ChocolateBet: December 31, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Teuscher
Champagne Truffles (regular/milk)
Yum - These are great
Weight: ~ .9 oz.
Calories: 135 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: Teuscher store, in Palo Alto, CA

Happy end of 2008, and Joyous New Year all!

These champagne truffles seemed a perfect choice for New Year's Eve., and were some of the best truffles I've tasted from Teuscher's U.S. based shops. The Swiss really do make great, smooth milk chocolate. I liked this "standard" (milk chocolate) version better than the dark chocolate Champagne Truffles (that I had last year).

ChocolateBet: December 30, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
6 pieces
Teuscher
Ginger (dark chocolate covered)
Very Good
Wt.: ~.8 oz.
Calories: ~108 calories (estim.)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: Teuscher store, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: December 29, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Teuscher
Orange Slice (Milk Chocolate Covered)
Good +; nice orange flavor
Wt.: ~ .6 oz.
Calories: ~ 87 calories (estim.)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: Teuscher store, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: December 28, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

4 pieces
R.M. Palmer
Double Crisp Santas 'n Snowmen
Good
Weight: .66 oz./ 2 oz. (56 grams) in total pkg.
Calories: 97 calories (estimate) in 4 pieces
Cost: $ 0.50 for 2 oz. package (12 pieces)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: December 27, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
7 squares
Seeds of Change
Santa Catarina (dark chocolate with mango, toasted coconut, and cashews) 61% cacao; organic
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 70 grams/3.53 oz. (100.1 grams) total bar
Calories: ~ 403 calories in 7 squares (70 grams)
Cost: $0 (gift/share)
Purchased from: N/A

Thanks Alec for sharing this bar.

ChocolateBet: December 26, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1 item/snowman
Russell Stover
Chocolate Marshmallow Snowman
Good; a bit too sweet for me, but it might be nice dunked in some hot chocolate
Weight: 7/8 oz. (25 grams)
Calories: 100 calories for one snowman
Cost: $0.41
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

2.) 1 piece of Cheescake Factory flourless Peppermint (Chocolate) Cheesecake
topped with whipped cream and bits of peppermint candy - not counting this on my spreadsheet, but I will come back and try the other flourless varieties in the future.

Another two-fisted chocolate day this holiday week. I'm going to have to work hard at the gym this weekend - meaning more than my usual 15-minute workout.

ChocolateBet: December 25, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

parts of a homemade chocolate sports car
(Dagoba dark bar melted and used in chocolate sports car mold)
Very Good - Very Good +
Wt.: ~ .6 oz. (for cockpit and spoiler parts of small sports car)
Calories: 85 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: N/A

Thank you to Alec who became a chocolatier this last week and made some fun molded chocolate cars for the holidays using this 59% cacao Dagoba organic dark chocolate bar. (He visited a chocolate/candy supply store in Milpitas, CA and bought supplies, including bar and sports car molds, and experimented with various bars and molds until (bubble free)* cars were ready to roll off the assembly line to be displayed, and quickly eaten.)

*When making chocolate, trays and/or molds are often shaken or agitated to allow trapped air bubbles in melted chocolate to rise to the surface or dissipate. If making chocolate on a small scale, one can also prick visible bubbles with a toothpick.

ChocolateBet: December 24, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 nutcracker bar
Snickers (Mars)
Nutcracker
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 1.0 oz. (28.4 grams)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in one Nutcracker
Cost: $0.59
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

It is glorious to have a day off to relax. Today, I had a massage at Embody in Mountain View, CA. They were giving out small Monbana (70% cacao) squares. A nice touch. So, once again this week, it's a two-chocolate day. All this chocolate abundance helps me keep the bad media reports about the collapsing economy at a distance. Can you say chocolate-fueled denial? Happy holidays all.

ChocolateBet: December 23, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 "tree"
Reese's/Hershey
Milk Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Tree
Very Good
Wt.: 1.2 oz. (34 grams)/7.2 oz. (204 g.) in total package of 6 trees
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $3.99 for package of 6 trees
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

My kind of 6-pack. One for me, five to share. Happy holidays to all.

