Wednesday, September 26, 2007

ChocolateBet: September 28, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Tiny little M and Ms 
Very Good
Estimated calories: ?
Price: $ ?
Purchased from: Nuts for Candy in Burlingame, CA


Today's chocolate: a small handful of tiny little M and M's (bought in bulk). These miniature-sized M and M candies were very good -- better than expected. They had a nice, rich chocolatey smell and taste.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

ChocolateBet: September 27, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Georgia's Confections, Nuts and Snacks, Skokie, Ill.
"Kits" Chocolate-Flavored Taffy
Good - Very Good
Price: $?
Purchased from: Nuts for Candy, in Burlingame, CA

I ate these chocolate-flavored taffy "Kits" while traveling from SJC to Seattle with Alec. So much more fun than what they were handing out on the plane.

ChocolateBet: September 26, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Annabelle Candy Co.
Annabelle's U-No bar
Comments: Good; however, it seems like I can taste the hydrogenated oils a bit
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) total bar
Calories: 1 bar is 250 calories total; 1/4 bar is approximately 65 calories
Price: 99 cents
Purchased from: Nuts for Candy, in Burlingame, CA

It's fun to get reacquainted with chocolate and candies from companies that are long-time local favorites in your own backyard (or a short hop across the San Francisco Bay in this case). Some of these "nostalgia" brands/bars are better than I would have expected, especially if they've stuck to ingredients (like real molasses or real sugar) and not additives, or new-fangled stuff with long words. 

ChocolateBet: September 25, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

BB Bats - Chocolate flavor
(Gilliam or Georgia Nut Company?)
Very Good: better than expected.
Weight: .4 oz. (estimate) for 1 piece/sucker
Calories: ?
Cost: Price was 25 cents
Purchased from: Nuts for Candy in Burlingame, CA

BB Bats are small, individually-wrapped, flavored taffy suckers/pops that date back to the 1920s and the era of "penny candy." Today's BB Bat was Chocolate flavored and I really enjoyed it.

A number of companies have produced BB Bats over time. I believe when I bought this BB Bat, they were being produced by Georgia Nut Company.*

*Note: Georgia Nut Company later got out of this business, and as of the Spring of 2012 Runk Candy had started making BB Bats.

ChocolateBet: September 24, 2007


Chocolate of the Day:

1-2 bites
Annabelle's
Rocky Road (Dark Chocolate Coated Marshmallow Mint with Cashews)
Good-Very Good
Weight: ~ 1.2 oz. (51 grams)Calories: ~ 60? (out of 240 total for whole bar)
Cost: $0.99
Purchased from: Nuts for Candy, Burlingame, CA

There are currently three flavors of Rocky Road bars (image shown above from Annabelle website). Today's chocolate was Annabelle's Rocky Road (Dark Chocolate Coated Marshmallow Mint with Cashews). Annabelle Candy Co. is local to the San Francisco Bay area - based in Hayward, CA.

I had only a bite or two, as cashews and I sometimes don't see eye to eye. (I'm convinced it may be because cashews are related to the poison oak family; I'm sensitive to poison oak and had some whopping good cases of it when I was much younger.)

It was Good - Very Good. Nice green mint marshmallow filling and the dark chocolate is a definite plus. I definitely would have shared this, if someone else had been around. The price for this bar = 99 cents. One bar is 240 calories; the bite that I had was about 60 calories.

ChocolateBet: September 23, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Preston's
Milk Chocolate Honeycomb candy
Very Good
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Preston's, Burlingame, CA


On the way up to San Francisco I decided to pull off the freeway in search of chocolate in the Burlingame area. I visited three different places.

First, I asked a very nice man at an Italian deli where I might find chocolate, and he directed me to Shaw's on El Camino. Shaw's used to have a few different locations, including one on El Camino in the Mountain View/Los Altos area.


The second place I stopped at was Nuts for Candy, which specializes in "Nostalgic Candies" - chocolates and candies, gifts, toys, and ice cream. I had a very nice conversation with a man named John there, who knows his chocolate/candy. I mentioned that I loved living in an area where there were still many regional chocolatiers still in business, and he listed off local brands in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Scharffen Berger, and Annabelle Candy.


The last chocolate stop was Preston's on Broadway in Burlingame. And I had my chocolate of the day here: 1 piece of milk chocolate honeycomb candy. It was Very Good. 


ChocolateBet: September 22, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bite
Mackenzies Chocolates
California Banana Slug
Good
Weight: about 1 oz. per slug
Calories: one bite = 60 calories (estimate)
Purchased from: University of California, Santa Cruz, campus bookstore

Yesterday my daughter moved into her college dorm (about an hour away) to the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). The UCSC mascot is the banana slug.

In honor of her departure and her new school, I ate a bite of a very realistic-looking yellowish banana slug -- which was filled with, to my relief, dark chocolate.

I bought this chocolate slug earlier this month when we first took a trip to look at her dorm room and went to the UCSC bookstore. (The slugs that came in three or four different chocolate flavors/versions.) The slug was so convincing, that I could only manage to eat one bite of the slug's tail.

Mackenzies Chocolates is a local Santa Cruz chocolatier.



The California Banana Slug (about 1 oz. per slug) is made by Mackenzies Chocolates of Santa Cruz.

ChocolateBet: September 21, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving (1/2 cup)
Safeway Select
Nestle Baby Ruth (ice cream)
Very Good
Serving size: 1/2 cup (68 grams)
190 calories
$~ 3.00 for whole container (on sale, $5.99 for 2)
Purchased from Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: September 20, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: September 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: September 18, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Paris Chocolates, Inc.
Flyer bar
Swiss Milk Chocolate Roasted Almonds American Caramel bar
Weight: 1.65 oz. (46.7 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Made in France/Village Imports warehouse store in Brisbane, CA

Paris Chocolates (Atlanta, GA) makes a series of chocolate, and chocolate and caramel Flyer candy bars.


ChocolateBet: September 17, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Paris Chocolates, Inc.
Flyer bar
Swiss Dark Chocolate American Caramel bar
Weight: 2.1 oz. (59.5 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: ?
Purchased from: Made in France/Village Imports warehouse store in Brisbane, CA

Today's Swiss Dark Chocolate American Caramel bar was one in a series of Flyer bars from John Paris Chocolatier, Paris Chocolates, Inc. (Atlanta, GA).

ChocolateBet: September 16, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Target/Choxie
fiery chocolate truffle bar
("dark truffled chocolate with chipotle chili heat")
Very Good
Weight: ~.625 oz. (17.5 grams)/2.5 oz. (70 grams) total bar
Calories: ~90 calories
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Target

ChocolateBet: September 15, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: September 14, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Turin (Baileys)
Baileys - "The Original Irish Cream Chocolates"
Very Good
Wt.: 4.2 oz. (120 grams) in total container
Calories: 47 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Walgreen's, in Palo Alto, CA

These Turin chocolates (made in Mexico) were based on the popular Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur.

However, this container of individually-wrapped, milk chocolates (filled with Irish Cream centers) contained no alcohol.


ChocolateBet: September 13, 2007

Photo: Green and Black's
Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Green and Black's
Maya Gold bar
Very Good
Weight: .875 oz. (~25 g.) in 1/4 bar/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) for .875 oz. (1/4 bar)
$0 - birthday gift

I enjoyed this birthday gift -- a Maya Gold dark chocolate bar, flavored with orange and spices, from Green and Black's (from the U.K.).

Note: Photo added later, from Green and Black's site.

ChocolateBet: September 12, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Hawaiian Host
Deluxe Macadamias Covered in "Premium" Dark Chocolate
Very Good
Weight: 1 serving (4 individually wrapped pieces) / 3.1 oz. (88 g.) in total package
Calories: 250 calories (in 4 pieces)
Cost: ?
Purchased from: ?

