I consumed more Cooking Channel goodness on the plane today. En route to Chicago from Orange County, I caught some of chef Michael Symon’s show where he was making a Nutella Espresso Mousse.

!!!

It looked as good during its preparation as it did when it was finally complete, but during the process, Symon said of his mixing tools, “You gotta lick the spoon. It’s not living unless you lick the spoon.”

So true.

It made me think about the many times we deny ourselves so much. We’ll pass on that brownie bite (or ten) because of the calories. We’ll pass on a well-crafted cheese plate because we don’t want to deal with the gym the next day. We’ll skip the lobster, but will find other ways to consume as many calories because we didn’t have that tasty crustacean in the first place (and, for the record, they’ll be less-enjoyable calories). We ixnay the brie, scoff at the baguette, skimp on food calories — all while munching on the [boring] rest.

Friends, I am here to tell you that there is nothing more enjoyable than a viognier and a cheese plate while you’re waiting to board.

Or, if you’re not a wine or cheese fan, then there’s nothing more enjoyable than whatever your favorite dish is.

Homemade mac n’ cheese? Have it. In moderation.

A wedge of manchego? Nibble then save. You’ll thank yourself tomorrow when you’re able to have it again.

Perhaps you’re skipping breakfast and lunch so that lobster can be enjoyed for dinner? Hey, whatever it takes to savor the finer things.

Point is, we all deserve to order the lobster. And we all should feel okay about licking the spoon.

We don’t need to do it in excess, as I clearly have been doing lately, but we do need to allow ourselves the childlike pleasures that we once had when ice cream dripped onto our clothing and we didn’t care.

Or when we’d make messy brownie or cookie sundaes and wonder what adults were talking about when we’d overhead them say, “I’m gonna regret this tomorrow.” What do they mean? What in the world could there be to regret about a sundae?!

Licking the spoon and keeping lobster on the horizon are metaphors for other things in life, as well. What’s your lobster? What’s on your spoon?

Go find it.

Savor it, enjoy it, be content in knowing that you deserve it. Tonight I’m thankful for the tasty treats that we’d take for granted if they came our way every day, so I will sleep well knowing that they don’t.

And take advantage of them when they do.