Ray in New Orleans

But there isn't caffeine in chocolate. It's theobromine, which is different. But everyone thinks it's caffeine, so if you point out that it's not, you'll be accused of Clintonian hair-splitting.

The same wiki reports that chocolate contains *both* caffeine and theobromine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate

My other option would be to do a daddy batch with white chocolate. Sub-optimal, but better than complete self-denial. We usually melt a little white chocolate to use for making designs on the dark chocolate strawberries anyway.

All I know Ray? I want to be one of your kids...you are the coolest dad!

ummm, i know, and you know, that option #1 is not really an option. have a great time making the strawberries... sounds fun! -s

Just give up the strawberries. Keep the chocolate.

Don't forget - Sundays are not days in Lent. As celebrations of the resurrection (at least as I've been taught) Sundays are always feast days, and all Lenten disciplines are off. Of course, I'm Episcopalian, and we're always looking for loopholes :-)

Wow, that IS a loophole. You C-of-E types make great lawyers.

I think I will still try to give it up for the entire season, otherwise by Easter I'll be doing triple espressos all day every Sunday and then detoxing the rest of the week.

And at this point, the strawberry fest might have to wait a week. Liam and Gina are just getting over a bad stomach virus, and it looks like Cassidy has strep. Not a good environment for making lots of food with your hands.

Seems like everyone in Texas is horribly ill. They've even closed schools 'round my parts.

My personal belief is that Texas is being used as a huge testing ground for communicable diseases...

So this guy dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter is showing him to his eternal home. They pass rooms with Muslims boozing it up, and Amish driving fast cars, and Baptists dancing, and Mormons drinking coffee (Peet's, naturally--only the best in heaven), and they're all having a grand old time. The guy's getting really excited: "Wow, heaven's even better than I thought!" Then they get to a room full of people sitting around looking bored out of their skulls. St. Peter says, "Well, here you go." The guy protests: "Hey, what's the deal? How come all those other people were having such a great time and I'm stuck just sitting around?" Pete explains, "Well, heaven is where everyone gets to do what their religion forbade them on earth." "Yeah?" says the guy. "So what?" "So you're Anglican," says St. Peter.

So since I was raised a Catholic, I guess that means I get to spend eternity in the Masturbation Room.

Suuuuuper.

The Masturbation Room? What, you mean my office?

Rachel, that's hilarious.

How many Episcopalians does it take to change a lightbulb?

(Screaming) "MY GRANDMOTHER GAVE THAT LIGHTBULB!"

-or-

Five. One to call the sexton* and four to mix martinis.

*sexton=maintance person/janitor/caretaker

You said Martini. Now I'm salivating.