ChocolateBet: December 22, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Disney (branded with/by? Walgreens) and U.K. mfr.
Happy Holiday Chocolate Figurines (in White and Milk Chocolate)
16 mini figurines (Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore shapes)
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 1.52 oz. (43 grams) in total package
Calories: 240 calories
Cost: $1.99 for total pkg.
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was another two-chocolate day. It's holiday week. Eating lots of novelty and gift chocolate items this week.

1.) Chocolate #1 - These tiny little Pooh bear figurines were cute. Bizarre observation of the day: The white chocolate figurines (see scanned image of these chocolates, above right) seem a bit blurred, as if they were moving around (trying to escape perhaps?). Perhaps white chocolate vibrates at a higher frequency, or becomes unbalanced once the cocoa solids have been taken out. No, 'fraid not. I'm sure there was a perfectly reasonable scientific optical explanation for their relatively more blurred appearance. Waiting for Dr. Science to weigh in...In the meantime...

2.) Chocolate #2 for the day was a very nice homemade chocolate creme caramel at a friend's house, following a great crab dinner. I admire the cook's creativity - she used three different kinds of chocolate (including a chocolate Santa) for the creme caramel.

ChocolateBet: December 21, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Chocolate #1
3 squares
Reese's/Hershey
Milk Chocolate Reese's (bar) Filled With Reese's Peanut Butter
Very Good
Wt.: 30 grams/4.25 oz. (120 grams) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories for 3 squares
Cost: $2.19 for total bar
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

2) Chocolate #2
1 brownie
(Homemade gift from Yanna - gluten-free too)
Very Good + - Yum
Wt.: 2.7 oz. (estimate) (~ 2.5 x 2.5 inches square)
Calories: 295 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: N/A

It was a lovely two-chocolate day today. The weather was cold and damp outside, but the chocolate holiday spirit was alive and well inside. Thank you to Yanna for dropping off the great homemade brownies.

ChocolateBet: December 20, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2/3 of a bar/serving
Jolly Gourmet/My Favorite Co. co-branded w/ Barry Callebaut
Smooth White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Truffle Bar
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 1.04 oz. (29.7 grams) (estimate) in 2/3 bar/1.58 oz. (45 grams) in total package
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 2/3 of a bar/serving
Cost: $0 (gift) - Thank you Megan! ($1.99 was the price marked on box)
Purchased from: (N/A - gift)

Made with a Barry Callebaut (Zurich, Switzerland) white chocolate coating, this layered creamy smooth + crunchy Jolly Gourmet confection was dressed up to look like an ice cream bar on a stick. Inside, the bar had a chocolate truffle center with cocoa powder and a layer of crunchy peppermint bits. Similar red and white bits adorned the outside of the bar.

ChocolateBet: December 19, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1.5 oz. serving
M and M's Premiums
Chocolate Almond (roasted whole almonds and milk chocolate)
Very Good
Wt.: 1.5 oz. (42 grams or ~1/4 cup)/ 6.0 oz. (170.1 grams) in total package
Calories: 240 calories in 1.5 oz. serving
Cost: $4.00 (sale)
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: December 18, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 oz.
M and M's/Mars (Premiums)
Mint Chocolate (M and Ms) - "white chocolate mint wrapped in dark chocolate"
Very Good
Wt.: 1 oz. (28.3 g.)/6.0 oz. (170.1 g.) in total package
Calories: 158 calories (estimate) in 1 oz.
Cost: $4.00 (sale) for total package
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Pictured in this entry are images of the Mint Chocolate M and Ms from Mars. The familiar disc shaped pieces were created with mint white chocolate centers, wrapped in dark chocolate, and covered in dark green candy shells.

I wondered how these (likely limited edition) new M and M's Premiums chocolate candies were doing in the stores. Mint and chocolate combinations are always fairly popular; and these were attractive and tasty. However, some people may want to stick with more "traditional" M and M's (plain dark chocolate and peanut).

