Lillie Belle Farms - Marionberry bon bons, Hazelnut Chews - July 7, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Lillie Belle Farms

Marionberry bon bon
Very Good
Weight: .35 oz. x 2 = .7 oz. (19.81 g. ) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 105 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.50 (estimate) for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

Hazelnut Chews
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. x 2 = .8 oz. (22.64 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.50 (estimate) for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

Today was the third day of Chocolate and Southern Oregon Theme Week.

Central Point is a relatively small town in Oregon (north of Medford, OR); but if you like chocolate, farm fresh food and cheese*, I recommend a stop here.

Today's berry and nut chocolates were part of a larger assortment box I purchased this week from Lillie Belle Farms, in Central Point, OR. The two flavors -- 2 filled, leaf-shaped, Marionberry bon bons, and 2 Hazelnut Chews, paired very well together.

What is a Marionberry? A Marionberry (sometimes called a Marion blackberry), is a popular Oregon berry; it is a blackberry cultivar that was developed in Oregon.

The Lillie Belle Marionberry bon bon was filled with very fresh, organic berry preserve filling (caution: do not eat over white clothes). The amazing berry flavor complemented the square-shaped, Hazelnut Chews very nicely. The chews had a beautiful, fresh hazelnut taste to them. (It's such a pleasure to buy and eat very fresh chocolates.)

*Note: next door to Lillie Belle Farms (chocolates) is Rogue Creamery, a place with some great Oregon cheeses. 

Branson's Chocolates - berry truffles - July 6, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Branson's Chocolates
Blackberry and Raspberry Chambord Truffles
Weight: .9 oz. (estimate) for 2 truffles
Calories: 135 calories (estimate) for 2 truffles
Cost: $2.25 x 2 = $4.50 for 2 truffles
Purchased from: Branson's Chocolates, Ashland, OR

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Southern Oregon Theme Week. Today I sampled two berry flavored truffles from Branson's Chocolates (Ashland, OR).

Popular local Oregon berries include Marionberry and Blackberry. However, my favorite Branson's truffle was the Raspberry Chambord Truffle -- made with Black Raspberry Chambord liquor in a semi-sweet ganache, hand-dipped in semi-sweet chocolate, and sprinkled with pinkish-red berry colored chocolate shavings.

Branson's Chocolates - Coconut bar - July 5, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Branson's Chocolates, LLC
Coconut Bar
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56.7 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 260 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.85 for 1 bar (discounted "Oops" bar)
Purchased from: Branson's Chocolates, Ashland, OR

Today was the last day of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, and the beginning of a series of chocolates found in Southern Oregon this week.

I was in Southern Oregon for the 4th of July weekend -- primarily in the towns of Ashland and Medford, and was able to investigate some of the local chocolatiers. The first stop we made was Branson's Chocolates, LLC (Ashland, OR).

The good folks at Branson's had truffles, bars, fudge and other confections on display when I visited. Today's Coconut Bar was in the "Oops" pile of bars. I'm not sure why, as this bar -- made with 58% semi-sweet chocolate, and filled with a coconut cream filling -- looked and tasted perfectly fine.

Additional Fun in Jacksonville, OR 
We also drove to the historic town of Jacksonville, Oregon, northwest of Branson's Chocolates (Ashland) mentioned above.

In our stroll through town stopped at the Jacksonville Mercantile, where I purchased two Coconut Curry chocolates from Europe, and a Hagensborg chocolate bar (from Canada) for future consumption.

We concluded our walk with a stop at a local Saloon -- for a shot of local lovely berry infused "Wild Roots" vodka (made in Bend, Oregon) over ice. This would surely pair well with several dark chocolates.

Endangered Species - Coconut Creme Filled bar - July 4, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Endangered Species Chocolate
Natural Coconut Creme Filled Dark Chocolate bar
Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 125 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $3.59 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

This 72% cocoa dark chocolate bar from Endangered Species (Indianapolis, IN) was filled with a thin, white layer of dairy free, coconut creme (made with sustainable, organic Brazilian palm oil).

Endangered Species is committed to species conservation with 10% of net proceeds going to help these efforts. (This bar was also Rainforest Alliance Certified.)

