The Chocolate Traveler- M&M Collector

NEW- Lindt Petits Dessert & 70% bars!

2010-03-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here are 3 amazing bars from Lindt, the Truffle Cake, 70% Dark Chocolate Mousse and Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Mousse. They are all incredible of course and the packaging really sells them well- no one does it quite as beautiful as Lindt! My favorite is the Hazelnut Mousse because of how light and fluffy it is- really melts on your tongue :) Both other bars are much heavier but still delicious.

NEW- Nascar, Transformers & Breast Cancer M&Ms packaging!

2010-03-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the latest M&M bags to come out with different themes- Official Candy of Nascar, the Transformers movie, and in support of Breast Cancer research. They are always onto something new and I am always there to show you the different bags....love it!

Publix amazing Chocolate Obsession cake- just look at it!

2010-02-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

Pictures say 1000 words here- this incredible decadant cake can be found for about $20 at Publix grocery store bakery counters. Its so gorgeous they even made a TV commercial for it! Inside is just as amazing- layers of rich choc cake with light fluffy frosting and all covered in that rich dark choc shiny ganache- its any chocophiles dream come true! Thanx Publix, worth every penny.

Holiday M&Ms- Valentine's Day & Winter holidays!!

2010-02-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Just gotta love all the variety of packaging for the holiday bags of M&Ms- the worlds greatest choco candy spares no expense in decorating their delightful bags, with large store chains (Target, Walmart) selling different versions of the same flavors. Here I put them all together so you can see the differences- oh & these are only about half the collection I have from many years! I LOVE it- the more the merrier! Enjoy....

NEW- 3 Musketeers Dark Choc Cherry and Truffle Crisp!!

2010-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

These are 2 new versions of one of my favs- 3 Musketeers. The Cherry I think is only for Valentines day holiday candy, but hopefully longer- these are fabulous! Mellow fluffy cherry inside covered in a thin dark choc coating- its perfect for a quick minisnack- they are very low fat yet give you a sugar/choc hit. Their new Truffle Crisp bars are super tasty too- absolutly perfect for dipping in hot cocoa or coffee- the classic choco malt taste is awesome and that little crispy cookie and choc covering is delightful- 9 grams fat for both- not bad! Both highly recommended :)

NEW- Chocolate Cheerios!!

2010-02-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

So even Cheerios could not resist the chocolate cereal craze! Lately all kinds of "healthy" cereals have been producing tasty chocolaty versions (see my older posts for Special K, Chex, Honey Bunches...) and heres Cheerios version- its good with light and dark shiny rings, and tastes slightly cocoa like, but it's just not sweet enough for me- I actually had to add sugar even tho I ate it in chocolate milk! But then again Im a sugar/sweet addict so Im not surprised. Overall definitly worth trying for chocophiles.....

NEW! Limited Edition Fudge Covered Ritz crackers!!

2009-11-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

These are something really fun for the holidays- I found them at Sweetbay grocery. Havn't seen these at all in many years but I have a Chocolate covered Ritz box in my collection with no year on it- I think its from the 80's. I even wrote to Nabisco and they didnt know either! But the new ones are Fudge covered, its a thin layer and tastes great except needs a dash of salt- seems they brushed all the salt off to make these and its just a little too sweet to have much of the real Ritz flavor left. Still recommended, and great for gift giving!

NEW! Andes Creme de Menthe cookies for the holidays!

2009-11-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

I grabbed these the second I saw them at Walgreens- they look so delicious! Then I also had the Cool Mint Oreos at home and did a little taste test- they are actually quite similar in taste. The Andes cookies have a very nice thick layer of chocolate and their signature green creamy mint all wrapped around a chocolate cookie. And the Oreos are Double Stuf so they have plenty of Cool Mint creme and that dark chocolate cookie too....I am quite thrilled with both and highly recommend both! Creme de Menthe would be an elegant gift too.....

NEW! Nestle Toll House Chocolate filled cookies!!

2009-11-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Oh my, these are decadent. This is any choco-lovers dream right here- Nestle choc chip cookies baked with chocolate or caramel filling inside! Its an ooey-gooey delight that is only made slightly better by rolling the dough in nuts too- cashews, peanuts, or almonds taste great. Also it helps to sprinkle a little salt on them before baking- they are just SO sweet it helps balance a little. Overall- amazing! Thanx Nestle! (and good job bouncing back from that recall....)

