Mix 'em up

I'm not really much of a 'gotta have some chocolate' kind of guy. I do indulge in the occasional candy bar but that is more than likely because I am stuck at work and can't leave the store because I'm the only manager in the building. That will then involve a quick candy bar just to get something in me. The thicker and nuttier the bar the better under those circumstances. That's where a Snickers comes in handy.

As I rummaged around in the pantry today looking for something different, I came across a box of chocolates left over from the holidays. It was a nice little sampler type box where you lift the lid and, wha' la, they have the type of nougat listed on the lid. Now, this is really handy as I detest the taste of coconut. There's nothing worse than biting into a coconut by mistake. My favorites are the caramels. Then there's the challenge of how do you eat this wonderful mix. Do you eat all your favorite ones first and slowly settle for the others because they are the only ones left? Or, do you start with your favorites and sprinkle in the lesser ones so you still have some of your favorites at the end of the box? Of course you could eat the ones you don't prefer first, but that's just crazy talk!

Many years ago when I was a much younger lad and my family still celebrated Christmas Day in my parents home, there was often a Whitman's Sampler involved in the festivities. One year I purchased a larger box and placed it under the tree without a tag noting its giver. When my family finally got around to opening it they were surprised when nothing they painstakingly sought out seemed to be correct. Little did they know I had secretly opened the box, mixed up all the pieces and had the box shrink wrapped again.

It took them awhile to figure it out but they still remember it to this day. Of course I'm always leery now when I get that as a gift.