Uncle Buck's Trail Mix and Chocolate Peanuts - Oct. 18, 2015

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Uncle Buck's
Sweet and Nutty Premium Trail Mix
Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.)/22 oz. (623 g.) in total bag
Calories: 280 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $7.99 for 1 large bag
Purchased from: Bass Pro Outdoor World, Rocklin, CA

Uncle Buck's
Double Dipped Chocolate Peanut(s)
Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.)/9 oz. (255.1 g.) in total bag
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 serving (7-8 pieces)
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bag
Purchased from: Bass Pro Outdoor World, Rocklin, CA


Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and the Great Outdoors Theme Week.

Let's begin with a visit I made to an indoor outdoor world that I didn't know existed.

Recently I visited a Bass Pro Outdoor World Store in Rocklin, CA. If Walt Disney had teamed up with a natural history museum display builder to design a store for hunting, fishing and outdoor living, this might have been the result. Taxidermied animals depicted in re-creations of their natural habitats hung on every well, under a vaulted ceiling painted sky blue with clouds.

When I wandered over to hunt for some chocolate in the food section, I saw books on how to filet and cook wild game, I knew I was outside the big city and closer to the Great Outdoors, which has always accommodated a wide variety of pastimes. Me, I'm a tree hugger, a bunny lover, a hiker, and a hypocrite. I buy packaged chicken and fish to eat, but I'd find it hard to kill anything.

So, please forgive me if I just eat some Uncle Buck's* Sweet and Nutty trail mix as part of a Bay Trail walk, along with a few Uncle Bucks' Double Dipped Chocolate Peanut(s), and chocolate pudding flavored Jelly Belly beans (in camouflage packaging). The only ducks I plan to shoot today would be with my camera.

The Uncle Buck's Sweet and Nutty trail mix contained MandM's chocolate candies, raisins, peanuts, almonds and cashews. And the Uncle Buck's Double Dipped Chocolate Peanut(s) were, as advertised: peanuts generously coated in chocolate. The chocolate melted a little in the heat, but these peanuts were still tasty on today's hike.

*Uncle Buck's is a Bass Pro brand. Uncle Buck's Sweet and Nutty trail mix was manufactured for Bass Pro Shops by Kar's Nuts (Madison Heights, MI). Since I've already had a similar Kar's trail mix, I'm also including Uncle Buck's Double Dipped Chocolate Peanuts, distributed by Ruckers Wholesale (Bridgeport, IL).

The content and images on this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Jelly Belly - Sunkist Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks - Jan. 29, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Jelly Belly Candy Company
Sunkist Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks
Good
Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 2.55 oz. (72 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 package, 4 pieces
Cost: $2.69 for 1 package
Purchased from: Orchard Supply Hardware, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

These Sunkist Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks from Jelly Belly Candy Company (Fairfield, CA) contained natural tasting, soft citrus gel centers that were covered in chocolate.

These orange sticks were gluten free and peanut free (made in a peanut-free facility), and had no added coloring.

Jelly Belly and Sunkist co-branded products included these sticks, and a range of non-chocolate items such as fruit gems, orange slices, and lemon and lime jelly beans.

ChocolateBet: October 22, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Jelly Belly Candy Company
Bean Boozled jelly beans - 2nd Edition

First Pairing (Chocolate)
1.) Chocolate Pudding jelly bean (1) - OK
2.) Canned Dog Food jelly beans (3) - Awful

Second Pairing (Banana)
3.) Top Banana jelly bean (1) - OK
4.) Pencil Shavings jelly beans (3) - Awful

Weight: .177 oz. (8 g.) for 8 beans / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) total box of about 45 jelly beans
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift - Thank you Megan

People ask me if I only eat craft (higher end) chocolate. They seem disappointed when I tell them I do love artisan-made dark chocolate, but I sample a wide variety of items made with cacao.

These same people might be particularly offended by the pile of 45 jelly beans that I lined up in pairs today -- beans with flavors like diaper wipe vs. coconut; skunk vs. licorice; and centipede vs. strawberry.

