ChocolateBet: November 13, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 squares
Vosges
Cherry Rooibos Bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .78 oz. (22 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 110 calories
Cost: $7.50 total bar
Purchased from: Vosges, in Las Vegas, CA

I was interested in including Chicago-based Vosges's new Cherry Rooibos Bar in Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week. Fortunately (for me) Vosges has a Las Vegas, NV, location -- which is at least 1,000 miles closer to me than Chicago. And I just happen to be in Las Vegas for a few days. This bar is described as having "African rooibos tea, dried Michigan cherries, and deep milk (45% cacao) chocolate." The flavors were fairly subtle, but pleasant in the small piece that I ate. It's tempting to eat more and find out if larger chunks of cherry are embedded elsewhere in this bar; but I needed to leave room for dinner this evening.

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: November 12, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Iamori
Chocolate Chip Biscotti - Gluten Free
Good +
Weight: .42 oz. (12 g.) / 5.5 oz. (156 g.) total package
Calories: 40 calories for 1 biscotti cookie
Cost: $7.99 total package of biscotti + $3.50 for bag of cherries
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, in San Mateo, CA

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

I paired one of these Iamori gluten free Chocolate Chip Biscotti cookies with some Dole frozen (defrosted) dark sweet cherries for breakfast. I'm traveling for a few days, and this combination wasn't a bad on-the-road breakfast.

ChocolateBet: November 11, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Caffe D'Amore
Bellagio Sipping Chocolate - Cherry
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.)/ 9 oz. (255 g.) total container/tin
Calories: 110 calories
Cost: $5.99 total container/tin
Purchased from: HomeGoods store in San Carlos, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week.

Caffe D'Amore Bellagio Sipping Chocolates can be enjoyed either hot or cold. Since it was fairly cool outside, I chose hot. And, while I'm sure this cherry flavored mix would be great with hot milk, I used hot water -- about half the recommended amount, to make a nice small cup of thick hot cherry chocolate. I liked that this Bellagio chocolate mix was rich in flavor and lacking in artificial ingredients.

ChocolateBet: November 10, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) serving
Recchiuti Confections
Dragee - Cherries Two Ways
Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.)/ 6 oz. (169.5 g.) total package
Calories: 225 calories
Cost: $12.95 total package
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA
 
Day #5 of Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week. Today's choice was: "A combo of dried Michigan tart cherries and candies wild Italian cherries" -- both types covered in chocolate of course -- from Recchiuti Confections.

Recchiuti is a high-end San Francisco, CA, based chocolate vendor, with a location in the San Francisco Ferry Building -- a foodie paradise.

However, I purchased these chocolate cherries from Fog City News, a great source for chocolates, news, and cards, a few blocks inland on Market Street.

ChocolateBet: November 9, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Harry and David

1.) Chocolate Truffles - Cherry (2 truffles)
Good +
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.)/ 12 oz. (340 g.) total package
Calories: 200 calories for 2 truffles
Cost: $12.95 for total package
Purchased from: Harry and David, Vacaville, CA store/booth at Waterfront Festival, Suisun Bay, CA (Oct. '10)

2.) Bing Cherry Milk Chocolates (4 pieces)
Very Good
Weight: 1.35 oz. (38 g.) / 4.5 oz. (127 g.) total package
Calories: 190 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.99 for total package
Purchased from: Michaels, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week; and I enjoyed trying not one, but two, Harry and David chocolate and cherry products. The first, individually wrapped cherry truffles were part of the fruit bowl assortment (the other two flavors being orange and raspberry); they were fudgy and good. I bought these truffles last month from the owners of a local Harry and David store in Vacaville, CA, on Nut Tree Road, who had a booth at the Waterfront Festival -- celebrating wine, art and chocolate -- in Suisun Bay, CA.

The second offering was milk chocolate covered bing cherries, with the taste of dried, (pleasingly) tart, cherries inside.

ChocolateBet: November 8, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 cup
Safeway - Safeway Select
Cherry Almond Fudge Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (66 g.) / 1.5 quart (1.42 liter)
Calories: 150 calories
Cost: $3.29 (sale)
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week. This cherry ice cream from Safeway was blended with roasted almonds and swirls of chocolate fudge. I may also try this frozen dessert with a little chocolate fudge sauce with brandy.

ChocolateBet: November 7, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Jelly Belly Candy Company

1.) Jelly Belly Chocolate + Cherry jelly beans
Good - Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) total package
Calories: 40 calories
Cost: $N/A - free to Jelly Belly factory tour participants
Purchased from: Jelly Belly, in Fairfield, CA

2.) Jelly Belly chocolate covered almonds
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 290 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Jelly Belly, in Fairfield, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Cherry Theme Week.  I opened a colorful bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans, and started looking for chocolate and cherry beans. These bags, containing 40 possible flavors, were handed out to our group after a factory tour at the Jelly Belly plant and visitor center -- located at One Jelly Belly Lane, in Fairfield, CA.

After getting rid of (eating) a few stray root beer and cinnamon beans (that looked a little like chocolate and cherry beans), and sampling a few chocolate and cherry jelly beans in a one mouthful "recipe," I also enjoyed some Jelly Belly chocolate covered almonds purchased during the same trip.