Celebrate World Chocolate Day

Today is World Chocolate Day.  Yum!  Chocolate is so popular that it has at least four other national days and a national week.  (Can you say marketing? Who makes these things up?)

The “Love you” squares were perfect to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

Dark chocolate is my favorite.  I’m talking about 70-85% dark chocolate.  More than that is too bitter for me.  Less than that is too sweet.

The darker the chocolate is, the more bitter it tastes.  A former co-worker used to break off a tiny piece of 90-95% dark chocolate, put it on her tongue, and then sip her black coffee.  I tried it, but it was all too dark–I’m not a black coffee drinker to begin with.  She had definitely acquired a taste for the combination.

Rather than going on a semi-sweet rant about Dark Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate, I’d like to share with you some handmade chocolates from around the world.  It is World Chocolate Day, after all.

It all started when The Husband went to Europe on business.  He took a side trip to Brussels, Belgium, and found the famous Manneken Pis fountain (yep, little boy peeing) on Rue de l’Etuve.  At that intersection are two Belgium chocolate shops across the street from each other: Neuhaus and Leonidas. Both shops have large chocolate imitations of the fountain’s little boy taking care of business (or having a contest with each other? *eyes roll*  I only mention it because you can see them in Google Street View.  LOL).

The Husband brought home a box of Neuhaus chocolates that we shared.  We split each piece and then savored the flavors–one piece per day.  After deciding that we liked the dark chocolates best, we ordered a box of them.  The Husband admitted that he tried the Leonidas chocolates, too.  They were delicious, but he neglected to bring some home.  Grr.

The Koko Black pocket poster..so you know what you’re eating.

Then he went to Melbourne, Australia, and brought home a box of Koko Black chocolates. While the Neuhas chocolates were flavors were the expected traditional pralines, nuts, and ganaches, Koko Black added spices (cinnamon, saffron, and chillies) and created unusual liquor pairings, including a caramel made with a Western Australian microbrewery stout. We savored the selection piece by piece, too.

When I went to Boston (hey, it’s still in the world) with a few of my friends, I saw a Max Brenner shop and restuarant.  There, I picked a box of dark chocolates to bring home to  continue our tradition.

Of the three, the Neuhaus chocolates are my favorites. Since then, I’ve discovered that they have a store and a cafe in not that far away from home.  Can’t wait to go!  Maybe I’ll go today for World Chocolate Day.  Yum.

Do you love chocolate as much as I do?  Would you travel the world or the Web for chocolate or another delicacy?  How will you celebrate World Chocolate Day?

The “Honey Do” Tell #1

In my first post, I made it clear that I’m not a mermaid.  In this post, I’m introducing a series about a certain thing my husband does.  He’s cute and I love him.

A “Honey Do” list includes stuff that needs to get done around the house. (“Honey, do this.  Honey, do that.”)

A tell is the body language or key phrase someone uses that indicates to others that he is up to something.  In poker, a tell will call a player’s bluff or give away her hand.   In football, a quarterback’s body language might “tell” the play he’s going to run and result in a sack.  I don’t play either, but I like to watch to see if I can spot the tells.

Together, the terms create the “Honey Do” tell.  I’m pretty sure everybody has one.

My husband has one.  It’s one word (his nickname for me) and an innocent sounding request.  Listen closely.  Here’s how his “Honey Do” tell starts:

“Di Di?”
Translation:  Diana, where are you?

“Di Di?”
Uh, oh.  Repetition with increased volume is translated this way:  Diana, please assist me.

Are you wondering how I got all that from his calling only my name?  Easy answer.  We’ve been married for 20 years.  I’ve heard it a few times.  It’s also the only time he calls me that.

“Will you unlock the back gate for me, please?”
Translation:  I’m about to mow the lawn.

Digging deeper, I know that he really means:  You are about to help me mow the lawn, so change into mowing clothes.

The yard begging for me not to mow it.

Next week, the teenager who usually mows our lawn will be back from vacation.  I’ll be SO happy, and the yard won’t have so many mohawks.

I thought about my husband’s “Honey Do” tell as my hands got tingly from the vibration and the mower chewed up little, inedible onions from the garden.  The yard smells yummy.  It made me wonder if raw onions might serve as an organic mosquito repellent.

White, yellow, and red onions from our garden. These are edible.

My husband finished the edging and blowing before I finished the mowing, which gave him time to cool me off with a “spritz” from the hose.  Really?  OK, well, it was 100 degrees, so I didn’t mind–until the spritz became a squirt of cold water.  In all honesty, I didn’t mind that either.  It was too flipping hot.  It’s worth repeating that he’s cute.

As soon as I could, I looked up information about using onions to repel mosquitos.  I got mixed results.  Some sites mentioned onions as a possibility but expressed doubt. I found these two sites that suggest that onions might indeed repel the pesky insects:

• How To Repel Mosquitoes Naturally
• Plant Remedies to Repel Mosquitoes

Very nice.  I learned something new in the middle of a honey-do moment and created a possible mosquito deterrent with onion mulch.

“Di Di? Will you keep me company in the garage?”
Oh, no.  Here we go again.  I’ll tell you about this one later.

I have to admit that my first reaction is almost always, “Oh, no, what is he up to now?”  However, I can always look back at the honey-do moment and find something to appreciate.  For Honey Do Tale #1, I learned that onion mulch might repel mosquitos.

Do you have a “Honey Do” tell?  Perhaps your spouse, partner, child, parent, or friend has one.   I’d love to hear your honey-do tales.