A game of chance and chocolate.

A few weeks ago I heard that Sesame Street was introducing a new character. Her name is Abby Cadabby and she’s a fairy-in-training. I think she’s darn cute, what with me being fond of fairies and all but apparently, some people think she’s “too girly” and sends the wrong message to youngsters watching the program.

I’d just like to point out that a little girl can still kick your ass in pink fairy wings…she’ll just look cute while doing it.

Meanwhile, I found this little bit of “deep end dining”via Third and Fairfax (who is also The Scent of Green Bananas when at home). And while I am a big fan of trying new foods, trying things you THINK you won’t like, the three girl scout bite rule (did you have that? Because my mom would not let me leave the table without three girl scout bites of whatever it is I was balking at) and weird foods in general, I don’t think I can handle the “bowl of guts.”

But the bowl of guts reminds me, in a strange way, of one of my favorite food games ever. You might know this one, and if you don’t, it makes Christmas gatherings so much more entertaining.

See, I like chocolate, I like it quite a lot, in fact. But I kind of just like dark chocolate and I like it with very few additions. I like it with raisins. I like it with nuts and sometimes with coffee or orange…maybe cranberries…but that’s about it. I actively dislike “filled chocolates.” I am sure there are a few, here and there that don’t offend me but in general…not my thing. My dearest friend is also not terribly fond of the chocolate of the filled variety. My particular least favorite is lemon cream, hers is any sort of jelly.

Now it just so happens that her mother worked for many years in a field where, around holiday time, vendors would send her little gifts. And what kind of little gifts do vendors tend to send you at the holidays? Why, boxes of chocolate, of course! So, it came to pass that one New Year’s Day, we found ourselves at a not terribly exciting holiday party with many boxes of candy. Thus was born what remains to this day, our favorite game of the non-drinking variety (although, come to think of it, this would be an excellent, if somewhat dangerous, drinking game too!).


To play this game all you need is a box of chocolates and a sense of adventure. It also helps if you have a grandmother who doesn’t mind eating discarded chocolates with a bite taken out of them. My friend would look at the chocolate box carefully and (no cheating, don’t use the guide printed on the lid!) point out the candy that she felt was most likely to offend my palette. I would have to take at least one bite of it. Let me just say, she has some deadly aim when searching for the lemon cream. But I am not too shabby with picking out the jellies. You get a point for each nasty chocolate you can force the other person to eat and grandmother gets all the chocolates with a bite taken out of them.

Clearly we are easily amused.