ChocolateBet: December 17, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Russell Stover ("American Classics" series)
New York Cheesecake Ganache
Good
Weight: 16 grams for 1 square/ 4.5 oz. (128 grams) in total pkg.
Calories: 80 calories for 1 square
Cost: ?
Purchased from: Walgreens

Today's milk chocolate squares from Russell Stover Candies (Kansas City, MO) were filled with a New York cheesecake ganache, and a hint of raspberry.

ChocolateBet: December 16, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving, 2 squares
Russell Stover (American Classics series)
Southern Pecan Chocolate Torte ("naturally flavored")
Good - Good +
Weight: 32 grams/4.5 oz. (128 grams) in total package
Calories: 160 calories in one 2-piece serving
Cost: $3.49 for total package
Purchased from: Walgreens, on Stockton St., in San Francisco, CA

These are even better when you eat them with a handful for pecans.

ChocolateBet: December 15, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 pkg of 3 pieces
Werther's Original (August Storck KG, Germany)
Caramel Chocolate Dark (42% cacao)
Very Good
Weight: .7 0z. (19 grams)
Calories: 120 calories
Cost: $ 0.89
Purchased from: Blockbuster, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: December 14, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving (4 pieces)
choxie (Target)
dark chocolate nut truffle meltaways
1.) peanut brittle - Good +
2.) pecan praline - Very Good
3.) honey glazed almond - Good + - Very Good
4.) toffee pistachio - Good +
Wt.: 29 grams for one each of the 4 above/8 oz. (226 g.) in total pkg.
Calories: 210 calories for one 4-pc. serving
Cost: $5.00
Purchased from: Target, in Mountain View, CA

This package of choxie (Target brand) chocolates contained four different "dark chocolate nut truffle meltaways" -- all with some type of nut, or nut brittle. The pecan praline flavor was a favorite.

ChocolateBet: December 13, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving (4 pcs.)
Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier
Chocolate Covered Black Sesame Crunch
Very Good +
Weight: 29 grams/5 oz. (142 g.) in total package
Calories: 180 calories for 29 g., 4-pc. serving
Cost: $6.49 for total package
Purchased from: Central Market, in Plano, TX

These dark chocolate covered Black Sesame Crunch pieces (filled with a nice blend of almonds and sesame seeds) from Bissinger's (St. Louis, MO) were very satisfying. Even better: no wheat, and no artificial colors or flavors.

ChocolateBet: December 12, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1.5 ounces
Old Dominion Peanut Company (since 1913)
"Master Pieces - Dipped Toffee Peanuts"
Very Good
Wt.: 1.5 oz. (42.4 grams)/10 oz. (283 grams) in total box
Calories: 225 calories in 1.5 oz.
Cost: $3.89 for total box
Purchased from: Ross, in Plano, TX

While on the road in Texas, I stopped into Ross to buy a pair of socks, and I saw these Old Dominion Dipped Toffee Peanuts. 

ChocolateBet: December 11, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Sanders Candy
Milk Chocolate Honey Roasted Peanut Bark
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 grams)/ 6.5 oz. (184 grams) in total box
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) for one 1.4 oz. serving
Cost: $ 6.99 for total box
Purchased from: Central Market, in Plano, TX

Today's offering was from Sanders Candy (Clinton Township, MI). Milk chocolate was "swirled with" fresh honey roasted peanuts (a tasty combination) and resulting, sweet bark pieces were arranged in this long, rectangular box.

ChocolateBet: December 10, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

6 pieces/1 box
Bissinger's
Salted Margarita Caramels
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 2.2 oz. (62 grams)
Calories: 225 calories in 6 pieces
Cost: $7.99 total box (6 pieces)
Purchased from: Central Market, in Plano, TX

I've enjoyed salted caramels infused with lavender, rosemary, and other flavorings. The Margarita (tequila extract and slight citrus) flavor gave these Bissinger's chocolate covered caramels an interesting twist, and blended authentically with the salt crystals on top.

