Fruit and Nut Chocolate

I love being a mom, and I know I'm just one member of the worldwide club, but it's one of the best things about my little world. I also know how much we talk about motherhood being not only the hardest but also the most rewarding job on earth, and how sacred that responsibility is, and how much we need to respect, revere, and support mothers. Despite everything we know, mothers can be the targets of sarcasm, derision, and even scorn(ie: "Are all those YOUR kids?" or "When are you planning on getting a REAL job?" or "My mom is a NUTCASE! I'm lucky I turned out so normal."). Well, my faith and hope has been rejuvenated. This past Sunday I sat in a room with about 30 other women, and we talked about mothers--yes, our mothers--and SURPRISE! there wasn't a dry eye in the place as we shared with each other stories of how our mothers have made us who we are today, and how grateful we are for them. Our hearts were tender as we reflected not only on our mothers' influence, but all the good mothering women in our lives who have nurtured and inspired us at pivotal moments. Most of them probably have no idea of the impact they have had on us, but we will be forever grateful for their gifts to us. And, of course, as we laughed and cried and shared, we ate.

1 bag Costco Fruit and Nut mix (has almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cranberries and cherries)
1 Costco-sized bag chocolate chips(or whatever you prefer: white, milk, dark...)

Line either 1 jellyroll-sized pan or 2 9x13 pans with wax paper, using enough paper to go over the sides. Melt chocolate in a large nonstick saucepan over med-low heat, stirring constantly. When smooth, add in bag of fruit and nut mix. Stir. Pour into pan(s). Cool, preferrably in fridge or freezer. When solid, lift out of pan by grasping wax paper on each side. Place on flat surface and cut into squares with a pizza cutter.