This package/box contained 8 individually wrapped pieces -- macadamia nuts covered in dark chocolate. It was no trouble at all to eat one serving (4 pieces).

ChocolateBet: September 11, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
The Grenada Chocolate Company Ltd. (from Grenada, West Indies)
Dark Chocolate bar (I'm not sure if this was their 60% or 71% cocoa chocolate bar though.)
Organic
Very Good
Weight: .25 oz. piece (estimate)
Calories: 40 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 - birthday gift; this chocolate was part of a larger event.

Tasting this Grenada chocolate bar was part of a chocolate tasting/fund-raiser, and talk on chocolate. We were able to taste pieces of several bars.

What a wonderful evening and birthday gift for a chocolate fan! (Today was my birthday. Thank you Alec.) Also, thank you to Sunita and Greg of Chocolate Dividends (www.chocolatedividends.com) for combining their interests in doing good, chocolate tastings, and other skills and talents to make this a great event.

ChocolateBet: September 10, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Michelle's truffles
Rum (butter)?
OK-Good; big, fat, but not that much flavor
~ 160 calories
$2.99
Purchased at: Z Ciaccolatos, North Beach/San Francisco, CA

ChocolateBet: September 9, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Target/Choxie
Dark Choc., coconut truffle bar
Good; ate with almonds
Purchased at: Target (dept store), Mountain View, CA

ChocolateBet: September 8, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M Chocolates
Classic Cabernet
Good - Very Good; but can't taste much, if any, Cabernet flavor
Purchased at: Ethel M Chocolate store at Las Vegas, NV airport

This chocolate was part of an assortment box that was purchased on way back from a fun weekend in Vegas. Once again, an airport proved to be a good source for a "local" chocolate, good for short trips in another town, when there's not time to drive around and find chocolates.

ChocolateBet: September 7, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M Chocolates
Champagne Cocktail
Good - Very Good; however, can't really taste champagne flavor
Purchased at: Las Vegas, NV airport

ChocolateBet: September 6, 2007


Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M Chocolates
Chocolapolitan
Very Good
Purchased at: Ethel M chocolate (shop) in Las Vegas, NV airport

ChocolateBet: September 5, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M Chocolates
Mucha Marguerita
Very Good
Purchased at: Ethel M chocolate shop, in Las Vegas, NV airport

ChocolateBet: September 4, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M Chocolates
Etheltini
Good - Very Good (it had melted a bit as the box was left in my car)
Purchased at: Ethel M chocolate store, in the Las Vegas, NV airport

ChocolateBet: September 3, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M chocolates
Lemon Drop
Very Good +

Lemon & Chocolate
Many people are inherently opposed to mixing chocolate with any fruits, or fruit flavors. I am not one of these people, and I enjoy lemon and dark chocolate together. (I also really like lemon peel in espresso. I don't know why, but two "bitter" flavors like this do wonders for each other when combined.) This was probably my favorite chocolate in this Ethel M assortment.

ChocolateBet: September 2, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Yachana Gourmet
Jungle Chocolate
with Brazil Nuts and Coffee
Very Good +
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA

This Jungle Chocolate with Brazil Nuts and Coffee offering from Yachana Gourmet (New York/Ecuador) was flavorful and had a pleasant soft crunch to it.

Yachana means "a place for learning" in the indigenous Quichua language. The company supports Fair Trade, and was set up to help aid farmers and to be "rain forest friendly" in the Amazonian regions in South America where the company/foundation focuses their operations.

This chocolate was dairy-free and vegan.

ChocolateBet: September 1, 2007


Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M chocolates
Yum-Rum
Very Good +
Part of cocktail assortment box
Purchased at: Ethel M chocolate shop, in Las Vegas, NV airport

ChocolateBet: August 31, 2007


Chocolate of the Day:
1 "bar"
La Corona Chocolates
La Paleton Corona (chocolate-covered marshmallow candy on a stick)
Good - Very Good; better than I would have thought
.88 oz. per piece
Calories: 340 kJ/81.5 kcal
$7.49 for a whole box of 24 pieces (21.16 oz/box)
Purchased at Mi Pueblo (supermarket) in Mountain View, CA

These La Corona marshmallow chocolates are made in Mexico, and are packaged in different foil colored wrappers, to look like popsicles. Mi Pueblo (which translates to "My Town" in English) is a small local market that specializes in hispanic foods.

ChocolateBet: August 30, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Scharffen berger
Chocolate-dipped figs
Very Good +
Weight: 2.5 oz. total
Calories: ~ 70 calories for 1 fig in chocolate
Cost: $14.99/box
Purchased from: Elephant Pharmacy, Los Altos, CA

These remind me of a similar Spanish dessert I've had called higos rellenos (or stuffed figs).

Note: Yes, these Scharffen Berger figs were expensive; but also very good with brandy and vanilla ice cream. 

ChocolateBet: August 29, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Paris Chocolates, Inc. (John Paris, Chocolatier)
Flyer No. 11 - Milk Chocolate with Ground Vanilla Beans
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 grams)
Calories: 160 calories
Cost: $1.29 for one bar
Purchased at: Village Imports (warehouse/store in Brisbane, CA)

ChocolateBet: August 28, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Paris Chocolates, Inc.
Flyer No. 16
Milk Chocolate with Roasted Almonds bar
Good - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 bar
Purchased at: Village Imports (warehouse, store) in Brisbane, CA

This Flyer No. 16 bar (part of a series of Flyer bars) chocolate bar was wrapped in gold foil and a cheery yellow and blue outer label - with a gold airplane winging its way to...well, paradise I imagined. The bar was a creation of John Paris of Paris Chocolates, Inc. (Atlanta, GA). It was quite good with balanced milk chocolate and roasted almond flavors and textures, and a hint of vanilla.

Note: photo was added later.

ChocolateBet: August 27, 2007


Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Flyer No. 12
"Fine Dark Chocolate with Crisped Rice"
Very Good
Wt.: 1 oz (28 grams)
Calories: 130 calories
Cost: $1.29
Purchased at: Village Imports (warehouse, store) in Brisbane, CA

ChocolateBet: August 26, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving/plate of items
House of Blues Chocolate Fountain table
(2 strawberries, little rice crispy treat, and a marshmallow - all dipped in chocolate fountain)
~ 3 oz. total?
Very Good
$ included in the price of gospel brunch at HoB
House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV

Note: The House of Blues offers a good show and setting - and a great southern-style brunch and rousing singing. And, best of all, it gave me an opportunity to finally try a chocolate fountain. My only advice - make sure your toothpicks or skewers are long or substantial enough to hold your food items securely as you're putting them in the chocolate, otherwise - they're gone and there is no good way to retrieve them. (The visibility is not good in a vat of liquid chocolate and you don't want to go bottom trawling for items.)

ChocolateBet: August 25, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Asher's chocolate
?
Very Good
Wt:
$?
Chocolate shop (We-R-Nuts??) in Bally's hotel/mall in Las Vegas, NV
?

ChocolateBet: August 24, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Ethel M Chocolates
Dark Chocolate with lemon cream?
Very Good
Wt: ~ .4 oz.
Calories: ~ 70 calories
from Ethel M Chocolate shop in Las Vegas airport?

ChocolateBet: August 23, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 scoop
Baskin Robbins
Rocky Road (with extra nuts)
~ 1/2 cup
Very Good
~ 280 calories
$3.08
Purchased at: Baskin Robbins, Santa Clara, CA

This tasted great. It was my lunch. Eating this also brings back childhood memories of biking, or driving, to Baskin Robbins for ice cream in the summer.

