These are the Best of (Chocolate) Times

Have you been in the candy aisle lately? In Target or your local drug store? Even the grocery store? Every week I go in, I swear it's gotten bigger. And not just bigger - better! You can get chocolate from all over the world at Walgreen's! How amazing is that?

In Target last week I got a Chocolat Frey (a great Swiss chocolate maker) http://www.chocolatfrey.ch/ bar. This was a Japonais bar, described as "extra fine milk chocolate with hazelnut and crunchy meringue biscuit filling." I have one word for it - YUM! It melts in your mouth and has this cool crunchy crumbles of biscuit in it. Fantastic! I also bought a Pear & Caramel bar, described as "fine milk chocolate with a fruity touch of pear and caramel flavor." I also say "YUM!" And my taste buds are not dead! I can taste the pear!!!! It's perfect - not too much, just right. A very cool bar. And Swiss chocolate is sinfully good. So smooth.

These are fantastic chocolate times! We have everything at our fingertips! Wild gourmet flavors (some of which are horrible - I had some chipotle caramel yesterday that I had to spit out - it was so awful! But sea salt caramel ROCKS!!!), dark chocolate and milk chocolate of all cacao counts, chocolates from single origins all over the world, and on and on. It's really like Wille Wonka everywhere you go. My childhood dreams have come true!!! (Now if I could just get an Oompa Loompa....)

And there are fun options everywhere - Papa John's just released Chocolate Pastry Delights described as four light and flaky pastries, filled with rich chocolate made with Nestlé® Toll House® Chocolate Morsels, then fresh-baked and drizzled with white icing. * Wow - I just really want to try one!

There's chocolate cereal, chocolate yogurt, chocolate rice cakes, chocolate pasta (I'm not saying it's all a good idea, I'm just saying it's out there. And I'm damn happy about it!).

We are living in great chocolate times!! So get out there! Try one of these new crazy bars! You can test new flavors and see what you like. Try crazy combinations - some of which have never been tried before - discover what you really like. Have a tasting party with your friends. There is much fun to be had for a relatively small outlay of cash. Maybe it's because we are seeking comfort in these uncertain times and are turning to chocolate for comfort. Or maybe chocolate is just hip right now. But really, who cares why? Just enjoy it! Celebrate life, have fun, eat chocolate! Viva la chocolat!