ChocolateBet: December 16, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1/3 bar + 3 items
Newman's Own Organics
Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.3 g.) in 1/3 bar
Calories: 113 calories for 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA?

In honor of National Chocolate Covered Anything Day (see holidayinsights.com), I rummaged around to find three "Anythings." I elected to use part of today's organic chocolate (bar) to cover three items: 1.) Lemon Rock Candy (aka yellow snow from Cost Plus World Market - see images); 2.) candied violets (see image); and 3.) tic tac mints (see image).

Milk chocolate was probably not the best choice for the lemon and violet items (too much sugar left no room for subtle flavorings). However, the tic tacs didn't fare so badly. Crunching down on these minty little bullets made my ears ring; but that fresh minty flavor busted right through the makeshift milk chocolate coating. Congratulations to those tic tacs on, fittingly, Day #4 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week (2009).

ChocolateBet: December 15, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 snowman
Russell Stover
Peppermint Bark Snowman
Very Good
Weight: 7/8 oz. (25 grams)
Calories: 140 calories
Cost: $0.50 for 1 snowman/pkg.
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Today's choice for Day #3 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week (2009) was a peppermint bark snowman. The first accessory to go was the top hat.

Thanks also to Megan for the taste of homemade chocolate angel strata pie. The filling was very good.

ChocolateBet: December 14, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Dilettante Chocolates (Seattle Gourmet Foods)
Chocolate TruffleCreme mints - Peppermint #23
Very Good
Weight: .69 oz. (19 g.) in 2 pieces
Calories: 105 calories
Cost: NA (gift); thank you Megan
Purchased from: NA (gift)

The weather has come in one size only this week: gray and rainy. So, focusing on uplifting mint flavored chocolate items this week seemed like a good idea. That, and getting some outdoor exercise, should help. These TruffleCremes were flavored with oil of peppermint. I believe #23 refers to a formula developed by Dilettante Chocolates.

ChocolateBet: December 13, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Anthon Berg
Creamy Mint(s)
Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.)/4.9 oz. (140 g.) total package
Calories: 90 calories for 2 pieces
Cost: $?
Purchased from: ?

These individually wrapped 55% dark chocolates, with mint cream filling, were from Denmark. (Unfortunately, I misplaced price and purchase information from several month months ago.)

ChocolateBet: December 12, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 oz.
Melzy Enterprises Inc.
Figamajigs - Dark Chocolate Covered Fig Candy
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.)/1.41 oz. (40 g.) total package
Calories: 106 calories (estimate)
Cost: NA - gift; thanks Megan! ($1.95 for 1 package)
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, in downtown Mountain View, CA

Healthy, low fat, tasty fig pieces, coated in dark chocolate, with no added milk products. Sounded good to me. Image of the (empty) package is shown above.

ChocolateBet: December 11, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1 Large Cup
Tea Era
Chocolate Milk Tea with Pearls
Good + - Very Good
Weight: Large (approx. 20 oz.)
Calories: 270 calories? (guess)
Cost: $ NA (gift - thank you Megan)
Purchased from: Tea Era, in downtown Mountain View, CA

Tapioca pearls added some nice chewy texture to this (cold) chocolate milk tea. Flavors were mixed and cups sealed on the spot, making these drinks easier to transport if you take them to go. (Just punch the special extra-wide straw through the top to sip up pearls and tea.)

ChocolateBet: December 10, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:
1/4 bar
Valor Chocolates
Dark Chocolate with Marcona Almonds (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2.18 oz. (61.9 g.)/8.75 oz. (250 g.) in total bar
Calories: 327 calories
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: T.J. Maxx, in San Francisco, CA

It is difficult to convey the size of this Valor dark chocolate bar from Spain, from looking at the (scanned) image shown. This bar weighed in at a mammoth 8.75 oz. (250 grams). More than enough to share with friends, or to melt down for fondue.

And, thus ends Day #7 of Chocolate and Nut Theme Week (2009). Nuts included this past week included various types of almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and pecans. My apologies to Brazil nuts and other nuts that were left out. I'm sure there will be another Chocolate and Nut Theme Week in 2010.