chocolate review

Dean’s Low Fat Chocolate Ice Cream

Low fat chocolate ice cream has come a long way.  Maybe I'm dating myself, but I remember when lowfat and fat free icecream was first introduced into the marketplace.

Dean's Country Churn ChocolateThe chocolate ice cream had little chocolate flavor and tons of sweetness which was not worth eating as far as I was concerned.  Over the years things have changed (thank goodness!!!!) and now I can enjoy a great tasting light icecream.
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Chocolate – Smells so Good (but don’t eat)

My family and friends have learned that giving me gifts that involve eating, wearing, or smelling like chocolate are encouraged.  Over the past year, I have been given three different chocolate scented body wash products as presents.  Just the other morning, I called my daughter into the bathroom where I asked her to sit and take notes as I compared the three products in the shower.

The first product is an oldie but goodie. By oldie, I mean, I don’t think it is being made anymore and by goodie, I mean, it’s been my gold standard for the past year. I am talking about Bath and Body Works: Wickedly Hot Chocolate Body Wash, Shampoo and Bubble Bath. You couldn’t ask for a product to do more!  The very dark and thick brown gel has a strong chocolate aroma and feels smooth on my skin.  It foams into a sudsy lather right away.  By the end of the shower, the odor does fade.  The lingering smell is a creamy, honey, vanilla- like scented candle.

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Want a Chocolate Fling?

There's a new candy bar in town!  And, she's looking for some steamy romance...

I'm talking about the new Fling bar, the first new candybar brand from Mars in more than 20 years, which proclaims to be "naughty, but not that naughty."

OK, before I get into the steamy details, let me back up a bit.  First of all, Fling may not actually be in your town yet.  She's been let loose, and is running wild in California, but those of us in other states cannot yet run to the grocery store and expect to see it on the shelves.
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Caribou Coffee – Mocha

I'm sitting at a local Caribou Coffee waiting for a business associate to arrive.  This morning I ordered a medium Mocha from the Espresso menu.

caribou-mochaThe medium Mocha is 2 shots of espresso, steamed milk, cocoa, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings.  It is served with a chocolate covered espresso bean set on the cover.  That's where I started today. Sometimes I save the espresso bean for the end, saving the best for last so to speak.  Not today.  I figure it's time to start with a bang, get some strong flavor, along with a bit of caffeine in a quick dose.
 

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Fit & Active – Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars

Bryn brought home a box of Fit & Active brand chocolate fudge low-fat ice cream bars.  This is a product that you can buy at Aldi grocery stores.

Chocolate Fudge - Low Fat Ice Cream BarsFirst off I'll point out that there is a sticker on the front of the box that we have that says, "Compare to Weight Watchers."  That might normally be a warning to me, saying something like, "stay away, the flavor has been compromised."  But, I'm not here to bash the product.  Actually quite the opposite.
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Caffe Chocolat in Titusville, Florida

Last Tuesday we stopped at Caffe' Chocolat in Titusville, Florida.  We noticed it in the historic downtown part of Titusville a couple days earlier as we drove out to Playa Linda beach.  When we drove by a second time, on another adventure, we took the opportunity to stop.

The cafe portion is truly a restaurant with a complete menu including sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, and salads.  They also serve specialty coffees, hot and iced.  Of course they have fine chocolates and other desserts.

Our interest was in their Chocolate Salon.  Here they had a wide assortment of chocolates made right in the store.  Pam, owner and chocolatier, has been making the chocolates for more than six and a half years now.
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Chocolate In Space

We spent the day enjoying our time at the Kennedy Space Center. What does that have to do with chocolate?

Apparently the astronauts need their chocolate fix too. Or, at least, the marketing department is quite active in its desire to have us think so.

First of all, our kids had to get some freeze-dried ice cream. You know that's official "space food," originally developed for early Apollo missions.
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Rice Crispy Bars with Chocolate and Wine

For dessert tonight Bryn's mother made Rice Crispy bars.  She melted some Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chips, spread it on the bars, and then put another layer of bar on top.  So it was kind of a layer cake, the layers being rice crispy bars and the frosting being semisweet chocolate.
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Mo’s Bacon Bar

When I first laid eyes on the Mo's Bacon Bar by Vosges, Ltd. I was in shock.  My mind raced.  Who would put bacon in a chocolate bar?  Isn't that some kind of violation?  Serious penalties should follow. Mo's Bacon Bar

Then another thought crept up, "I wonder what it would taste like?"  Did I really think that?  Could I try something that sounded so strange?  My resistance fell and I walked out of the store with a new-found creation.
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Allô Chocolat’s Chocolate Covered Bacon

Wow!  What else can I say?  This afternoon Bryn and I visited an independent chocolate shop called Allô! Chocolat in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  We met with the owners, Roger and Carrie, who have been in the chocolate business for about 3 years.

It's a nice shop on Main Street.  They've got a plentiful selection of chocolates available to suit any taste.  They'll even customize formulas on request for special clientele!
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