Resisting the Triple Chocolate Brownies

Caffeine and I aren't friends. Just ask my college roommate, Jenny. I nearly dropped a HEAVY dresser down the stairs (it would have flattened her, no joke) when we moved into our apartment Sophomore year because I was doubled over in fits of laughter. Ten years later, I'm not sure WHY I was laughing, but Jenny can confirm that the entire episode was caffeine-induced. Like countless college students of the past, present and future, we loaded up on pizza and soda for lunch with the parents in the midst of the moving fun.  So, for the following three years, I wasn't allowed to TOUCH any caffeinated beverages, let alone bring them into our apartment. This wasn't really too big of an issue, though, because I've never been one to turn to the stuff on a regular basis - hence the fact that one serving of the stuff makes me jittery and giggly. It just isn't pretty. Water is my beverage of choice.

 

I do enjoy the occasional chocolate treat - usually in the form of chocolate chip cookies (chocolate in a safe dose!). I'm more of a lemon sweet gal (lemon bars don't stick around for longer than 48 hours!), but I generally don't go overboard on the cookies (though I can hear my husband laughing at the absurdity of the comment, so maybe it isn't entirely true). My husband is the chocolate lover at our house (as is CONFIRMED by the fact that our food-allergy challenged son says, "This chocolate isn't on my list (i.e.., he's allergic to it), so I'll just bring it home as a special treat for Dad."). Brownies are a treat we enjoy, but I don't make them too often - and if we do have them, they're by my husband's request, or even his own making (he made the current batch in discussion). And last night I discovered why . . . they have more caffeine in them than my body can tolerate - I was twitching for nearly 8 hours afterward. It might have something to do with the fact that they are the triple chocolate variety. We don't do anything half-way!

 

Though it is too late to make a long story short, I will just end now with this reminder for myself: No brownies past noon for me. . . they'll keep me up until 2 AM, tossing any plans for an early-morning run out the window. And this kid-chasing mama needs energy for the day!