ChocolateBet: August 22, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Valrhona
Jivara Lait
.7 oz. (20 grams)
Very Good
Purchased at: Village Imports (warehouse/store) in Brisbane, CA

ChocolateBet: August 21, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Paris Chocolates, Inc.
Flyer - Swiss Dark Chocolate Select Pecans bar
OK - Good
Weight: 1.65 oz. (46.7 g.) for 1 bar
Calories: 115 calories for 1/2 bar
Cost: $?
Purchased at: Village Imports, Brisbane, CA

I do like nuts with chocolate, so I was looking forward to trying this Swiss Dark Chocolate with Select Pecans and American Caramel bar from John Paris (Paris Chocolates, Inc., Atlanta, GA). This Flyer bar was good, with a nice layering of chocolate, caramel and pecan flavors, but it was a bit too sweet for me.

Note: photo was added later

ChocolateBet: August 20, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bite
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Dark Chocolate with Peppermint Crunch
Good +
Weight: .4 oz. / 3 oz. (85 grams) total
Calories: 70 calories (estimate)
Cost for bar: $2.79 (could also be $2.29; label is hard to read)
Purchased at: Elephant Pharmacy, in Los Altos, CA

Unfortunately, this Dark Chocolate with Peppermint Crunch bar appears to have gotten melted somewhere (in transit or in store).

Note: In the summer, storage matters with chocolate. I've been told that cocao butter melts at body temperature, so it doesn't take much time in a hot car or in front of a window on a hot day to do some damage. (The lighter colored cocoa butter separates from the darker colored cocoa solids causing a blotchy appearance.)

ChocolateBet: August 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Cocoa Bon
Dark Chocolate Pistachio
Weight: 2.4 oz. (39 g.) (estimate) / (68 grams) total tin
Very Good
Calories: 210 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.00
Purchased at: de Young Museum Cafe, in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA

I had a nice lunch with a friend and trip through de Young Museum in San Francisco, CA. We looked at art works and enjoyed watching tango dancing outside.

These dark chocolate covered, roasted whole California pistachio nuts were a delicious addition to the day's activities.

ChocolateBet: August 18, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Stonyfield Farm
After Dark chocolate nonfat frozen yogurt
1/2 cup (85 g)
Good; too sweet - needs some fat, less sweetness to balance it out
Only 100 calories per serving is nice though
Purchased at Elephant Pharmacy, Los Altos, CA?

When something is too sweet, I'll try to cut it down a bit by eating the frozen yogurt or ice cream with raw nuts, and maybe putting a little cinnamon in it. I tried both here; but it was still hard to finish this. Can dessert be too sweet? I think sometimes it can.

ChocolateBet: August 17, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving - 3 pieces
Russell Stover - Origin Select
Ghana
Weight: 4.5 oz. (128 g.) total package
Very Good
Calories: 190 calories
Purchased at: Long's drug store, in Mountain View, CA

These individually wrapped, single origin dark chocolate (60% cacao) squares from Russell Stover (Kansas City, MO) had a nice, smooth dark chocolate flavor.

ChocolateBet: August 16, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving - 3 pieces
Russell Stover ("private reserve")
Origin Select chocolate
100% Venezuela cacao beans
60% cacao dark
Total pkg net wt: 4.5 oz. (128 g)
Very Good; rich flavors, acid soil taste?
Calories: 190
$?
Purchased at: Long's drug store, in Mountain View, CA

ChocolateBet: August 15, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving - 3 pieces
Russell Stover ("Internationale" line)
Swiss Lodge Mocha Cream
Good
Weight: 3 pieces (38 grams) / 4.95 oz. (140 grams) total package
Calories: 200 calories in 3 pieces
$?
Purchased at: Long's Drug store, in Mountain View, CA

Today's individually-wrapped Swiss Lodge Mocha Cream squares from Russell Stover (Kansas City, MO) were primarily milk chocolate with a slightly creamier flavored center layered over a thin layer of white chocolate. These were a bit on the sweet side for me, but had a fairly smooth texture.

Health Impact of Chocolate?
This week I went to Long's (drug store) to have my blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels measured. (Long's hosts a mobile unit that comes in and does testing once or twice a year. It's convenient; you don't have to make an appointment.) I was somewhat apprehensive about the results given the work schedule I've been keeping (trying to do three jobs in the last few months, long hours sitting behind a desk, busy events and speaking opportunities, not enough time for fun, etc.)

Instead, I was shocked to find out that my results were very good. "Whatever you're doing, keep it up," the nurse advised. Really? The only thing I've been doing differently (from when I last was tested) has been eating chocolate every day, and walking around San Francisco a few times a month. Could that make a difference? Have other people seen similar results?

I'm starting a Chocolate and Health page on this site, and will be researching this topic in the future.

ChocolateBet: August 14, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/3 bar
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Milk Chocolate with Almonds
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) for 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.29 for 1 bar
Purchased at: Elephant Pharmacy, Los Altos, CA

This Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar was made with Belgian chocolate and roasted almonds by Lake Champlain Chocolates (Lake Champlain, VT).

Unfortunately, I discovered when I unwrapped this Lake Champlain Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar that it had some bloom (whiteish, slightly blotchy appearance often caused by storing chocolate at the wrong temperature). Bloom can affect the appearance of a bar, but not the taste. At other times, the bar's flavor and/or texture is "off" as well. Bloom like this is more common in the summer; only a few minutes in the hot sun can wreak havoc.

I've liked chocolates I've had from Lake Champlain before; so I may try this one again in the future, just to see if the blah taste was adversely affected by improper storage or something else.

ChocolateBet: August 13, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
HotLix
Chocolate-Covered Insects
Ugh. Weird taste. It was either a cricket or a grub; hard to tell.
Weight: .25 oz. (estimate) piece
Cost: $2.99?
Purchased at Z. Cioccolatos in North Beach/San Francisco, CA

OK. I have to admit it - this and the Durian ice cream I tried once. I can't handle them. I had to spit this out (sorry, TMI). I had such a great weekend, and came back to work on Monday a.m., thinking, OK, I feel so great - today is the day I eat bugs! No dice. Psyching myself up didn't work.

ChocolateBet: August 12, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Dove/Mars
Dark Chocolate, Mint Flavored Caramel
Very Good +
Weight: 5.80 oz. (164.4 g.) in total package
Calories: 200 calories for 1 serving (5 pieces)
Cost: $?
Purchased from: ?

I enjoyed these individually wrapped, Dove Dark Chocolate Mint Flavored Caramels (from Masterfoods/Mars) on a get-away, overnight trip.

ChocolateBet: August 11, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Dove/Mars
Milk Chocolate Hazelnut-flavored Caramel
Very Good +
Weight: 40 g. for 1 serving (5 pieces) / 5.80 oz. (164.4 g.) in total package
Calories: 200 calories for 1 serving (5 pcs.)

Ate these while on an overnight getaway trip. It's amazing how getting away, having a change of scene (and a new chocolate maybe) can be so refreshing.

ChocolateBet: August 10, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Meiji Chocolates
Melty Kiss-Slim Kiss
42 grams (whole box/pkg)
OK - they had a vaguely chemical taste to them; I had found them in my suitcase - from a trip to Japan I'd taken ~ 8 months ago.
Purchased: somewhere in Tokyo, Japan

Not sure what the "slim kiss" refers to; i.e. whether there is some diet formula or herbal formula associated with this product; or whether "slim" just refers to the shape of the box or pieces. If I have time I'll do a search to see if I can find more information in English.