Halloween M&Ms and Chips Ahoy!

2009-10-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween- here are some fun treats that celebrate the season. My M&M collection has grown quite large over the years- and every year they change the packaging! So fun.....and here are chocolate Covered candy corn too- really tasty.

NEW! Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms!!

2009-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, these are actually REALLY good- they are the same as the ones put out for the Transformers Movie promo (see earlier post) but with VERY cool new fun packaging! Love the stripes! Found these only at Walmart so far, hopefully more stores will get them and they will last awhile...the pieces are much bigger than regular M&Ms, and they have a wonderful P-butter middle and strawberry flavored choco with the candy shell... sound weird at first but trust me- yummy!

NEW! Fudgey Chips Ahoy and Oreos!

2009-09-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, fudge is having a really good month- both Chips Ahoy and Oreo have new cookies featuring it! Here's Fudge Bites and Fudge Sunday Creme- both delicious of course, but my favorite is definitly the Oreos- hard to describe the taste other than rich and creamy and ice-creamy tasting. The Fudge bites are good, but just not that spectacular. I would buy Chunky Chips Ahoy again before these.....and lots more boxes of Fudge Sunday Oreos!

Chocolates of the World- Guatemala!

2009-08-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

My groovy globe trotting friend Adriana brought me this high quality dark & milk chocolate from Guatemala- its actually made there, although I dont know if all the ingredients are grown there. It is very pure too- with REAL cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, real milk and real vanilla. Im very impressed with the quality and taste, thank you SOOOO much Adriana! You're the best.....

NEW- Coconut M&Ms!!!

2009-08-19T13:48:00.001-07:00

Oh my, this is a BIG deal for coconut lovers- and they are so good! Tastes a lot like Mounds actually. They are bigger than normal M&Ms, and I was a little disappointed that they didn't make them look like little coconuts inside with choc shell and white coconut flavored choc inside- that would have been fun. But its just all regular choc color and really tasty- very cool Limited Edition with great packaging. Odd that I have seen no TV or magazine ads for these at all- where is the advertising push? and only saw them in one store....wierd.

Chocolates of the World- Canada!

2009-08-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ok so these are actually produced in Switzerland, but that's ok- sure is pretty packaging right? My awesome buddies Adriana and Monnett brought me these from a trip to Niagra Falls- the chocolate is excellent, and perfect little bite size squares- thank you ladies!

NEW! Dark chocolate & crunchy ice cream toppings!

2009-07-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Smuckers and Hershey are now competing for your Dark Chocolate love- both have really good dark choco ice cream syrup flavors that are different in thickness (Smuckers thicker) but similar in Awesomeness! Love love love them both, espec on Briars Vanilla Bean or Neopolitan ice cream....Mmmmmmm
Then there's Smuckers Magic Shell and Heath crunchy shell toppings that harden on contact with frozen food- be it ice cream, bananas, whatever- these are delicious!

New M&Ms- Nascar, Transformers, and Pens!

2009-07-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

M&Ms, the official candy of Nascar, have put out some fun packaging for the event...also they are sponsors of the new Transformers movie with a new flavor- Strawberried Peanut butter (think Pbutter & jelly w/ a choco crunch)- really yummy! And then I have some various fun M&Ms collectibles. Enjoy!

Chocolates of the World- Japan!

2009-06-03T10:27:00.001-07:00

Here are some funky cool treats I got from J-List.com. Really cute mini chocolate ice-cream cones, and Pistachio chocolate! They really like fruit flavored white choc -this bar comes in banana, strawberry, and other flavors too. Interesting, but not chocolate in my opinion- just cocoa butter, sugar, and flavoring. Ick. Look below to see Japanese KitKats!

NEW- Twixels!

2009-06-03T10:22:00.001-07:00

These are the new "lighter" version of Twix candy bars that come in new fun flavors- Triple Choc, French Vanilla, and Caramel. They are clearly geared toward women and pronounce "only 90 calories per serving" on the box. And they are delicious little cookies! I especially enjoyed trying 2 flavors together, but of course went way over and past the "serving" size.....who could eat just 2??

NEW- Pillsbury Dark Choc Mint Cake!

