Chocolate is practically a religious experience for my husband’s family, especially dark chocolate. See’s Dark Nuts & Chews, dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s, and the ever-popular Dove Dark Chocolate Promises. These rich, dark delights elicit the kind of response usually reserved for a romantic getaway.
When my mother-in-law passed away last November, we had to do the usual life-sorting that accompanies death, only this time there was a steady stream of “presents” involved. We found a two pound box of See’s in the china cabinet, two bags of Dove in the pantry and several more packages in the freezer. There were other “goody stash” locations through the rest of the house too and it seemed like chocolate just kept popping up whenever we needed a fix.
Needless to say, I’ve been a little tentative about buying chocolate since that time because:
- We really didn’t need any more
- I was afraid it would make my honey sad
Friday, in anticipation of The Big Dinner, I bought two bags of Dove Dark Chocolate Promises – little 1 ounce foil wrapped squares of chocolate. I’m kind of a minimalist when it comes to sweets. Not because I’m so virtuous, but because too much of it makes me feel ill. So, usually at dessert time, my Honey is outpacing me by a mile.
I unwrapped my first little foil and saw the following words printed on the inside:
The more you praise and celebrate your life,
the more there is in life to celebrate.
Ooooh. I handed it across the table and said, “Check this out! It’s so ‘Life List Club.'” We both agreed that the message was extremely high on the Blog Zen scale.
His next foil said, “Ignite your sense of adventure.” And of course we had to start pulling the old Chinese Fortune Cookie trick and adding “in bed” to the end of every message. We had a great time with that one too. (Remember, there was WINE involved in this dinner. We’d moved to a lovely Zinfandel port by the time we got to the chocolate so most things were funny.)
I had to stop a few foils in but I definitely opened winner chocolate. My second foil said: Take a deep breath & exhale. My third and final said:
Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others
cannot keep it from themselves.
My husband’s next few were:
Stop and enjoy the chocolate aroma AND
Don’t settle for a spark…light a fire instead.
An interesting trend was that all my chocolate messages were extremely high on the Blog Zen scale and his all worked amazing with “in bed” added to the end. Coincidence or no??
27 FOILS LATER….(Yes, really. I counted them on Saturday before writing this post. I told you he loves chocolate.) We decided that there definiely needed to be a post on Chocolate Philosophy. Or two, or three…
What do you think? Do you ever incorporate little everyday things like fortune cookies, trivia napkins and chocolate wrappers into your blogs? What sorts of things inspire you to write a blog post? (The same question goes for what makes you like reading certain posts.)Is your blog writing similar or different to the other kinds of writing you do in your life? Enquiring minds always want to know about these sorts of things here at More Cowbell!
Happy Monday, y’all…
Jenny
Jenny Hansen's Blog 
Love Dove chocolate, although, admittedly, we are very careful about sweets in our house. Prefer natural sugars, like fruits, to processed ones. It’s a health choice. Chocolate, however, is therapeutic and Dove has found a way to extend that to Zen-like mental therapy as well. Kudo’s to them.
Sounds like you and the hubby had a great evening and you were totally right on needing at least two or three blogs on this topic Jen! Enjoy the day 🙂
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LOL, thanks. I don’t eat much chocolate because sweets tend to give me a headache but my hubby and family GO TO TOWN. I’m sure that was obvious from the two dozen chocolate squares. 🙂 And there’s not a diabetic among them. It’s amazing. I definitely think there will be more Chocolate Philosophy coming down the line!
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I write blogs about things I find interesting on particular days. When I couldn’t find anything interesting, I write whatever comes to me. 🙂 I probably need more structure than that. 🙂
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Marilag, that’s about all the structure i have too, with the exception of the Techie Tuesday and Romantic Friday posts. Don’t change if it’s working for you. 🙂
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Chocolate is of major importance. I’ve said before that if I were ever to be a god of something (Love, War, that sort of thing), it would be Chocolate. I have a great taste for it and enjoy baking with it. I’ve never found my “fill point” when it comes to dark chocolate. It has so many healthful qualities that I wish I could find some made with honey or fructose. Keeping my family from financial ruin limits my consumption. The little Dark Doves (a delicious domestic) taste exactly like a particular variety of the more costly Lindt (a wonderful import).
