Nestle Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups - March 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nestle
Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in 1 package
Calories: 230 calories in 1 package
Cost: $1.29 in 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

Nestle's Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups really are a perfect fusion between smooth peanut butter cups and a crunchy Butterfinger candy bar. Executed in filled chocolate cup form, these chocolate and peanut butter confections are sure to satisfy a sugar craving.

I'd rather skip the lactose and the hydrogenated vegetable oils, but these flavors do bring back fun childhood memories. However, if I'm not mistaken, there is good news too. Any artificial food coloring that might have been used to amp up orange-gold hues, has been replaced by more natural annetto and paprika extract coloring.

Nestle Cocoa Plan

Nestle also has formulated a program to help support cocoa farmers, with their "Nestle Cocoa Plan," (launched in 2009), represented by a logo seen on this package. The program is focused on farmers in West Africa (Ivory Coast, Ghana), where much of the world's cocoa is grown, largely on smaller farms, with the goals of improving the quality of farmers lives and the disease-resistance of cocoa trees.

Part of the training for farmers there involves the introduction of more disease-resistant trees. And, regardless of how you may feel about this and related subjects (GMOs, plants that may require more herbicides pesticides, etc.), the program also supports building schools and providing other support services. One can hope that child slavery issues are being addressed, directly or indirectly, with this funding as well.

Theo - Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - March 10, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Theo Chocolate
Organic, Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Good+
Weight: 1.3 oz. (36 g.) in package of 2 cups
Calories: 190 calories in 2 cups
Cost: $2.25 for 1 package of 2 cups
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Organic, Fair Trade Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Good++-Very Good
Weight: 1.3 oz. (36 g.) in package of 2 cups
Calories: 200 calories in 2 cups
Cost: $2.25 for 1 package of 2 cups
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA) produces a line of chocolates and bars made with fair trade cacao. Building on that distinction, the company called today's chocolate(s): "the first fair trade peanut butter cup."

Today I'm featuring Theo's Organic, Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, and the Milk Chocolate version of these Non-GMO, palm free and soy free, filled chocolate cups. Both were slightly heart-shaped cups.

Theo Chocolate makers partnered with CB's Nuts (a nut butter maker) for their peanut butter.

I enjoyed the authentic, well balanced chocolate and smooth nut flavors, and less sweet taste. I didn't get the sugar buzz that I sometimes get from eating other brands -- a good thing. The dark chocolate aroma was more akin to one of Theo's bean-to-bar, dark bars than commercial candy bar chocolate, without any trace of acidity or bitterness.

The milk chocolate were also smooth and yummy.

I certainly wouldn't mind if my homemade nut butter cups tasted this smooth in flavor and texture.

Health Warrior - Chia Bar - Chocolate and Peanut Butter - March 9, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Health Warrior
Chia Bar - Chocolate Peanut Butter
Good - Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ (lost info)
Purchased from: (lost info)

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

Health Warrior (Richmond, VA) products include chia seeds and chia bars/snack foods, including today's Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Bar.

The chocolate and peanut butter flavors were subtle. It was a great bar for a hike. Not too sweet, but satisfying and natural tasting. One bar at lunch helped power a hike up Ring Mountain (Tiburon, CA) this afternoon to see the Miwok Indian Petroglyphs. Thanks Health Warrior founders (Dan Gluck, Nick Morris, and co.).

Little chia seeds are naturally nutrient dense -- offering a good source of protein and fiber, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids. (This small bar contained roughly 1,000 mg of Omega-3s.)

Chia seeds have been enjoyed by humans, as far back as 3,500 years ago) -- and, by inference, Aztec warriors. Today's health and fitness "warriors" might also benefit.

Those Chia Pets* and heads are great fun, but chia seeds are also a great healthy food. Maybe there needs to be a "chia warrior?"

*What are Chia Pets? Joseph Enterprises, Inc. (San Francisco, CA) created them and still sells them. These figurines made their debut in 1977. Moistened chia seeds are spread on small, animal or head-shaped terracotta figures. And if watered and cared for properly the seeds sprout and grow "fur" or "hair." (The company also sells chia seeds for consumption.) 

