ChocolateBet: May 21, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Greer's Kopper-Kettle Candies
Chocolate Nut Fudge
Good +
Weight: ~1.24 oz. (35 g.)/1 lb. box (453 g.) total box
Calories: 170 calories in 2 small pieces
Cost: $ (online order)
Purchased from Greer's Kopper Kettle, in Van Buren, Arkansas

Thank you to the folks at Greer's Kopper Kettle who I spoke to, and who selected and shipped this fudge. We had discussed the challenge of shipping items in warm weather, when there's always a risk that a package (of chocolate) will get left in the hot sun for an hour or two, somewhere along the journey. I expect, if I keep ordering chocolates online, I might end up with a puddle of expensive chocolate sauce on my doorstep someday in the future. However, so far, every item has arrived safe and sound.

Chocolate countdown: 17 more days until I eat my 1,000th different chocolate in as many days.

ChocolateBet: May 20, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

8-piece truffle collection box
J. Chocolatier
1.) Kulfi - White choc w/ green tea, cardomom and rose water - Yum
2.) Sesame Seed - Dark Choc. w/ black and white toasted sesame seeds - VG+-Yum (pictured above right)
3.) Lemon Pie - White chocolate w/ lemon zest and toasted almonds - VG - VG+
4.) Fleur de Sel Caramel - Very Good +
5.) Fresh Mint - Fresh spearmint and peppermint - VG - VG+
6.) Green Tea, Dried Fruit, Flowers & Drk. Choc. (topped with Matcha Green Tea Powder)
7.) Honey, Star Anise, Grapefuit Zest & Drk Choc. - VG-VG+
8.) Jasmine Tea (heart shape) - VG+ - Yum
Weight: ~ 3.9 oz. (110 g.) for 8-piece truffle collection box
Calories: ~585 calories (estimate)
Cost: $14.00 + shipping (online order)
Purchased from: J. Chocolatier, in Washington, D.C.

I used to work in Washington, D.C. when I was a young idealist. I have fond memories of walking to work and stopping at a bakery near Capitol Hill. The smell of fresh baked gingerbread people cookies was difficult to resist. Gingerbread heads: the breakfast of champions. So, while I haven't been in D.C. for awhile, I was happy to find J. Chocolatier online. The company looks like they are located a few blocks from where I used to live.

Thank you to Jane who put together a very nice assortment of chocolates.

The Jasmine Tea heart-shaped dark chocolate was perfect, with authentic jasmine flavor shining through. I don't count white chocolate, but (since I ate 6 "real" chocolates in the same sitting) I can say that J. Chocolatier's "Kulfi" was probably the best white chocolate I've tasted. I tend to like floral flavors like this (cardamom and rose water). And, the (chili?, coffee?) filling for the Sesame Seed chocolate complemented the toasted black and white seeds very nicely.

Chocolate countdown: 18 more days and I will have eaten 1,000 different chocolates.

ChocolateBet: May 19, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bowl
General Mills (Cereals, LLC)
Chocolate Lucky Charms ("chocolatey whole grain cereal with marshmallows")
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 3/4 cup (28 g.) in one serving/12 oz. (340 g.) in total box
Calories: 110 calories (plus an additional 40 cals for milk)
Cost: $4.99 in one box
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

What luck! One of the few popular breakfast cereals that I can eat (i.e. it doesn't contain wheat) turns out to be Chocolate Lucky Charms. (This cereal is made from whole grain corn.)

I have a soft spot for clever marketing and packaging, and so what really drew me in to buying this was the claim on the front of the box that reads: "Control Time! with the Hourglass Marshmallow Charm"... which is great, because I've always wanted to control time. And, good thing that the Lucky Charms leprochaun has discovered this hourglass, as it appears he is being pursued by a dinosaur.

Chocolate countdown: 19 more days until I reach 1,000 days of eating different chocolates.

ChocolateBet: May 18, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 servings
Casa de Fruta
Dark Chocolate Almonds
Good +
Weight: ~2.82 oz. (80 g.)/8 oz. (227 g.) ttl pkg.
Calories: 400 calories in 2 servings
Cost: $8.99 for total package
Purchased from: Casa de Fruta, in Hollister, CA

If you have driven from the San Francisco/San Jose, CA, area over the hills in the Southeast to Highway 5, you may remember signs alerting you to the presence of Casa de Fruta, a roadside stop, near Pacheco Pass. Casa de Fruta has grown over the years (since it's beginnings in 1908) and now includes a fruit/produce stand, a restaurant or two, a gift shop, a train ride, and other amusements. While some items can be a bit pricey, you'll have your choice of refreshments if you stop there. These chocolate-covered almonds were impressive in size.

My apologies in advance to Casa de Fruta for the poor image (scanned package label) above. This sometimes happens with foil or highly reflective wrapping material.

ChocolateBet: May 17, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package
Mars/M and M's
Strawberried Peanut Butter M and M's
("The Twins" Limited Edition; Collector's Pack 7 of 7)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (39.7 grams) in 1 package
Calories: 230 calories in 1 package
Cost: $0.89
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: May 16, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Astor Chocolate
(Belgian) Key Lime Filled Milk Chocolate
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in 1/2 bar/2 oz. (57 g.) total
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.50 in one bar
Purchased from: Sugar Shack, in Menlo Park, CA

Key lime flavor makes me think of warm summer weather. And, in fact, it's shaping up to be a hot day here in California. (This upsurge in the temperature reminds me that I need to eat down my chocolate inventory, before summer starts in a few weeks. I have no air conditioning in my house. I've been squirreling away new, and as yet untasted, chocolates in a cool dark corner.)

ChocolateBet: May 15, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

~ 1 oz.
Coco-luxe Confections
Roark - "serious dark chocolate with cacao nibs"
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) serving/ 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate - no calorie information on packaging)
Cost: $7.50 in total bar
Purchased from: Sugar Shack, in Menlo Park, CA

The Roark bar is best if it's brought up to room temperature first; or, if you are patient, you can wait until it softens up in your mouth before biting into it. Otherwise this chocolate can be a bit tough to bite into. But then perhaps with a name like Roark* this is fitting.

*Note: "Roark" refers to a fictional character, a strong, independent architect named Howard Roark who was the protagonist in Ayn Rand's (1943) novel "The Fountainhead" -- a somewhat controversial, philosophical tale some have called an homage to capitalism. Coco-luxe makes a series of chocolate bars with names like this -- i.e. inspired by flashes of "classic Americana."