ChocolateBet: October 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
fleurir
Peanut Butter, Banana
Good+
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 59 calories (estimate)
Cost: $34.00 box of 18 pcs. (+ any shipping, handling)
Purchased from: fleurir, via foodzie.com

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. This Peanut Butter, Banana chocolate from fleurir (Wash., D.C.) had layers of peanut butter and banana ganache, which generally adds to the tasting experience.

It's very difficult to bring peanuts and chocolate together without my imagination wandering off to bananas, and then monkeys. Monkeys may not eat processed chocolate, but they do eat (and help disperse the seeds) of the cacao fruit that grows in Latin American countries. So, maybe we owe monkeys a small debt of gratitude for helping spread and bring to the attention of man this fruit with the lovely seeds. So, I'm incorporating a little monkey thank you during the rest of this chocolate and peanut theme week.

ChocolateBet: October 17, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bite
Integrated Sports Science
Oh Yeah! bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .3 oz. (9.33 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 50 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A ($3.00)
Purchased from: N/A - thank you to Alex and Dr. Jay's, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. The generously sized Oh Yeah! high protein, Chocolate and Caramel bar from Integrated Sports Science (Charlotte, North Carolina) had the satisfying heft of a candy bar, but with healthier ingredients. 

ChocolateBet: October 16, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Bakery on Main
Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bars
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) for 1 bar / 6 oz. (170 g.) total package of 5 bars
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: lost info
Purchased from: lost info

Gluten free snack bars run the gamut -- from chewy sweet cardboard to surprisingly edible and good tasting. I'd put these Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola bars from Bakery on Main (Glastonbury, CT) in the latter category. I'm pretty sure I will eat the rest of this package of five, individually-wrapped bars made with peanut butter, chocolate chips, rice, corn flakes, sesame and sunflower seeds -- and seasoned with raisin juice, honey and salt.

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week and Day #2 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: October 15, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package
Betty Lou's, Inc.
Organic Golden Smackers - Chocolate Peanut Butter Patties
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.)
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from:

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week, and the first day (Day #1) of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. This chocolate peanut butter patty from Betty Lou's (McMinnville, OR) contained both Organic peanut butter and Organic sesame seeds.

(Note: to those who are grain sensitive -- there are some Organic oats in this Vegan snack as well.)

ChocolateBet: October 14, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 oz. bite
Israeli - no other info.
Halvah (with chocolate)
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 14 oz. slice
Calories: 70 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.39 (.88 lb. at $4.99/lb.)
Purchased from: Crossroads Market, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week. I found some genuine (made in Israel) middle eastern halvah with chocolate, at a local international market. Thank you to Elise for taste testing help.

ChocolateBet: October 13, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 piece
fleurir
Sesame Hazelnut
Good +
Weight: .2 oz. (5.6 g.) / .4 oz. (11.32 g.) in 1 pc.
Calories: 30 calories (estimate) for 1/2 pc.
Cost: $34.00 for box of 18 pieces
Purchased from: fleurir, via foodzie.com

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week. The sesame tahini and gianduja (hazelnut paste) mixed into a dark ganache made this dark chocolate from fleurir (Wash., D.C.) taste as creamy as a milk chocolate.

ChocolateBet: October 12, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece/tile
Poco Dolce
Sesame Toffee
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 90 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.25
Purchased from: ZombieRunner, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd be able to find seven different sesame items for this theme week; but it has been no trouble at all. And, I haven't even gone halva(h) shopping yet. Another sign of the incredible abundance and variety in the world of chocolate.

Poco Dolce (San Francisco, CA) offers bittersweet chocolate squares, or tiles, in many different flavors. All are good. As my tastes have evolved, I sometimes find these tiles a bit too sweet. However, the bittersweet chocolate and a light sprinkle of sea salt nicely counter-balance the sweetness.