Skout - Chocolate + Peanut Butter bar - March 8, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Skout Natural Foods
Chocolate + Peanut Butter Organic Trailbar
Good
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $
Purchased from:

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Peanut Butter Theme Week.

Being a hiker I'm always interested in trying convenient, relatively healthy snacks that incorporate chocolate. I found a few items that incorporated both chocolate and peanut butter for this theme week.

The first was today's Chocolate + Peanut Butter Organic Trailbar from Skout Natural Foods (Portland, OR).

"Organic, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Dairy and Soy Free" with no refined sugar, this dark, almost-glossy pressed bar kept it's shape with the help of organic dates (the #1 ingredient).

Wild Friends - Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter - March 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Wild Friends Foods
Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (32 g.) in total packet
Calories: 190 calories in 1 packet
Cost: $1.19 for 1 packet
Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, and a lead in to Chocolate and Peanut Butter Week.

Conveniently packaged in a "knead and squeeze" single-serving packet, this Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter is part of a line of flavored nut/seed butters (peanut, almond and sunflower) from Wild Friends Foods* (Portland, OR).

Like regular peanut butter, this flavorful spread was good by itself, or I imagine it could be spread on cookies, toast, ice cream sandwiches, or other items, and likely would be fine for cooking or baking as well. Unlike many other nut butters, it was not too sweet. The peanut butter, chocolate and coconut were balanced nicely and tasted authentic.

What else did I like about this Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter? It was made with only 5 ingredients: roasted peanuts, coconut, organic agave, unsweetened dark chocolate, and sea salt.

*Founders Keeley Tillotson and Erika Welsh, started this business when they were University of Oregon students.

MaryJanesFarm - Pinnacle Coconut Milk Chocolate, Almonds bar - March 6, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

MaryJanesFarm
Pinnacle - Coconut Milk Chocolate and Almonds
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $2.93 for 1 package
Purchased from: REI, Mountain View, CA

Decades ago, hiking snacks were largely DIY -- bags of homemade granola with chocolate chips or MandMs tucked into a rucksack or backpack were popular. Today, if you don't have time to make your own hiking or climbing snack, there are a wide range of interesting packaged, chocolate choices available.

Today's 41% cocoa Pinnacle Coconut Milk Chocolate and Almonds bar from MaryJanesFarm (Moscow, ID) was self-described as "High Attitude" Organic Chocolate -- part of a line of High Attitude foods that looked very suitable for backpacking, camping or hiking trips.

This relatively substantial bar (thickness probably helps prevent meltage on a warm day) had an authentic milky flavor, and smooth mouth feel; it contained both whole milk powder and coconut oil. Small pieces of almond embedded throughout the bar offered some complementary crunchy texture.

This Non-GMO, gluten free Coconut Milk Chocolate was created with cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

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

Askinosie - Coconut CollaBARation bar - March 5, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Askinosie Chocolate
Coconut bar ("A Beautiful Mess")
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 76.6 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #

This coconut chocolate bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO) was part of the company's CollaBARation* series of bars, made with bean-to-bar chocolate + added flavor inclusions.

The bar had two sides: the back was a tiny riot of toasted golden-brown coconut shreds, which yielded well balanced, freshly toasted coconut flavor. The bar was lightly sweetened with organic coconut sugar.

The front side was comprised of the standard Askinosie smooth, dark tiled format; each of the 18 squares held one letter -- spelling out Askinosie Chocolate.

For some extra fun you can break the squares apart and play chocolate word games. And speaking of fun, I think Askinosie staff must have been enjoying themselves when they named this bar:

"Flakes of Coconut Get Toasted As Rich, Dark Chocolate Teases Coy Coconut Sugar Creating A Beautiful Mess*"

*A Beautiful Mess is the name of a Missouri, lifestyle blog -- created by authors Elsie and Emma. Askinosie collaborated with this sister duo when they created this bar.