I try to give up something every year for Lent. My friend Jen does this also, and she is really good at it. One year she gave up chocolate, and at almost the end of Lent, I made this really yummy chocolate cake, and she wouldn't even have a taste of it. It actually caused a small bit of tension between us, and I think possibly ended in me vowing to never ever make her chocolate cake again. I'm pretty sure that I have since made her my famous chocolate cake, but you will have to ask her if you really want to know.
I am also fairly good at Lent. For example, last year I gave up shopping. I didn't buy anything, except one pair of pants and a shirt. But, I purchased those at Costco, which is a place where normally you buy food, and I didn't give up grocery shopping, only clothes/shoes, so technically it didn't count against Lent. This year I gave up candy. Anyone who knows me, and you don't even have to know me well, knows that candy is probably my number two favorite food. My favorite would probably be ice, which some people (Natalie) tell me is not actually considered a food, and my ice chewing is actually a sign of a weird disease. I disagree because you can't live without water, which ice is a form of, so having ice as my favorite food could actually save my life.
Giving up candy wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. It could have been harder, but there are a surprising number of things that are not candy! I am providing a list below just in case anyone else needs help giving up candy.
1. Cookies. Definitely not candy. Even if the cookie has candy pieces in it, still not candy.
2. Gum. It usually is minty, not sweet. No nutritional value and has an actual purpose....to freshen your breath....duh.
3. Mints. Any kind. Especially the really yummy mints from the Pub at Trolley Square. Sometimes you have to sneak extra mints when the cashier isn't looking just to make sure you will have fresh breath all day long...and maybe for a few days if you can grab two handfuls.
4. Fudge. Fudge is a baked good, similar to a cookie.
5. Chocolate covered raisins. Raisins are fruit. Fruit is not candy. If you mix the chocolate covered raisins with pretzels and possibly some almonds or peanuts, then it becomes trail mix, which is pretty much health food.
6. Fruit snacks. Especially the fruit smiles from Wal-Mart. The word fruit is in the name. Health food.
7. Graham crackers. With frosting. Just crackers. and frosting. yum.
See, not so bad. But it has been a long 40 days. I have been stocking up on Easter candy, and I've got my Cadbury Mini Eggs ready to go. At 12:01 on Sunday, I will be tearing into my Easter basket. Well, I don't actually have an Easter basket, but I will be tearing into my Smith's plastic grocery bag and eating lots of things that are actually candy.
