We have just celebrated the MOST expensive holiday this past week, other than Christmas Day - Valentine’s Day. I am surely troubled that some of us might be rather lean on good nourishing foods after spending our hard-earned money on 
this Sweetheart Day.
The beginnings of chocolate are very interesting to me. Chocolate was discovered by the Mayans as early as 900 A.D. They learned to grow trees and that the pods could be harvested and made into a liquid that would become a treat, bitter water. South Africa now supplies nearly two-thirds of chocolate for the world.
We all love M&Ms as they “melt in your mouth, not in your hand.” M&Ms were never meant for the civilian market. They were manufactured in 1941 for soldiers so that they could enjoy chocolate without getting messy. Chocolate is good for us; it takes the edge off and the smell can help calm our nerves. Inhaling the fragrance increases brain waves, which cause relaxation. People love their chocolate in every form be it dark, milk or white, and as bars, toppings, drinks, syrups, chunks or shavings. In fact, Americans consume 6,000,000 pounds a week, and it takes 400 pounds of cocoa beans to make one pound. However, chocolate can be good for the heart because it can improve the mood and mimic the wonderful experience of falling in love. Also eating chocolate on a regular basis, according to the University of Maine, can reduce the risk of heart disease by one third. Chocolate is good for the teeth as it has an anti-bacterial effect on teeth, which protects against tooth decay and gum disease. Of course, we still need to floss. Chocolate is only good for humans and can be deadly to our pets. Did you know that during the Revolutionary War soldiers were occasionally paid with chocolate instead of currency? Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of chocolate chip cookies sold her recipe to Nestle for a lifetime of an unlimited supply of chocolate.
Yes, people love chocolate. $448 million is spent on 58 million pounds of chocolate on Valentine’s Day and that is approximately $136.27 per person. And oh yes, white chocolate is not chocolate at all! It contains no chocolate solids like cocoa powder. It is typically made from a blend of cocoa butter, milk solids, milk fat and a fatty emulsifier that holds it together.
February 14 is the biggest selling chocolate day with February 15 coming in a second because someone always forgets.
This is one of our very favorite chocolate cakes. Very moist.
Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cake
2 c. self-rising flour (I use White Lily)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 t. ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 2/3 cup of packed brown sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
1 good cup of mayonnaise, (I use Blue Plate)
1 1/3 cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour and next five ingredients in a medium bowl. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with baking spray. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed about 3 minutes and then add mayonnaise and beat slowly until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Spread with cream cheese frosting.
