Do you like fudge?
I love fudge and last week I made 5 lbs. her. Don’t ask me why so much because I don’t have a good answer. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
My love of fudge has no discernible beginning as I review memories of decades past. It’s one of those low-end cravings that is rarely satisfied due to prohibitive fudge prices in stores.
Why do stores charge so much for this delicacy? It seems to me that they would sell more if the prices were lower, but I shouldn’t complain because my sugar consumption is already too high.
But fudge is more than good to eat, and experiencing an overabundance is truly delicious!
As I write these thoughts, my fudge is in the kitchen, waiting patiently on the counter for me to come and appreciate its beauty. It is wrapped in clear plastic that reveals its dark brown color with occasional flecks of white where walnut pieces peek out from the uneven surface.
After adding chopped walnuts to the recipe, I declare my fudge to be “health food.” And that reminds me of a question I read yesterday that said, “If your grocery store has a section labeled ‘Healthy Foods,’ what does that say about the food in the other sections of the store?”
Nothing will dissuade me from my health food claim as I pop another big chunk of fudge in my waiting mouth.
You may be surprised to learn that fudge goes well with any meal. It complements my morning hot chocolate and is the perfect appetizer for lunch, as well as dessert for a dinner of any kind.
It even competes well with peanuts while watching sports on TV. One minute I have a piece of fudge in hand and another some peanuts.
Talking about peanuts reminds me that some people prefer to make peanut butter fudge.
Let me point out that I eat more peanuts than anyone I know or have ever met, but I can’t get excited about mixing the two flavors. People put peanut butter on various other foods and think it’s great, but for me the traditional peanut butter sandwich or just salty peanuts is preferable.
There are probably hundreds of fudge recipes that contain various other ingredients, but I’ll stick with vanilla and walnuts.
As you read this, I also know what you are thinking. You’re thinking about all the weight I’m gaining. You’re thinking I’m gaining 2-3 pounds a day while overdoing it during the holiday season, and I won’t argue or debate the subject. I’ll just say that some things in life are worth it, and that spring is just around the corner where I’ll be outside sweating and losing weight. I will also say that during my annual physical exam last summer, my doctor told me not to lose weight. He said you were in the right place with the right proportion of body fat, although most of it is in one place.
Old age has its problems and the location of fat is at the top of the list for most of us. I don’t know when that happened, but at some point things started to settle into a place without fanfare or notice, and now it seems like I’m stuck.
When I look at myself in the mirror, I’m a bit horrified, but the feeling quickly dissipates when I walk away and see the fudge waiting for me in the kitchen.