Like many Lents past, I gave up sweets, cookies, and cakes. I was going to wait until tomorrow morning to start eating sweets again, but I lasted only as long as 6 p.m. tonight because this is when my husband said Lent was over?It must be true because he said so, plus I?ve really been craving sugar. (I should point out that Kay isn?t ?in the church,? as he says.)
So all of my hard earned fasting and torture can now come to an abrupt end; my sugar license has been reinstated.
Well, except for cheating on my birthday in March. When I give up sweets for Lent, I am only allowed cake on my birthday?because my mom said so, so it must be true. And she is Catholic. Must be in that Catholic Mommy memo I haven?t received. Maybe God only sends them to good Catholics. And we all know you can?t be a good Catholic until after 50 or so when you become closer to death and closer to God.
In honor of Lent, here are some interesting facts about alcohol and chocolate sold in Germany?not interesting Lent facts. I consider myself more knowledgeable in food and drink than Lent.??(Alcohol is relevant to Lent because my father-in-law gave up beer? and because I haven?t written about alcohol in awhile.)
Sorry Easter Bunny Jesus, but many thanks for your Easter candy goodness and sales on alcohol. Yes?
Alcohol Sales
So, today new advertisements came out for the week and the first time thing I noticed when I moved to Germany is that they don?t just advertise hard alcohol, but they have sales on hard alcohol.?This isn?t a Lent thing?every week?there are hard alcohol sales.?
Woo-hoo! There is always a brand of vodka on sale.
Sale on Triple Sec. Good excuse for more Cosmos.
And beer sales.
Chocolate
I think we can safely say that chocolate is better in Europe than in the US, right? If you haven?t had European chocolate, you really haven?t lived yet.
Here are my top three choices in Germany.
Milka Bars 
This is an Easter Milka Bar that I haven?t tried before.
Luckily Kay and I have very different tastes in chocolate so there isn?t any arguing over who ate the last bar. He prefers anything with hazelnut and I can?t stand the slightest bit of hazelnut. 
Many chocolates here seem to have hazelnut mixed in (Yuck!). I am grossed out and thankful all at once since it limits my chocolate eating; I just hate when I am surprised though.
Here is the Oreo Milka.
It is limited edition and often times hard to find. Kay will buy them in bulk for me when he sees them. My favorite.
Kinder Eggs 
Germany is probably most famous for their Kinder Eggs. For anyone who loves white chocolate, the Kinder products are right up your alley. They are a mix of milk chocolate with white chocolate underneath; the white chocolate overpowers, in my opinion.
It isn?t so much the chocolate I care for, it?s the fact that there are toys inside the eggs.
I think the children in the US love them because you can?t find them in the US; it?s something completely different. The small Kinder Eggs are banned! BOOooooo!
The toys inside are considered a choking hazard because there are small pieces. 
I say that they are only a choking hazard in the US and not in Germany because obviously there are too many idiots in the US and too many people looking to get rich by suing.
Canada allows Kinder Eggs though. Much like Germany they are obviously smart enough to know that if a child is small enough to still be putting things in the mouth, the child is still too small to open the yellow container to get out the small pieces. 
So if you bring the small Kinder Eggs to the US you are essentially smuggling them. Homeland Security will confiscate them and fine you $300.
Although, I have seen Kinder Eggs at a candy store in New York (Economy Candy). This was back in 2008.?
?But the Kinder Eggs are gigantic, which makes me think that the large ones mustn?t be banned nor are they a choking hazard. Try to swallow the toy from this egg, kids! (Please don?t really try.)
Yes, Mo, that is your hand. (I know, Marlo is in the pic above, but only your hand made the cut. Sorry for that.)
Lindt Balls?
Not to be confused with Alec Baldwin?s?Schweddy Balls (another Saturday Night Live skit).
Lindt has a chocolate museum in Cologne and totally worth a visit if you are in the area and love chocolate. I didn?t even know it was there until a friend from the US came and mentioned she wanted to go.
Tonight?s conversation at home:
I don?t know if it is the language barrier or just the fact that Kay is a male, but my husband usually can?t follow directions and usually just does what he wants anyway.
I sent him an e-mail:
Subject: Lindt Chocolate Balls
Can you buy a really small thing that has Lindt balls? It?s for tonight?s article on the blog. Really.
Email me back so I know you got this:)
Thank you! Love you lots!
***A few minutes later the phone rings***
Kay: So?Lindt Balls?
Me: (I stay silent)
Kay: (Now laughing.) Ok, Lindt Balls. (Chuckles again.)
Me: I was waiting for you to get it.
Kay: Do they have to be in a wrapper?
Me: Do they come any other way? Doesn?t matter, I just need them for a picture.
Kay: What size?
Me: Discussing ball size with my husband. Interesting. I?d say they are about 4 to 5 cm in diameter.
Kay: Like the bouncy balls?
Me: Huh?
Kay: The little rubber balls that bounce.
Me: Yeah.
Kay: Like the size of an egg but round.
Me: I wouldn?t say they were that big, but ok. I know they have them at the Real.
Kay: Ok, it?s Easter time, so they must have them.
So, let?s review for a moment. I asked for an email reply, he must have had questions for calling instead of emailing back. He describes the size of the Lindt balls as a little rubber bouncy ball, I say yes, and then he asks if they are the size of an egg and not accepting my first answer. I say the Real has them (which must mean year-round because I haven?t been to the Real in a few months) and he says they must have them? it?s Easter. Makes me wonder if he listens to what I say. This trait seems to be global and not cultural.
***A few hours later he returns***
Kay: Can you come here?
I always hate that question because for some reason I just don?t get excited about what comes out of the grocery bags. Strange that I love food, yet don?t get excited.
Kay hands me a pack of chocolate. 
Me: Um? How do I politely say these aren?t the ones to which I was referring nor are they balls?
Kay: I bought?Did they fall out?
Kay is frantically searching the bags. I grab the two bags and inspect the bottoms for holes.
Me: At what point did you realize there were holes in the bottom?
Kay goes to the car?a couple seconds later returns with the exact Lindt balls I was hoping for.
Yeah, mission accomplished. We?ve got Lindt balls.?
And Lindt Eggs.?
I can?t bring myself to eat something called Nougat though. Any takers?
jim mora the weeknd echoes of silence gio gonzalez san francisco fire patti labelle the weeknd the weeknd
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