Starbucks berry medley - Sept. 14, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Starbucks
berry medley
Good
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in one container
Calories: 270 calories in 1 container
Cost: $2.50 for 1 container
Purchased from: Starbucks, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Berry Theme Week.

Inside a small plastic "berry medley" tube offered at a local Starbucks (Seattle, WA) were shiny berry colored orbs. At the core of these "Chocolate Bites" were sweetened blueberry and raspberry fruit pieces, coated with layers of dark and white chocolate, and covered with a confectioners coating.

The berry taste of these half-candy, half chocolate pieces was natural and authentic, and they hit the spot. Although they were a bit on the sweet side.

ChocolateBet: May 18, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Starbucks
Hot Cocoa - Salted Caramel (mix)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 envelope/ 8 oz. (224 g.) in total box
Calories: 120 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $5.99 for 1 box of 8 envelopes
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week. I mixed up a packet of salted caramel, dark hot cocoa mix from Starbucks (with hot water), stirred, and enjoyed in the comfort of my own home.

Three years ago, I had tried Starbucks seasonal, Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate, made with milk, at a Starbucks location in San Jose, CA. This in-store version was made with 2% milk, and may have been just a bit better...or was that the whipped cream that they generously applied? Hard to remember that far back.

In any case, it was a testament to today's hot cocoa mix that it tasted rich and smooth, even made with hot water instead of the recommended hot milk.

ChocolateBet: April 29, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Starbucks
Hot Cocoa - Toasted Marshmallow
Good - Good +
Weight: .1 oz. (2.8 g.) 1 sip/1 oz. (28 g.) single serving/total box of 8 envelopes
Calories: 11 calories (estimate) in 1 sip
Cost: $4.99 total box (sale price)
Purchased from: Safeway, Santa Clara, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.

Starbucks sells a line of flavored hot cocoas, made "with ethically sourced cocoa." Good to know. Today's flavor: Toasted Marshmallow. The tiny, dehydrated, "handcrafted" marshmallow pieces plinked into my glass as I emptied the single-serving envelope. These bits revived with hot water (I did not use milk); however, I wasn't able to reanimate to their former, golden-brown toasted selves that were pictured on the box.

While the cocoa mix contained sugar as a first ingredient, it did not seem overly sweet -- a plus in my book. And the resulting cocoa was relatively rich and smooth as advertised, even without milk.

ChocolateBet: March 13, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 


Starbucks
Peppermint Hot Cocoa
Good++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) of 1 oz. (28 g.) packet / 8 oz. (224 g.) total box of 8 packets
Calories: 60 calories (1/2 packet)
Cost: $4.99 (sale) box of 8 packets
Purchased from: Safeway, in Rivermark Plaza, Santa Clara, CA

Come on down for Day #7 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week. I was hoping to diversify into other forms of mint this week, but all the chocolates I could find for this theme week contained peppermint -- admittedly a good match with dark chocolate.

Today's chocolate: a half serving of dark "velvety cocoa with the pleasing tingle" of tiny peppermint candy shards, from Starbucks (Seattle, WA). This cocoa was indeed darker, and better, than many instant  mixes.

ChocolateBet: May 13, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:


1.) Starbucks
Mocha Coconut Frappuccino
Good +
Weight: 12 oz. (Tall size)
Calories: 375 calories
Cost: $3.85
Purchased from: Starbucks, in Oakland, CA


This week I'm getting island fever; next week I'll be in Maui, Hawaii, looking for new chocolates. Today (Day #6 of Drinking Chocolate/Chocolate Beverage Theme Week), I was inspired to search out chocolate and coconut cold drinks. I'm off caffeinated coffee; however, Starbucks Frappuccinos are now available with decaf coffee; hurray. And their new flavor just happened to be Mocha Coconut, topped with mocha syrup and toasted coconut flakes. That was lunch...

2.) Mistral Restaurant and Bar
Custom-made coconut rum, dark creme de cacao, milk/cream, soda water, over ice drink
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 10+ oz. (estimate)
Calories: 300+ calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.50
Purchased from: Mistral Restaurant and Bar, Redwood Shores, CA

This evening was spent at Mistral Restaurant and Bar, in Redwood Shores, CA. In addition to splitting a great salmon dish, salad and spring rolls with a friend (thank you Laurie), I put in a chocolate and coconut drink request at the bar. Thank you to Tamera for whipping up a great, custom-made drink with coconut rum and dark creme de cacao over ice.

ChocolateBet: March 9, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 Tall beverage
Starbucks
Iced Peppermint Mocha
Very Good
Weight: 12 oz.
Calories: 200 calories
Cost: $3.65
Purchased from: Starbucks, in Hercules, CA

Starbucks offers a wide variety of flavored beverages that incorporate mocha or chocolate in some form. Today, after a walk, I stopped at a Starbucks in Hercules, CA, for an Iced Peppermint Mocha -- which was refreshing and chocolatey-rich tasting. I liked the fact that the ice helped tone down the sweetness, and that the woman who served up this mocha offered to adjust the peppermint level, and fat level and type of milk. In the end, I stuck with the default options. Sometimes having these little choices gives me an odd sense of comfort. I'll admit it; I may not be able to control what's going on around me much of the time, but I can choose 1% or 2% fat milk in my iced beverage.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: December 27, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

3/4 bar
Starbucks
Dark Chocolate and Caramel bar
Very Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (26 g.) in 3/4 bar/1.2 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.45 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Starbucks Coffee, in Mountain View, CA

Today was a big movie intake day, with a walk over to Starbucks in between ("Avatar" and "Invictus"). This dark bar, manufactured for Starbucks (by a company not mentioned on the label) served as a great palette cleanser and lift, between films, and between popcorn and dinner.

