Afternoon Chocolate

It's a cold, windy, end of January Wednesday afternoon.  I have had enough coffee for 3 people, and I still need a little boost to end this day productively.

The answer: Afternoon Chocolate!

Not anything formal, just a nice square (or two) of dark chocolate.  Atkins?  Ha!  This sublime lift to the jaded afternoon palate will power me through till lessons are finished and shop closed up.

This little habit started after Christmas, when at the urging of my husband, I took all the holiday chocolate from the house into the shop.  I hid it.  Yup.  There are people here with REAL chocolate habits, and I didn't want to foster any unhealthy patterns.  Squirrel-like, I have several spots that serve for hiding places.  Surprising in a shop like this just how many little places there are.  Squirrel-like I sometimes forget where I have stashed the chocolate, and then when its found I have to act like I have absolutely no idea how it got there....

Occasionally we will go out for a chocolate bar and share this feast amongst ourselves.  That happened today, and the dark chocolate had candied ginger in it.  The ying/yang was perfect as the wind howls, and the prediction of 2 inches of rain looks like it will come true.

Chocolate as a mood elevator is well documented.  I experienced it with my daughter who, as a little girl of 6 to 10, had a real metabolic need for it.  I could watch her mood darken, and could predict the perfect moment to give it to her to avoid a melt-down.  I kept some in the glove compartment of the car.  Until one hot summer.  Boy was that a mess that was to clean up...

Then, we have the musical parallels.  Colors of chocolate relate to the colors of wooden David Chu headjoints:  the lighter headjoints are like milk chocolate.  The coco-bola are like  Dark milk chocolate.  And finally, grenadilla.  My favorite in head joints.  Dark chocolate-my favorite in chocolate.  I see a pattern here.

So, it is my firm advice to indulge in Afternoon Chocolate when in need of that little lift regardless of the weather, situation, personnel, or mood.  Guaranteed to make your day BETTER!!!