2009-06-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Now this is just SO decadent and chocolaty that I simply had to try it- and trust me, its every bit as good as as the photo suggests. The Andes mint cream and sprinkles really make it amazing- I had to refrain from eating it all myself! Highly recommended!

Another celebration of chocolate cereal (& milk)!

2009-06-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

This is my second "ode to chocolate cereal" because there have have been some new and amazing cereals put out lately! Now add to these some chocolate milk (soy for me) and you have one amazing low-fat, high sugar, cool-summer, chocoriffic treat!!
I can't go a day without it.....

Japanese KitKats- can't get these flavors here!

2009-05-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Nestle KitKat is quickly becoming the new Pocky- Japan's favorite chocolate candy. I got all of these on the fun Japanese pop-culture site J-List.com and you can see they look similar but are also quite different than the U.S. versions. The flavors are really unique & wonderful- Custard Pudding, Tiramisu, Jasmine Tea, and Azuki bean- and you can see they use both white and milk chocolate for the many varieties. I just love the beautiful packaging and will certainly keep my eye on J-List.com to see if any new flavors come out (surprisingly the shipping cost is quite low from Japan!)

NEW- Himalania & TerrAmazon- a new take on trail mix!

2009-05-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Found these tasty nuggets at Whole Foods, and wow are they special! The Himalania Crunch included dark chocolate, cashews, pistachios, Himalayan pink salt, Goji berries, Organic cane juice, and rice syrup. They are 100% natural, gluten and choclesterol free. They are certainly tasty, but unfortunatly I could not taste any chocolate! I enjoyed the nut flavors and berries, but had to add bits of my own choc-still, tasty either way. TerrAmazon Cacao Nibs with macadamia nuts are harvested under Fair Trade and Organic farming methods and use unrefined sugar cane syrup & brown sugar for sweetener. The beans are "criollo" which are considered the most flavorful, and the most expensive. This is a crunchy, flavorful treat that I enjoyed, but did need a dash of salt to balance the sweetness a bit. Recommended!

Hot sauce in your chocolate?!?

2009-05-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, now here's an unusual pair- dark chocolate and Tabasco hot sauce!! My awesome globe trotting friend brought me these from Louisiana, where Tabasco is manufactured, and boy do they LOVE their hot sauce! I'm not a spicy food fan but I will try anything involving chocolate and what do ya know? It aint bad! Cool smooth dark choc is the first taste then- WHAM- theres the after kick of spice- its like pure natural entertainment in your mouth! If I ever need a pick-me-up....Thanks again Linda, you never cease to surprise and delight me! :)

NEW! Reese's Cremes truly melt in your mouth....

2009-05-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Very excting for Reese's fans, they have rolled out the second entry in their "Select" line (found only at Target so far), also called "Signature chocolates" on the bag....the first was the Reese's caramel/pecan Clusters, and now here are the VERY creamy cremes! And by creamy I mean like warm runny peanut butter, nothing at all like the kind in the cups. These can be potentially messy so careful as you bite in- But, oh, sooooo good- that classic Reese's flavor never gets old, perfect pairing of salty and sweet- Bravo!!

NEW- Strawberry Oreos from the U.S. and Japan!

2009-04-25T13:14:00.001-07:00

There is a wonderful Japanese website called J-LIST (www.jlist.com) that sells all things pop-culture from Japan, including very fun snacks & chocolate. Of course I had to try their Oreos, and in strawberry flavor no less, since those are not avail. in the U.S.- UNTIL NOW! The same day these arrived by mail, I was grocery shopping and found New Strawberry Milkshake Oreos! What are the chances? Now besides the obvious appearance, after taste comparisons, they are totally different cookies (but both yummy). Their version is not nearly as sweet as ours, as the Japanese like their cookies/chocolate a bit milder in general from ours. The U.S. version is delectable, and also goes well with the earlier Banana version I listed months ago (also pictured). One thing's for sure- Im going to have a hard time not devouring all of these at once! (BTW- J-List shipping rates are surprisingly low)

NEW- AXE Dark Temptation body spray smells like chocolate!

2009-04-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, there is an undertone of chocolate scent in there, but not everyone will smell it, as its very subtle. But they want you to enjoy it, and right on the bottle it says "Dark Temptation: As Irresistable as Chocolate!" Quite the selling point I would say! Overall this is a delicious, strong, masculine, musky cologne for men that I quite like and bet will be very popular...