ChocolateBet: August 9, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
The Chocolate Traveler
Dark Chocolate Mint Wedges
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Upstart Crow (bookstore & gifts)?, in San Diego, CA

ChocolateBet: August 8, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Hershey's Peter Paul
Almond Joy
Very Good
Wt.: 1.61 oz. (45 grams)
Calories: 220 calories
Cost: $.99
Purchased from: downstairs in Marriott Marina hotel in San Diego, CA

ChocolateBet: August 7, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:



ChocolateBet: August 6, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: August 5, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

The Chocolate Traveler
Dark Chocolate Wedges
Good +
Weight: 1 wedge/ .22 oz. (6.25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) total tin of 8 wedges
Calories: 33 calories (estimate) in 1 wedge
Cost: $4.95 for 1 tin of 8 pieces
Purchased from: The Upstart Crow bookstore, San Diego, CA

This week I attended SIGGRAPH 2007, a large, computer graphics and 3D tradeshow was in San Diego, CA. During this week I walked through Seaport Village by the water, and stopped at the Upstart Crow bookstore -- where I found these chocolate wedges in a round tin from The Chocolate Traveler.

ChocolateBet: August 4, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Molly's Restaurant
dark chocolate - at end of dinner
Very Good
~.4 oz
~ 70 calories
Purchased/included in a meal at: Molly's Restaurant, San Diego, CA

Met a colleague, named Molly, here for dinner; nice food; good chance to talk during a very busy show and series of industry events we both are participating in.

ChocolateBet: August 3, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: August 2, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Dove/Mars
Sugar-free Rich Dark Chocolates with Raspberry Creme
Very Good
Weight: 16 grams for 2 pieces / 3.4 oz. (96.4 g.) total package
Calories: 80 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
$ ?
Purchased from: ?

These sugar-free, individually-wrapped, Dove chocolates were very good -- and not bad for sugar free. I liked the little Promises messages that were printed on each wrapper, like "get a foot massage" or "sing along with elevator music." They were fun.

ChocolateBet: August 1, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Green and Black's
Chocolate Ice Cream (Organic)
Good - Very Good
Weight: 1/2 cup serving, 87 grams/ 1 Pint total container
Calories: 230 calories for 1/2 cup serving
$4.99 total for a/the whole pint
Purchased at: Piazzas market, Palo Alto, CA


ChocolateBet: July 31, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
2/3 bar, ~ 2 servings
Dove/Masterfoods/Mars
Smooth Milk Chocolate with Almonds
Wt: 3.67 oz./104 grams total
Calories: 190 x 2 = 380 calories for 2/3 bar
$?
Bought at Walgreens

Ate late at night (not a good thing to do), after working another late night - the week before a big tradeshow. It really tasted good! I ate too much. Sigh. No more chocolate-only dinners.

ChocolateBet: July 30, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Mars
3 Musketeers bar
Good+
Weight: 2.13 oz. (60.4 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 260 calories
Cost: $0.75
Purchased from: a vending machine at work

This iconic, silver-clad 3 Musketeers chocolate candy bar from Mars (the company that is), was a popular American classic when I was young -- found in Halloween treat bags and lunch bags far and wide.

The "45% less fat" claim printed on the wrapper refers to the fact that this 3 Musketeers bar is lower in fat than many other candy bars. The less dense bar, with "Whipped Up, Fluffy Chocolate 'on' Chocolate Taste," had 46 grams of carbohydrates/sugars, but only 8 grams of fat. Although I could do without the hydrogenated palm kernel oil (and lactose), there is apparently no (zero) trans fats in this bar. 

ChocolateBet: July 29, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Nero De Vita (Organic)
(Made in Italy)
Individually-packaged small chocolate(s)
Very Good
Wt: ~ .2 - .4 oz/ each?
Calories: ~70 calories
$0 (from friend's house after a delicious dinner)
Thank you Celine!

ChocolateBet: July 28, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Trader Joe's
Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Cost: ?
Purchased from: Trader Joe's

This Dark Chocolate ("Product of Belgium") bar came packaged as part of a multi-pack of bars wrapped in plastic wrap.




ChocolateBet: July 27, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 26, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Fran's Chocolates
Almond Gold Bar
Good+?
Wt.: .8 oz (22.7 g.)/ 1.6 oz. (45.4 g.) in total bar
Calories: 125 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: ?
Purchased from: ?

ChocolateBet: July 25, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1/4 bar
Nestle
Butterfinger - Pieces in Milk Chocolate
Good +
Wt.: 1.25 oz. (35 g)/5 oz. (141.7 grams) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Walgreens

Dagoba - ChocolateBet: July 24, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Dagoba
latte - "milk chocolate, ground coffee and cinnamon" (bar)
OK
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.)/ 2 oz. (56.7 g.) in total bar
Calories: 151 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.79 for total bar
Purchased from: Elephant Pharmacy, in Los Altos, CA

This milk chocolate bar, with coffee and cinnamon, from Dagoba was made from 37% cacao organic chocolate. The bar had a smooth, but very slightly waxy, bland, fatty flavor; I'm not sure why.

ChocolateBet: July 23, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 22, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 21, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 20, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Russell Stover ("Internationale" line)
German Black Forest Truffle
Good - Very Good
Net Wt.: 4.95 oz. (140 g.); 1 serving = 38 g.
Calories: 200 calories
Cost: $ ?
Purchased from: Walgreens

Today's individually-wrapped, German Black Forest Truffle chocolate squares from Russell Stover were crafted from both dark and milk chocolate, and flavored with a hint of cherry.

ChocolateBet: July 18, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 small box/package
Jelly Belly
JBz Milk Chocolate Flavored Shell
Chocolate Assortment
Good - Very Good
Net Wt.: 1.4 oz. (40g)
Cost: $1.99
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos?, San Francisco, CA

This JBz Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Assortment box from Jelly Belly (Fairfield, CA) contained five different flavors: Cappuccino, Fudge Brownie, Coconut, Vanilla and Caramel. 

ChocolateBet: July 17, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 16, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 pc/"tamale"
Ashur Products
Gourmet Chocolate Tamales
OK - Good; very clever (but $) product; milk chocolate tamales are hand-wrapped in a corn husk and tied up, like a real tamale, only in miniature.
Wt: ~ .45 oz. (13 g.) per tamale; 2.7 oz. (78 grams) in 1 package of six tamales
Calories: ~ 35 calories in one small tamale/piece
$ 8.99 for a package of six tamales
Purchased from: an airport gift shop (?) in the San Antonio, TX, airport

ChocolateBet: July 15, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 14, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Z. Cioccolatos
Chocolate Reese's Delight
Very Good (This place produces, on a consistent basis, some of the best fudge I've ever tasted. Candy shop fudge is usually not my favorite. This is good; it comes out in the pans, and they cut the pieces for you. It looks like they make it fresh daily, so it's not sitting on a shelf getting stale.)
Wt. ~ 2 oz?
Calories: ?
$~1.00
Purchased from Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, in San Francisco, CA

Took my daughter, Megan, to North Beach in SF. It's fun to be able to share chocolate adventures with family and friends.

ChocolateBet: July 13, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Lammes Candies
Choc'Adillos
Very Good
Weight: 1.84 oz. (52 g.) / 11 oz. (311 g.) total box of 12 pieces
Calories: 280 calories for 2 pieces
Cost: ?
Purchased from: San Antonio, TX

I ate a few Choc'Adillos (from recent Texas trip) for breakfast. These chocolates looked like "turtles" to me but the name implies armadillos. After all, these were made in Texas.

While eating caramel confections with almonds, covered in chocolate, probably isn't the best way to start off the day if you're following some sort of weight loss plan, these Choc'Adillios did taste good.

ChocolateBet: July 12, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

ChocolateBet: July 11, 2007

In San Antonio, TX, .... and chocolate today is:

ChocolateBet: July 10, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Haagen Dazs Reserve
Pomegranate Chip (ice cream)
~ 4 fluid oz./ 1 pint total
Very Good - Yum
280 calories
$4.99??
Purchased at: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA??

Notes: I shared this ice cream with my daughter and her boyfriend; and while I thought it would be good, it was even better than I thought it would be.