The diabolical creators of these "Bean Boozled" jelly beans (look-alike pairs of beans that are anything but) at Jelly Belly Candy Company must chuckle when they see people gagging and choking on the "wrong" jelly bean. Thanks Megan for this box of jelly beans, filled with promise and peril. The toothpaste jelly beans weren't too bad, but the rotten egg ones were hastily spat out. I could go on; however, since today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Banana Theme Week, I'll focus on these two flavors, and their evil twins in this 2nd Edition collection.

There were four brown beans in this box that were the same color. The Chocolate Pudding jelly bean(s) looked just like the Canned Dog Food jelly bean(s). Unfortunately, the first three brown beans tasted like puppy dog chow (or what I imagine canned pet food might taste like). Thank goodness, the fourth bean was the Chocolate Pudding flavor. Hurray! It certainly tasted much better than the dog food flavor.

I had the same thing happen when I was trying/hoping for the banana flavored bean. Three failures, followed by a final success. The first 3 beans were an amalgam of artificial flavors in addition to a hint of old No. 2 pencil. Biting into the last bean and finding the (one and only) Top Banana bean was a relief.

The success of these odd-flavored beans shows how curious we humans are. The timing is, however, perfect (the week before Halloween) for a truly frightening treat.

ChocolateBet: September 9, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Jelly Belly Candy Company
Jelly Bean Chocolate Dips - Mint
Good - Good +
Weight:
Calories: 100 calories in 1/3 bag
Cost: $1.99 total bag
Purchased from: Burlington Coat Factory, San Francisco, CA

Jelly Belly (headquartered at One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield, CA) has continued to expand and improve their famous jelly bean line. The latest flavor (Mint) in the company's dark chocolate covered (Jelly Bean Chocolate Dip) family was comprised of naturally flavored and colored beans with glossy dark exteriors, that had a lasting finish of minty freshness. Instead of the electric green interiors of mint candy yester-year, these were a more welcome, natural looking color on the inside. These Jelly Beans were also gluten free and peanut free.

Note: to those in (or planning a visit to) Northern California, Jelly Belly has a great factory tour in you're in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: December 26, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:


3 squares
World Market/Cost Plus
All Natural Milk Chocolate 42% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .6 oz. (16.9 g.) in 3 squares / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 88 calories
Cost: $1.99
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

Mixed With....

Part of 1 spider
Jelly Belly Candy Company
Pet Tarantula - gummi candy ("100% Vitamin C")
OK + - Good
Weight: .2 oz. (5.6 g.) in 1 bite (estim.)/ 1.5 oz. (42 g.) total tarantula
Calories: 17 calories
Cost: $1.75 total tarantula
Purchased from: Jelly Belly Candy Company, Fairfield, CA

Today is Day #4 of Chocolate and Something Different Theme Week -- a week of seven different, unique themes. Today I focused on a favorite combination of...well, almost no one it turns out. Chocolate and Spiders. Previous attempts to try chocolate covered (real) insects met with limited success, so, in this case, the spider was a pet tarantula made of gummi candy.

In the photo to the right, you can see the spider demonstrating good taste as it headed for the chocolate fondue, made from a World Market milk chocolate bar. However, for its trouble, it had the tips of its two front legs bitten off. Poor spider.

ChocolateBet: December 20, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Jelly Belly Candy Company
Chocolate Dips - 4 different fruit flavors
Cost: N/A samples
Purchased from: N/A - sample box from Jelly Belly Candy Company, Fairfield, CA

1.) Orange
Good +
Weight: .415 oz. (11.7 g.) / 4.15 oz. (117 g.) total box
Calories: 43.8 calories

2.) Strawberry
Good
Weight: .415 oz. (11.7 g.) / 4.15 oz. (117 g.) total box
Calories: 43.8 calories

3.) Raspberry
Good 
Weight: .415 oz. (11.7 g.) / 4.15 oz. (117 g.) total box
Calories: 43.8 calories 

4.) Cherry
Good
Weight: .415 oz. (11.7 g.) / 4.15 oz. (117 g.) total box
Calories: 43.8 calories

All you jelly bean fans who also like chocolate. No need to choose anymore. Jelly Belly Candy Company recently announced dark chocolate dipped jelly beans. (You might be able to just make out the cartoon jelly bean that is happily drowning in chocolate in the box shot above.)