NEW! William Dean gourmet chocolates!

2009-04-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

William Dean chocolates are new to me, but have actually been here since 2007! And right in my neck of the woods, Florida! I can't beleive this gorgeous little shop has been a short drive away all these years- Thank you Linda for the ad you showed me! As you can see the chocolates are gorgeous and all handmade, some using edible spray paint for exceptional colors/design, and they are just as wonderful inside. The flavors are unique, inventive, and constantly changing. They are fond of fruit flavors and also sell fruit pate and choco bars with nuts & fruit added- it can all be seen up close on their website "www.williamdeanchocolates.com". Bonus- WD will be at this year's NYC Chocolate Show so be sure to ck them out!

Ahhh, the beauty of Spring/ Easter chocolates....

2009-04-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Yes sadly the time has come to gather our post-Easter clearance sale chocolates and enjoy them lovingly until next spring, when the comfort of bunnies and Cadbury eggs can be with us once again. Until then, we shall savor the beautiful colors and flavors of spring/Easter chocolates and smile fondly as they melt in our mouths. Here are some new ones to tide us over....Lindt Fioretto, which is a lot like Hazelnut Rocher; Milka Earth, simply dreamy- found in an import store; and Werthers Caramel Mousse, delicious and very smooth- Recommended!

M&Ms are all dressed up for Spring!

2009-04-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Here is my huge collection of Springtime M&Ms in all their pastel glory- every season M&Ms has different packaging with different major stores (Target, Walmart, large drugstore chains) and they are so fun and festive I just cant throw them out. So here is my collection- see if you can spot the ones from the 90's!

NEW- Market Street Gourmet Toffee!

2009-04-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

I read about this toffee from an article my friend gave me, and knew I had to order some immediatly. So we split the shipping cost and each got a different flavor: Traditional and Margarita. Both are EXCELLENT and any toffee lovers dream- made in a small batches in Scottsdale AZ, Market Street Toffee Co. started in 2004 with an old family recipe. Now they have grown to include several other flavors, plus Peanut Brittle and Peppermint Bark. All the ingredients are pure- 100% butter, cocoa butter, pure cane sugar, almonds, and high grade chocolate- the taste is extraordinary! The Margarita toffee also has macadamia nuts, Tequila w/key lime juice, covered in white chocolate. The toffee arrived only 2 days after I ordered it (Priority Mail) in perfect, beautiful packaging- VERY impressive all around- I will certainly order this again for myself or a special gift! (www.marketstreettoffee.com)

A very sweet surprise - Choco-mice from LA BURDICK!

2009-03-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

These are a very fancy fun gift from my Super-Awesome Mom, who knows a thing or two about EXCELLENT chocolate! LA BURDICK is one of the top chocolatiers in the USA, possibly the world in my opinion (the owner/creator is Swiss). They are based in Walpole, NH and have another store in Cambridge, MA. They have been producing premium handmade chocolates since 1987, and these mice are their trademark "signature selection". Adorable and tasty, they have dark, milk, or white thin coatings with heavenly soft ganache inside flavored with cinnamon, espresso, or orange juice. Of course the colorful tails and almond ears are the crowning touch. I almost couldn't eat them they are so cute, but alas, the choco-loving cat in me could't resist.....thank you mom, what a treat! (they also make adorable penguins- www.burdickchocolate.com)

Chocolate Amber & Cocoa Butter beauty!

2009-03-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

The only thing better than eating chocolate is using lotions and soaps with woderful smelling cocoa butter in them- it's VERY good for our skin and has been used for centuries in beauty products. Shown here are many of the latest products I have found with cocoa butter- it's a very expensive ingrediant so it's only a small percent of most lotions (to make sure you are getting REAL cocoa butter, it should say "theobroma cacao") New Suave Cocoa Butter body wash, and the Suave & Vaseline Cocoa Butter hand lotions are nice- both smell delicious, but Vaseline's is stronger. Queen Hellen brand has been making cocoa butter creams for a very long time and are very popular. And cocoa butter soap is ok but this one did not smell like it at all- was more fruity. Then there's a new discovery I made- Bath & Body Works Chocolate Amber spray and body cream, which smells very rich, sexy, and decadent (could be worn by men or women, reminds me of Calvin Klein Obsession), but contains no cocoa butter- it's more of a chocolate "top note". If you're interested it's a discontinued scent and only available now at www.CreativeNotions.net (at discount rates)- Highly recommended!

