RECIPES

Thursday 7 October 2021

Chocolate

 

What is there not to love about chocolate?  I eat it regularly, probably far more regularly than I ought!

What brought it to mind was reading an article about eating Traditional Foods (tied in with your ethnic background), and I began thinking about CHOCOLATE.

When I was growing up, chocolates were a special treat.  They came as individual chocolates with different centres, sitting in a cellophane tray inside a cardboard box with a pretty picture on the lid.

I can remember sniffing those boxes when empty – they still smelt of chocolate!

The only time we ever got to eat one, was when there was an extra special occasion and the box was passed around the room for everyone to take one.  And we only ever got one!


Outside my bedroom window - can you see the snail?


Our lives were not totally devoid of chocolate, however.  We occasionally were given hot chocolate as a drink (cocoa mixed with hot milk), and a couple of times a year we could visit a school fete and purchase a small paper cup containing half a dozen pieces of homemade fudge.

Today, the fudge is harder to find and we can buy chocolate almost anywhere.  Eating chocolate, in all its variety, has become a commonplace thing to do.

I’m not sure when blocks and bars of chocolate appeared on the market, but they have certainly removed from our lives the romanticism of chocolate and the idea that it is only eaten as a special treat.

Maybe it is time I became more “traditional” in my chocolate consumption!  


Templeton (affectionately called Timmy)
snacking on a potato crisp

Our level three lockdown continues here in the Waikato.  With more Covid cases being reported I don’t see us being allowed to return to level two and all it’s relevant freedom any time soon.

It is quite warm here today, but there is a lot of rain around and the sun is well hidden behind the clouds.  A bit dismal, but I have been speaking with friends on the phone this morning and that is always a cheering experience.

Got to love having friends 😊

Margaret.



 

18 comments:

  1. Sorry the lockdown continues. It is the only way to get things u def control again. We’ve had it here a few times.

    Chocolate is my weakness. Its availability now is my downfall.

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  2. I have, just this minute, had an after lunch square of chocolate (92%). Snails are really bad here at present and I have been on early morning snail patrols.

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  3. Groan! Lockdown again! But the news seems reasonably positive - inasmuch as the cases are linked. Let's hope it won't last too long for you. We're in Wellington, and I met a young woman whose mother had come down from Hamilton to look after her grandchildren for the holidays. I suppose she's got to work out how to get back now! I hope you are finding interesting things to do - besides Spring Cleaning, which rapidly palls, in my opinion.

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  4. Chocolate was like you a treat in the old days for me, I went through a phase where i was chocolate mad, these days I've kind of gone off it.

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  5. I remember chocolate being like that - and we kept the boxes for jigsaw puzzles. In fact i think i still have a particularly nice one (that even has a silk ribbon built into the lid), with my grandmothers embroidered linen hankies in it. Crisps used to be a treat like that for us too - usually an interval to break the long car journey to my Grandma's place.

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  6. I remember when chocolates were special too. You were only allowed one. My mother continued that policy right through her life. Probably why she never had a weight problem lol.
    We get given English fudge by our neighbour every year. Omg it is the best ever. I can never stop at one.
    Hope the spread of the virus is stopped and you can get back to normal. We are finally just learning to live with it

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  7. OK, your first words made me laugh already, here is my answer: "It´s sweet".

    Oh, just one and special sounds great. When I see my Nieces these days... the magic is gone.
    And.. HA! I have Drinking Chocolate Powder "Chill Bill" with Chillies here for if my sweet tooth wakes up :-) I hope it will be hot (only 7 C outside, brrr).

    Here at the cash-outs you find all sorts of little pieces of chocolate (a pain for Mums and Dads), liquor and all that. Same in your place?

    Ohhh, sweet Timmy.

    Oh, "Corinna" - every.day.in.the.news.

