ChocolateBet: February 9, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Organic Nectars
Raw Cacao Bar - Raspberry
Very Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) total bar
Calories: 210 calories for 1 bar (4 segments)
Cost: Approximately $3.99 per bar
Purchased from: Organic Nectars via Chocolate.com

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Raspberry Theme Week. And today's chocolate was a dark chocolate Raspberry Raw Cacao Bar from Organic Nectars.

Making raw chocolates require special care, to ensure a successful texture and mouth feel. My understanding is that a raw food is one that has not been cooked -- heated above 115-120 degrees Farenheit, or heavily processed -- the thought being that essential nutrients and enzymes are lost in these operations. For those adhering to a raw diet, adding raw cacao nibs to salads and other foods is one way to incorporate raw cacao. However, I would also recommend this Organic, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, raw, vegan, 64% dark chocolate Organic Nectars Raw Cacao Bar. The texture was smooth, and without any heavy, lumpy aftertaste that some raw chocolates seem to have.

This bar is also labeled as being low glycemic; it contains no refined sugar, but rather incorporates organic coconut palm sugar as a sweetener.

ChocolateBet: February 8, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
2 yogurt parfaits
Yoplait (General Mills)
Delights Parfait Lowfat Yogurt - Chocolate Raspberry
Weight: 8 fl. oz. (226 g.) in 2 cups/1 lb. (453 g.) total package of 4 cups
Calories: 200 calories for 2 Parfaits (100 calories each)
Cost: $2.99 for package of 4
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA


Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Raspberry Theme Week. These gluten-free Yoplait Delights Parfait cups were just the right size for a small treat. In fact, at 100 calories each, I had no problem "re-tasting" a second Parfait this evening.

ChocolateBet: February 7, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/6 bar
Divine Chocolate Inc.
70% Dark Chocolate with Raspberries (bar)
Good +
Weight: .58 oz. (16.4 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 84 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Raspberry Theme Week. This attractively packaged 70% dark bar broke with a hard snap and was studded with visible raspberry granules.

Today's chocolate presumably traveled from the nation's capital to the store in California where I bought it. And, Washington, D.C. based  Divine Chocolate Inc. imported and distributed this bar, made with Fair Trade Certified chocolate, from Germany. This bar is a good example of the international nature of chocolate. Since cacao trees grow only in warmer, moister parts of the globe, Germany was yet another stop in a journey that started closer to the equator -- a farmer's cooperative in Ghana, Africa.

ChocolateBet: February 6, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 truffle
Harry and David
Fruit Bowl Truffles - Raspberry
Good +
Weight: .65 oz. (18.5 g.) for 1 truffle/ 12 oz. (340 g.) total package
Calories: 100 calories
Cost: $12.95 total package
Purchased from: Harry & David Vacaville store (booth at Waterfront Suisan Bay Wine & Chocolate Festival)

Today is Super Bowl Sunday in the U.S. -- a hugely popular football game between two league champion teams. In my little microscopically-focused chocolate world, it was Day #2 of Chocolate and Raspberry Theme Week.  Today's chocolate choice was my attempt to fuse these two events: a smooth, raspberry flavored chocolate truffle from Harry and David. The company's Fruit Bowl assortment package contained three different, individually-wrapped truffle flavors (cherry, orange and raspberry) -- making it a Super Fruit Bowl perhaps? OK, I agree, it's a stretch. But the chocolate truffles should appeal to both teams.

ChocolateBet: February 5, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Sweet Earth Chocolates
Raspberry Creme
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 67 calories (estimate)
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A gift; purchased from Sweet Earth Chocolates, San Luis Obispo, CA

I find chocolate with fresh fruit refreshing -- particularly if I'm eating chocolate in the morning for breakfast. Even better, natural tasting fruit flavors, like what I believe I'm tasting with this Raspberry Creme from Sweet Earth Chocolates.

As Valentines Day approaches, fresh berries are often paired with chocolates. So, I declare today to be...Day #1 of Chocolate and Raspberry Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: February 4, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

1.) Yatuhashi - Green Tea Chocolate Yatsuhashi
1 individually-wrapped, dipped item
Good +
Weight: .56 oz. (16 g.) in one indiv. wrapped green tea choc dipped item
Calories: 68 calories (
Cost: N/A - gift from Japan to my father that was shared with me
Purchased from: N/A - gift that was shared with me (from Kyoto, Japan)

2.) Sweet Earth Chocolates
2 truffles
- Lime Truffle
- Late Harvest Zinfandel Truffle
Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) for 2 truffles (estimate)
Calories: 134 calories (estimate - 2 truffles)
Cost: N/A - gift from Alec, Ardis
Purchased from: N/A - gift; from San Luis Obispo, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate (and) Surprise Theme Week. It was fitting that all three of these sweet items described above were also surprise gifts from family or friends.

The other "surprise" element running through today's chocolates:
sometimes I bite into a chocolate, and discover it contains cocoa butter (white chocolate), but no cocoa solids. Such was the case with the Green Tea Chocolate Yatsuhashi (from Japan) and the Sweet Earth Chocolates Lime Truffle. Both were good, but to ensure I received my minimum daily requirement of the whole cocoa bean, I enjoyed a Late Harvest Zinfandel Truffle (also from Sweet Earth Chocolates).

ChocolateBet: February 3, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1 cupcake
Pamela's Products Inc.
Chocolate Cake Mix (gluten-free)
(plus cream cheese, eggs, other ingredients for Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes)
Good +
Weight: 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate) for 1 cupcake
Calories: 300 calories (estimate)
Cost: $N/A - used mostly pre-existing ingredients
Purchased from: N/A

I found a recipe for Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes -- also known as Black Bottom Cupcakes. I say I found this recipe...I tried to follow this recipe to the best of my ability. However, I am unable to follow recipes without veering off-course, or making adds or changes.

Since baking is a science that requires rigor and precision, I started with Pamela's (wheat-free, gluten-free and dairy-free) Chocolate Cake Mix as a base for these Chocolate Surprise cupcakes. This was a wise move. I then proceeded to un-non-dairy this mix, by swirling a cream cheese-based ribbon of ingredients through it.

And, guilding the lilly, I carefully pressed a Sweet Earth Chocolates Classic Truffle into the top of the still warm cupcake before eating it. Double surprise.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate (and) Surprise Theme Week.