Chocolate + Macadamia Nuts= Heaven

2009-03-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

For anyone who loves nuts, you know macadamias with chocolate is one of the most perfect unions ever created. I recently came across these heavenly Mac nut treats and just had to post them all together- 1 from the very well known Mauna Loa co. and 2 from Hawaiian Host, both produced on the gorgeous island of Hawaii. WOW- toffee, caramel, chocolate AND mac nuts?!? Absolute pure bliss.....thank you Hawaii!!

Chocolates of the World- Brazil!!

2009-03-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sweet Brazilian friend's dad brought me these all the way from Brazil- a super fun mixed box of what she said is their most popular brand of local chocolates- LACTA! There are all kinds of flavors here- all of them milk except one dark bar and 2 white choc bars. As you can see there are all shapes/sizes/ flavors and even some that are a lot like M&Ms - so fun! Thank you SOOOO much Adriana, I absolutley adore this taste of your beautiful country!

Chocolates of the World- Costa Rica!

2009-03-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

My super awesome globe-trotting friend Linda brought this back from Costa Rica for me! Britt is their largest coffee producer who also has a small chocolate/ cocoa division. They grow and process all the cocoa on site and the result is heaven- this is some of the richest most delicious cocoa Ive ever had, and the tin is a collectible for sure! Love Love Love it- Thanx Linda!

NEW- Coldstone Ice Cream Flavor Chocolates!

2009-03-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Ok I'll admit again that the packaging really sold me here- it really is a beautiful presentation. But then I saw who makes them- Turin- and I was wary. They make several popular liquor flavored chocolates you see a lot in duty-free stores, and frankly, the chocolate is bad. It's good enough for the average joe who doesn't know the difference, but just like for these Coldstone flavors, the choc shell is weak and pale and whimpy and waxy- I doubt there is even 10% cocoa content. The fillings are not much better- fake pasty peanut butter flavored goo (you will really appreciate the REAL peanut butter in Reese's after these)! Maybe that's why these were on clearance? WAY overpriced for starters.....

The Dove Difference.....

2009-03-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

As you can see, it's really all in the packaging- yes it's seductive and Im a total sucker for great wrappings. But the insides count too, and I am very impressed with Dove's line of "fancy" chocolates, and quite like their mix of flavors. I LOVE the Bananas Foster, a flavor not often available outside of gourmet restaurants, and actually their entire line of individually wrapped caramels is distinctive and very tasty- with a little Dove note wrapped inside each one. And the large choc bars have 3 seperate sections wrapped inside- for better freshness and portion control. Dove has done it right- they are different and stand out- not to mention really affordable and makes a great gift!

NEW- Nestle dark Chocolatier and milk bars...

2009-03-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

These both popped out at me recently, and both happen to be Nestle. The gorgeous yellow bar is their new line of baking chocolate, a trend started by Ghiradelli and found in the grocery baking aisle. They also have a darker 72% bar and also chocolate chips in this line. Very nice quality but hard not to eat before you get to baking with 'em! The red bar is just new fun packaging on their standard milk choc BIG bar- quite good if plain milk choc is your thing...I personally need dark and/or some nuts and things mixed in.

Godiva & the final after-Val day sales tally...

2009-02-21T13:05:00.001-08:00

So I made out like a bandit at the post-Val day choc sales- best score by far was GODIVA half-priced hearts- such a treat to open a box of gorgeous chocs that also taste amazing- their quality is far better than average choc (but still not at the level of superior fancy European choc houses like those in NYC & Paris- many of which I have been lucky enough to visit years ago). I will slowly savor my collection you see stacked together- yes thats 12 heart boxes, some Hershey Bliss, and Ferrero Rocher all at a deep discount! This should hold me over until the post-Easter choc sales....

Chocoholic's favorite day- After Valentine's Choc Sales!!

