Tag Archive: grocery product

Trader Joe’s Milk and Dark Chocolate

February 4, 2010

The bright purple wrapper of Trader Joe’s Organic Super Dark Chocolate and the equally bright pink packaging of Trader Joe’s Swiss Milk Chocolate certainly catch the attention of shoppers lining up in the check out lane.  But what really got MY attention were the claims on the label.

The organic, 73% super dark chocolate bar reads “this bar is not for the faint of heart.”   The Swiss milk says “incomparable flavor!”
Hmmm. Sounds like challenges I can’t ignore!

In order to collect as much data as possible, I took the bars to the office and shared the tasting experience with my work mates. 
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Chocolate Cheerios

January 18, 2010

It has been a while since I had Cheerios for breakfast.  For me, Cheerios was the cereal I fed my toddler to keep him quiet in church, not something I was interested in eating for breakfast.  What got my attention recently is the new Chocolate Cheerios.

According to the Cheerios website, Chocolate Cheerios is “a perfect balance of whole grain goodness and a delicious touch of chocolate taste in every bite.” 

I am a fan of whole grain goodness, but I am even more a fan of chocolate! 
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Valrhona Chocolate at the Grocery Store

January 2, 2010

I dislike grocery shopping.  Yet, once in a while, I do have brief feelings of enjoyment when I discover something unexpected.

During my most recent trip to the store I found myself downright giddy.  My thrill came from a new addition in the candy/chocolate aisle – a line of chocolate bars from Valrhona.  It was like finding gemstones among rocks.

Valrhona is known as a top leader in the world of chocolate, Le Grand Chocolat.  They were founded in 1922 in France.  They have a reputation for supplying the finest chocolate ingredients to restaurants, bakeries, and chocolate shops.
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Confessions of a Chocoholic

December 31, 2009

I recently taught a chocolate and wine tasting seminar.  We tasted delicious, hand-made chocolates from local chocolate shops.  Afterward, one of the attendees took me aside and made a confession... 

She said I did a great job pointing out the reasons to fall in love with gourmet chocolate, but that sometimes she just wants a big handful of M&Ms.  She wondered if something was wrong with her.

Perhaps there are many things wrong with her, but I don’t think craving M&M’s is one of them!  🙂  A large part of enjoying chocolate involves memories of our early chocolate experiences.  Children as young as age 9-11 start to prefer chocolate over other candy.
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Chocolate and Food Pairings

November 30, 2009

A few days ago I walked into my kitchen and saw my 12 year old daughter take out a bowl of melted milk chocolate from the microwave and dip a stick of string cheese into it.  Yummy she crooned. 

I was not so sure about that combination, but I tried it anyway.  Actually, it was not bad. 

Lately, I have been eating all sorts of chocolate and food pairings that I never thought I would enjoy.  For example, I recently ate a dark chocolate covered piece of bacon I bought from my local chocolates shop.  You heard right, bacon!  It was very delicious.
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Godiva Chocoiste – Milk Chocolate Whole Cashews

September 4, 2009

Godiva has a line of chocolates that, according to their website, are more decadent and more portable.  They call it ChocoisteTM.

I recently tried their Milk Chocolate Whole Cashews and I must say I enjoyed them very much!  My chocolate preference is dark, but I do enjoy a milk once in a while.  The reason I enjoyed this particular milk chocolate and cashew combination is the way the milk chocolate pulls out the bold, buttery, and salty flavor notes from the nuts and enhances them.
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Dean’s Low Fat Chocolate Ice Cream

September 1, 2009

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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Real Chocolate Relief Act?

July 24, 2009

Where have I been?  I suppose too busy working on Chocolate University Online lessons and support materials as well as handling website and blog issues.

Back in May, Mars put up a website at www.realchocolate.com that is giving away chocolate on Fridays through October.  I just discovered this today!

In their words, "Times are tough and we at Mars want to help. How, you ask? Every Friday through October, Mars will give away free real chocolate to 250,000 people."
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Want a Chocolate Fling?

July 20, 2009

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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Fit & Active – Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars

July 6, 2009

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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