Chocolate Covered Anything Day

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By Diane Forrest,

During the holidays you see boxes and boxes of chocolate covered cherries.  As many of you know I love chocolate, however chocolate covered cherries are not one of my favorites.  My husband on the other hand loved them and would be flooded with them during the Christmas season.  My mother somehow confused the fact that he loved the cherries, not me, so one year on my birthday, which is in May, she searched all over to find a box of chocolate covered cherries to surprise me with.  I was indeed surprised when I opened the box, trying to show excitement, and it would have worked, if my husband had not burst out laughing and spilled the beans.

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Today is Chocolate Covered Anything Day.  I can't imagine a better day.  While doing some research I came across these rules, and I have been trying to follow them faithfully.

The Rules of Chocolate:

• If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.
• Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices & strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
• The problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
• Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite, and you'll eat less.
• If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.
• Eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate; it’s a balanced diet as they actually counteract each other.

One of my mother's favorite treats is chocolate covered pretzel’s, and I make them for her every Christmas.  It isn't very hard to do, here is what you need:

• Large soup pot
• 1/2 block of Almond Bark
• 1/2 bag of bow shaped pretzels
• Sprinkles or colored sugar

Place the 1/2 block of chocolate in the pot, and melt on low until melted.  Stir continuously, to prevent burning.  Once melted, pour in the pretzels and stir until coated.  Lay wax paper out, and I use gloves to pick them up and lay on the paper.  For a festive look I sprinkle with red colored sugar or multicolored ball sprinkles.  Allow to harden then store in airtight container.

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