ChocolateBet: December 27, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
7 squares
Seeds of Change
Santa Catarina (dark chocolate with mango, toasted coconut, and cashews) 61% cacao; organic
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 70 grams/3.53 oz. (100.1 grams) total bar
Calories: ~ 403 calories in 7 squares (70 grams)
Cost: $0 (gift/share)
Purchased from: N/A

Thanks Alec for sharing this bar.

ChocolateBet: December 26, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1 item/snowman
Russell Stover
Chocolate Marshmallow Snowman
Good; a bit too sweet for me, but it might be nice dunked in some hot chocolate
Weight: 7/8 oz. (25 grams)
Calories: 100 calories for one snowman
Cost: $0.41
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

2.) 1 piece of Cheescake Factory flourless Peppermint (Chocolate) Cheesecake
topped with whipped cream and bits of peppermint candy - not counting this on my spreadsheet, but I will come back and try the other flourless varieties in the future.

Another two-fisted chocolate day this holiday week. I'm going to have to work hard at the gym this weekend - meaning more than my usual 15-minute workout.

ChocolateBet: December 25, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

parts of a homemade chocolate sports car
(Dagoba dark bar melted and used in chocolate sports car mold)
Very Good - Very Good +
Wt.: ~ .6 oz. (for cockpit and spoiler parts of small sports car)
Calories: 85 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: N/A

Thank you to Alec who became a chocolatier this last week and made some fun molded chocolate cars for the holidays using this 59% cacao Dagoba organic dark chocolate bar. (He visited a chocolate/candy supply store in Milpitas, CA and bought supplies, including bar and sports car molds, and experimented with various bars and molds until (bubble free)* cars were ready to roll off the assembly line to be displayed, and quickly eaten.)

*When making chocolate, trays and/or molds are often shaken or agitated to allow trapped air bubbles in melted chocolate to rise to the surface or dissipate. If making chocolate on a small scale, one can also prick visible bubbles with a toothpick.

ChocolateBet: December 24, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 nutcracker bar
Snickers (Mars)
Nutcracker
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 1.0 oz. (28.4 grams)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in one Nutcracker
Cost: $0.59
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

It is glorious to have a day off to relax. Today, I had a massage at Embody in Mountain View, CA. They were giving out small Monbana (70% cacao) squares. A nice touch. So, once again this week, it's a two-chocolate day. All this chocolate abundance helps me keep the bad media reports about the collapsing economy at a distance. Can you say chocolate-fueled denial? Happy holidays all.

ChocolateBet: December 23, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 "tree"
Reese's/Hershey
Milk Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Tree
Very Good
Wt.: 1.2 oz. (34 grams)/7.2 oz. (204 g.) in total package of 6 trees
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $3.99 for package of 6 trees
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

My kind of 6-pack. One for me, five to share. Happy holidays to all.

ChocolateBet: December 22, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Disney (branded with/by? Walgreens) and U.K. mfr.
Happy Holiday Chocolate Figurines (in White and Milk Chocolate)
16 mini figurines (Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore shapes)
Good + - Very Good
Wt.: 1.52 oz. (43 grams) in total package
Calories: 240 calories
Cost: $1.99 for total pkg.
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was another two-chocolate day. It's holiday week. Eating lots of novelty and gift chocolate items this week.

1.) Chocolate #1 - These tiny little Pooh bear figurines were cute. Bizarre observation of the day: The white chocolate figurines (see scanned image of these chocolates, above right) seem a bit blurred, as if they were moving around (trying to escape perhaps?). Perhaps white chocolate vibrates at a higher frequency, or becomes unbalanced once the cocoa solids have been taken out. No, 'fraid not. I'm sure there was a perfectly reasonable scientific optical explanation for their relatively more blurred appearance. Waiting for Dr. Science to weigh in...In the meantime...

2.) Chocolate #2 for the day was a very nice homemade chocolate creme caramel at a friend's house, following a great crab dinner. I admire the cook's creativity - she used three different kinds of chocolate (including a chocolate Santa) for the creme caramel.

ChocolateBet: December 21, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Chocolate #1
3 squares
Reese's/Hershey
Milk Chocolate Reese's (bar) Filled With Reese's Peanut Butter
Very Good
Wt.: 30 grams/4.25 oz. (120 grams) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories for 3 squares
Cost: $2.19 for total bar
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

2) Chocolate #2
1 brownie
(Homemade gift from Yanna - gluten-free too)
Very Good + - Yum
Wt.: 2.7 oz. (estimate) (~ 2.5 x 2.5 inches square)
Calories: 295 calories (estimate)
Cost: $0 (gift)
Purchased from: N/A

It was a lovely two-chocolate day today. The weather was cold and damp outside, but the chocolate holiday spirit was alive and well inside. Thank you to Yanna for dropping off the great homemade brownies.