Bobo's - Oat Bites, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip - Jan. 31, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Simply Delicious, Inc. 

Bobo's Oat Bites - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Good - Good +

Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 6.5 oz. (185 g.) in total package of 5 bites

Calories: 170 calories in 1 bite

Cost: $5.99 for 1 package of 5 bites

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

Today's Bobo's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bites were from Simply Delicious, Inc. (Boulder, CO).

These vegan, Certified Gluten Free and Non-GMO Project Verified bites offered a rollicking oat and textural taste fest with a light smattering of chocolate chips. The addition of smooth peanut butter added smooth nutty flavor and helped tone down the sweetness level just a bit, which I liked.

Tone It Up - Peanut Butter Chocolate Plant Protein Bites - Jan. 30, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Tone It Up
Plant Protein - Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bites
Good
Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 5.07 oz. (144 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1 serving (2 bites)
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

Today's Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bites were from Tone It Up (Manhattan Beach, CA). The company offers a variety of protein powders, shakes, bars and bites, books, nutrition plans, fitness information and related items.

Each individually-wrapped, small rectangular bar (or bite) provided 9 grams of Non GMO plant protein. Protein provided a satisfying feeling of fullness, although it also contributed a slight, fine grain in the texture and mouthfeel. The chocolate and peanut butter flavors were subtle and balanced.

The small individual serving packets were convenient and easy to transport, and the bites themselves were not too sweet (thank you!).

barkThins - Dark Chocolate Peanut - Jan. 29, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

barkThins
Dark Chocolate Peanut
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Peanut barkThins were manufactured for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC (New York, NY). These pieces of tasty, smooth dark chocolate bark were embedded with dry roasted peanuts and a trace of sea salt.

Alden's Organic Sasquatch Tracks Ice Cream with peanut butter cups + cacao nib brownie - Jan. 28, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Alden's Organic (Oregon Ice Cream)
Sasquatch Tracks Ice Cream, loaded with peanut butter cups
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/3 cup (48.5 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL.)
Calories: 125 calories in 1/3 cup (1/2 serving)
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peanuts Theme Week.

The featured Alden's Organic Sasquatch Tracks Ice Cream loaded with peanut butter cups was made by Oregon Ice Cream (based in Eugene, OR; founded in 1938).

Today's ice cream was relatively light in flavor, with a vanilla ice cream base and veins of fudge/ chocolate peanut butter cups.

The ice cream accompanied a homemade brownie with cacao nibs, topped off with a generous, extra sprinkling of nibs atop brownie and ice cream. Nothing amps up authentic chocolate brownie flavor better than chocolatey cacao nibs. And the nibs added rich flavor and a textural dimension to both brownie and ice cream.

Lucky Spoon - Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes; Dagoba xocolatl drinking cocoa - Jan. 27, 2020

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

1.) Lucky Spoon Bakery
Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57) / 8 oz. (228 g.) in total container of 4
Calories: 220 calories in 1 cupcake
Cost: $3.49 (sale) for 1 container of 4
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

2.) Homemade chocolate brownie with...
Dagoba Xocolatl Drinking Chocolate
Whiskey-soaked cacao nibs and cinnamon and fig

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

One can satisfy a chocolate brownie craving via many forms of chocolate, including in rich chocolate cakes, chocolate bars and in homemade brownies.

Today's double entry features a mini chocolate cupcakes that satisfied a brownie craving in the morning, and a mad scientist (homemade) brownie with several toppings.

Lucky Spoon Bakery
The first chocolate, a petite chocolate cupcake topped with buttercream frosting was from Lucky Spoon Bakery (Salt Lake City, UT). This perfectly sized cupcake satisfied chocolate brownie and cake/sugar cravings. It was relatively moist and light, and not too crumbly...in other words, you might never know this chocolate cupcake was gluten free.

Dagoba Xocolatl spicy brownie
The second chocolate, was a homemade brownie, sprinkled with Dagoba* xocolatl drinking chocolate (cocoa/dry mix), and topped with whiskey-marinated cacao nibs and marinated fig, and sliced almonds. It was very satisfying.

A brownie buffet table with unlimited toppings might have also had fresh whipped cream, grated orange peel, allspice and additional items suitable to add this teetering tower of flavors.

*Dagoba's xocolatl drinking chocolate mix (with chili, cinnamon and pieces of dark chocolate) was likely inspired by the original Dagoba xocolatl bar (chocolate with a subtle, warm spicy kick to it).

Note: Dagoba Organic Chocolate, founded in 2001 by Frederick Schilling, has been owned by the Hershey Company since 2006.

Eat Like a Woman - Love Chocolate Brownie - Jan. 26, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Eat Like a Woman, Inc.
Love Chocolate Brownie
Good 
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: 2 bars for $1 (sale)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

Today's Love Chocolate Brownie was distributed by Eat Like a Woman, Inc. (Burbank, CA).

The company targets their nutrition bars, shakes and books to women, who, they point out, have different nutritional and health requirements. (Women develop heart disease differently than a man might, or metabolize food differently, have different digestive needs, experience different life phases, experience stress differently, etc.)

The look and feel of today's "customized women's nutrition bar" was a cross between a compressed energy/protein bar and a thin brownie.

Ingredients that provided the chocolate brownie flavor included 85% cacao chocolate chips, almond butter and coconut oil, and "cocoa natural flavors."

This bar was slightly chewy, with finely ground ingredients like brown rice protein (#1 ingredient) chicory root fiber, and seeds (chia and hemp) adding some texture.

The sweetness level was relatively balanced. Sweeteners included brown rice syrup, clover honey and stevia leaf extract. 

Tone It Up - Plant Based Protein Bites Chocolate Brownie - Jan. 25, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Tone It Up
Plant Based Protein Bites - Chocolate Brownie
Good
Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 5.07 oz. (144) in 1 package
Calories: 140 calories in 2 pieces (1 serving)
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate Brownie Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Brownie Protein Bites were from Tone It Up (Manhattan Beach, CA).

These small, individually-packaged chocolate brownie protein "bars" had a slightly chewy texture and were very satisfying—thanks to the 9 grams of protein contained in a single serving (of 2 small bars).