Scrooge and Polluted Chocolate

Ask my children and they will tell you that I am an old Scrooge.  This manifests itself in many ways, but mostly in my constant concern over wasting money.  I nag: use a cloth dishtowel when possible and not paper towels.  Don't use paper napkins as paper towels, wear jeans more than once before you wash them (unless you have been mud wrestling)....little cheappie things, that can add up to money over time. It is  not just the money though, I want them to think about actions, choices and values.  Be aware of what you do and what the consequences are.

Candy is a splurge I indulge.  I do not buy fine chocolates, but I do buy candy, Hershey's Treasures and tiny Dove pieces mostly. I am also a fiend for Russell Stover Coconut Nests (despite their horrible name). My pet peeve is Nutella.  I HATE Nutella; I am Scrooge. Firstly, I do not like it (Sam I Am) and nothing will make me like it.  Add to the fact that it has virtually no nutritional value and costs a small fortune, I am Scrooge about it.  That being said I have spent a small fortune on it, since I do indulge my children, it is cheaper at BJ's and it seems to be addictive (no not literally).  I have seen a two pound jar vanish in less than a week (only two people  in my house eat it).

The company claims it uses twenty five percent of the world's hazelnut crop; one quarter of the whole world supply?  What?  Lastly, okay, the stuff is from Italy, but nooootella?  Please, the first three letters are descriptive: nut.  It is Nut - ella.  If Newt Gingrich owned the company I would call it Newtella;  it tastes like old newt skins to me anyway.  What  a terrible thing to do to chocolate. There's my real peeve eh?  "You got hazelnuts in my chocolate!"

Fortunately the bloom is off the rose, finally.  Peanut butter has won out, as it ought. Peanut butter is American, cheap and nutritious.  I hate it on any food stuff,  but nothing adorns a spoon so well as peanut butter, except perhaps Betty Crocker chocolate icing.  Even Scrooge has her shortcomings in self control.