ChocolateBet: April 28, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vosges
La Parisienne Couture Cocoa
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total packet
Calories: 120 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ information not available
Purchased from: Vosges, Las Vegas, NV

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.

This single-serving packet of "pure dark chocolate" (65% cacao) and Madagascar vanilla bean pieces from Vosges (Chicago, IL).

This deep brown, silky brew was smooth and satisfying. The first ingredient listed on the mix: dark chocolate shavings. I refrained from gussying this cocoa up with a cinnamon stick or orange peel (suggestions on the packet), and sipped it straight up. 

ChocolateBet: April 27, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened
Good - Good +
Weight: .26 oz. (7.5 g.) in 1.5 Tb. / 9 oz. (255 g.) total container
Calories: 30 calories in 1.5 Tablespoons
Cost: $2.29 total container
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate Beverage Week. I've been cutting back on sugar lately, so I opted to make a cocoa beverage from Trader Joe's unsweetened cocoa powder.

Provided you are patient and spend the required time stirring and dissolving this powder into your liquid or milk of choice, you should have minimal cocoa "sludge" at the bottom of your cup or mug. This cocoa powder was made from "100 percent Tamaco Cocoa beans," and had a slightly bitter taste; however, a swizzle of agave syrup can help transform this bittersweet beverage, into something just right -- not too sweet, but sweet enough.

ChocolateBet: April 26, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mink Chocolates
Chai (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .176 oz. (5 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 25 calories for 1/10th of a bar
Cost: $7.00 (estimate), including tax, shipping
Purchased from: Mink Chocolates, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.

And today's beverage was a hot cup of chocolate chai, and a bite of  "Chai"- a dark chocolate bar from Mink Chocolates (Vancouver, B.C.), flavored with black tea, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, clove and star anise, in a dark chocolate ganache. No one flavor dominated; it was a very pleasing chai tea blend. The tea and spices in this 70% cacao bar were organically grown.

ChocolateBet: April 25, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Guayaki S.R.P.
Mate Chocolatte
Good +
Weight: 4 oz. cup; 1.41 oz. (40 g.) box of 16 bags
Calories: 54 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ info not available
Purchased from: Safeway

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.

I made a hot cup of Guayaki Mate Chocolatte (Sebastopol, CA) -- with coconut milk -- from one of 16 tea bags in this box of organic, fair trade blend of rain forest grown yerba mate leaves; cocoa ("seed"), and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and stevia leaf). This Mate cacao offering contained some caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. But, it was interesting to try something different; and, I'm embarrassed to say, I enjoyed the pictures of the monkeys on the box.

ChocolateBet: April 24, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Good Earth
Cocoa Chai Tea
+
Blue Diamond
Breeze - Almond Milk Coconut Milk Blend

Good + - Very Good
Weight: 6 fl. oz. (180 mL) cup
Calories: 34 calories
Cost: $ Multiple Items - $4.49 for box of tea
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA ; and Good Earth teas (online)

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.

Is it possible to have milk and cookies, if you can't have dairy products or conventional wheat flour? Well, yes it is. The milk in this case was an Almond Coconut milk blend flavored with Good Earth Cocoa Chai Tea. And the cookies were gluten-free chocolate chip shortbread cookies (that will be featured in a future post). And all was right with the world. Milk and cookies are very reassuring comfort food items.

ChocolateBet: April 23, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Zico
Zico Chocolate - coconut water
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 fl. oz. (29 mL)/ 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) total bottle
Calories: 8 calories in 1 oz.
Cost: info not available
Purchased from: info not available


This gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate "milk" from Zico (El Segundo, CA) may fool you. It has a sweet, rich taste, but is lower in calories, fat and sugar than you'd think. Coconut milk also contains more iron and minerals than many other milk substitutes.

Today was Day #10 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: April 22, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Manischewitz
Mint Chocolate Macaroons
OK + - Good
Weight: .44 oz. (12.5 g.)/ 10 oz. (284 g.) total container
Calories: 55 calories for 1 small macaroon
Cost: $ information not available
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Made with unsulfured coconut, and a heavy dose of sugar, these cocoa-colored gems represented the last in a series of new macaroon flavor trials this week. When I lifted open the foil tab on this container, I was greeted with a mint smell, with hint of cocoa and coconut, that was a bit stronger/more manufactured than what I'd expect from natural mint. However, these Manischewitz Mint Chocolate Macaroons were clearly labeled "Artificially Flavored," so this was not a great surprise.

Tomorrow: a coconut and cocoa drink -- to usher in Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.