Things are particularly busy around here these days. And frankly, I'm barely holding it together. As I balance what feels like endless demands on my time and brain space I am trying to be particularly conscious of getting some self-care where I can. Whether that means taking a Friday morning off work (to balance out all the late nights and weekends) to do a yoga class (something which has so far been more of a concept than a reality), going to bed at 9 o'clock on the rare days when I have the option, or taking a moment at the end of the day to really enjoy a piece of dark chocolate. That last one has so far been the most regularly practiced indulgence.
I came back to dark chocolate as a semi-regular sweet-tooth indulgence after our trip to Europe last Fall, and continued in earnest with the discovery of Green & Black's Hazelnut and Currant dark chocolate (thanks Annemarie) and then, when Lauren and I visited Texas in the Spring, Alex's introduction of Chocolove's 55% Raspberry Dark Chocolate. I'm what Martin calls a hoarder when it comes to sweets. In particular ones that I adore. And so I have in fact only just finished off my three bars of Chocolove (I stretched them out with a few Green & Black's bars in between), and am now sorely regretting a canceled trip to Seattle where I had planned to restock. To tide me over I finally made a trip to the much lauded Mink Chocolates here in town. I was hoping for a raspberry dark chocolate pairing as it really is my favourite, but it seems hard to find (Green & Black's doesn't make one either) but was out of luck. Instead I got one that sounds so decadent it may in fact send me rushing back to a simple plain chocolate, or perhaps will spoil me forever. Named Mermaid's Choice, it's a 70% cacao, organic dark chocolate bar with burnt caramel, fleur de sel and "a hint of rosemary". Doesn't that sound perfect for savouring?
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. How nutty is that? 
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Mmmmm, I love Green & Black's Hazelnut and Current chocolate bar!
Posted by: Anita | September 16, 2007 at 12:25 PM
Mermaid's Choice is a GREAT choice! I had a friend who doesn't like chocolate (how is that possible???) try it and she loved it. Definitely worth savouring. In the meantime I will keep my eyes open for raspberry & dark chocolate - which seems like such a natural choice that it shouldn't be so hard to find...
Posted by: Annemarie | September 16, 2007 at 02:32 PM
I love, LOVE, the dark chocolate and chrystalized ginger kind. Delish.
Posted by: felicia | September 16, 2007 at 04:46 PM
OH! You chocolate tease you! Dark chocolate and rasberry, yum. I must now go to bruster's Icecream store for a Chocolate rasberry truffle cone. sigh. Too bad I have 2 more hours of work.....
Posted by: Carrie | September 17, 2007 at 12:31 PM
Have you tried Razzle Dazzle by Denman Island Chocolates? It's made with dark chocolate and raspberries from the Fraser Valley. Definitely one of my favorites!
Posted by: sarah h | September 17, 2007 at 05:35 PM
Oh I forgot about the Denman Island chocolate. Yes they do make raspberry! Ok, mental note.
Posted by: Emira | September 18, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Emira, is that a photo of my kitchen?...No, probably not, that's way too clean!
Posted by: Beata | September 21, 2007 at 03:43 PM