You Better Have Godiva

Awww. How sweet is my little 9 year old making his mommy a card all by himself.

Can you read the post script at the bottom? I know, not easy to read right? I battle him every day not to rush through his school work and homework because rushing makes his handwriting illegible. Ugh boys…Or perhaps a future doctor in the making – one can hope!

Anyway, if you can’t read his chicken scratch, it says, “You better have gotten me Godiva.”

Such a way with words he is…was this a card to profess his love for his mommy or simply an avenue to send a  passive aggressive threat?

Either way, as if I would ever disappoint on a holiday based upon chocolate. Does he not know me by now? Geez.

Of course I got the Godiva. I waited in the crazy long line just so I could hand pick the best truffles.

If that doesn’t make me mother of the year, perhaps this does:

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cocoa Oatmeal

Recipe:

1/2 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

*1 cup water (you can omit the water if you want to use all milk or just mix the two depending upon desired consistency)

*1/4 to 1/2 cup skim milk (or milk of choice) – add more/less milk depending upon desired consistency

1/2 mashed banana

sprinkle of cinnamon

Trader Joe’s Midnight Moo (or other chocolate syrup) – amount varies upon how chocolately you want your oatmeal

Strawberries

*optional – chocolate chips and additional mix ins of choice (I would have added more berries!)

Heat water and some of the milk in a pot on the stove until boiling. Add in oats and mix until almost all of liquid is absorbed. Add in banana, cinnamon and desired amount of chocolate syrup.

Keep mixing and add in more milk. Let stand. Oats will absorb all remaining liquid.

I had some chocolate  covered strawberries on hand so that is what I used this morning as the topping. If you do not have chocolate covered berries in your fridge (and most people don’t), simply melt a handful of chocolate chips in the microwave and dip berries in the melted chocolate.

Place berries on wax paper or aluminum foil until the chocolate hardens.

If you are pressed for time, I am sure anyone would be just as thrilled if you coat strawberries with some of the chocolate syrup and place on top of the oatmeal. 

I know most recipes for chocolate oatmeal call for cocoa powder. I am not a big fan. I am not big on measuring my ingredients and if you don’t get the ratio correct between the cocoa powder and sweetener (be it sugar or a substitute) it just won’t taste yummy.

I am all about yummy.

So why not use chocolate syrup? Especially Midnight Moo from Trader Joe’s?

You could even cook the oatmeal using chocolate milk.

I swear it tasted just like my  Cocoa Pebbles from when I was a kid. Oh how I loved when the pebbles would mush with the milk and leave chocolately milk at the bottom.

Even smelled just like my Cocoa Pebbles. Geez i just loved that cereal back then. It was never filling and left me hungry 30 minutes after I consumed 3 bowls of it but oh how I loved it.

Tonight I am taking my little Valentine to our favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory. Now, most people share a dessert there and can’t finish it. Not us. In fact, we can’t even share a dessert. At all. Ever.

I take my dessert very seriously. I like to order my Mud Pie (the Blackout Cake with mounds of ice cream, whip cream, hot fudge and chocolate chips).

It’s not on the menu anymore but you can still order it! Tell them I sent you.

I like to eat my dessert a certain way and start with the rich fudge icing swirl on top. I have a method and I do not wish to deviate. Or to share.

And it seems I have taught him well on the seriousness of dessert. So well that he feels he has the right to the best parts of my cake but never a bite from anything of his. Ever.

So to keep from arguing, we order separate desserts.

And that is just fine by me. I don’t need anyone’s fork invading my space.

To be honest, I am thrilled to have a child who takes dessert almost as seriously as  do. I am thrilled that he can appreciate a good piece of chocolate and not expect me to buy the run of mill box of chocolate from the seasonal aisle of Target. And I am thrilled to always have a date to accompany me out for dinner and dessert.

Good thing the treadmill and I have been getting along these days. I will need a good run in the morning after this chocolate filled Valentine’s Day.

Hope you are all having a great Valentine’s Day!

What type of chocolate did you eat today? Do you share your desserts?