Written by Today we have a wildly specific national day to celebrate. Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate that’s less sweet than semisweet chocolate. It supposedly has health benefits when consumed in “small quantities,” which, much like wine, means just enough to fill a lab rat and not enough to satisfy a human.
This was my least favorite thing to doodlewash to date and reminded me of an art class assignment I had once. The instructor set up a horribly dull and boring still life of various blocks and told us that we could only use shades of brown. Though an intriguing exercise on the surface, the resulting “masterpieces” looked like someone had defecated on 20 canvases. We ended up dubbing this strangely appalling exercise “The Symphony of Sh*t.”
As for chocolate, I’m more of a dark chocolate fan myself as it pairs well with a glass of wine. When we met, he wanted to get some Reese’s peanut butter cups because they aren’t sold in France. We bought a bag of miniatures and nearly made ourselves sick consuming them all. Not a particularly great thing to do on your first date. We haven’t touched them since.
Another type of chocolate fairly unique to the States are Hershey’s Kisses. These seem harmless enough, but Philippe wouldn’t touch them. He says he tried them once when someone smuggled them into his laboratory in Paris. I asked him what the problem was and he said it was horrible and didn’t taste like real chocolate. One of his French colleagues described the experience by saying, “it was like biting into a fart.”
Every so often when we’re out shopping, Philippe will suddenly get a craving for chocolate. He looks for the highest percentage of cocoa he can find. This is a little much for me. I tried a bite of his over 90% cocoa bar he was so proud to discover and it was a little too strong for my American tastes. Not only did it immediately shatter like glass upon biting into it, it was difficult to swallow down. But I guess that’s why one should always have a glass of wine nearby.
The specificity of this day makes it rather hard to celebrate as dark chocolate is not the same as bittersweet chocolate. It must be bittersweet and must include almonds in order to join in the fun. If you happen to enjoy precisely this and only this recipe, then this is your day. Congratulations! If not, then treat yourself to the chocolate of your choosing, with or without nuts, and enjoy. On a weird chocolate day like this one, I’m sure it’s okay to fudge a little.
I think your doodlewash looks great….nothing like poo poo 😉 I am definitely a dark chocolate fan too. I think we’ve all raided the cabinets as kids to find the box of giant chocolate squares we all thought was a coveted treasure…to realize it was the most disgusting chocolate ever made….could be worse could be Baker’s Chocolate Day LOL
Awww thanks, Nicole! Lol… yeah! It looks like the real thing and delicious though!! Baker’s chocolate is evil. Like vanilla extract… it smells like it would taste amazing out of the bottle! 😊😝hehe
I love chocolate, especially dark and even bittersweet! I’m not a big fan of milk chocolate, though.
The Stmphony of Sh*t!! Lol. Great doodlewash, though!! ❤️
Thanks Kari!! ❤️😃 Dark is definitely my fave! And my mother kept the outcome of the Symphony of Sh*t assignment. It’s still hanging on her wall!! Haha! 😝
LOL! Trader Joe’s makes an amazing Bittersweet chocolate bar with almonds. You might recall a few weeks back hubby received a big bar as a gift and I chopped it up into cookies! 🙂 Your doodlewash is awesome as always buddy! I like looking at it more than you liked drawing it – and eating it! and I’m not fudging! 🙂
Thanks!! I’m glad you like it, Jodi❤️😃…I just wasn’t sure about this one! 😊 Glad you liked it, and yay! You are one of millions…er…. Thousands… okay…. Handful of people who knew about this day, celebrating it!! Yay!! (And I want those cookies!!!! 😳)
“…biting into a fart…” Oy. Nice drawing, however.
I don’t write the news, I just report it! That’s what he said, but I could never quite figure out exactly what the heck it meant. Of course it’s not something I’ve ever done or would know how to do, so that’s likely why. Glad you liked the doodlewash! 😉
Ok, you’re talking to a woman who only has two boxes of dark Raisinettes for my mom in the house insofar as chocolate goes. I am eating the screen!
