February is a chocolate lover's delight. It's everywhere. And after February 14th, it's still everywhere - but now it's half-off! Yummy and cheap is the best combo ever invented, after chocolate and peanut butter, that is.
I blame my decision to give up chocolate for the month of February on just that combination, chocolate and peanut butter. Namely, Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cups from Trader Joe's, First, they're delicious. Second, they're pretty cheap, even if they never go to half-off. Third, they are in a reasonably sized container that doesn't make one feel like there's too much chocolate in the house.
It's that easy-off lid that becomes the kicker in the behind. With just a flick of the wrist, that ever-so-nimble lid can be easy popped off for a "just one more" moment. You know, that moment that happens about eight to ten times. Before dinner.
My sister visited in January, and being the generous guest that she is, she bought lots of groceries from Trader Joe's. This included lots of the aforementioned peanut butter cups, the ones don't need to ever go on sale because they are already so reasonable. Did I mention the easy to remove lid?
By the end of January I had consumed enough chocolate for an entire season. It was time for drastic measures. I decreed a No Chocolate February!
Now some balanced folks would say that I just needed to put a lid on that overconsumption, that it was high time to show a little moderation. Those are the same folks who find sad, old cartons of ice cream in their freezers, as in they forget they have it and never finish it. I'm not one of those folks.
So come February 1st, I packed up all my chocolate (there wasn't much left) and gave it to my dog sitters. And I began the Month With No Peanut Butter Cups. No chocolate covered anything. Not even that sesame seed treat pictured with the little bit of chocolate drizzled over it. I was strict as strict can be.
So here we are on March 1st. A new month. The rains and winds have stopped. It's sunny outside and the bulbs are emerging. And somehow just having that tiny chocolate-drizzled treat sitting right where I put it in the freezer is good enough. How long does it take to break a bad habit? Some folks say two weeks. I'm not some folks. For me it took twenty-eight long days.
