ChocolateBet: May 18, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 servings
Casa de Fruta
Dark Chocolate Almonds
Good +
Weight: ~2.82 oz. (80 g.)/8 oz. (227 g.) ttl pkg.
Calories: 400 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $8.99 for total package
Purchased from: Casa de Fruta, in Hollister, CA

If you have driven from the San Francisco/San Jose, CA, area over the hills in the Southeast to Highway 5, you may remember signs alerting you to the presence of Casa de Fruta, a roadside stop, near Pacheco Pass. Casa de Fruta has grown over the years (since it's beginnings in 1908) and now includes a fruit/produce stand, a restaurant or two, a gift shop, a train ride, and other amusements. While some items can be a bit pricey, you'll have your choice of refreshments if you stop there. These chocolate-covered almonds were impressive in size.

My apologies in advance to Casa de Fruta for the poor image (scanned package label) above. This sometimes happens with foil or highly reflective wrapping material.

ChocolateBet: May 17, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package
Mars/M and M's
Strawberried Peanut Butter M and M's
("The Twins" Limited Edition; Collector's Pack 7 of 7)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39.7 grams) in 1 package
Calories: 230 calories in 1 package
Cost: $0.89
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: May 16, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Astor Chocolate
(Belgian) Key Lime Filled Milk Chocolate
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in 1/2 bar/2 oz. (57 g.) total
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.50 in one bar
Purchased from: Sugar Shack, in Menlo Park, CA

Key lime flavor makes me think of warm summer weather. And, in fact, it's shaping up to be a hot day here in California. (This upsurge in the temperature reminds me that I need to eat down my chocolate inventory, before summer starts in a few weeks. I have no air conditioning in my house. I've been squirreling away new, and as yet untasted, chocolates in a cool dark corner.)

ChocolateBet: May 15, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

~ 1 oz.
Coco-luxe Confections
Roark - "serious dark chocolate with cacao nibs"
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) serving/ 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate - no calorie information on packaging)
Cost: $7.50 in total bar
Purchased from: Sugar Shack, in Menlo Park, CA

The Roark bar is best if it's brought up to room temperature first; or, if you are patient, you can wait until it softens up in your mouth before biting into it. Otherwise this chocolate can be a bit tough to bite into. But then perhaps with a name like Roark* this is fitting.

*Note: "Roark" refers to a fictional character, a strong, independent architect named Howard Roark who was the protagonist in Ayn Rand's (1943) novel "The Fountainhead" -- a somewhat controversial, philosophical tale some have called an homage to capitalism. Coco-luxe makes a series of chocolate bars with names like this -- i.e. inspired by flashes of "classic Americana."

ChocolateBet: May 14, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Shaman Chocolates - Organic Chocolate
Shaman's Vision (Organic Dark Chocolate (60% cacao) with Coconut) bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.)/2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 146 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $0.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, in San Francisco, CA

This Shaman chocolate is crafted for a cause. Profits from this certified organic, fair trade bar help to support the Huichol Indians in Mexico. (Shaman Chocolates is based in Soquel, CA.)

ChocolateBet: May 13, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 oz.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Bombalinas - Naga Mango (dried mango pieces, sweet curry, 62% dark chocolate)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: ~ 1 oz. (28 g.)/2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total package/box
Calories: ~ 140 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package/box
Purchased from: Rainbow Grocery, in San Francisco, CA

Hats off to Vosges for continuing to dabble in exotic and fun flavor combinations.

ChocolateBet: May 12, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Hershey's
Thingamajig (chocolate, cocoa crisps, peanut butter); limited edition bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 grams)
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.69 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Limited edition chocolate candy bars are fun. They're often recombinations of chocolate, nut, caramel, nougat and other common ingredients. You would think candy manufacturers would run out of ideas for these bars, but it is a tribute to their creative staff that new variations keep emerging.

The Thingamajig bar blended what tasted like chocolate breakfast cereal and peanut butter; and while it did contain a few things I'd have rather done without (hydrogenated oils, maltodextrin, barley malt), it wasn't a bad mix.