Ahhh…that’s high praise! I wasn’t sure if it looked chocolaty enough! 😊 Well cool then… and looks like mom might not be getting those Riasinettes now. Lol
Haven’t opened them … and won’t. I’m a Weight Watcher!
Good for you!! 👍🏻I don’t have that kind of discipline or restraint 😊😊
What a great day and sketch. I have one cube of dark chocolate each day. I will celebrate with two tonight!
Thanks Carmel!! 😃💕 Yes…this auspicious day definitely warrants two!! Hehe
That is the most specific day ever! I think your doodlewash is beautiful and makes the bittersweet chocolate with almonds look better than it does. 🙂 I just had some Equal Exchange Dark (55%) Chocolate myself. So, why is bittersweet chocolate not dark chocolate?
Thanks Teresa!! ❤️😃Glad you liked it! I was so tired of all the brown! Lol And I still don’t understand the difference…some to do with the about of cocoa butter or something. It’s all there on Wikipedia to confuse people.
Ah, okay. I will need to look that up. 😀
What scrumptious doodle wash. Right now I’m cooking dinner and I want to get into my chocolate stash. I’ll be strong and wait until after dinner. 🍫😩
Thanks Sharon! 😃❤️ You have a chocolate stash…that’s awesome! We can’t keep chocolate that long in our house. 😊
What a fantastically ‘out there’ day to dream up! You should totally coin a Doodlewash Day and see if it floats. 😉 As per usual, this is good enough to eat, and it’s making me want want want.
I’ve heard unanimously bad things about Hershey’s, though I’ve never sampled it myself; after that description, which tallies with those criticisms in a rather more… pungent… way, I’m not sure I’d like to…!
Haha…. Yeah… that was a pretty graphic description…sorry… just quoting what I hear! I don’t mind them myself. But they’re certainly not a top end chocolate. Hmmm… I don’t think there’s quite enough of us yet for a Doodlewash Day, but who knows come next year! Hehe
It was a bit of a silly suggestion on my part – every day is a doodlewash day, no?
Yes! I guess so! Lol… not sure what would make Doodlewash Day different from any other. Hmmm…going to have to think about that one a bit. 😉
Delicious painting, delicious post and both about a favorite subject…chocolate! Going on a chocolate hunt tomorrow ,(what a great excuse to go to the store lol). Thanks for sharing 💕
Hehe…I love to know that I’m enabling indulgence! 👍🏻😃 Thanks Haunani! 💕
What?! No painting of a 3 layer cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting?! 🎂 hehe! Just teasing you, Charlie! Your Doodlewash looks DELISH! I prefer the dark chocolate with almonds too! ❤️🎨😄
I guess it would have counted for this ridiculous specific day if I added almonds to the cake! Hehe… would have been more fun than all the brown bits. 😊 Thanks though Jill! ❤️😃Glad ya like it!
Are you doing OK?! You don’t seem yourself… or maybe it is just me. I’ve had a tough day, myself. If you’d like to “talk” you can email me at jillwcm@comcast.net
Take good care, my friend! ❤️
Awww..I’m doing fine my sweet friend!! ❤️😃Just a bit tired today. Do I seem different? 😊… I think I did get frustrated while painting today and Philippe was painting next to me and did as well. We had double artist meltdown here…then we just had some wine and moved on! Lol But so sorry you’ve had a rough day… feel free to email me anytime as well friend! 👍🏻😃
Thanks Charlie! I appreciate that! ❤️
Wonderful funny post – loved the stories. And the “Symphony of Sh*t” – wow. It’s great to celebrate the things that *don’t* work, too…they are also part of learning, even if it’s just to learn better what’s not worth doing. Thanks for making me laugh. 🙂
Awww thanks Akire! 😃 So happy I could make ya smile! 😊 And my mother is still celebrating it…she had my Symphony of Sh*t masterpiece on her wall. Lol… I have to admit, that it really was an interesting challenge. But I still don’t want to do it again. 😊
Haha! That’s awesome. Yay for proud moms. Mine put up with a huge painting of an eyeball in her living room for years. Specifically, a Hairy Eyeball, complete with twisted copper “hairs” poking through the canvas. She never said a word, but I think she was relieved when I finally gave it to a friend.
