Ok, so I saw a commercial this morning for almond milk. . . . Yeah, almond milk. Now, it sounds like it might be tasty, after all, I'm pretty fond of almonds, but how the hell do you get milk from an almond?

They're dry! There is no moisture there. Have you ever heard anyone refer to an almond as 'juicy'? I seriously doubt it. And if you have, I hope that it was a case of either English was not their first language or they were heavily medicated.

Aside from coconut, where do you get milk from any kind of nut? Now butter I get because there are oils in nuts, some more than others. I've heard of almond butter as an alternative to peanut butter for those whose nut allergies are restricted specifically to peanuts.

Now just think of that. If I puree them in a blender I'm going to get an oily paste. Tasty? Sure. Drinkable. Ugh! No way!

And yet... someone has managed to create a milk-like product from almonds. Actually, somebody managed to do it centuries ago. I discovered that almond milk has been around since medieval times. It was often used because it has a much longer shelf life than cow's or goat's milk (goat's milk! ugh! Sorry, I know lots of people around the world drink milk from other animals, but I just can't even think about it).

Apparently it was also very popular during Lent and fast days since it is not an animal product. I suppose it's a good substitute for vegetarians and vegans. Sounds more appetising than soy milk at least.

I wonder if you can milk a hazelnut?

If you haven't read my Eat Chocolate Every Day page (and why haven't you?) you may be unaware of my strong belief that chocolate should be its own food group with a recommended daily allowance. Of course, that would also mean you haven't read my book, and do we really need to go there again? Do us all a favor, read the book!

Anyway, I think chocolate is a vital part of our diet and should be incorporated into every man, woman and child's daily menu. Now, before you go freaking out at me over obesity and whatever, let me remind you that all chocolate not need be in the form of Ring Dings (though if they ever stop making them I just might become suicidal). There are plenty of ways to have chocolate in your diet without going overboard.

For instance: For breakfast, you could make some smart choices, such as a glass of chocolate Ovaltine. With an 8 ounce glass of fat free milk is 160 calories and 0 fat. Or a bowl of Special K Chocolately Delight with fat free milk. That's 160 calories and 2 grams of fat. And believe it or not, a serving of Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies with fat free milk is also 160 calories and just 1 gram of fat. Or you could try Eggo Fiber Plus Antioxidant Chocolate Chip Waffles. Try saying that 10 times fast! A serving is 180 calories and 7 grams of fat. Sure, not something you'd want every morning, but still... a nice treat once in awhile.

Lunch time: After a sensible lunch, indulge yourself with a chocolate treat. Have a 100 calorie pack of Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. Sure, they have 8 grams of fat, but remember, we need to have some fat. Not all fat is bad, and you get some good fat from nuts. There are plenty of other 100 calorie pack snacks out there with chocolate in them that will give you a great little chocolate fix to get you through the mid day slump. Oreos, Chips Ahoy!, Milanos, Chocolate covered pretzels, even Hostess cupcakes. Or you could have a 90 calorie Fiber One brownie or chocolate snack bar. If you really need a chocolate fix, try a smear of Nutella or peanut butter and chocolate spread on a rice cake. Sure, there's a lot of sugar in those spreads, but... (yes, there's a but) keep in mind, you're not using the amount per serving listed on the label. You are using a fraction of that, and only using it once in awhile as a treat. So, it really isn't that bad. There are worse things you could do. Like eat a whole pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk and chase it down with some Ring Dings.

Dinner: If your taste buds are so inclined, you can get your chocolate fix right with your entree. Mole sauces, some chili recipes use chocolate, and a great many other savory dishes. And of course - desert. The possibilities are endless! But again, you can make wise choices. The 100 calorie packs are still there, plus Weight Watchers and other diet food companies put out plenty of deserts and candies for those watching their waste lines. There's no reason not to be able to make a smart choice if you want to have chocolate.

Plus - chocolate is good for your health! I won't rehash all that here - go read the page!

We NEED chocolate! It should be part of everyone's daily diet!