ChocolateBet: December 9, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

3 pieces
C. J. Olson Cherries
Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Clusters
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 1.1 oz./6 oz. total bag/pkg.
Calories: ~ 152 calories for 3 pieces
Cost: $ 8.65 for total bag/package
Purchased from: TC Temp books, Airport shop, at San Jose, CA (SJC) airport

ChocolateBet: December 8, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

4 pieces
Halloren/G. F. Handel's
Brandy Beans
Very Good
Weight: 33 g./7 oz. (200g) total box
Calories: 140 calories for 4 pieces
Cost: $ 7.99 for total box (24 pcs.)
Purchased from: Central Market, in Plano, TX

I was in the Dallas, TX, area, traveling on business, and I decided to buy dinner from a supermarket in the area. I went to the Central Market, chain of stores in Texas. It was a large store - sort of a cross between a Whole Foods Market (another chain that originated in Texas) and a deluxe indoor farmers market.

These bittersweet chocolates (made in Germany) were shaped a little like "beans" and were filled with brandy flavoring. These beans made up 1/2 of my dinner back at the hotel. It was wonderfully relaxing.

ChocolateBet: December 7, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
2 items
Baskin Robbins
Individual "turkey" (frozen) - vanilla ice cream w/ chocolate cookies & frosting
Good - fun novelty item
Wt.: ~ 6 oz. ? (estim.)
Calories: ~ 360 cals. (estimated)
Cost: $ 3.19 for each "turkey"/$12.76 for an order of 4
Purchased from: Baskin Robbins (No. 137), in Palo Alto, CA

This year Baskin Robbins was featuring a large ice cream turkey, and smaller individual ones. I bought a tiny flock of 4 individual turkeys (2 chocolate, 2 vanilla) to try today. They're cute to look at. I couldn't eat the little chocolate cookie parts - which looked good, but these were fun to eat and to share, nonetheless.

ChocolateBet: December 6, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving - 3 pieces
Jelly Belly Candy Company
Sunkist Chocolate Raspberry Fruit Gems
("Naturally Flavored Soft Fruit Candy Coated with Dark Chocolate")
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: ~1.28 oz. (37 g.)/ 3.2 oz. (90g) total bag
Calories: "30" calories per serving (Note: This sounds too low for 3 pc. srvg. I'm calling them to double-check whether this is correct.)
Cost: $1.95 for total bag/package
Purchased from: Village Stationers, in Palo Alto, CA

Jelly Belly is perhaps most well-known for their jelly beans, but a few of their items also contain chocolate and/or cocoa powder.

The company opens their facility in the Fairfield, CA, area (a few hours away from where I live) to visitors; and one of these days I'll get up there for a tour.

ChocolateBet: December 5, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Snickers/Mars, Incorporated
Snickers Nut'n butter Crunch
("Milk Chocolate, Peanuts and Creamy Peanut Butter taste")
Very Good +
Weight: 1.71 oz. (48.5 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 250 calories
Cost: $~.69?
Purchased from: ? (need to find receipt)

All variations of the original Snickers bar (part of Mars) have been good. That is, in part, due to the power of chocolate and peanuts and/or peanut butter in this case.

ChocolateBet: December 4, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

8 small squares
Alter Eco Fair Trade
Dark Chocolate Almond ("sun-dried and slow-roasted")
(El Ceibo Cooperative, Bolivia)
Good+
Wt.: 33.6 grams in 8 squares/3.5 oz. (100 grams) in total bar
Calories: ~168 calories in 8 small squares
Cost: $ ?
Purchased from: ?

I'd bought these dark chocolate almonds from Alter Eco some time ago. A nice story was included, printed on the packaging, about where the cacao had come from (a co-op in Bolivia). 

ChocolateBet: December 3, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1.5 servings (3/4 cup)
Hershey's (branded)/Houston Harvest, Inc.
Hershey's Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn
Good +
Wt.: 3/4 cup (43.5 grams)/6 oz. (170 g.) in total pkg.
Calories: ~ 180 calories for 3/4 cup
Cost: $4.99 for total package
Purchased from: OfficeMax, in Mountain View, CA

I found this chocolate while shopping for office supplies.

