Every Wednesday is food Day in Dutchess county. Broker Lunches are scheduled from 11:30 AM to 3:00PM. These food fest run the gamut from soup to nuts (EVEN GASOLINE CARDS). These lunches have become friendly competition between the hosting agents. Everything is done to lure agents to your lunch, to give constructive criticism as to price and anything in the house that needs to be done.

When planning for my open house, I though about what will bring everyone, what does everyone love?? The answer: CHOCOLATE!!! I went out a bought a large chocolate fountain and anything you could possibly dip in chocolate, Pineapples, banana, strawberries, cookies, Pretzels, Marshmallows, etc. The presentation was beautiful. Cascading chocolate, what more could you want?? Attendance was spectacular. The two hours were a success.

I dislike cleaning up, but it is part of the ritual. There wasn't a lot left. extra chocolate was poured in a bowl and the components of the fountain were put into the dishwasher. I will pick this up later. The house was new construction, so I could leave the dishwasher and empty the next day.

Over we go on Thursday morning to retreive the chocolate fountain and what to our wonder appeared but a completely chocolate dishwasher. A Willie Wonka dream. How did this happen. The water to the dishwasher was cold. Try to imagine your dishwasher covered with chocolate, completly covered: spokes, sides, top & bottom, silverware tray, the soap dispenser, everywhere.

We get the hot water on and turn on the cycle and leave. We would be back later that afternoon.  However, it is not any better, but the house smells wonderfully chocolate. Now we buy some heavy duty chemicals to clean dishwashers. This caused a chocolate explosion. Now chocolate is all over the kitchen floor. I am not ready to cry yet, I'll just scream. We get the floor cleaned up & decide to just keep running cycles. By Friday there is still not improvement. Now we think  that we will have to buy a new dishwasher(not too happy about this). But what are you going to do? That was the plan for Saturday Morning.

We gave cleaning one more shot. We took the insides out, took them home & used a power washer to clean the chocolate. Yeah!!! It worked, The chocolate was gone & the dishwasher was put back together.

I haven't used the Chocolate Fountain again.  If you would like to borrow it, let me know. If not, I will donate it to the Willie Wonka museum.