howling for several minutes before I was able to regain control. I was about to send the kids off to brush their teeth, when out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something strange. Miley swiftly dropped her hands behind her back, and I immediately asked her what she was hiding. “Oh, nothing, Mom, it’s just my alligator,” she said, holding him up and smiling sheepishly. “Let me see him a little closer,” I demanded.

As she handed him to me, a lone Reece’s Puff fell from his mouth onto the floor. Upon closer inspection, I found that the alligator was positively stuffed full of cereal, and I realized two things: 1) how the mysterious crumbs in her bed got there and 2) why she had become so enamored with that bath toy. “Oh mom, I just love my bedtime snack so much,” she whined. “You’re busted,” I replied as I emptied out the gator of his giant stash of delicious contents.

Miley's alligator :)

I love humor. It lowers stress levels, defangs confrontations, gets people on the same page, and promotes healing. I hope this post inspires you to lighten up this week and seek out some laughter. Happy chuckling!

This post was originally published in the Ellijay Times-Courier Newspaper on April 26, 2012.