ChocolateBet: December 2, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Saxon Chocolates
Dark Chocolate Dipped Apricots
Good +
Wt.: .7 oz. (20 grams)/3.5 oz. (100 g.) total package
Calories: 75 calories for 2 pieces/apricots
Cost: $7.99 for total package of 10
Purchased from: Loehmann's, in Sunnyvale, CA

ChocolateBet: December 1, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 cup
Barefoot Coffee
"deth chocolate" (hot chocolate)
Good +
Wt.: 12 fl oz. size cup; (~355 ml.)
Cost: $5.00
Calories: ~360 calories (wild guess)
Purchased from: Barefoot Coffee, on Stevens Creek Blvd., in Santa Clara, CA

Barefoot Coffee is a fun place; it's not your typical coffee chain. I received my hot deth chocolate with a smiley face in the foam on top. Barefoot's version of hot chocolate is fairly rich - which is good if you like stronger flavors. I took mine to go - and I should have taken a plastic stick or spoon with me to finish up the nice chocolate layer at the bottom of the cup. See if you can guess the secret ingredient.

ChocolateBet: November 30, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

~ 1 oz. serving
Lotte (distributed by Nishimoto Trading Co. of Tokyo, Japan)
Almond Chocolate Crisp (individual chocolate covered almonds, w/ addit. filling elements)
Good +
Wt.: 1 oz. serving/4.16 oz. (118 g.) in total box
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in ~ 1 oz. serving
Cost: $2.35 for total box
Purchased from: store in Chinatown, in San Francisco, CA

These chocolate covered almonds from Lotte weren't bad; however, I shouldn't be eating chocolates with "malt puff" in them, because I need to avoid wheat/gluten items. And, I'm 99% sure that malt puff probably has at least some gluten in it.

ChocolateBet: November 29, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece

Jo's Candies

Dark Salt Caramels

Very Good

Weight: .6 oz. (17 g)/ 1.2 oz. (34 g.) in total package of 2 pieces

Calories: 75 calories in 1 piece

Cost: $ 1.75 for total pkg. of two pieces

Purchased from: Peet's Coffee and Tea, in Menlo Park, CA

These Dark Salt Caramels from Jo's Candies (Torrance, CA) were very good.

ChocolateBet: November 28, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving

Cafe Primavera at The Tech Museum of Innovation
Hot Chocolate 

Good +

Weight: 12 oz. size cup

Calories: 400 calories (estimate)

Cost: $ ?

Purchased from: Cafe Primavera, at/in The Tech Museum of Innovation, in San Jose, CA

We enjoyed hot chocolate and dinner at a cafe in the Tech Museum (San Jose, CA). The hot chocolate was based on Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and cocoa powder. It was great to drink something hot before going out to view outdoor holiday exhibits and snow.

After dinner, we walked across the street to the park, and through Christmas exhibits. It was nice to see and walk through a burst of snowflakes (albeit fake snow), given that we live in the Bay Area of California and a rare dusting of morning frost is considered deep winter here.

ChocolateBet: November 27, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 oz. serving
Redstone's
Cranberry dark chocolate ("72% dark")
Good - nice dark chocolate; the crunchy cranberry granules were interesting, though a bit artificial-tasting
Wt.: 1 oz./3 oz. (85 grams) in total bar
Calories: 133 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar (1 oz.)
Cost: $5.99 for total bar
Purchased from: Natalie's Candy Bar, in Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) airport; Dallas, TX

Happy U.S. Thanksgiving day all.

ChocolateBet: November 26, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 box
Old Dominion Peanut Company
Dipped Peanut Brittle
Very Good
Weight: 5.75 oz. (163 grams)
Calories: 661 calories (estimate) for a whole box
Cost: $.99 for box
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Menlo Park, CA

Well, sometimes you just end up eating the whole box. What can I say. At only $0.99 for the whole box of chocolate-covered peanut brittle goodness....this is a real bargain in the chocolate world.

