Mars - Birthday Cake MandM's - July 13, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mars Chocolate
Birthday Cake MandM's*
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) / 8 oz. (226.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 210 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $3.00 for 1 package (sale)
Purchased from: CVS Pharmacy, Palo Alto, CA

Each year I've featured some type of Chocolate Surprise theme week. This year's chocolate surprise items are surprise finds, gifts or other discoveries of sorts. It's almost always nice to be presented with, or surprised by, a new chocolate.

I thought I'd tried every flavor of MandM's chocolate candies years ago. But, surprise, I was wrong. These Birthday Cake MandM's, in bright primary colors (red, blue and yellow), would be a good, festive fit for a birthday party. The generous sized bag was designed to be resealable, to keep any left-overs fresh and/or secure. And, while they may have contained artificial color and flavor, these candy-coated pieces stamped with the iconic "m" were made with real milk chocolate.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

*My apologies to Mars. I can't spell the MandM's brand correctly here, due to blogger's dislike of the ampersand sign. 

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: 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.