    Yay for friends, gotta WhatsApp my T :-)

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  8. Friends are so special, especially in times like these. I feel for you back at Level 3.... I have family in Cambridge and Waipa also back in 3.
    Yes, sweets in general were very scarce in my childhood, and chocolate almost unheard of... I have actually 'gone off' chocolate in the past few months, for which my waistline is thankful...
    Stay safe
    Blessings
    Maxine
    P.S. I spotted the snail :)

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  9. It is amazing how many people reach for chocolate from the displays that every store has at the checkout. There's a marketing strategy that really works!

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  10. Love the idea of just having one chocolate as a special occasion. It must have tasted delicious. I try not to eat quite as much as I used to lol! B x

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  11. Oh, I eat too much chocolate, too! Every now and then ine if ny older siblings would get my mom a box of Whitman's assorted chocolates. If course shecshared it with everyone..just like you say. By passing it around and each person got to choose just one.

    And we seldom got ice cream...I don't think we git it even once a month.

    I hate that your lockdown continues and hope you stay safe.

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  12. Since I seem to love all things sweet, chocolate is high on my list of yummy things. I have lost my liking for milk chocolate and prefer the dark...and I tell myself it's actually healthy :)

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  13. You had me at "Chocolate" - if given a choice of any sweet, it would definitely include chocolate. Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Cheesecake, even Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Even though our kids are 17 and 21, I often find the tin I store chocolate chips in shrinking in the number of chips it had...hmmm, how does that happen? While we're not in lockdown, our COVID numbers are rising. Hoping this all resolves quickly. Mary

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  14. Ahhh yes, special treats, have become commonplace. And lots of fun and anticipation has been lost, thus. (Mmmmmmm, showing my age, aren't I?????? -gigggles)

    And with almost allllll special treats, being always available, a lot of the world has put on too much weight, which is never good. I am *guilty*! -sigh-

    But you are in the spring season! With increasing sunlight, china/covid may well be easing again. But, if *The Powers That Be* do not want you to be more free again, they will probably just "fudge" the numbers, which they allow to be broadcast.

    To live in Sweden, Denmark or Norway! Where they have decided to live with china/covid. Take extra care of the elderly and sick. Everyone else go about their lives. Everyone will get it eventually, and get natural protection. Wisdom!

    And India, where they freely use Ivermectin, when they come down with symptoms. And are cured, plus get natural immunity. Mmmm, did you hear that, on your news??????

    Mmmmmmm, can you use Ivermectin, if you get symptoms? Or has it been suppressed, as it is here?

    Courage!!!!
    🍂 🎃 😊 🍁 🌰 🌻 🍂

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    1. Apparently, Ivermectin is only partially available here for use in parasites in small animals, but our medical authority says there has been a noted increase in people trying to import the drug from overseas. If found, it is confiscated.
      We are still being fed lies, the latest about a covid-positive person who is classed as "uncooperative with officials." The government said last night they know nothing further, but it is being shown this morning that they know a lot, and have know for a few days now. So many lies, so much conflicting information, so many abrupt changes in procedure (eg, 3 weeks between jabs, then 6 weeks, now back to 3 weeks).
      The Press, meanwhile, are totally ignoring all the legislation that is currently being passed into law without any public consultation whatsoever. Not very democratic at all, and makes one wonder where our country is heading.
      We all need that courage! :) xx

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  15. I love chocolate, it does not love me. I get terribly constipated if I eat too much! Horrible side effect, enough to make me very wary of eating chocolate I can assure you! TMI? lol Rats... ikkkkk. I know you don't have any choice but to live with them, but still ikkkkkk! *smiles* Bloody Covid has put paid to my shopping addiction... how sad.

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  16. This morning I was searching for a shoe box or a chocolate box for a craft project and couldn't find either. I must have thrown out my collection when I moved last year. I do try to resist temptation when it comes to chocolate as I really am over-fond of it. I have yet to introduce home made fudge to my g-g-daughter but someone is bound to tell her about it before much longer. Your hanging flower basket is very pretty!

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  17. We like chocolate too and usually have a piece after supper:)

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Thank-you for visiting my blog. I love it when you leave a comment so please feel free to have your say. Have a great day! Margaret xx