Mumma, Mumma, Mumma!

A head’s up to all my faithful blog readers, which had better include my children; Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9. I want three things this year: an outdoor lounge chair, Bailey’s Irish Cream Truffles from Van Otis Chocolates, and an uninterrupted hour to enjoy hereto mentioned chair and truffles.

The last wish will likely go unnoticed. There are just too many stories that my 12-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter need to share. Thankfully, many of them feed my needy sense of humor. In the spirit of story telling and laughter, here are some of my many memorable mommy moments.

My five-year-old daughter and I planted cherry tomato plants that had sprouted but weren’t turning red. I moved the pots and explained that I thought they needed more sunlight. She asked, “Can we eat them once they get sunburned?”

At age 7, my son was showering and exclaimed, “I’m getting hair, Mumma.” I slowly and hesitantly opened the shower curtain to find my son pulling on his arm hair.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms; may your day include a treat from Van Otis and a smile.

Free [free]

Webster’s Dictionary has 35 entries for the adjective “free”. All of the definitions have positive connotations, and three of those definitions directly reference enjoyment. Personal liberation, inhibition, and lack of self-restraint are all associated terms. To feel this way when making a sugar-free purchase, I turn to Van Otis Chocolates.

With many products, sugar-free equates lack of choice. I try to be a conscientious consumer for the health of my family, but often this means a limited variety in satiating our love of sweets.
Fortunately, Van Otis offers many of their hand-made confections in sugar-free form including their award-winning Swiss Fudge, Cashew Clusters, Coconut Clusters, Almond Butter Crunch, Macadamia Caramel Patties, Cashew Caramel Patties, Almond Bark, Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Butter Toffee, Milk Chocolate Raisin Clusters, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties, Orange Sherbet Creams, Vanilla Butter Creams, Black Raspberry Sherbet Creams, Maple Walnut Creams, Raspberry Jellies, Orange Jellies, Milk Espresso Truffles, Mint Truffles, Meltaways, Peanut Butter Truffles, and many more!

Vitamin DC

Most of us know that vitamin E is good for healthy skin and vitamin D promotes bone health. We also might be able to identify some of the foods possessing high doses of essential vitamins and nutrients, while admitting to our limited daily intake. Today, vitamin supplements are as common as the utensils sidling our plate.

What about vitamin DC or "dark chocolate"?

A study published on March 30, 2010 in the European Heart Journal suggests that small amounts of dark chocolate may dramatically lower a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke. Researchers followed 20,000 people for eight years, questioning their diet and exercise habits.

They found that people who had an average of six grams of dark chocolate per day, or about one square, had a 39% lower risk of heart disease or stroke. It’s believed that the health benefits stem from the flavinoids that are in chocolate. Flavinoids or flavinols are the brightly colored pigments found in fruits and vegetables. These can help decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and increase clarity of blood vessels leading to your heart and brain.


Van Otis offers Cambra Dark Chocolate Bars, Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Cups and Dark Chocolate Caramelized Almonds, which are made with Cambra dark chocolate, containing 72% cocoa content.

Of course, there are many other factors contributing to good heart health including diet and exercise. However, a table setting of fork, spoon, knife, and Cambra Dark Chocolate sounds like a good start to any dietary health improvement plan.