Chocolate Heaven

I die for chocolate...the good dark stuff. I go through periods when I can eat it in "the good form"...real blocks of dark chocolate candy that I dissolve slowly in my mouth savoring every molecule of joy this magnificent stuff brings. I buy the best, Scharffen Berger or Lake Champlain and carefully break off half an ounce every few days.

Chocolate contains a storehouse of antioxodants so tiny quantities of dark (70%) are actually good for you. Tiny is the operative word here. Half an ounce of slow melting ecstasy delivers about 80 calories.

Sometimes cravings kick in though and I have trouble enjoying just one half ounce. The chocolate siren calls and I visit the block several times in a given day. "Chocolate Heaven" is my response to chocolate cravings during periods when I lack control. I get my chocolate full force but without the sugar and fat.

In a blender put 1 tablespoon of unsweetened high quality cocoa (like Ghiradelli or Lake Champlain) for each cup of cold skim milk. Add a sweetener of choice: sugar, stevia, honey, xylitol, or Splenda. I just add a tiny amount for sweetness. Also, you can add ripe frozen banana slices (for sweetness and bulk). Blend until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately.

It really does the trick. I find it satisfies my love of chocolate at 15 calories and 1.5 grams of fat a tablespoon and gives me milk.