Misc: Today I left for a business trip to San Antonio, TX, and arrived early enough to catch dinner at Casa Rio on the River before going to the hotel. There was a line, but it was worth the wait - great food and very reasonably priced too. I didn't get to look at the desserts, and I didn't have time to walk down the street to see if I could find a chocolate version of the Alamo, but I wanted to mention this place anyway. Great ambience on a summer evening for just a few dollars.

ChocolateBet: July 9, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Fran's Chocolates, Ltd.
Gray Salt Caramels
I had ~ 1 oz. serving (from a 2.45 oz. pkg.)
Very Good - Yum
Nice mix of sweet, salt/chocolate/caramel & these are a slight variation on some purchased and eaten earlier this year.
$9.99 (for ~7 pieces)
Purchased at: Elephant Pharmacy, Los Altos, CA

The whole salt caramel + chocolate concept seems to produce mostly winners. I imagine I might try sprinkling some sea salt on my bowl of creme caramel, chocolate and nuts ice cream combo some night soon.

ChocolateBet: July 8, 2007

Today I ate part of a chocolate sculpture meant to look like the two lovers in Rodin's "The Kiss." This I purchased from Stanford Cantor Arts museum gift store after a nice visit there and lunch outside with a friend. The chocolate "kiss" sculpture is a wonderful concept, and fun to look at. The chocolate itself was a bit firm and dry/waxy(probably to better hold its shape).

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece - maybe as much as 1 oz.
Le Belge Chocolatier (made/branded for Cantor Arts Center, Stanford?)
"Rodin's Kiss"
I had about .7+ oz. piece out of a ~ 4 oz. chocolate.
Good
Calories: ~ 105+ calories
$ 12.00 (be prepared to pay for good art)
Purchased at: Cantor Arts Center (gift shop), Stanford University

Misc: The biggest news-getter in the chocolate sculpture world this past year has probably been an unclothed, and anatomically correct, life-sized Jesus on the cross, made from chocolate. The planned exhibition of this figure stirred lots of controversy. The figure was stored somewhere, and the part I remember was that during this storage period rats or mice might have nibbled on the figure a bit, and it needed to be repaired. For more info, just type in search terms "chocolate jesus controversy" and I'm sure you'll find links to stories on this topic.

ChocolateBet: July 7, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Walgreens
Caramel Overload (premium ice cream)
~ 4 fl oz.
Very Good
230 calories/serving isn't too bad.
Purchased at: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Who knew that Walgreens had premium ice cream? My daughter and her friend used to walk there from school and buy this. Now I know why.

Misc: I took myself to a Saturday matinee showing of Pixar's film "Ratatouille." The movie was good. The Anton (or was it Antoine) Ego (the critic) character was great. While this movie was all about food and creativity, I think the eponymous vegetable dish, some cheeses, and some soup played a much bigger role than chocolate desserts/sweets. I suppose that would have been too easy. :-). Anyone can cook, er, I mean eat chocolate.

ChocolateBet: July 6, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Unilever
Good Humor with Reeses Ice Cream bar
~ 4 fl oz.
Good - Very Good
310 calories/bar
Good except for the added lactose; again...why?
Purchased at: AMD Cafe

Nuts, chocolate, ice cream - together: what is not to like?

ChocolateBet: July 5, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 small bag
Chocolate Gummy Bears
~ 4 oz.
Very Good
Purchased at: Z Cioccolatos, in North Beach/San Francisco, CA

Comfort chocolate: These are very satisfying and comforting. Some comfort chocolate was fitting for today. I was relieved today to find out that the lump that was surgically removed from my someone close to me recently was benign. Whew.

ChocolateBet: July 4, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Nacional de Chocolates
Santander (See March 5 entry). Is this a duplicate? There are two variants
2.47 oz. total

Misc: Happy 4th of July/Independence Day to all. I tried to find a red, white and blue dessert (that had chocolate in it, but no wheat, flour) that I could stick a sparkler in - and light it. But, I couldn't find something like this in time for the fireworks today.

ChocolateBet: July 3, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Starbucks Ice Cream
Coffee with Chocolate Almonds, swirls
1 serving (~ 4 oz.?)
Very Good
$4.99?
Purchased at: Piazzas (market), in Palo Alto, CA

Notes: Enjoyed for dessert over at my parents house with dad, mom, and visiting family members

ChocolateBet: July 2, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Reese's Big Cup - Peanut Butter and Banana Creme
Very Good
Weight: 2.6 oz. - "The King Size"
Calories: 360 calories
Cost: $1.00 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

This "King Size" Reese's tribute to Elvis (from the Hershey Company) was very good; although I have yet to meet a Reese's product I didn't like. I liked this milk chocolate covered peanut butter and banana creme cup better than I thought I would; and the wrapper too.

It's nice when the product is as good as the marketing. There are some fun, relatively new chocolate brands out there with clever packaging, but they often come off as overpriced novelties. This one is the real deal. Thank you; thank you vurry much.

ChocolateBet: July 1, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Mangarosa (Brazilian/Italian restaurant in San Francisco)
Fried bananas with 3 sauces - chocolate, caramel and rum sauces
~ 8 oz??
Very Good, except the light "breading" I had to peel off the bananas

Today, I parked at the top/roof level of the Vallejo St. garage, and enjoyed the view of San Francisco for a moment. From that roof, one can see part of the Bay Bridge, the SF Bay, Alcatraz Island, and other great sights. I enjoyed walking through North Beach; there are so many great restaurants to try for dinner. San Francisco is a great food and chocolate town. Note to self: do a search on top 10 chocolate towns. Nominations?

ChocolateBet: June 30, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Droste
Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds and Honey Nougat
Good
Weight: .87 oz. serving/3.5 oz. total
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar

This "Superior Milk Chocolate Bar" from Droste (Holland) contained pieces of almond and honey nougat, and some hazelnut as well.

Earlier in the day, I was in Santa Cruz, CA, to help celebrate a friend's daughters graduation at their beach house. It was a very nice day, and it was great to talk with other people at the party as well. This got me thinking about chocolates, specifically about how food memories are often tied to celebrations, like graduations, birthdays, holidays, etc. One could write a book around this theme.

ChocolateBet: June 29, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
Himalania
Dark Chocolate Covered Goji Berries
1 oz. serving/ 6 0z. total package
These are Very Good; I don't know that much about Goji Berries, but they taste good in dark chocolate.
Calories: ~ 150 calories ? for 1 oz.
$8.99/6 oz. package

We bought these at Elephant Pharmacy. I'm not sure if it's a big chain or not, but I like the name of this relatively new store, and it's an interesting (albeit expensive) place to go to shop. They also are a good source of high-end chocolates.

ChocolateBet: June 28, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Fran's Chocolates, Ltd.
1 Smoked Salt Caramel
~.35 oz. each (~9.8 grams)/2.45 oz. (68.6 g.) in total pkg.
Very Good - Yum
Calories: ~ 50
Cost: $9.99 for a package (of 7 pieces)
Purchased at: Elephant Pharmacy, Los Altos, CA

These are very good; I brought them to the hair salon where I had my hair "done" today, and shared them. I took some vacation day time to catch up from Minnesota trip, pay bills, check messages, to visit mom, and to see a movie "Ocean's 13." Great chocolate, to go with a relaxing day.

ChocolateBet: June 27, 2007

Chocolate of the Day: 

Jo's Candies
"Lemon Breeze"
Very Good
Weight: ~.5 oz. (~ 75 calories?)
Purchased at: Julia's store; GrandView Lodge; Nisswa, MN

Today I had one piece of "Lemon Breeze" from Jo's Candies. It was Very Good, and I shared it with my daughter.