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Wouldn’t it be great if we could get all the dark chocolate health benefits from other foods too? I love baking with chocolate. Thanks for dropping by, Phoenix!
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I love chocolate, too, but diabetes only allows small amounts of sugar-free.
Blogging about Remembrances and Warrior Writer techniques. Will have to become creative for Free Fridays – although I’m still hoping for a guest blog from you, Jenny.
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David,
Gloria Richard forwarded the link to your blog the other day. A post by Jessica R. Patch, ‘Grandmother – Talebearer’.
I wanted to but couldn’t comment on the post, it hit so very close to home. Eerie similarity linking this post of Jenny’s, Jessica’s story, and my own experience with my grandmother. (my comment to Jenny, below)
Scrolling up (Why did I scroll up after posting my comment?) I saw your name, had to say something.
And so the universe speaks again.
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David,
I understand completely – diabetes runs rampant in my family and is non-existent in my husband’s (the chocolate freak posse). I like the Dove’s because I can have just one little square.
I’ll have to go check out your Warrior Writer techniques posts. I love that stuff. 🙂 Guest blog from me, huh? I did not know you were in the market for one! My schedule for that will clear in late Sept so be sure to hit me up then. I’m game.
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The Serotins released in the body due to chocolate intake will always make you happy 🙂
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And isn’t that a gorgeous thing!
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Love chocolate and really love cowbell – so great blog and blog name! I just started working in a music store and every time a customer hits the cowbell, I shout, “More Cowbell!” The young kids take it literally and the manager throws me some serious stinkeye.
My new book revolves around cupcakes, so there’s plenty of chocolate and cowbell in my life at the moment. As for my blogs and books, definitely similar writing style — make ’em laugh while tugging a bit at the heart strings (and incorporate Belgian Beer whenever possible). Thanks, Jenny!
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LOL, Anne! I just had someone give me my first cowbell on Saturday. I’m keeping it on my desk for inspiration. Have you seen the Saturday Night Live skit that gave this blog it’s title?? Hilarious!
Any book that revolves around cupcakes is gonna be fun. You need to run a search on this blog for the Edible Crack frosting recipe and put it on your cupcakes. It is A-MA-ZING!
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I just started my blogging, so time will tell. Today’s post is on sexy spies, which looking at their pictures may be a little like eating chocolate. There’s probably a reason they call it eye candy lol. I’ve also recently started reading lots of different people’s blogs, and I think everyone has such a unique voice. I’m hoping to get that feel for my blog. Yours has been an inspiration. So thanks for that!!!
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Oooooh, Jillian…sexy spies! *swoon* I love sexy spies. 🙂
I agree that reading blogs is so illuminating. It’s amazing to see how fun and witty so many of them are. Thanks for the comment to mine – I like to have a good time. 🙂 Have you also checked out Clay Morgan’s (pop culture and life), K.B. Owen (mysteries and history and fun), Piper Bayard’s (writing, politics, bellydancing) and Kristen Lamb’s blog? Those are so diverse, they’ll likely give you a lot of food for thought.
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I like the ‘chocolate’ philosophy of life. It’s sweet. 🙂
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Lol…thanks, Angela! (You are too. :-))
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Jenny,
Alas, I cannot eat chocolate, but love the post and have had many similar experiences. I so believe that life has a way of giving us messages, and this belief can’t help to wind its way into my writing. Hence my tag line for my short story collection, Storyteller: Tales of life, love and forgiveness that transcend all things, including the grave.
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I believe in that need to be “open to the message” too, Sherry! I am so sorry that chocolate is closed to you. I don’t eat much, but I do enjoy it. I’m gonna have to go download me some “Storyteller”…
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Oh, and so going to add the phrase, ‘in bed’, to future fortune cookies!
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LOL, Sherry. You can’t imagine how much entertainment it gives us. 🙂
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Damn, now I’m craving chocolate 🙂
I love the chocolate philosophy of life! Great post Jenny. Sounds like you and your hubby had a wonderful evening.
