Fonduemental Lessons

Today I got to spend the afternoon with a couple of the sweet ladies in my life. We started with delightful crepes (that's another blog waiting to happen!) and then ventured to my favorite chocolate cafe for some fondue!

(the dippers: pretzels, marshmallows, shortbread, candied mango & biscotti)

I had won this as a prize for answering correctly in Friday Fondue Trivia... and let me tell you, it was worth every second (times a million) that I dedicated to searching wikipedia for the correct answer to "What is the traditional name for a fondue pot?" (fyi, the answer is "caquelon"). Apparently our chocolate selection for our fondue is both rare and delicate in flavor, not to mention a recent discovery. We were basically eating gold.

I love chocolate. Good chocolate. A couple years ago I made a resolution to never again eat mediocre chocolate. When I eat chocolate... I go for the good stuff, and today was no exception. Fondue is not only a sweet indulgence for the taste buds, but it is the most delightful experience for the soul. There is nothing quite like sitting around a pot of warm chocolate with friends!

Upon further reflection, there are a few life lessons I pulled from today's fondue fun... (just replace "fondue" with "life")

*Fondue with friends is way better than fondue alone. Fondue is meant to be shared.
*Sometimes it's okay to be a little messy (let some chocolate drip here and there every now and then) to experience the fullness of joy that comes from fondue. And tying this in with the above lesson... if fondue is a shared experience, it makes the "messes" so much more bearable!
*Various dippers (pretzels, marshmallows, etc) bring out different facets, notes & strengths of the fondue. It's okay to try different pairings and combos with fondue. We eventually get in the groove and figure out what suits our palate best.
*Sometimes we look at fondue and get so overwhelmed, excited and awed. We might feel a mixture of just wanting to drink it all up combined with not even knowing where to begin. But it's best to take it in slowly, bit by bit rather than spoon by spoon. There's a reason why we have little things to dip into it rather than a ladle to gulp it down with. Rushing a fondue experience is no experience at all.

There you have it. A taste of how I learn from everyday experiences... like a fondue day with the girls!