Living in Paradise

Chocolate.

I have accepted the fact that my life is pretty much centered around the pursuit of chocolate.

Creamy, delicious, melt-in-your mouth chocolate.

Yes, when it's all said and done, and the chips are down, one fact remains - and that is, I love chocolate.

As a child, I would often fantasize about living with Willy Wonka in his chocolate factory, having total access to the unbelievable chocolate room....I would throw down a sleeping bag and live forever with the Oompa Loompas and the chocolate river and the edible flowers....

Bliss.

Recently, Consumer Reports magazine published their listings of the best chocolate in America, and considering myself a chocolate connoisseur, I was curious to see what their results were.

For cheap chocolate, they listed Russell Stover...which just so happens to be based here in my hometown of Kansas City.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I like cheap...and cheap chocolate is even better...Hubby knows that a box of Russell Stover creams are a sure-way of making me happy...especially the orange creams. Yum.

For the "adventurous", Consumer Reports listed the Christopher Elbow Collection. And guess where Christopher Elbow is based?

Kansas City.

And their number one pick, overall, is Norman Love Chocolates.

Which is based in my home-away-from-home, Ft. Myers.

Hmmm...I live in Kansas City and Ft. Myers - home of two of the best chocolatiers in the country...

...coincidence?

I think not.

It seems I've been living in the "chocolate room" all along, and never knew it. Huh.

Peace.