ChocolateBet: December 28, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

4 pieces
R.M. Palmer
Double Crisp Santas 'n Snowmen
Good
Weight: .66 oz./ 2 oz. (56 grams) in total pkg.
Calories: 97 calories (estimate) in 4 pieces
Cost: $ 0.50 for 2 oz. package (12 pieces)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

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.