I’ve been partnered with an Italian for over 23 years. And in those 23 years, I’ve learned there are some things that Italians hold sacred: a clean house, designer sunglasses and disco singing sensation, Raffaella Carrà.

Another sacred thing? Tomato sauce.

You can count on grannies for a number of things. Showing you how to do the mashed potato dance, for one. Or keeping Glade Plug-In Air Fresheners in business. Or using “dilly-dally,” “horse-feathers” and “nincompoop” in a single sentence. Another thing you can count on is a granny’s candy stash.

Who isn’t trying to cut corners these days? But should the line be drawn with chocolate? I picked up six brand name chocolate bars and paired them against their dollar store equivalents. I conducted a blind taste test and enlisted the services of a second taste tester, so you’ll get more than just my opinion. Even though mine is the most important. Obviously. So how did the dollar store bars stack up?

A few months ago, I was in a charity bowl-a-thon. Bowling is the only sport I’ve ever been good at because it involves minimal physical activity and there’s a snack bar within arm’s reach. So imagine my surprise when I won the raffle grand prize – airline tickets to anywhere WestJet flies!

Recently, I went on a vacation to England and learned a number of interesting things about British life. For example, if you value your life, always look before crossing the street. You can also buy single-serve gin and tonics at the grocery store. (They come in handy if you’re travelling with the same person for 10 days straight.)