chocolate

Life is short and it’s here to be lived

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote by Kate Winslett

When you are fabulous you don’t need to take any dramatic action in January. I honestly believe the month is for snuggling through, lighting candles and being gentle to yourself. The skies are grey and the mood, absent of Christmas twinkle can be heavy. Nobody needs to reinvent themselves, to put on Lycra and pound the pathways at 5am. Unless you are a rabbit then lettuce is also not necessary to consume, it’s out of season and what your body needs is comfort and warmth…in fact now I’ve given it some thought I have a odd feeling that not even rabbits are meant to eat lettuce? Isn’t it bad for them? In which case lettuce is probably catastrophic for you to munch in January.

I did make an incredible New Year’s resolution about seven or eight years ago and I’ve stuck to it ever since. I decided to not purchase items of clothing without pockets. Pockets bring me immense joy and let’s face it, they’re useful. So I’m not anti New Year’s resolutions, in fact in the same spirit as pocket power, I’m planning a similar resolution this year. Something that adds to my existence not makes me cold, sad and inadequate.

I’m not a sweet toothed princess, but I do really enjoy dark chocolate. I often have a piece each evening, a square from a generic supermarket purchase bar…for Christmas Mr Fs parents bought me some perfume and some very posh chocolate. The box was gold and came wrapped in a beautiful gold bow. Tonight the house is empty (the boys are at Rugby training) and I made myself a hot drink, snuggled in front of the fire and remembered the posh chocolate.

As I opened the box it felt indulgent and exciting. The ribbon was too beautiful to be discarded so I placed it in my hair. I then had the best decision to make – which chocolate to select! I went for a dark chocolate with little pieces of coconut on top. I then closed the box and I’m already looking forward to tomorrow evenings choice.

With the ribbon firmly in my hair, I made a decision: this year I will purchase hand made chocolate (locally sourced where possible) and each evening I will have one delightful bite of joy! Why? Because it makes me happy, because everyone needs more ribbons in their ribbon box (it’s true the majority of women have a ribbon box, much like men have little trays of odd pieces of metal and a draw full of cable ties) and I love the romance of ending each day with a little moment of indulgence. This resolution is already exiting me. I’ll absolutely keep to it and it will improve my chocolate experience and support local businesses.

If you are looking to upgrade twenty twenty-five then make sure it is something that will bring you joy and happiness, we can bring back salads in the warmer months and snuggle our way through the colder months. Resolutions are something to stick to, so make sure anything you decide enhances your experience of life.

You’re worth it

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

 Quote from L’Oreal I guess hehe, well slogan? It’s a pretty good slogan to have for yourself – if it’s good enough for Jennifer Aniston, it’s good enough for me.

Okay, so we all have things that we love and we know are naughty to consume, my list would probably mainly be made up of crisps and alcohol. I’ve always been a savoury girl and if there is a bowl of crisps at a BBQ or party it literally calls my name….I cannot leave them alone and I will even eat the crumbs at the bottom until the bowl is crisp free.

I grew up with classic lunch boxes that contained them everyday (it was the 80’s and we didn’t know better) and I ate them frequently until about 2006 when I read an article that said eating a bag of crisps a day was the equivalent to drinking 5 litres of vegetable oil a year…gross! I then had to look at my unhealthy approach to those little savoury delights and I quit – cold turkey, like a drug addict. I didn’t have them in the house until my little boy came along and even now I deliberately buy crisps I’m not a fan of (mainly puffy cheese creations) to avoid the naughtiness, I still adore them and still prey on them at gatherings. I’m now at the point where I buy a ‘treat bag’ every few months, but that’s ok with me.

Chocolate: I don’t love it but I also believe people who don’t like it are not to be trusted.

Like I said before, I’m a savoury girl so I’ll always pick a starter with a meal in a restaurant rather than a dessert but I’m also human and often get a craving for chocolate after my evening meal. (We don’t have desserts at home unless it’s Christmas or some kind of scoffing occasion) and I have recently been inspired by Matilda from the magical talents of Roald Dahl.

There is a section of the book / scene in the play where Miss Honey talks about her mothers special chocolates and how she had ‘just one’ every evening as a treat. Now, if you think you are a scoff the box kinda chick this probably will give you diabetes BUT at the end of term a pupil in year 10 bought me a huge and very generous box of posh choccies. Since I received them I’ve been having JUST ONE most evenings after dinner (they are still going) usually with a cup of tea before bed (I’m so gangsta) and I love it!


It’s usually the only sweet thing I have in the day (except for fruit) and I love the indulgence, it hits my need for some thing sweet and probably most importantly – it makes me feel special. I can’t describe the anguish I felt when Mr Fridge asked for one of my lovely choccies…trying to not be too mean I explained that they weren’t for sharing and that he should never ask again…but I’m not completely heartless, so I gave him one. I think he saw my heart break slightly as he hasn’t asked again since 🙂

So what it all this talk of naughty food about…I guess it’s about me realising that sometimes (crisps) I just have to say no. But that if I do say yes, know they are going to be the poshest crisps I can get my vegetable oil hands on! We don’t always need to indulge, but when we do – go special, you deserve it and also, to keep it special make sure ‘treats’ are things to look forward to.