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We did have a great evening, Raelyn. He’s a hottie and all, but I really married him because he makes me laugh so hard. 🙂
I guess you’re just gonna have to go eat a bite of chocolate, missy. Or two or three…
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Love this post, Jenny! I remember one Christmas season we were all sitting around with Dove chocolate squares (part of our Advent “appreciation jar” tradition), but these were “Martha Stewart” Dove squares (I kid you not, they were called “Martha Moments”), so there were all kinds of goofy holiday hostess tips on them! Check out this link for an example, and the very strong reaction to it in the comments section: http://marthamoments.blogspot.com/2009/10/martha-teams-with-dove-chocolate.html
Not exactly inspirational. But the dark chocolate peppermint bark Dove squares were delicious!
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That is so funny, Kathy! The extent of my hostess tips are lots of food and drink, mingle, and have enough ice and trash cans. It sounds like I need some Martha! I’m gonna go check out that link. Thanks!
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Jenny
You had me at “chocolate.” Doves are a big weakness of mine. I love the little foil messages, and I don’t listen to them enough. That’s one of the small things in life we should take time to appreciate.
Glad you and your hubby had a great evening:)
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LMAO. Yep, it’s funny stuff that way. Chocolate just makes 90% of the population perk up and take notice. I’m sure you take time to appreciate plenty…most writers are AWESOME at that. 🙂
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Chocolate is like my kryptonite (or my fuel of choice, can’t decide which), but I am currently drooling over the thought of dark chocolate paired with the zinfandel port you listed. Wine + dark chocolate = 1 very happy Jamila. 😀
I’m still searching around for my blogging style, but I’m tentatively embarking on a schedule of themed days (per the wonderful Kristen Lamb, of course) that blends a bit of chat about world-building and writing with historical tidbits from my thesis (since that’s my current obsession). We’ll see where it goes, but it will probably be a pretty random hodgepodge of silliness… and that reflects me fairly well, I’d say. :p
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Jamila,
That sounds great. I always feel like I suck at World Building so I’ll be very interested to see these blogs. My critique partner over at Writers in The Storm (Fae Rowen) is fantastic at World Building and just did a great 2-part series on it: https://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/world-building-part-1-physical-setting/
Let me know what you think. Gene Lempp does a great job of this too.
p.s. Gelfand Vineyards “Sophie” (port) is to die for. It just won a Gold Ribbon at the OC Fair too. 🙂
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Hmnnn…fur. Heat. Ants. Music. Roses (the crunchy ones lately). All sorts of things inspire blogs. Oh and it’s a well known fact (FACT, says I) that Cheetos and M&Ms are brain food. *s*
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God, I love Cheetos! I *could* eat those all day (and thankfully I don’t or I’d be big as three houses). I loved your Ant post. 🙂 I haven’t gotten over there today yet to thank you bunches for today’s mention. Day job and all….
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I’ll confess, I have a soft spot for good chocolate. (OK, I have about 215 pounds of soft spots for good chocolate.) I’m also a sucker for Divination – your chocolate wrappers, Chinese fortune cookies, the inside of the Snickers bar wrapper. Mind you, most of my fortunes on that last one have been “Sorry, this wrapper is not a winner” – but I’m still excited to open it!
My best use of a fortune cookie fortune was the one I taped to the front dashboard of my old car, which said “You are heading in the right direction.” When people asked, I explained that it was an infallible dash-mounted GPS.
I don’t tend to use them for blogging, although now that you mention it, that could be a brilliant idea – I have a collection of fortunes (I used to eat a LOT of take out) that I sometimes use for prognostication, much like a Magic 8 Ball. Perhaps a random drawing can start determining the next Big Ugly rant! I’ll be sure to credit you if it works!
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How fun to see you over here – you know I LOVE your blog, you Manspeak Expert, you. (Diggin’ your GPS system too. :-))
That is very fun – can’t wait to see the resulting posts. They are certain to make me laugh my ass off…
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I loved this post – and I totally believe in the chocloate philosophy. I had no idea that Dove chocloate had special messages inside the wrapping. You know what I’m buying later, don’t you? I may put these on our pillows when we get ready for bed.
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LOL, Tiff! I know what you’re buying later. 🙂
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Yes there is a chocolate philosophy! A piece of dark chocolate starts to ease my mind on first bite. And I also love the messages on the Dove wrappers. 🙂
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Thanks, Barbara…for the comment AND the linky love. Now I’ve got to go scope your “Sharing is Caring…”
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