ChocolateBet: November 25, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 cup
Palo Alto Cafe Coffee House
Hot Chocolate with whipped cream and a shot of almond syrup
Very Good
Weight: ~ 12 fluid oz.
Calories: 400 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.75
Purchased from: Palo Alto Cafe Coffee House, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was the last day (technically day #8) of hot chocolate week. Today we enjoyed some home-made hot chocolate from one of the few independent (non-chain) coffee houses left in midtown/South Palo Alto, the Palo Alto Cafe coffee house.

ChocolateBet: November 24, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Ibarra Chocolate (from Mexico)
"Table Chocolate", wedges for hot chocolate
Very Good
Weight: ~ 23 grams for two wedges (~ 5 fluid oz. hot chocolate)/ total pkg = 19 oz. (1 lb. 3 oz.) or 540 g.
Calories: 110 calories for wedges + milk (~40 cals.) = 150 calories total
Cost: $3.99 for total package (~ 24 servings) makes this a great deal
Purchased from: La Costena (market and take-out food, burritos) in Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of hot chocolate week.

It's only right to try some hot chocolate from Mexico/Central America - where drinking chocolate originated, before it spread far and wide throughout the world.

Today's Ibarra Genuine Mexican Chocolate, contained a short list of the right ingredients, and made a rich, authentic tasting hot chocolate.

ChocolateBet: November 23, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 small size serving/cup
Peet's Coffee & Tea
Peppermint Hot Cocoa w/ just a little whipped cream on top
Very Good - just the right amount of mint (not too much)
Wt.: ~ 12 oz. serving/cup
Calories: ~ 400 (estim.)
Cost: $2.75 (need to verify amt.)
Purchased from: Peet's Coffee & Tea, in Menlo Park, CA

Day #6 of hot chocolate week. The weather has cooled down, so hot chocolate seems like a good choice for a theme week. Although it never really gets much below freezing here, something hot to drink is nice during these short days and early evenings.

ChocolateBet: November 22, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 tall size serving
Starbucks Coffee Company
Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
Good + - Very Good; a bit sweet, but nice all the same
Wt.: ~ 12 fluid ounces (tall size) cup
Calories: ~ 420 calories in tall size
Cost: $3.25
Purchased from: Starbucks Coffee in Mountain View, CA

As part of Day #5 of hot chocolate week, I tried one of Starbucks three Signature hot chocolate flavors they are offering this fall. My favorite is their salted caramel flavor (covered in yesterday's post).

ChocolateBet: November 21, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 tall size serving
Starbucks Coffee Company
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Very Good +; nice flavors
Wt.: ~ 12 fluid oz. in tall size cup
Calories: ~ 420 calories (acc. to Starbucks web site)
Cost: $3.25
Purchased from: Starbucks Coffee in San Jose, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of hot chocolate week. Fortunately, Starbucks has three new Signature hot chocolate flavors this fall; these are apparently made with a mixture of four cocoas. This salted caramel flavor was quite good.

ChocolateBet: November 20, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
2 packets
Flavia
"Choco" hot chocolate
Good - Good +
Wt.: ~ 8 oz.
Calories: 200 (estim)?
Cost: $0
Purchased from: N/A - AMD/company break room

Day #3 of hot chocolate week. The weather is getting cooler. Tried cocoa from a relatively new dispenser system in break room.

ChocolateBet: November 19, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

~ 1 serving
Chuao Chocolatier
Hot Chocolate - Spicy Maya (hot chocolate mix)
Very Good; tastes chocolate-y with a slight spicy/peppery aftertaste
Weight: ~ 5 oz. serving/12 oz. (340 g) in total container/tin
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 5 oz. serving I had
Cost: $18.50 for entire tin/container
Purchased from: Coupa Cafe, in downtown Palo Alto, CA

Day #2 of hot chocolate week on the blog. There are lots of hot chocolate options out there these days. It may take me more than a week, or 7 days, to sample them all.

I paid more attention to proportions of water and chocolate mix today, with (no surprise) better results. Yesterday's flavor was probably less sweet than it should have been due to slightly more hot water than the directions called for. When it comes to food preparation/cooking, I am the first to admit that I have a hard time following directions. I'm always thinking of a possible improvisation. So, lo siento mucho abuelita de ayer.

