ChocolateBet: June 23, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 truffles
Lindt and Sprungli AG
Lindor Truffles - Peanut Butter
Good +
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) / 5.1 oz. (144 g.) total package
Calories: 140 calories in 2 truffles
Cost: $4.29 for total package of 12 truffles
Purchased from: CVS/pharmacy, in Mountain View, CA

The chocolate choice for Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week was...two milk chocolate Lindor Truffles, with a smooth peanut butter filling. They tasted good, and were not too sweet (which I liked). However, they felt a bit heavy in my stomach. For those watching their gluten intake, I discovered (after eating them) that these truffles contained barley malt.

ChocolateBet: June 22, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
The Madelaine Chocolate Company
duets - peanut butter and raspberry, double-filled
milk chocolate truffles
Good + Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) for 2 pcs. / 5 oz. (140 g.) total package of 10 pieces
Calories: 140 calories for 2 pieces
Cost: $7.95 (total package)
Purchased from: San Francisco Chocolate Store, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week. These filled truffles were quite good, like having a miniature peanut butter and jelly sandwich, only with milk chocolate instead of bread.

ChocolateBet: June 21, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 servings
Maw 'n Paw Kettlekorn
Peanut Butter Chocolate (popcorn)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 8 oz. (224 g.) total package
Calories: 300 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from: The Candy Baron, Pier 39, in San Francisco, CA

Maw 'n Paw did a pretty good job with this batch of chocolate and peanut butter kettlekorn. It was flavorful, without being too heavy or sweet.

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

(Next week I will be focusing on single origin chocolates -- no zany combinations, just the pure stuff!)

ChocolateBet: June 20, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece/square
Chocoholics Divine Desserts
Chocolate Patch - Extra Strength
"Relief for Chocolate Addiction"
Good +
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total box of 12
Calories: 37 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.99 for a box of 12 "patches"
Purchased from: (lost info)

Chocoholics Divine Desserts produced some very entertaining chocsimiles (chocolate facsimiles of items). For example, previously I sampled their chocolate voodoo doll. Unfortunately, I believe this company may have closed up shop at the end of 2009. This item had been purchased earlier and stored in my chocolate vault.

Chocoholics Divine Desserts semi-sweet Chocolate Patch squares were "guaranteed to stop chocolate cravings for up to 5 minutes!" People ask me if I ever get chocolate withdrawal headaches (similar to those that occur when you give up coffee/caffeine after a day or two). My answer: I wouldn't know. It's been more than 3 1/2 years since I went 24 hours without chocolate. And since I'm overly comfortable in the fact that I will always have chocolate nearby, and not prone to cravings -- as a result of my constant chocolate consumption...perhaps I'm not qualified to medically evaluate the Chocolate Patch. (Oh yes, that, and the fact that I'm not a medical professional.) However, I can convey some important information was printed on the side of the box:

"Directions for Chocolate Patch:
Place one Chocolate Patch on tongue. Do not chew the patch. Chewing may reduce the duration of the effective ingredients. In cases of extreme craving place two chocolate Patches on tongue. In really extreme cases, pour contents of box into mouth. Chew vigorously."

ChocolateBet: June 19, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/5 bar
Coppeneur
Chili and Highland Whiskey (bar)
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .52 oz. (15 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 79 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.95 for total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today's 72% kakao (sic) bar from Coppeneur (Germany) was filled with a Chili and Highland Whisky flavored ganache. I couldn't really taste the chili, but this was one of my favorite ganache bars I've tried. The highland whiskey stood up well against the dark chocolate. I have only an empty wrapper to show (right).

Thank you to Sunita at Chocolate Dividends, and The Chocolate Garage, for providing a tasting venue for chocolates this afternoon; and thank you to Fog City News in San Francisco for providing a great supply of chocolate bars.

ChocolateBet: June 18, 2010

Chocolate of the Day (and other fun):
1 cup
Gelateria Naia
1.) Numi Chocolate Puerh - Very Good
2.) Banana - Good + - Very Good
Weight: 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate) in 1 small cup with 2 flavors
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.75 for 1 cup with 2 flavors
Purchased from: Gelateria Naia, in San Francisco, CA


Today (Day #8 of Chocolate and Monkey Theme Week), I enjoyed chocolate and monkey items from the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, CA.

The gorilla figure perched on the tray of banana gelato caught my eye. I tried this banana gelato with the Numi Chocolate Puerh (chocolate tea flavor), in a cup. The Numi tea inspired flavor (also the flavor of the week) had a little bit of chocolate, and a hint of nutmeg if I'm not mistaken. Thank you to the staff at Naia.


Z. Cioccolato & Arata Gallery, North Beach
To send off chocolate and monkey week in style, I had stopped at Z. Cioccolato earlier.  They've carried "flying (stuffed animal) monkeys" in the past; and they even have a monkey "target" on one wall. So I was hopeful they might have a chocolate monkey. No luck. However,  I found tins of coconut-flavored, and also banana-flavored monkey mints there (pictured). They had plenty of chocolate items to pair with these mints. (Be alert for the smell of freshly popped caramel popcorn as you walk down Columbus, and you'll find this store.)

A few doors down, was the Arata Fine Art Gallery and Studio. The Gallery owners don't carry chocolates, but they did have a painting of Z. Cioccolato's storefront. So, with permission from the artist (Arata), I'm including an image of this painting of a North Beach chocolate favorite.

Pigs Love Chocolate Too
Last, but not least, I paid a visit to a local county fair, where there were monkey and banana images galore (think over-stuffed toys/prizes). I was too full to eat anymore chocolate (and this blog post is now too full for more monkey pictures). But I did enjoy watching the pig races. According to their handler, the winning pig's reward at the finish line was a single Oreo (chocolate sandwich) cookie. Go, pigs, go.

ChocolateBet: June 17, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana
Good + (or so the monkey told me)
Weight: 6 oz. (169.8 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 210 calories (estimate)
Cost: $n/a
Purchased from: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, in Napa, CA

Deep in the heart of the jungle, there lived a small monkey who was in search of a chocolate covered frozen banana. He found it in Napa, in a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Monkey Theme Week.