ChocolateBet: February 14, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
1/2 sucker
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Heart Pop
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.99 for 1 sucker
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Happy Valentines Day all. February 14 is one of the big chocolate holidays in the U.S. This heart-shaped milk chocolate sucker decorated with white chocolate lace-like decoration was great eye candy, and perfect for the occasion.

Chocolate strawberries from Cafe Madeleine (San Francisco) also beckoned, and a few of these were added to the Valentines chocolate allowance today. (After all, there is a healthy fruit underneath.)These were very good.

ChocolateBet: February 13, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
BonBonBar LLC
Bourbon Candy Bar
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) for 1 bar/total of 4.5 oz. (127 g.) in box of 3 bars
Calories: 217 calories (estimate)
Cost: $15.00 for box of 3 candy bars
Purchased from: Foodzie site, based in San Francisco, CA

If you're into good food, you'll find lots to choose from at foodzie.com.  High-end, adult candy bars from BonBonBar are one example. Thank you to Nina for continuing to generate interesting flavored bars. The Bourbon Candy Bar was very rich, and had just the right blend of chocolate, caramel, (George T. Stagg) bourbon, and just a hint of salt and pepper. The box (pictured above) held three individually-wrapped bars. The picture of the candy bar is from the Foodzie website (www.foodzie.com or http://bonbonbar.foodzie.com/bourbon-candy-bars.html). Thank you to Nanette and Judy for assistance in taste testing these.

ChocolateBet: February 12, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Go Max Go Foods, LLC
Jokerz (candy bar)
Very Good
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 (sale)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Jokerz. Good name for a band, or a candy bar. This vegan, dairy-free bar contained a mix of caramel, peanuts, and nougat, and was coated with a "rice-milk chocolatey coating." I liked it. On the wrapper there were four icons (representing the four suits in a deck of cards): heart, club, diamond, and spade. It so happens that the heart symbol is appropriate for Valentines Day, and more heart-related chocolates are in the plan in the few days between now and then.

ChocolateBet: February 11, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 candy bar
Go Max Go Foods, LLC
Buccaneer (candy bar)
Very Good
Weight: 2.0 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 (sale)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Yesterday, I bought four different Go Max Go Foods candy bars to try.  I felt a little pirate-ish today, so I chose the Buccaneer. This dairy-free, vegan, no trans fat, no cholesterol bar with a "chocolatey nougat filling" was covered in a "rice-milk chocolatey coating." (I checked, and it does have real cocoa powder in it.)

Despite the long list of ingredients the label claimed were omitted (no cholesterol, no hydrogenated fats, no trans fats and nothing artificial), the end product was jolly roger good.

ChocolateBet: February 10, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Knipschildt Chocolatier
Martina 
Very Good
Weight: 1.55 oz. (44 g.)/7 oz. (198 g.) total box of 9 pieces
Calories: 232 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $19.99 for total box of 9 pieces ($4.44 for two pieces)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

No more chocolates left in this nice red box (pictured). This evening I consumed two "Martina" pyramid-shaped chocolates (filled with a rich praline ganache) for the cause. I ate them to help refuel -- after driving around the San Francisco Bay Area to attend an auction, a lunch, and to walk a bit of the Bay Trail in the Tiburon area (http://walkingthebay.blogspot.com), and take some pictures. Life is good.

ChocolateBet: February 9, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Knipschildt Chocolatier
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.55 oz. (44 g.)/7 oz. (198 g.) total box of 9 pieces
Calories: 232 calories for 2 pieces (estimate)
Cost: $19.99 for a total box of 9 pieces ($4.44 for 2 pieces)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Knipschildt's "Julianne" chocolates had a marzipan and lemon ganache (filling). Very nice, except I wished these were a little less sweet.

ChocolateBet: February 8, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Knipschildt Chocolatier
Eleanor
Very Good
Weight:1.55 oz. (44 g.)/7 oz. (198 g.) total box of 9 pieces
Calories: 232 calories (estimate)
Cost: $19.99 for total box ($4.44 for 2 pieces)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

I'm continuing to work my way through the four different flavors in this Valentines assortment box. Not that I needed an excuse to indulge, but the Eleanor's mocha ganache (filling) helped give me energy for hiking today.