Hahahah!! I want to see this painting, Akire!!!
I don’t think I have any photos anywhere! That was back in the stone age when we had to use real film and buy it with real money. We took photos a lot more sparingly. But whatever you’re seeing in your imagination is probably much better! 🙂
Haha!! I’m personally glad that my teen and college years were all in the pre-YouTube days. 😳😊😊😉
Oh goodness yes – I feel the same way! . 😉
I don’t care what sort of chocolate it is, but I do like dark chocolate (over 70% cocoa) with hazelnuts, my all-time fave. Yum. Whereas I prefer almonds as Scorched Almonds, being dark-ish chocolate covering whole almonds. Yum, again. I’ve had Hershey’s Kisses here, would you believe, and I quite liked them, ‘tho it’s been a while since then and things may have gone downhill. I think you did a great job, Charlie, with doodling the chocolate and nuts! In fact, your post has made me hungry, so I’ve just ordered some take-away (or as you call it, take-out) — chicken schnitzel with fries, fresh lemon and salad, and chocolate mousse for dessert…a great Sunday late lunch!~ *thumbs up
Thanks Janina!! 😃💕 wow… You’re making me hungry with your descriptions!! I want everything on this list please! Especially the chicken schnitzel with fries!! 🍴😋 hehe… that sounds amazing (though it’s only time for breakfast here…hehe)😊
It is very nice, too! I do enjoy a bit of take away on a Sunday.
Fab painting and this ones definitely not a symphony of s**t 😊 I remember my first visit to the States and couldn’t wait to try out all the different candy bars that I’d heard about. I can concur that too many Reece’s make you feel sick and I’m with Philippe on Herseys 😄
Haha!! So happy you don’t think it looks like sh*t! ❤️😃 That’s so funny to get to say! Lol Thanks Tori!! So you got hit by the Reese’s overindulgence too! And yeah… I haven’t met anyone from Europe who likes Hershey’s. Must be for American taste buds only! Hehe
Wonderful, the story and your brown picture! 😉 No, really, I think you did a great job, especially the almonds are pretty!!! And now I go to get me some mint chocolate (it´s the only chocolate in the house today…)!
Hehe! Thanks Ann! Glad you liked my brown doodlewash! ❤️😃 Any chocolate counts …we have none left in the house. Ate it all! 😊lol
Well done!!! ❤️ love chocolate, the darker, the better! And it makes happy, that´s the best!
It does!! Oooo…now you have me craving it again! Lol😊
Despite your distaste, looks good to me! But then I’m starving, time to open the refrigerator and see what’s inside…(K)
Thanks Kerfe!! 💕😃 Hehe… Hope you find something delicious in there! 👍🏻
I did!
Yay! 😃🍴😉
Ok, I spit out my coffee when I read “it’s ok to fudge a little…” too funny Charlie. lovely painting.
Haha…thanks Rachel! Sorry you wasted good coffee though. 😉 Glad you liked this… It wasn’t my favorite thing to paint. I prefer to eat chocolate instead. Lol
Oh yea, me too. Lol over wasting coffee
I was looking for some of your past animal posts but of course my eye was captured when it saw chocolate. Bittersweet isn’t my favorite, but any chocolate is okay in my book! I’d rather eat it with a cup of joe than wine though. But I’d eat it with anything!
hehe! Chocolate is the best!! 😃💕
What a great holiday! Celebrating my favorite chocolate. Subject is hard to paint with any life, but you did a good job.
Thanks! 😃💕 Yeah… this was totally tough to paint!! Glad you liked it!
[…] Though legend has it that this drink was invented in the 50’s, the earliest known appearance in literature was 1971, the year I was born. I don’t think my mother was drinking this at the time of my birth, however, as she never touched alcohol. She would only drink coffee. Lucky for her, it’s also National Cappuccino Day, but I wasn’t quite ready to paint more brown things after yesterday’s post. […]