Misc: We watched little chipmunks racing around one last time around the trees at the lodge where we were staying, and then we drove back down to the airport - just making our flight. Actually my daughter ran on board a minute or so ahead of me. I stopped to buy a bottle of water, some gum -- and to look one last time for some chocolate I might have missed, and barely made it on-board before the doors closed. Given that I'm usually an hour early for any flight, my daughter was surprised to see me sauntering onto the plane at the last minute with a gift shop bag in tow. Chocolate can influence behavior.

ChocolateBet: June 26, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 sucker
Vertigo
Chocolate Caramel sucker
~.75 oz.
Very Good
~ 100 calories
(Brought with me; had purchased a small bag of these suckers at Bed Bath & Beyond in Mountain View, CA)

Misc.: Today I went down a big water slide into the pool at the lodge by the lake where we've been staying for a family reunion in Minnesota. Water slides seem to be huge out here. It's hard to believe that it gets so cold here in the winter. Maybe this is why water slides are big. People are trying to make hay, while the sun shines. We are spoiled on the West Coast. We can walk to the store and buy chocolate, or anything else, any time of the year without freezing to death. Chocolate foraging year-long, unconstrained by weather.

ChocolateBet: June 25, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Pearson Candy Co.
Pearson's Nut Goodies
Very Good, but messy on a hot day
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in one package/bar
Cost: $0.65
Purchased from: Schaefers Foods, Nisswa, MN

Pearson's* Nut Goodies are a local specialty here in Minnesota, where we are this week for a family reunion.

When I bought one and the young girl at the cash register heard me say I'd never tried one before, she thought this was pretty weird.

It's a wonder some of these regional brands have survived given that competition from the larger global brands is probably fairly stiff. But, the home town hero may have an advantage at times. The "local" angle got me to buy one.

*The Pearson Candy Co. is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

ChocolateBet: June 24, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Jo's Candies
Toffee Bites
Very Good
Weight: ~ 1 oz. (28.3 g.)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Purchased at: GrandView Lodge, Nisswa, MN

Misc: Old wood lodges by lakes are wonderful; little tiny chipmunks appear around corners outside, and dragonflies come out at dusk. There were even nice chocolates for sale in the gift area.

ChocolateBet: June 23, 2007

Today's chocolate requirement was satisfied by a few pieces (~ 1/2 oz.) of chocolate from of a 2 oz. bag of Mississippi River Rocks ($2.75); these were purchased at the Mill City Museum, on the River in Minneapolis. The candy "shells" are colored and textured to look like small rocks or river pebbles, but they have chocolate centers.

These "rocks" were Very Good. I plan to try to fool the small children with these.

P.S. I was successful at fooling the small children, and at getting small head shakes of pity and disapproval from adults. What could be better.

Note to self: How many different kinds of chocolate rocks are there? Probably lots and lots.

ChocolateBet: June 22, 2007

We enjoyed more family reunion-related activities today, and we visited places where more chocolates could be found, including the Mill City Museum, where I purchased today's chocolate.

The chocolate of the day was a (~.75 oz.) chocolate representation of the state of Minnesota (made by Custom Chocolate). It was Very Good. I ate the whole state, for a $1.25.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

ChocolateBet: June 21, 2007

Alas, I did not get the brand, or name of company who makes the chocolate I had today. My daughter and I, and many other family members and relatives, boarded an authentic Mississippi river boat this evening for a cruise up and down the river and through the locks, and for dinner and drinks as well.

My chocolate for today was a chocolate - dipped fresh strawberry that I'd rate as Very Good - Yum. It was also timely that we did this cruise on this summer soltice evening, as there was additional entertainment/soltice celebrations and dancers on the river banks to watch as we went by. It was great timing.

Postscript: about a month after this trip, a large bridge collapsed a few miles from where these river boats dock. I hope their business was not affected, and that everyone we spoke to is OK.

ChocolateBet: June 20, 2007

Vacations and chocolate are an easy mix. My daughter and I flew to Minnesota for a family reunion. And no sooner did we start to stroll toward the baggage claim area when we ran into the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the Minneapolis airport. Once again, airports gift shops help tourists gain easy access to local chocolate favorites.

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries
1 piece, ~.5 oz.
Very Good
Purchased at: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store in Minneapolis, MN airport

ChocolateBet: June 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving/sucker
1 Vertigo Chocolate Strawberry sucker
~.75 oz.??
Very Good
Calories: about 100 calories??
Purchased at: Bed Bath & Beyond, in Mountain View, CA

ChocolateBet: June 18, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 serving
Tootsie Roll Industries
Junior Caramels
Good
Wt.: 4.25 oz. total box/pkg.
Calories: 1/2 serving =~6 pieces =~95 calories
Cost: $1.49 for total box/pkg.
Purchased at: Bed, Bath & Beyond store in Mountain View, CA

ChocolateBet: June 17, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving (2 pieces)
Lammes Candies
Longhorns - pecans and caramel in (milk) chocolate
Very Good
Weight: .75 oz. / 1.5 oz. total for 2 piece box
Calories: 110 calories for 1 piece
$0 - gift ($3.99 regular price)
Purchased from: N/A - gift (San Antonio, TX airport)

We might call these turtles. But, in Texas these chocolate covered, pecan-studded caramel confections are called Longhorns.

My boyfriend brought these Longhorns, from Lammes Candies, back from Texas; and we ate these at the end of a hike up a mountain, near Pacifica, CA. We sat on a bench at the top and had a great view of the Pacific Ocean and Pacifica down below. The millionaire view, with chocolate.

ChocolateBet: June 16, 2007


Chocolate of the Day:
.5 oz.
Niederegger Lubeck
Marzipan - Erdbeer-Kiwi (Strawberry Kiwi)
Weight: .5 oz. (14 grams)/ 3.5 oz. (100 grams) in total bar
Calories: ~ 80 calories in 1/2 oz.
Cost: $(~$3.69)
Purchased from: (World Market?)

ChocolateBet: June 15, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
Ritter Sport Mini
Milk Chocolate (Vollmilch)
16.67 grams
Good - Very Good
Calories: approx. 90 per bar
$3.49 (for an assortment of several different Ritter mini bars)
Purchased at: World Market, Mountain View, CA

Misc: I fed an over-eager squirrel at the back kitchen door some whole almonds that I like to eat with different chocolates sometimes. (No, don't worry, I didn't feed the squirrel any chocolate, although I thought I saw a squirrel next door eating part of an Oreo cookie a few years ago.) OK, back to the point...Raw/Unsalted almonds and water are a decent palette cleanser between chocolate tastings.

ChocolateBet: June 14, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Ritter Sport Mini
Chocolate with Marzipan
16.67 grams
Good; nothing bad, just not really great...
Calories: approx. 90 per bar
$3.49 (for an assortment of several different Ritter mini bars)
Purchased at: World Market, Mountain View, CA

What was great today was attending my daughter's high school graduation ceremony and dinner up in the hills (behind the Mountain Terrace Restaurant on Skyline) on a broad stretch of lawn - ringed by tall trees and a bit of a view down into the valley below.

My mom got permission to leave her care facility, and my dad pushed her wheelchair to the front so that she could give my daughter her diploma. It was a great moment. And speaking of sweet things. There were some desserts with chocolate at the dinner, but they had wheat in them, so I had my Ritter sport mini.

ChocolateBet: June 13, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Ritter Sport Mini
Chocolate with Nougat/Praline
16.67 grams
Good - Very Good; the small size is very nice.
Calories: approx. 90 per bar
$3.49 total (for assortment of several Ritter mini bars)
Purchased at: World Market, Mountain View, CA

Misc: I ate a delicious nectarine today, and thought about - when I finish my "year of chocolate" - it might be refreshing to try a "fruit year" - where I tried to eat a different kind or variety of fruit every day. That, or maybe salads, or soups. All things I like, and maybe a little less caloric too. I'd really love to do a "beach" year next, but that probably requires more vacation time off than I have accrued. Ah well. Life is full of good material we can use for fun projects.