My favorite dipped bean in this fruit bowl (box actually) was Orange; the orange flavor tasted the most natural to me as well. Note: Chocolate Dips also come in Coconut, a flavor I featured earlier this month.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Fruit Bowl Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: December 1, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/5 sample box
Jelly Belly Candy Company
Chocolate Dips - Coconut
Good +
Weight: .83 oz. (23.2 g.) / 4.15 oz. (117 g.) total box of 5 different flavors
Calories: 87 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A - sample evaluation box
Purchased from: N/A - from Jelly Belly Candy Company

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week. I feel warmer and more tropical already. That's a good thing, because my house is very cold right now.

Jelly Belly Candy Company, has come out with a new offering -- Chocolate Dips. These dark chocolate covered jelly beans arrived in an assortment box; there were five different flavors. I ate all the coconut ones in this sample box. Other flavors included orange, raspberry, strawberry and very cherry. Chocolate Dips are guaranteed to please those who like both jelly beans and chocolate. (I also liked that flavors and colors listed included natural sources, such as carrot.) Chocolate Dips are available this week (Dec. 6, '10) at www.JellyBelly.com/Shop.

ChocolateBet: November 7, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Jelly Belly Candy Company

1.) Jelly Belly Chocolate + Cherry jelly beans
Good - Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) total package
Calories: 40 calories
Cost: $N/A - free to Jelly Belly factory tour participants
Purchased from: Jelly Belly, in Fairfield, CA

2.) Jelly Belly chocolate covered almonds
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 290 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Jelly Belly, in Fairfield, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week.  I opened a colorful bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans, and started looking for chocolate and cherry beans. These bags, containing 40 possible flavors, were handed out to our group after a factory tour at the Jelly Belly plant and visitor center -- located at One Jelly Belly Lane, in Fairfield, CA.

After getting rid of (eating) a few stray root beer and cinnamon beans (that looked a little like chocolate and cherry beans), and sampling a few chocolate and cherry jelly beans in a one mouthful "recipe," I also enjoyed some Jelly Belly chocolate covered almonds purchased during the same trip.

ChocolateBet: October 2, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

50 jelly beans
Jelly Belly Candy Company
1.) Sunkist (R) Lime jelly beans - Very Good (refreshing)
2.) Chocolate Devotion jelly beans - Good - Good +
3.) Dark Chocolate jelly beans - Good + - Very Good
4.) Mojito jelly bean - Good +
Calories: 200 calories (estimate)
Cost: Approximately $4.50 total
Purchased from: Jelly Belly Candy Company, Fairfield, CA

After attending the Suisan Bay Waterfront Art, Wine and Chocolate
Festival today (more on chocolate finds from this fest later), I visited the Jelly Belly Candy Company Factory a few miles away in Fairfield, CA.

I enjoyed the Jelly Belly factory tour; and then spent a good deal of time in the Jelly Belly Visitor Center store examining a dazzling  number of flavored beans and other candies. Unfortunately, I just missed being able to eat at the Jelly Belly Cafe (which closed at 3 p.m.), where I could have had a jelly bean-shaped hamburger. (Jelly bean shaped pizzas were also available, in different sizes.)

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Lime (+ Ginger) Theme Week. It took only minutes to find lime and chocolate flavors at the Jelly Belly store and sample bar. I later mixed Sunkist Lime and Chocolate Devotion and Dark Chocolate chocolate flavored jelly beans together (with a single sample Mojito bean), in a "recipe"* for what I imagined might approximate key lime pie with a chocolate cookie crust. (The ginger addition came in the form of unsweetened Yogi brand Ginger that helped dilute the sugar rush.)

*Note: Jelly Belly literature and packaging include recipes for various food and drink creations customers can make by combining various jelly bean flavors. There is also a second Jelly Belly factory tour location available in Wisconsin in the U.S.

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: 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.