ChocolateBet: May 2, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Betty Lou's Inc.
JustGreatStuff - Organic Chocolate Dream Greens
Good+
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) total bar
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $2.39 total bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today I continued on a healthy streak I've been on this week. I found a tasty blend of organic dark chocolate and organic vegetables: carrots, spinach, broccoli and kale, to be precise. All this, and some dried fruits (raisins, dates and bananas) too -- in the form of a pressed, slightly chewy, chocolate coated bar from Betty Lou's Inc. (McMinville, OR).

This gluten free, vegan, lightly sweetened (with tapioca syrup) bar supplied 15% of my recommended daily allowance for Vitamin A; 10% of Vitamin C; and 8% of Iron -- and a few other nutrients. It hit the spot. I've found that healthier chocolates, with less (or no) refined sugars just seem to taste more satisfying to me. Thanks Betty Lou.

ChocolateBet: May 1, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

chocri (mein schokolade)
Italian Riviera Dark bar
Good +
Weight: 1.15 oz. (33 g.) /3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 168 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $14.40 (estimate) total bar
Purchased from: chocri (online order system)

Today I enjoyed a bar I'd custom-built and ordered from chocri (Germany).

After choosing the bar's chocolate base (dark, milk or white), customers can name their own bars and specify add-ins of their own choosing. The number of possible different combinations boggles the mind. Have fun all.

I chose savory and sweet flavors from the Italian Riviera -- or at least, what I imagined they might be -- including dark (64%) chocolate, bits of dried fig, rosemary, sea salt, Bourbon vanilla and soy bacon.  (Sorry, no pancetta was available on the chocri menu.)

ChocolateBet: April 30, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

ShaSha Co.
Cocoa and Vanilla Buckwheat Snack
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) total package/bag
Calories: 170 calories in 1.5 oz. serving
Cost: $4.99 total package/bag
Purchased from: Gluten Free Grocery, San Francisco, CA


This cocoa and vanilla flavored, probiotic and prebiotic, raw snack with buckwheat groats, almonds, sunflower seeds and dried fruits, was also gluten free.

The cocoa (organic cocoa powder) flavor in this mix from ShaSha Co. (Toronto, Canada) was subtle. These bite-sized pieces offered just the right blend of crunchy and chewy, and were surprisingly satisfying.

ChocolateBet: April 29, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Starbucks
Hot Cocoa - Toasted Marshmallow
Good - Good +
Weight: .1 oz. (2.8 g.) 1 sip/1 oz. (28 g.) single serving/total box of 8 envelopes
Calories: 11 calories (estimate) in 1 sip
Cost: $4.99 total box (sale price)
Purchased from: Safeway, Santa Clara, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate Beverage Theme Week.

Starbucks sells a line of flavored hot cocoas, made "with ethically sourced cocoa." Good to know. Today's flavor: Toasted Marshmallow. The tiny, dehydrated, "handcrafted" marshmallow pieces plinked into my glass as I emptied the single-serving envelope. These bits revived with hot water (I did not use milk); however, I wasn't able to reanimate to their former, golden-brown toasted selves that were pictured on the box.

While the cocoa mix contained sugar as a first ingredient, it did not seem overly sweet -- a plus in my book. And the resulting cocoa was relatively rich and smooth as advertised, even without milk.

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.