The way I’ve written about neighbor Logan, you’d think he walked on water and never did anything wrong. He is a normal ten-year-old, and he succumbed to chocolate temptation. This is how I knew about it. A couple of hours after Shawn said they would come for lunch to celebrate her birthday, she asked if I would please not serve dessert. That put me on the spot, because I had just finished cooking a dark chocolate pudding. Almost in a panic, I texted her, explaining that the dessert was already made. The choice was hers – we would not have any dessert at all, or we could have a dollop of pudding. She wrote back that a tiny serving would be fine. Logan had sneaked some of his Halloween candy after she told him he could have it the next day. I’ll bet this was a classic case where the punishment hurt the parent more than the child. We’d all roll with it.
Lunch was very pleasant, since Logan’s manners are quite good. He entered into the conversation and sat quietly while waiting for us to finish. I had my mind on making coffee before bringing out the dessert. Maybe that’s why I forgot to put the candle in Shawn’s pudding and didn’t take a single photo. After David came home from work, I put the candle in his dessert. It is pictured with an orange to show how small it was.
No one complained about the diminutive dessert, though we joked about it. I suggested we set a timer to see if we could make it last five minutes. The challenge was accepted. We did it! All four of us still had a bit in our glasses when the timer rang.
The next day I laid out the glass beside a normal teaspoon and the demitasse spoon we used to eat the pudding.
The spoon was too big for the glass. We used the spoon right way up until it wouldn’t fit, then we turned it upside down and used the handle to finish.
And the rest of the story? John, David, and I had normal portions of pudding before going to bed. I was surprised to realize the tiny one was far tastier, probably because we concentrated on making it last.
Mehrling Muse 
Reminds me of the tiny desserts they serve at some of the Chinese buffets.
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And now we have the answer to the age-old question, “does a dainty serving suffice”.
We can now say “YES…the proof is in the pudding”!
(sorry, I’ll show myself out)
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Hilarious! Punsters are always welcome at our house.
Actually, the proofing came with the coffeecake. To “proof” bread dough is to let it rise.
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My human says that having chocolate is like me having tuna, and she would be hurting without it. I guess it was a fitting punishment. I’d hate to have my tuna taken away.
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Obey your human so that you don’t lose tuna privileges. I can hear you now if you lost your tuna. You’d cry, “Me! -Ow!”
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Ha ha, I would too!
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Thank goodness you explained about having “normal” pudding portions before bed! I felt like the goodness of the pudding might have been wasted otherwise! I mean, who can walk away from a generous portion of chocolate pudding – there is no good reason! Ha ha!
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There were five tiny desserts and four normal ones. Sweets are rarely wasted at our house.
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Very nice post.
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Perhaps Logan could follow in Nate’s footsteps later on.
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I’m not sure Logan has a passion for cooking, but I wanted him to be involved in making something for his mother. He might cook at home — I never thought to ask.
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I love e idea of setting a timer to make it last as I eat way too quickly!
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I was surprised John played along with us. He usually inhales his food.
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I am so bad about that- I blame having brothers
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It’s nice to have someone to blame. I deliberately slowed my eating to help keep my weight down. My parents were opposites. Mom ate slower than I did, and Dad swallowed his food whole, or almost without chewing.
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Yes I keep trying to slow down as I’ve heard it’s good for weight management. I guess that will continue to be a goal for me
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I sometimes think that nothing tastes as good as that first bite of dessert. Little servings make sense.
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I wish we always had little desserts. I have the best of intentions!
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It’s hard to limit the intake of chocolate!
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Yes!!! Chocolate is irresistible to many of us.
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> I was surprised to realize the tiny one was far tastier, probably because we concentrated on making it last.
That’s one of my lines for drinking nice wine. I’m always lecturing my kids — sip and savor! You’ll appreciate it more.
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Wise words, Chrissie.
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I’m just curious to know why she asked you not to serve dessert. I suppose it’s none of my beeswax…
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Logan gets high on chocolate, and Shawn knows I often serve it. His punishment for sneaking Halloween candy was to be without sweets for a period. I don’t know how long that period lasted.
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Ah! Good parenting – a meaningful consequence!
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Shawn and Bob are very loving, but they have excellent discipline, as well.
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This post makes me hungry for chocolate pudding. Even just a dollop like you had would taste so good right now!
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Whatever chocolate pudding you have, add a few chocolate chips to it, preferably melted in it. This sends the dessert into the stratosphere.
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