ChocolateBet: February 21, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 truffle
Starbucks Chocolate
Caramel Macchiato Truffles
Good
Wt.: ~.42 oz. (~11.5 g.) in 1 truffle /.84 oz. (23 g.) small box of 2 truffles
Calories: 65 calories in 1 truffle/130 cals. for 1 pkg. of 2 pcs.
Cost: $? (receipt?)
Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Note: Entries were posted late this week due to international travel, and lack of regular Internet access.

ChocolateBet: February 5, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

3 pieces
Starbucks Chocolate
Chai Truffles (milk chocolate)
Very Good - nice authentic chai taste
Wt.: 1.27 oz. (36 g.)/4.23 oz. (120 g.) in total package
Calories: 190 calories for 3 pieces
Cost: $ N/A (gift - thank you Megan)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

ChocolateBet: July 8, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Starbucks Chocolates
Vanilla Bean Truffles - Drk (indiv. wrppd.)
Good+
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) for one piece
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $4.99
Purchased from: Rite Aid Pharmacy, in Pacifica, CA

I'm fighting off a cold. I hope a combination of these dark chocolate covered Vanilla Bean Truffles from Starbucks and cold medicine will do the trick, as I'm flying across country today on a business trip. A good walk and a piece of chocolate (coupled with rest) often makes me feel better.

ChocolateBet: June 7, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

3 pieces/1 serving
Starbucks Chocolate
Espresso Truffles (dark chocolate)
Very Good - nice blend between espresso and coffeette (sp?) coffee candy from childhood taste.
Wt: 36 grams/4.2 oz. (120 g.) total package
Calories: 180 calories for 3 pieces
Cost: $5.99/total pkg.
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: May 19, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

3 small squares
Starbucks Chocolate
Chocolate and Tea Tasting Squares (Assortment)

1) Tazo Chai (Milk Chocolate)
Very Good - spicy
2) Tazo Passion (Dark Chocolate)
Very Good - strong citrus/hibiscus flavors
3) Tazo Citron (Dark Chocolate)
Very Good - nicely balanced citrus and floral flavors

Weight: ~.51 oz. (15 grams) for three small squares (1 of each kind in assortment); 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total/whole box
Calories: 72 calories (estimate) for 3 small squares
Cost: $5.99 (for a whole box)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Today is Day #4 of Chocolate and Tea theme week. I am usually complaining about not being able to taste floral, herbal or tea flavorings infused in chocolates. (Worse yet are the ones that use artificial-tasting ingredients and are overpowering.) These Tazo co-branded chocolates (named for Tazo Chai, Passion and Citron teas) do not scrimp on the flavorings, and you actually get a pretty strong flavor punch. The Tazo Citron flavored dark chocolate was my favorite of the three. With well-balanced flavors, you could taste the citrus flavored tea and the dark chocolate.

Chocolate in the News:
And, now if I can segue from chocolate and tea - something that has the ring of civilization to it - to a chocolate-related story that falls...perhaps at the other end of the spectrum.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3945139.ece
This Times story from the U.K. makes me proud to be an American Citizen, and at the same time sparks thoughts of the downfall of civilization - all at the same time. The writer (Stephen Bleach) must be talking about Las Vegas. And indeed he is. (See clip pasted below.)

Two new chocolate extravaganzas in Las Vegas...(I must go visit next time I'm there.)
"Hot chocolate, sinful chocolate
They’ve done gambling, booze, sex, but the big new thing in Las Vegas is chocolate. Caesars Palace has installed a 13ft imitation-choc cuckoo clock that has melted chocolate running through it and dispenses free truffles when the birdie pops out. The Bellagio has gone one better. Its new 27ft, floor-to-ceiling chocolate fountain pumps two tons of the melted ooze at 240 pints a minute. Apparently, they won’t have to change the gloop for a year. We’ll have a salad, thanks."

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: April 22, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Starbucks
Starbucks dark chocolate square
Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (estimate)

My daughter and I stopped into Starbucks for iced vanilla lattes while doing some shopping. And I also bought and ate a small square of Starbucks dark chocolate (~.5 oz.). The little square was Very Good, and the iced lattes were very refreshing.

ChocolateBet: April 19, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:

Today I am leaving Las Vegas...I took a taxi to the airport and shared a fare with two characters from the U.K. and enjoyed a fun conversation with them.

Today's chocolate of the day was half a 3 oz. box of Starbucks Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee (milk chocolate) candies. These were Good - Very Good, but I felt like I could taste the hydrogenated vegetable oils in them. I ate approximately 220 calories worth of these.

ChocolateBet: December 9, 2006

Chocolate of the Day: 

Starbucks (Shanghai, China)
"Black Chocolate" Dog

Today I finally venture out from the hotel (well, at least around the corner to a Shanghai Starbucks) to see what kind of "local" chocolate I can find while grabbing a morning coffee.

The Shanghai Starbucks looked similar to the Starbucks in the U.S., with a few differences. And, since I'm always on the lookout for local variations on chocolates, I was pleased to find a small, hollow chocolate dog to buy.

The dog I found was labeled as "black chocolate" was good. And the basket piled high with these little black chocolate dogs was near the Starbucks eggrolls. Yes, folks back in the U.S., see what you're missing from your local Starbucks? Eggrolls.