ChocolateBet: November 18, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

~ 1 serving
Chuao Chocolatier
Hot Chocolate - Abuela (hot chocolate mix)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: ~ .7 oz. /12 oz. (340 grams) mix in total container
Calories: 200 calories (estimate) includes ~ 1/4 cup milk
Cost: $18.50 for a whole container (yipes!)
Purchased from: Coupa Cafe, in downtown Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the first day of Hot Chocolate Week! We had an unusually warm, sunny spell in the past several days in California. So, I waited until today (Tuesday), when it felt more like November, to start this Hot Chocolate Theme Week. I may even extend the theme week beyond 7 days - depending on how many variations on hot chocolate I can find.

This Abuela mix from Chuao Chocolatier (Carlsbad, CA) contains cacao from Venezuela, and tastes very nice even right out of the tin -- sprinkled over ice cream, pudding or other dessert.

The initial taste of hot chocolate I made with hot water was good. Then I found I wanted to make slight tweaks to this first cup, in two different directions: more sweet, and less sweet. This was due to watering down the mix too much.

I'd like to make this hot chocolate again with some coconut milk, or something sweet (marshmallows and/or cinnamon). I drank this with a few pieces of candy corn from Halloween, and that worked. In the direction of "less sweet," the addition of the milk made it less sugary sweet, and richer tasting.

ChocolateBet: November 17, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

~ 1.5 oz.
Lula's chocolates
Dark Aloha Rocky Road
Very Good
Weight: ~ 1.5 oz./ 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package
Calories: ~ 210 calories in ~1.5 oz. piece
Cost: $6.95 for total package
Purchased from: The Cliff House Gift Shop, in San Francisco, CA

Lula Lund's Chocolates, LLC (based in Monterey, CA) made these generous single serving packages of dark rocky road chocolate - chock full of house-made, fresh marshmallows (yes, this did make a difference), and roasted macadamia nuts. This latter ingredient added some "Aloha" to this confection. 

ChocolateBet: November 16, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 brownie
Edna's
Vegan gluten-free chocolate brownie
Very Good + - this is very good for gluten-free
Wt.: ~ 3 oz. (estim.)
Calories: ~ 180 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 (free sample)
Purchased from: Edna's booth at the Mountain View farmer's market, in downtown Mountain View, CA

Thank you to Mary Posey (Edna's founder & triathlete) for the brownie sample at the farmer's market. It's great to know that there are some very tasty gluten-free, chocolate-containing treats right down the road. This brownie was nice and moist, and was enjoyed on a hike in San Francisco today out by the beach. I look forward to trying the chocolate and chocolate chip macaroons in Edna's line in the future.

Note: these brownies aren't in stores yet, but, if you are in the S.F. Bay Area, you may want to contact Edna's (www.ednasuccess.com) for more information how you might pick some of these up at a farmers market near you.

ChocolateBet: November 15, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Laura Secord
1.) extreme dark - 70% cocoa - Good+ (a bit brittle/chalky, but good)
2.) premium dark chocolate - Good
Weight: 10 grams x 2 = 20 grams total, for 1 each of both flavors above
Calories: ~ 100 calories for 2 pcs.
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Laura Secord shop, in Toronto, ON, Canada

ChocolateBet: November 14, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Laura Secord
Toffee Crunch
Very Good
Weight: 10 grams
Calories: 50 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Laura Secord shop, in Toronto, ON, in Canada

ChocolateBet: November 13, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Chuao Chocolatier
Firecracker (bon bon)
Very Good + - Yum
Weight: ~ .5 oz.
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.50
Purchased from: Coupa Cafe, in downtown Palo Alto, CA

This Firecracker bon bon from Chuao Chocolatier had very nice texture and flavors, and was part of a nice birthday dinner of Venezuelan-style arepas and ropa vieja, and chocolate items of course. Happy birthday Alec.

ChocolateBet: November 12, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Laura Secord
french mint chocolate
Good
Weight: 10 grams
Calories: 45 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Laura Secord shop, in Toronto, ON, Canada