ChocolateBet: June 12, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Ritter Sport Mini
Chocolate with corn flakes (knusperflakes)
16.67 grams
Good - Very Good; tastes like chocolate with corn flakes - because it is :-). I like the small size.
Approx. 90 calories per bar
$3.49 total (for a variety pack of small Ritter mini bars)
Purchased at: World Market, Mountain View, CA

Misc: Hey, if we put rice crispies in our chocolate, why not corn flakes, or other flakes or puffs? And speaking of breakfast cereal, I was happy to have the chance to make my daughter and I some breakfast (mostly for her) before her math final today.

ChocolateBet: June 11, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 pkg/drink
Ecco Bella
health by chocolate "instant bliss" drink mix
1 oz./28 g.
Very Good; tastes like fancy chocolate milk
~210 calories w/ milk
$2.49/1 oz. packet
Purchased at: (?Elephant Pharmacy, Los Altos, CA?)

Random entry: I saw the movie "Paprika" this evening after work. Sort of a bizarre, but creatively interesting Japanese animated film. I didn't see any dancing chocolates, but there might have been some. I'll watch more closely next time, if I see the movie again in the future.

ChocolateBet: June 10, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
~ 1 oz./part of 1 bar
Niederegger Lubeck
Marzipan Peach Mango bar
~ 3.5 oz. (100 grams) total
Good - Very Good
$3.69
Purchased at: World Market, Mountain View, CA

Got to sleep in, then I drove up the coast to San Francisco. The scenery was beautiful, with caramel-orange colored cliffs jutting up out of turquoise surf.

Comments: Chocolate & wine can be better enjoyed when shared; I ate this chocolate with my sister and my dad at my parent's house in the evening.

ChocolateBet: June 9, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
Ben & Jerry's (ice cream)
New York Fudge Chunk
1 serving ~ 4 oz.
Very Good
~260 calories

Random addition:
I ate this with some milk and nuts in a bowl. Try it; you'll see, it's not bad. And speaking of nuts, we went to go see a comedy this evening - Jay Apatow's movie "Knocked Up" which had people laughing out loud in several parts.

ChocolateBet: June 8, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving, ~1/3 bar
Ritter Sport
Cappucino
~1.16 oz. or ~37.5 grams (3.5 oz./100 g. for total bar)
Good; although it's a bit too sweet for my taste; and they add lactose.
Calories: 220 calories for 1 srvg (sounds a bit high; maybe it's the palm oil)
$1.99
Purchased at: World Market, Mountain View, CA

Comment/Open Question: Lactose is not well tolerated by millions of people around the globe. Why is there lactose in so many foods and medicines? I seem to remember that it may facilitate the mixing of ingredients together, or somesuch. My guess it's just an inexpensive sugar-type substance they found a use for.

ChocolateBet: June 7, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Ritter Sport
Milk chocolate with coconut (bar)
1 bar - 3.5 oz./100 g. total
Very Good; 660 calories
$1.99
Purchased at World Market, Mountain View

Notes: I love chocolate and coconut (in hot cocoa (with or without alcohol), german chocolate cake, some candy, ice cream - all the better if there are nuts involved. Although some folks are being warned by their doctor to stay away from coconut - for health reasons; usually the concern is over coconut milk and high saturated fat content. Hey, just don't eat it every day. Personally, I'd be more worried about all the hidden trans fats and other things.

ChocolateBet: June 6, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 bar
Cadbury
Royal Dark - dark semi-sweet chocolate
1.5 oz. (~42g) serving/4.5 oz. (127 g) total (for whole bar)
Good - Very Good
basic dark chocolate
220 calories for 1 serving (710 calories in whole bar)

Misc: This bar is manufactured by The Hershey Company, under license from Cadbury Ltd. I like the royal insignia on this label; it states "by appointment to H.M. the Queen... Cocoa and chocolate manufacturers Cadbury Ltd., Bournville." I may not be around long enough myself to collect one of these Royal Warrant stamps for supplying something valuable to the royals, but it's fun to see one.

ChocolateBet: June 5, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
E. Guittard
Sur Del Lago Bittersweet (Venezuela) - single origin choc
1 oz. serving - 1/2 bar (2 oz. bar total)
Good - Very Good
basic dark chocolate
145 calories for 1 serving or 1/2 bar
65% cacao
$?
Purchased at: Easy Foods Market, in Mountain View, CA

There is lots of language describing these single origins (chocolates) like a fine wine.

For example: "Complex chocolate flavors underlie subtle hints of red berry fruit. Cacao beans used to make this chocolate were harvested from trees of Criollo and Trinitario heritage in Venezuela's Sur del Lago region."

Also..."Each E. Guittard single origin chocolate is carefully crafted to showcase the unique flavors of the region and the ancient cacao tree type from which it came. We refer to them as our 'sipping chocolates' and savor them as one savors a fine wine."

When each bean or grape has a story behind it, people are probably also willing to pay more for the end product.

ChocolateBet: June 4, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
E. Guittard
Ambanja Bittersweet (Madagascar) bar5
1 oz. serving - 1/2 bar (bar is 2 oz. total)
Very Good
Calories: ~ 145 calories for 1/2 bar (290 cals total)
$?
Purchased at: Easy Foods (Market), Mountain View, CA

Today's chocolate, a single origin, E. Guittard Ambanja Bittersweet (65% cacao) bar, was made from cacao beans from Madagascar, and it had nice, rich flavors.

Misc. notes: This evening I attended a "jewelry party" and got to catch up with an ex-colleague from consulting days. It was great to see her. We talked about life, my silly chocolate bet, what I'm doing at work, etc. She looked slim and very healthy. This reminds me that I need to lose a few pounds I've put on this year. Ah, trade-offs.

ChocolateBet: June 3, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
? serving?
Scharffen Berger
Dark chocolate-coated ginger
~1/8 of an ounce?
Very Good
Purchased at: Piazza's (market), Palo Alto, CA

Misc. notes: These would be good to try in chocolate chip cookies; they could probably be used in place of chocolate chips.

I went to the local art museum today to see an exhibit (and, yes, I always check the museum shop for chocolate items). I also re-watched the movie/documentary on artist Andy Goldsworthy, entitled "Rivers and Tides." It's wonderfully creative, and visually compelling. Note-to-self: It would be fun to do a nature-inspired sculptural piece like this, somehow incorporating chocolate.

Dagoba - ChocolateBet: June 2, 2007

Chocolate of the Day: 

1/4 bar
Dagoba
Brasilia - chocolate, coconut and exotic nuts bar
Good - Very Good
Weight: ~.5 oz. serving (1/4 bar)
Calories: ~82 calories for 1/4 bar
Cost: $?
Purchased in: (Gualala, CA?)

It's Saturday, and I made it to the gym today. That always makes me feel a bit better, and makes it easier to justify sampling chocolate. But, work has really heated up again, and I have some additional responsibilities now that make it difficult to leave early enough in the evenings to work out - before the gym closes at 8 p.m.

This Dagoba Brasilia bar was made with 37% cacao chocolate, coconut and nuts.

Notes: In my mind it's hard to go too far wrong when you combine chocolate, coconut and nuts. It's interesting to note though that this combination can range from ok to incredible. This was somewhere in between. I'll have to pay more attention to ingredients, and other reasons why such variations occur.

ChocolateBet: June 1, 2007

Happy birthday to my dad today. He bounced back from open heart surgery a few months ago and is already taking long bicycle rides again.

Tonight after work I met a friend in downtown Palo Alto to do the First Friday gallery artwalk. And I was on the look-out for some stores with different chocolates as well. And I did find one...