Each of the company's different filled, and regular, chocolate bars are wrapped in packaging adorned with a photograph of an endangered or threatened animal or bird. Today's Coconut bar included a photo of a lemur.

The initial piece I broke off from this bar had a coconut aroma to it; however, the flavor note I picked up from a bite of this bar was, oddly, more nut butter and less coconut.

This coconut dark bar was certified gluten free, non-GMO and vegan.


Happy 4th of July from Ashland, Oregon
Far from the relatively peaceful rainforests of the world, was the sound of bands playing and fireworks. Today was also the 4th of July holiday in the U.S.

Perhaps the most "American" experience one can have on the 4th of July is to attend a parade in a small town, enjoy a barbeque with friends, watch fireworks, and eat locally made ice cream. We did all of these things today in, or near, the small town of Ashland, Oregon.

Near the large, historic Ashland Springs Hotel, where we were watching the parade go by, was Zoey's Cafe. The Cafe served BJ's ice cream, and one locally inspired flavor caught my eye. Their "Oregon Trail" ice cream was made with chocolate ice cream, a swirl of dark berry syrup and hazelnuts. Had to try it. It was sweet, flavorful, and refreshing on a hot day.

Coco Libre - Chocolate Protein Coconut Water - July 3, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Maverick Brands, LLC
Coco Libre Organic - Chocolate Protein Coconut Water
Good
Weight: 11 fl. oz. (330 mL) in 1 container
Calories: 140 calories in 1 container
Cost: $3.29 for 1 container
Purchased from: Molly Stone's, Palo Alto, CA

Today I celebrated Day #5 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week with a cold beverage -- made with organic coconut water and Dutch cocoa.

This container of Coco Libre Chocolate Protein Coconut Water from Maverick Brands, LLC (Palo Alto, CA) was enriched with vitamins and minerals and contained 20 grams of (milk) protein. This gluten free drink contained no added sugar; and was sweetened with a bit of stevia extract.

It was a hot day, and a chilled drink did taste good.

The Republic of Tea - Coconut Cocoa - July 2, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Republic of Tea
Coconut Cocoa
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 6 fl. oz. cup of tea, iced, made from tea bag/ total box of 24 assorted tea bags
Calories: almost nil
Cost: $13.99 for box of 24 tea bags (previously counted for another flavor)
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA

It was a beautiful summer day for breakfast in the backyard -- perfect for a cold, refreshing Coconut Cocoa iced tea, and a Chocolate Coconut and Chia "breakfast" cookie, sprinkled with a little sea salt. I could have spread this cookie with a little coconut jam to sweeten things up and intensify the fresh coconut flavor, but I was fine without the extra sugar. (Coconut jam is great for tarts - or as a filling for small dark chocolate cups.)

The Coconut Cocoa tea from The Republic of Tea (Novato, CA) was made with both carob and cocoa powder (and "natural chocolate flavor"), as well as caramel malted barley, dates, roasted chicory and coconut flavor. This tea was better than expected -- in part because it was very natural tasting. It was great iced, and would have been good with a splash of milk as well.

Today's tea was part of a Republic of Tea assortment box with five different cacao-related flavors. The Cuppa Chocolate Teas box contained 4 bags each of five different tea flavors: Coconut Cocoa, Red Velvet Chocolate, Strawberry Chocolate, Peppermint Chocolate, and Banana Chocolate flavors.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

go raw - Chocolate Coconut Crisps - July 1, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Freeland Foods
go raw - Chocolate Coconut Crisps
Good++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

I enjoyed snacking on these organic, gluten free "go raw" Chocolate Coconut Crisps from Freeland Foods (Mountain View, CA). I also used a handful as a topper for an organic chocolate and coconut satin pie (made with coconut butter).

These chocolate covered (unsulphered) coconut pieces had a mild crunch (a great counterpoint to the velvety pie), and nicely balanced flavors -- not too sweet, with a hint of Celtic sea salt.

Freeland Foods specializes in organic, raw, gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, soy-free, and pareve/kosher food and snack products. In quasi-related news...I was excited to hear that Freeland Foods will soon be moving into a new solar-powered facility in San Jose, CA. (I like solar almost as much as I like chocolate.)