Cocoa and animals

I am big on chocolate, and lately it has become a daily passion. Hot cocoa in particular. When I was little, one of my favorite poems was this one by Christopher Morley:

Animal crackers and cocoa to drink,
That is the finest of suppers I think;
When I'm grown up and can have what I please
I think I shall always insist upon these.
What do YOU choose when you're offered a treat?
When Mother says, "What would you like best to eat?"
Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast?
It's cocoa and animals that I love most!

The kitchen's the cosiest place that I know;
The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow,
And there in the twilight, how jolly to see
The cocoa and animals waiting for me.

Daddy and Mother dine later in state,
With Mary to cook for them, Susan to wait;
But they don't have nearly as much fun as I
Who eat in the kitchen with Nurse standing by;
And Daddy once said, he would like to be me
Having cocoa and animals once more for tea!

I find out that now I'm grown up and can have what I please, cocoa is just what I need every day around 2pm. Sometimes I have it mid-morning as well. Recently I discovered from reading New York magazine that fancy-pants gourmet-type cocoa may be called "drinking chocolate." They have some TASTY reviews of drinking chocolate in the 2/7/07 issue, and also check out another round of reviews done 3 years earlier on 1/12/04. Earlier one also includes a concocting recipe. YUMMM!

I think I've only had drinking chocolate once, at the Burdick's in Walpole, and it almost killed me. It was like mainlining 5 chocolate bars at once. I'm content with just my powdered cocoa in either milk or hot water. And maybe some animals now and then.

Here's the playlist from my Valentine's-a-week-late-because-of-snow show, 2/21/07:

• Here Come the Brides theme
  
• Alone Again Or: Love (live)
  
• You Are What You Love: Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins
  
• Wear Your Love Like Heaven: Donovan
  
• Beautiful: Goldfrapp
  
• Everything About It Is a Love Song: Paul Simon
  
• Do You Feel the Same Way: Bob Marley & the Wailers
  
• Passion Play: Sugarhill Gang
  
• The Perfect Kiss: New Order
  
• Love Will Tear Us Apart: Susanna & the Magical Orchestra
  
• Fidelity: Regina Spektor
  
• Halleluia I Love Her So: Joe Williams
  
• Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe: Barry White
  
• Give Me the Love: The String Cheese Incident
  
• You Do Something to Me: Frank Sinatra