The chocolate for the day is:
(sample)
The Cocoa Room (www.thecocoaroom.com) I at first thought co name was Chocolate Room, but I'm correcting this.
Chocolate-coated sunflower seeds
~ 1/8 of an ounce serving (sample at an art store downtown Palo Alto)
Good - Very Good
The Cocoa Room is based in Chicago, Ill.

ChocolateBet: May 31, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
~1/4 bar
Ritter
Milk Chocolate with Whole Hazelnuts (bar)
~.75 oz.? (smaller size)/3.5 oz. (100g.) in total bar
Good - Very Good

Misc: Happy birthday to my daughter Megan. Yesterday was her actual birthday. While she is allergic to nuts and can't share this candy bar with me, I was remembering throwing her a birthday party in the park when she was very young. We covered a few park picnic tables with tablecloths and paper, and let the kids "make" and decorate their own cupcakes. May all your memories be as sweet.

ChocolateBet: May 30, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Alexandra's Collection
Dark Chocolate Pecan Patty
1 oz./28 g.
Very Good; fair trade certified
Calories: 150 calories
Purchased at: Surf Supermarket, in Gualala, CA

Misc: Happy birthday to my daughter. She turns 18 today.

ChocolateBet: May 29, 2007

Getting things done at work after taking a break is always satisfying.

Today's chocolate is:
1 serving
Alexandra's Collection
Dark Chocolate Toffee Chip
1 oz.
Very Good; 61% cocoa; fair trade certified
Calories: 150 calories
Purchased at: Surf Super (aka Surf Supermarket), in Gualala, CA

ChocolateBet: May 27 and 28, 2007

Chocolate(s) of the Day(s):

Horrors. I've left out an entry for May 28. I'm having to combine these two entries for May 27 and May 28, because I don't have the time to see if I can fix this right now.

May 27, 2007
It's great to be on vacation for the weekend. A change of scene does wonders, as does catching up on sleep. One of the great things about traveling is discovering local food makers and their specialties. Today, I discovered Trinks desserts - and their Rocky Road candy at a local supermarket in the coastal town of Gualala. (Highway 1 runs through the center of town.) This candy is made in Gualala and ingredients include dark chocolate, walnuts, and marshmallows.

Chocolate of the Day (5/27):
1 serving/container
Trinks Desserts
3.2 oz. total
Very Good - Yum - This is very tasty, and could be addictive.
320 calories
$6.99/container/pkg.
Purchased at: Surf Super (Market), in Gualala, CA

May 28, 2007
Chocolate of the Day (5/28):
1 serving (1/4 bar)
Seattle Chocolates
Cappuccino Crunch - Toffee, Almonds, and Espresso (milk chocolate)
2.5 oz. (70 grams) total
Good - Very Good - espresso used is a bit strong for this milk chocolate
Calories: 100 for 1/4 bar
Purchased at: either Surf Super (Market) in Gualala, CA; or Easy Foods Market in Mountain View, CA?

ChocolateBet: May 26, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1/4 bar
Ritter Sport
Milk Chocolate with whole almonds (bar)
1 serving
3.5 oz./100 g. total
Very Good
Calories: 150 calories for 1/4 bar
Purchased at: Easy Foods Market, in downtown Mountain View, CA

ChocolateBet: May 25, 2007

I have decided to drive up north for the weekend to a place called the Sea Ranch. It's a great, peaceful, beautiful place by the Pacific Ocean that, years ago, used to be a working ranch. Now it's mostly a place for vacation homes - done in the "style of" old sheep barn structures - natural wood, that homeowners are not allowed to paint.

On the drive up Highway 1 (a winding road with beautiful views of the ocean) I stop at a gas station and go into their little convenience store to get something to eat, and to look for strange chocolate items if they have them. They did have the following:

Chocolate of the Day:
Nestle
Shrek Sludge Fudge Bar
1 bar
Good - Very Good
150 calories; cute greenish-yellow caramel "ogre" filling inside the frozen fudge bar itself.
Purchased at: gas station convenience store off Highway 1, (Jenner? or Bodega Bay?)

ChocolateBet: May 24, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 "bottle"
Anthon Berg
(1 small foil-wrapped chocolate "bottle" with liquor filling)
Stoli Ohranj
~.75 oz.
Very Good
~$0.79 each/per bottle
Purchased at: Easy Foods (market) in Mountain View, CA

Today I'm finally in the right mode to cut back on over-eating. I think this has less to do with all this chocolate I've been eating, and more to do with all the family health and other wacky stressful stuff that's been going on since last November. Oh yes, I could cut back on how much chocolate I eat each day, and exercise more. Yes indeed.

ChocolateBet: May 23, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
Anthon Berg
Galliano
(1 foil-wrapped chocolate "bottle" with liquor filling)
Very Good
Wt.: ~ .75 oz.?
Calories: ~ 108 cals (estim.)
Cost: $~0.79
Purchased at Easy Foods Market, Mountain View, CA

ChocolateBet: May 22, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
1 "bottle"
Anthon Berg
Grand Marnier
(1 foil-wrapped chocolate "bottle" with liquor filling)
Wt. ~.75 oz.
Good, if you like liquor taste
Cost: ~$0.79
Purchased at: Easy Foods Market, in Mountain View, CA

ChocolateBet: May 21, 2007


Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving (4 squares)
Lindt (Excellence Line)
Intense Pear (dark chocolate) bar
Very Good - Yum; very nice strong pear taste, almond and chocolate flavors.
Wt.: 40 grams in 1 srvg. (4 squares)/3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: ~ 190 cals. in 1 serving

The pear taste is very natural and it's almost surprising that you can taste it this much against dark chocolate. It's great. I wish more chocolate makers would use flavors like this.

I'm feeling grateful that I'm getting in some writing with this chocolate log. I'd love to do more creative writing as well. I have some short stories started. I trawl for images after work. I went to a bookstore to browse in the evening; and saw a lot of heart shapes for some reason. (I've seen them everywhere this past week. What's with this?) Hmm. How can I work this into a short story...I saw a sunset that looked like a nuclear bomb of golden light went off. Not chocolate-related, but I just had to add this too. It was beautiful and I feel grateful I was outside/driving home and able to see it. Hmmm, does that fit into a short story? OK, I'll stick with chocolate for now.

ChocolateBet: May 20, 2007

Chocovic
Ocumare (Venezuela)
1 serving - 20g/80g total
Very Good; nice bouquet; 71% cocoa; had with milk and wheat-free cookies.

And speaking of a nice bouquet, I'm enjoying some beautiful multi-colored bouquet of yellow, yellow/rose, and yellow/peach roses from my yard. I also had the good fortune to catch a great sunset. A salmon-colored sky garnished with blue-gray cloud wisps. It feels good to have accomplished a few things this weekend around the house as well. Chocolate and simple pleasures: food, flowers, friends, family.

ChocolateBet: May 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day: 

Wt. ~ 4 oz.
Calories: ~ 290
Cost: ~$4.00
Obtained from: Rose Pistola Restaurant, North Beach, San Francisco, CA

Going to get my hair cut is always a bit of an indulgence; and this Saturday I'm doing just that. And then I'm going to an Artists Open Studios in Belmont. After that it's on to San Francisco - where I plan on eating dinner at Rose Pistola restaurant in North Beach.

Dessert at Rose Pistola was an affogato with (Guittard) chocolate pieces on top. It was very nice of them to provide a chocolate version of this great but very simple dessert (espresso and vanilla gelato). As I was eating dessert, the musician Carlos Santana walked by and gave us diners in his path a look and a small head nod, as if to say - that's right, it's me. Santana has reinvented himself over the years and I hope he keeps doing so, inspiring others along the way. 
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