ChocolateBet: June 29, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
3 pieces/truffles
Wine Country Chocolates
1.) Chocolate Cacao Nibs with Espresso - Good - Good +
2.) Cinnamon with Clover Honey - Very Good
3.) Boysenberry with Blackberry Honey - Good+
Weight: 1.35 oz. (38.2 g.) (estimate) 3 truffles
Calories: 210 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.25 for 3 truffles
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, in Sonoma, CA

Today was a day to experiment with chocolate truffles (unaffiliated with any theme week). I enjoyed trying three different truffles from Wine Country Chocolates. Thank you to Kim for her suggestions. I think the Cinnamon with Clover Honey was my favorite. Honey and chocolate is an interesting combination. Depending on the chocolate, the subtler flavors in the honey can be overwhelmed, or they may be faintly detectable. This was a case of the latter, which I appreciated.

Tomorrow is the beginning of single origin theme week.

ChocolateBet: June 28, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
2 pieces
Wine Country Chocolates
1.) Peanut Butter and Jelly - Good - Good+ (pink dots)
2.) The Elvis - Good - Good + (yellow dots)
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate) for 2 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: Approx. $3.50
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, tasting room in Sonoma, CA

Elvis has left the (Wine Country Chocolates) building... and was eaten by me (along with Elvis's cousin, Peanut Butter and Jelly) today (Day #8 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week). In case, you're new to this blog, I frequently combine similar chocolates into "theme weeks" -- and this week I am sampling different chocolates that have incorporated peanut butter in some form.

Today's chocolates were both truffles from Wine Country Chocolates tasting room in Sonoma, CA, acquired yesterday. Thank you again to Cynthia who shared in this chocolate, cheese and wine tasting adventure. We followed the Chocolate Tasting sign through a little passageway, to arrive at a small courtyard where there were opportunities to taste olive oil and wine and cheese as well.

ChocolateBet: June 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Wine Country Chocolates
Peanut Butter Heart
Good +
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) / .9 oz. (25 g.) (estimate) in package of two hearts
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $3.00 for package of 2 hearts
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, in downtown Sonoma, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week; and, thanks to a stop at Wine Country Chocolates in Sonoma, I was able to purchase these hearts, and a two more chocolate and peanut butter items to sample this week.

Today was a warm day, and you may notice (picture at right) that this milk chocolate heart was melting and getting ready to slip right out of my fingers. No time for analysis. Eat first, ask questions later.

Thank you to Cynthia for sharing notes about food, cheese, wine, and chocolates this afternoon.

ChocolateBet: June 26, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
New England Confectionery Company, Inc. (Necco)
Sky Bar - New Moon
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 280 calories
Cost:
Purchased from: Walgreens

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week. Hasn't it all been done before, I occasionally wonder. Today's choice shows that "it" has not, by managing to incorporate vampires, peanut butter, and milk chocolate. Yes, it is possible to work just about any theme into chocolate.

This version of a (Necco) Sky Bar was specially crafted and packaged to promote Summit Entertainment's Twilight: New Moon movie. The bar was divided into three sections, each with a different filling and tie-in to the three main stars of this film. The caramel-filled end was emblazoned with a Cullen family crest, a reference to vampire Edward Cullen. The middle, creme-filled, section, was inscribed with a heart and the name "Bella." And last, but not least, the peanut butter segment of this bar had an image of a howling wolf and a new or full moon (a bow to Jacob, a werewolf). Jacob's picture is also shown on the wrapper.

Tonight, where I live, there was a full moon. A beautiful strawberry moon to be precise. No vampires or werewolves were reported.

ChocolateBet: June 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/4 bar
Ghirardelli Chocolate Co.
Milk and Peanut Butter (bar)
Good +
Weight: .79 oz. (23 g.) / 3.17 oz. (90 g.) total bar
Calories: 125 calories
Cost: $2.79
Purchased from:

This Ghirardelli milk chocolate bar was filled with peanut butter and peanut bits -- a hearty choice for Day #5 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

I had eaten the company's milk and peanut butter individually-wrapped squares last year (Feb. 2009). While these two chocolates had similar ingredients, I counted these as two different chocolates.

For a peanut butter and jelly/jam (PB and J) experience, I ate this bar with a half dozen tiny, fresh-picked strawberries from my yard.

ChocolateBet: June 24, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Sugar Factory (Astor Chocolate Corp.)
Milk Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Purchased from: Sugar Factory, at the Mirage, Las Vegas, NV

Another item from the chocolate vault (my back bedroom, kept dark and cool) is retrieved, just in time for Day #4 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week. I had picked up this bar when I was in Las Vegas recently. The Sugar Factory is a festive candy, chocolate and couture shop with plenty of pop culture tie-ins.

ChocolateBet: June 23, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 truffles
Lindt and Sprungli AG
Lindor Truffles - Peanut Butter
Good +
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) / 5.1 oz. (144 g.) total package
Calories: 140 calories in 2 truffles
Cost: $4.29 for total package of 12 truffles
Purchased from: CVS/pharmacy, in Mountain View, CA

The chocolate choice for Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week was...two milk chocolate Lindor Truffles, with a smooth peanut butter filling. They tasted good, and were not too sweet (which I liked). However, they felt a bit heavy in my stomach. For those watching their gluten intake, I discovered (after eating them) that these truffles contained barley malt.