Vanillaholic?????????

I've had a falling out of sorts with something I've loved all these years, something I've craved, yearned for, even would kill for or die for!....Chocolate. I know, I know, how could I? Without even realizing it I crossed over the boundary to vanilla! You see, once upon a time I loved chocolate...would keep me company on those long lonely nights when I had nothing but cravings. Would satisfy me in so many ways when those "I need something" sweet urges would come upon me out of nowhere. It kept me company when I baked for the holidays, on birthdays, even the occasional "romantic" interlude. (ha, those were the days). Let me not digress tho. Well now that the "experts" say that chocolate (in its purest form) is actually good for you, I don't want it! I've become a "vanillaholic"! You don't see that word being thrown around like "chocoholic". But that's what has happened. I love everything vanilla all of a sudden and I'm wondering why there isn't more studies being made public about the benefits of the poor vanilla bean. I mean after all, it's derived from orchids....how romantic....! And, according to what I found on Google( which we all know to be the truth and nothing but the truth), Thomas Jefferson is credited with vanilla’s arrival in the United States. When he returned from his ambassadorship in France in 1789, he was dismayed to discover that no one in the States knew about vanilla, so he wrote his French attaché requesting that he send him 50 vanilla pods. Clearly Jefferson’s personal passion was well received since soon it was used as a flavoring and a medicine, and – you’re right – an aphrodisiac.

And......in the 1800s Dr. John King, advised in the American Dispensatory, that one should use vanilla to, "stimulate the sexual propensities." He went on to give a very carefully detailed recipe for a decoction promising amorous evenings. If the good doctor was right, a hefty swig of vanilla extract before bedtime could work like a charm. In controlled tests designed to better understand the connection between smell and sexual arousal, Doctors had volunteers wear masks scented with an array of odors. Several fragrance combinations were found to be very effective in increasing penile blood flow. These included lavender and pumpkin pie, doughnut and black licorice and pumpkin pie and doughnut. However, mature men were most aroused by just one simple smell…vanilla! Modern science has proven what native people figured out centuries ago, and many of us discovered on our own -- whether you prefer to eat, drink, or smell it, vanilla is definitely a potent character in the arena of love!

Hmmm, vanilla does seem to have some promising benefits!

And, in the words of Forret Gump, "That's all I have to say about that"!

Peace