There's a special punishment reserved for companies that mark chocolate down after the holidays. Any holidays. Individuals like myself who shouldn't have liberally imbibed in the first place, definately don't need Lindt or Ferrero Rocher calling our names with a bright red 50% off sticker added. If it was just Christmas it wouldn't be so bad, but turn around and the Cadbury's cream eggs will be egging you to purchase (no pun intended.) You might think it's a stretch of the imagination to say they've been my addiction of choice since the age of three, but it's absolutely true. One of my first memories is of my brother's first birthday. It was Easter time and my mother asked if she could use some of my chocolate for the top of the cake. I couldn't believe my ears. It was more than my four year old mind could comprehend. Share my rapidly disappearing chicken and eggs?! I do share now, but it's the frequency with which you see chocolate that is my downfall. Laura Secord, the Rocky Mountain Co., Chelsea Chocolates, there's even Godiva chocolate at Chapters. They're all targeting the true chocolate connoisseur. Even if you're not a connoisseur, you can't go into a Mike's Mart without a deal for a couple of king size bars grabbing you, and you can score some major deals at The Dollar Store.

There's the homemade bake-sales for Retirement Homes; the bazaars at school; the craft extravaganza's. They all have chocolate delicacies to try. There's Girl Guide cookies (chocolate mint is certifiably inhalable,) Skor and Rolo ice-cream. What's a hot Summer without a 10L tub of Rolo ice-cream? There's even chocolate scented soap nowadays. If I wasn't temped to eat myself before using it I might be after.

Terry's chocolate oranges are in a category all by themselves, recent and distant, but this one's distant.... One Christmas my little girl asked for a Terry's chocolate orange. The problem was that everyone was out of them that year. I ended my search at Shoppers Drug Mart, who assured me they had another shipment due. They took my name and telephone number and promised to call as soon as they arrived. On Christmas Eve. I received a phone call from a harried salesclerk who told me I had fifteen minutes to pick up my orange or it would be gone. Thankfully my daughter got her chocolate orange and we both lived to tell the story.

White chocolate is another delicious concoction in its' own right. From the age of four (in case you're wondering how much chocolate I ate growing up - a lot,) Milky Way white chocolate bars were sending me signals. Too often I answered. When I lived in another city that did not carry Cookies and Cream white chocolate bars a few years ago, I would drive half an hour North and back just to purchase some (I had to make it worth my while.....) Milk chocolate and white chocolate are like opposite sides of the same wonderful coin to which I have had a love-hate relationship for 53 years.

I ate Malteezers through Junior School. A wonderful chocolate and cream confection called a 'Walnut Whip' saw me through High School. After I left home I enjoyed diet chocolate, until I realised it shouldn't be eaten in addition to meals. There's been the cheesecake brownie phase; the chocolate orange cheesecake phase; the homemade peanut butter cups phase, and the 'lets bake with cocoa and pretend it's not chocolate' phase. Nutella has had a major place in my life, as has hot chocolate and chocolate fountains.

If I ruled the world we wouldn't trade anything as dull as gold. We'd trade chocolate and be happy. Because, as I always say, there's only two kinds of women in this world: those who love chocolate and those who lie about loving chocolate!