I know that you have all seen that pithy little saying, "STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS". Do you think that this is a mere coincidence? I think NOT!
From the time we are born, we seek comfort. As a baby and toddler it is often a pacifier, thumb or blanket. Once sweets have been introduced to a child, there is nothing that will satisfy like them. And as a young girl reaches puberty...well, it's CHOCOLATE. And from there out, chocolate remains the favorite "comfort" food that most women go to whenever they have a grueling day at work, school or a relationship problems. OK... Basically, whenever the moon and stars are not perfectly aligned and things are not going as planned; THAT'S when they reach for the CHOCOLATE.
I almost never order dessert because I know that it is the ENEMY; of my hips that is. That is the thing about comfort food. It really DOES comfort you for the moment, but then that feeling of remorse..."What have I done?!"... almost immediately takes over. However, when I do want a dessert, I suggest that Robby and I get one to share and then I hold to my rule to only eat a small portion...and NEVER eat the last bite (this makes me feel a little less guilty...go figure!). But chocolate...now THAT is the true "comfort food" that most women reach for after a tough day or "that time of the month".
When Robby and I were in Miami the last time, we ate at this wonderful restaurant, Houston's. As I was looking for some healthy choice for dinner, I spotted it...the Hot Chocolate Brownie, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and then drizzled with caramel. I made my dinner choice and as the waitress walked away I looked Robby in the eye and said, "And I will be having that brownie for dessert...for us to share, of course." Another thing I love about Robby is that he KNOWS when to just shake his head OK. I could tell he was a little surprised that I wanted that dessert, but it was just CALLING MY NAME! Girls, you know how that is. It also reminded me of another time when my husband was called to go for a "Chocolate Run" for an adolescent girl and he did not bat an eye or even consider saying no.
We were counselors for a church youth camp one year; I was the sponsor for a group of the girls and Robby was one for the boys. It was during free time that evening that a group of the girls decided to head over to where snacks were being served. One girl in particular was on a mission; she said she HAD TO HAVE CHOCOLATE. Well, as fate would have it, we got there just after they had closed up shop. This young girl turned around with a look that was a cross between desperation and determination and emphatically said, "It is "That time of the month" and I HAVE TO HAVE CHOCOLATE!!!" We all just stared at her (knowing her pain...) and then all eyes flew to the face of my husband (who had to keys to the van...and thus the ability to "Get Chocolate"). Robby looked into the eyes of all those females and did the only thing he could do; he pulled out the van keys and said, "Come on...we're going to get chocolate." Well, he made MAJOR brownie points (no pun intended...) that night with woman around the world...OK, the women that were there at the time.
And so, as I made that pronouncement the I would be ordering that "Hot Brownie with Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce", I didn't care about my work-out plan or healthy eating or fitting perfectly into my mother-of-the-bride dress for the wedding...I just knew that I HAD TO HAVE THAT CHOCOLATE! And when it arrived it was SO YUMMY that I made an absolute fool out of myself moaning in pleasure and making obscene facial expressions with each bite that I took. Oh, I adhered to my rules about sharing the dessert with my husband, but I believe that I may have broken the one about allowing him to have the last bite; I believe he thought I was going to raise the bowl to my mouth and start licking the last drops out of it. I'm not sure why women have such an addiction and craving for chocolate to comfort and soothe them. I suppose it really could be that theory I have about it being innate; I could conduct a study to prove it (any volunteers?) Oh well, whatever the reason, I don't know a woman out there who does not LOVE and at times CRAVE chocolate. That hot chocolate brownie thing I had was well worth EVERY sit-up I had to do afterwards!
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