Easter candy

The priest at our church said once that for lent you should do something that would be a daily reminder of what the season was about. My huband gives up shaving. (Actually, the first year or two he gave up shaving and had a full beard by Eater; Now he has a full beard within a week, and has to trim it to look presentable for work). I usually gave up chocolate for lent. Yes, I probably have a little bit of chocolate almost every day--either as candy or hot cocoa or a chocolate creamer in coffee (I don't drink much coffee anymore, but I used to).

Easter season is a bad time for me to give up chocolate. First of all, my birthday is usually right in the middle of it, and I *love* a good devil's food cake. Girl Scout cookie season is in the spring around here, which means Thin Mints and Tagalongs. And, worst of all, the stores are filled with chocolate bunnies, Reese's peanut butter eggs and Cadbury Cream Eggs. Those things are the creation of the Devil himself--yummy chocolate with a sugary, frosting-like filling. (Have I mentioned my love of frosting? That's a whole 'nother post...). I would buy a stash of cream eggs to save for Easter morning, and drool over them for 40 days and 40 nights.

The last couple of years I haven't been quite as devout. Two years ago I was pregnant, with nasty morning sickness, and my husband's appetite. For those of you that don't know my husband, that means that all I felt like eating was meat, meat, meat. And french fries. I lost my sweet tooth for the most part (he almost never eat sweets unless we're talking about sodas), and chocolate gave me heartburn. So I didn't give it up, but I wasn't really eating it either. I remember eating a yummy slice of chocolate cake on my birthday, and then losing later that evening :( Last year, I was breastfeeding full time and *starving*, so I didn't give up any food substances. Seriously, I I pumped and nursed the 40+ pounds I had to lose away, while devouring snacks and steaks without restraint. Those were good days :) I had just started being able to add dairy foods back to my diet after giving them up to help my daughter's reflux, and wasn't drinking alcohol or caffeine, so I still felt a little deprived .

This year, I'm just lazy I guess. I didn't give up anything. I've been munching away on chocolate all season. I have the occaisional caffeinated beverage (not many, they give me headaches). I drink wine every now and then. We haven't even been great at church attendence, between illnesses and travelling and just needing a break from the routine.

The one indulgence I haven't partaken of so far is Cadbury Cream Eggs. I bought a 4-pack a couple of weeks ago, and they're waiting patiently in my cupboard. I keep thinking that maybe I'll break one out, but I haven't really had the urge to. I guess it's just not time yet.