See this little box?
I’m not sure exactly how it happened. We were in the supermarket to pick up a few necessities – like milk and bread – and if I remember correctly, we’d even had a conversation on the way about the need to Lose Weight and Get More Exercise.  But when we got to the checkout, Mr Bunbury’s Outrageously Chocolately Brownies had somehow got themselves into the basket and I didn’t have the heart to eject them.
I was captivated by the box. It’s only about three inches by five, but it’s such a nice box. I can even forgive it for being surgical-appliance pink, because the design, the layout, the typography, are all so beautiful. And the words themselves are delightful! You can’t see it in that picture, but on the side it says -
‘Five entirely marvellous brownies, as rich as Croesus and packed to the gunwales with highly superior Madagascan chocolate. Advice: Madagascan chocolate must be treated with respect.’
And, oh! We did respect that Madagascan chocolate! We respected it so much that by the time we got home, that box was completely empty! We didn’t even fight over the fifth brownie, but divided it in half in a very respectful manner. And I made sure not to drop any crumbs, because that would have been just so disrespectful.
Poor old Madagascar is in turmoil right now. I can’t help thinking that it would have been wrong to allow South Korea to turn such a magical place into a breadbasket on top of all the problems of finding oil among those ring-tailed lemurs and tree frogs … but I’m not going to attempt to go into all that. It’s enough for me that they won’t be slashing and burning rainforest to turn it into wheat fields – and that there is a nice little Fair Trade initiative going on there, producing some of the best chocolate in the world. Without, I might add, the murky implications of child slavery.
So. Good for Mr Bunbury and his sincerely delicious, outrageously chocolately, Madagascan brownies! That’s another quote from the box, by the way.  Mr Bunbury has rather a way with words, though he can’t get away from the fact that each one of these tiny confections contains 167 calories, so yes, they are Indulgent. With a capital ‘I’.
It’s going to be a bit of a day for indulgence today. It’s Mothers Day, which is a good opportunity for indulgence, don’t you think? So despite the underlying sadness, and the worries about not getting the conifer trimmed before the birds start nesting, and civil unrest and rainforest destruction, the world recession, weight problems, life, the universe and everything, I’m going to damn well indulge – and I’ll have help.
I received a package in the mail yesterday containing enough Green & Black’s to keep my serotonin levels way above average for a week, although between you and me, it won’t last that long. Now, Son No. 2 is aware of my penchant for fine chocolate, and Green & Black’s is very fine chocolate indeed, and I know he can’t make it down to visit this weekend, so although there is nothing in the package to indentify the sender, I’m pretty sure that he had something to do with it’s timely arrival. I’ll interrogate him later.
And at about half past ten this morning, Son No. 1 will arrive bearing all the ingredients to make me a delicious spinach and ricotta lasagne for Sunday lunch. All I’m doing is providing the salad and something to drink along with it. OH and I are really looking forward to that, I can tell you! Both our sons are capable of producing exellent food, and all I can say to any mothers of young boys who happen to be reading this today, is this:
Go ahead and teach your sons to cook. You’ll be glad you did!
Oh, yeah, and happy Mothers Day!
I thought there might be something wrong with my browser when it seemed as though that pink box was empty – but the explanation swiftly followed. It was empty because the contents had already been despatched! Happy Mother’s Day! You can send your sons round here to cook for ‘Student Dietitian’s Day’ which happens to be next Sunday… no, really, it is!
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Ha ha! I too was looking to see what was inside the box! I thought it strange not to show the contents off proudly.
Sometimes it’s a choice between what’s good for your health and what’s just plain good!
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I can vouch for teaching sons to cook! If only mine would do it without adding that extra ‘secret ingredient’. Happy Mother’s day. . ours is in May!
Hilarious, Jay! All I could think of was how well you’ve been taken by their excellent marketing skills, but as I read on and it was chocolate in addition to Mother’s Day, I shouted to myself, Horrah! Happy Mother’s Day, Jay! It’s your day, and sounds to me, you’re seizing it! Enjoy! Send the leftovers my way, if there are any! Sounds delicious!
)
Petra
p.s. I love Don Juan deMarco. If you’d care, Johnny is one of the contenders in Jack and Jill.
When I find things like that in my shopping basket they are without fail in disguise. I find lettuces that are disguised as bars of 86% cocoa dark chocolate, and carrots pretending to be cream and apple turnovers. I was once forced to purchase a blackcurrant cheesecake, that I knew for a fact would turn out to be low fat cottage cheese once I opened it up. So don’t worry your pink box of Mr Bunbury’s Outrageously Chocolately Brownies, was probably just a pack of tomatoes in mufti!
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Mmmmm, my mouth was watering.
Yes, I taught my kids to cook young. My son took to it so well that I thought at one point he might be headed for culinary school (but he’s a computer geek like his folks). I have given him several cookbooks over the years, encouraging him to get even better. He loves experimenting in the kitchen, and I know that someday, some girl is going to count herself very lucky for having found him.
