There Is Hope

Pictured above is milk chocolate from Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's in itself is absolutely amazing - the choice of organic or not - where there's delicious food waiting around every turn down an aisle. Since organic isn't in my budget, I've opted for what I know best: anything from processed to watered-down to insecticide-ridden...guess I've become immune to non-organic (fake?) foods. Back to the subject at hand - chocolate. For the past few years, I've realized that chocolate (and ice cream) and I are not too close of friends. For all you chocolate lovers, sounds sad, no? It wasn't until my trip to Ireland last year that I found chocolate that didn't tear me up from the inside. Then, as if I were struck by a bolt of ingenuity, it dawned on me: American chocolate (and ice cream for that matter) is so loaded with artificial flavoring and preservatives, that my body couldn't handle the dairy, cocoa, and the additives all at once. In Ireland, though, they don't fuck around with their goods - au natrual chocolate did the trick for me. So this is where my chocolate binge began - and abruptly ended. Until tonight. While standing in the checkout line at Trader Joe's, I was ogling at all the chocolate that I couldn't allow myself to eat. In the fine print at the bottom of a chocolate package (as pictured above) stated "Imported From Belgium"; no artificial flavors, no preservatives. It was a pack of 3 bars for $1.99, so I figured why not just try it. Needless to say, I felt as if I were living Charlie Bucket's childhood pre-golden ticket. I ripped open the package and took an eensy weensy bite of the first bar. Splendiferous. The (non-American) chocolate practically melted in my mouth. Now I know how those chocolate lovers feel. I've finally found my chocolate delight. I wonder if they sell it in bulk...

By the way, I didn't see the Pound Plus as pictured above. Just added it in as a reference. I'm definitely scoping it out my next Trader Joe's visit, though.