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Friday, July 31, 2009

sweet comfort food

I love sweet things.

Ice cream with its creamy taste and texture. Best with crunchy chunks of chocolate or nuts…or both.

Chocolate that melts in your mouth. Paired with hazelnut or mint. And none of that waxy cheap chocolate but the kind that leaves you satisfied knowing you have had the very best.

Schmoo torte with delicate cakey layers, fluffy real whipped cream, and sweet caramel sauce drizzled over every square inch.

Chewy chocolate chip cookies right from the oven. Warm and buttery, oozing with melted chocolate.

All these foods provide comfort. An instant feeling of warmth and goodness that seeps through your body. Feelings associated with memories of good friends and special events.

Lately I have indulged in some of these sweet comfort foods. I normally try to stay away from processed sugar but I’ve been feeling entitled to indulge. After a recent dinner out with a friend, she asked if I wanted to go for gelati. It took me about 2 seconds to make up my mind. YES! I told her about a fabulous gelati establishment just down the road and off we went. I so carefully picked my flavor considering this was not a treat I allowed myself very often. After a great deal of difficulty and numerous samples, I settled on mint chocolate. As soon as the first spoonful of gelati hit my mouth my taste buds started to buzz. Yum! It really is amazing how good food heightens the senses when you allow yourself to truly savor and enjoy each bite.

But alas, this feeling of instant gratification quickly dissipates. Each spoonful brings me closer to an empty container. And then the sadness returns. The comfort and “take all the hurt away” kind of feeling offered by good food is only temporary. It does nothing to satisfy the soul and heal the wounds. If only a band-aid and kiss would still work. Then I could run off and play again.

Instead I will continue to search for the answers to the questions contained in my very confused heart. And this process just might need to include another trip or two to the gelati shop…

4 comments:

Sabrina said...

Ummm...cookies.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear that you have found some strategies for even brief relief from your pain. Sounds like gelati is best prescribed prn for the next while!

luna said...

ah yes, sweet comfort. I have a thing for organic mint chocolate (or any good) ice cream and high quality chocolate, slightly melty. can't resist, even if the pleasure is so shortlived.

Deathstar said...

This is how I gained 30 lbs while trying to conceive.