Tonight he treated us to homemade pizza and steamed broccoli – simple but nutritious and very yummy!
Peace – D
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Wow – they look wonderful! Must keep an eye out for them. Great post Jay and pleased to hear you enjoyed Your Day. A x
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Ooh they look scrummy. And the box is divine – nope, there’s no way I would have walked past that baby in the supermarket! xx
Yummy, I would have bought at least two packages. I am such a piggie when it comes to chocolate. Would have wanted five all to myself, thank you;o))
Lola – When Son No. 1 was at university, I think he took over the kitchen. Not sure he’d want to go back there, though. He cooks for himself, his friends and his family, and I think that’s about all he wants to do!
I’m sure having a young man come and show them kitchen craft would go down well, though!
Babs – I’ve just finished reading a wonderful book called ‘Sex, Drugs and Chocolate’. It’s all about pleasure .. who’d have guessed? LOL! Anyway, yes, the author agrees. A little of what you fancy does you good, and sometimes, worrying about the health implications of what you do for fun spoils things completely.
Baino – That’s funny! LOL! Mine wouldn’t dare .. .they know about my allergies and are very good at checking all the ingredients carefully and making sure it’s all safe for me to eat – there aren’t many people I trust to cook for me, but I’m happy any time my boys want to make me something.
Petra – Sorry, my dear, there will be no left-overs to send! I’m having the last little piece of lasagne for my lunch today. I love it cold.
Granny – ROFL! Oh, that did make me laugh! Wouldn’t it be great the other way round? If you’d thought you’d bought cottage cheese, but it turned out to be a nice, rich chocolate mousse?
And then you’d have to eat it, wouldn’t you? LOL!
River Poet – That sounds great!! I used to love pizza, but now the yeast gives me trouble. I miss them, especially homemade ones. You obviously brought your son up well!
One of mine took to cooking so well that I thought he might want to be a chef but he said no, it didn’t interest him. No point then, is there?
SJ Anne – There were just sooooo nice! Mmmm!
Thanks, Anne – I hope you had a good day, too!
EM – They were scrummy. I will have to avoid ASDA, or I’m sure a box will ‘fall’ into my basket on every trip!
Susan – Hi Susan! Yes, I am too, which is why I didn’t buy two packs! I’d have eaten them all and then regretted it. LOL!
That sounds an awful lot like the way I ended up with all those orchids back in January! LOL. What can you do but appreciate what fate puts into your hands? What a yummy treat-both the chocolate and the lasagna-happy Mother’s Day!
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Well, at least your PM has a nice collection of classic movies, courtesy of the White House gift shop!
That lasagna sounds excellent.
I’m not even going to go into those pithy madagascan brownies, except to say, in what universe are surgical implements pink?
LOL
doubly yummy all of it mentioned Sandy
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MMMMMMMMMMMM! And will you be bringing a box of those to Dewey if you come??? (I know, I know… they wouldn’t make it past the boarding gate!!)
Jay, I am not looking as far as that grub – Yikes, but I love, love, love the packaging on those bix – I would not have been able to resist…
And Green and Black’s – Yum!
I love the i’s too – And I have the same iron, and I wish I had the same housework plaque – I have not had the iron out of the cupboard in more than a year, and I like it like that – As you say, why take dangerous risks, when there are other things to do in life that we enjoy more? Best of luck with the camper van – Sounds like a great idea – Our neighbours have one, and they’re never at home – always getting their money’s worth out of the ‘van on lots of little UK and longer continental trips – Bon Voyage, Jay! x
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Dreamybee – I like your philosophy: ‘what can you do but appreciate what fate puts in your hands?’ LOL!
Jenny – He does? I didn’t know that!
Not surgical implements, but surgical applicances. In this country, things like surgical corsets, wrist braces and hernia trusses etc used to be issued in a particularly hideous shade of pink. :p
Sandy – Yes it was!
Jeannine – No, they wouldn’t .. but I could send you some, perhaps?
Fhina – So glad you agree!
Yes, best to leave the iron in the cupboard, and just get away in the van, huh?
How tragic. Life does seem to bring more understanding that holding on to anger in tragedy will never change a thing.
The couple was lovely couple and I enjoyed seeing a shot of the people you loved so much.
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Meredith -Thank you. Yes, it does no good to hold onto anger, though we can’t help feeling it. They were indeed a lovely couple, and I miss them both. Sadly Mrs A is also gone now.
Oooh, those brownies look yummy. Or at least the empty box gives the impression that they must have looked yummy.
And I too love Green and Black chocolate.
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Jay – you don’t have to send me any… just enjoy another box FOR me, OK??
Glad you had such a nice day. That Mr Bunbury sounds like a jolly decent sot of fellow. The sort one should encourage by buying more of his products.
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