2009-02-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

Every year I look forward to February, not for Valentine's day exactly, but for the major chocolate sales afterwards! Feb 15th is the Superbowl of choc sales- all the yummy assorted choc hearts go 50% off, and if you can wait a few more days they go 75% off! I have yet to hit Godiva (tomorrow) but here is my haul so far. No its not the world's best or fanciest choc, but I do love assorted varieties and Whitman's/ Russell Stover are quite good for inexpensive choc- they are truly American classics. My best score is the large box of ALL DARK- last one on the shelf! Who needs flowers & jewelry? Im all set, thank you....

NEW- Valentine's M&Ms collection!

2009-02-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

Here comes Valentines' Day- one of chocolate's biggest celebrations! Of course M&Ms joins the party with their fancy colors and bags, so here I have all the M&M packaging from all the different stores going back a few years. For every big candy season M&Ms creates a variety of new packaging for different major stores- Walmart, Target, and all other grocery/pharmacies all have different designs (but the colors inside are all red, pink, & white). So as I have done since my blog started, I am sharing with you how they all look together, and you can see the differences are quite striking. So fun! I love it....

NEW- M&Ms mugs and sandals!

2009-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

My awesome friends Linda & Adriana blessed me with these very fun & funky M&M gifts that I just love love love! The lady Green mug is just adorable and came with mini packs of M&Ms inside- it could also be used as a candy dish :) The sandals are a hoot! I cant wait to wear these out and see what kind of comments I get- the sparkly red just takes them to the next level of crazy funky cool- they must be the world's happiest shoes! I will put them on whenever I need a little cheering up- nothing makes me smile quicker than bright colorful M&MS (eating or otherwise):) Thanx SO much ladies- made my Christmas and M&M collection way better!

NEW- M&Ms 2009 Calendars!

2009-01-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Here they are - the new awesome beautiful M&M 2009 calendars- wall and purse sizes- inside are great "photos" of the M&Ms in various seasonal settings- love it! And got them at Michaels craft store for only 1.00 each! Can u beleive so cheap? There really is a Santa Clause....

Chocolates of the World- Chinese M&Ms!!

2008-12-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

My awesome amazing friend Josh brought me these all the way from China! They are actually made in Beijing, and you can see all the characters speak Chinese and the website is listed. Whats especially fun is the little triangle bubble packaging with a handful of the candy inside- really cute! So do M&Ms made in China taste any different than those made in America? Well, not really....maybe slightly less sweetness but hardly noticeable. This candy is sold and manufactured worlwide with Im sure strict formulas- but different cultures have variations on taste. And my friend swore the peanut tasted different!

Limited Edition- Junior Mint Peppermint Crunch!

2008-12-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

Just for the Holiday season, Jr. Mints produces this ramped up, fancy version of their popular candy- it's very tasty and one of my new favorites. The dark choc coating has peppermint candy bits mixed into it for a really delicious and fun to eat treat! Unfortunately they are not easy to find but check around- I got these at Winn Dixie grocery store (last year at Target).

Christmas M&Ms are here!

2008-12-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

As you can see they have many different packages for holiday M&Ms- bags from regular stores like Walgreens, CVS, and groceries have a different look than those bought at Walmart and Target, who each package theirs differently- which makes for some very fun designs!

NEW- M&M and Hershey Holiday decorations!

2008-12-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

We have a really fun store here that celebrates the Holidays year round called Christmas Wonderland- they decorate all different colors of trees with ornaments based on special themes. This year, among many others, they have both an M&M tree (yellow) and a Hershey chocolate tree (green) plus new fancy M&M stockings! Very fun, and very cool for collectors.....

NEW- Andes Chocolate Mint cookies and baking bits!!

2008-12-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Mint is one of my favorite flavors in the winter, and Andes Chocolate Mints has blessed us with 2 new items this season- mini cookies (found in a vending machine!) and baking bits, which are just the mints all diced up into smaller pieces. The cookies were a disappointment- not nearly enough mint pieces, and a bit dry. But this can be remedied by using the baking bits to make my own double chocolate mint cookies or brownies! That was the plan anyway, until I opened the bag and smelled that heavenly Creme de Menthe smell- tasted a few, couldn't stop- and it was all over. Luckily Target has a good supply of these! (PS- they come in Peppermint Crunch flavor too, but I dont eat "white chocolate candy" so I skipped them)

'Tis the season to get Cocoa- Cozy!

2008-12-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Ah, winter- as the temperature outside drops, we tend to cozy up inside and want something warm to drink. As any chocolate lover would agree, winter is THE season for yummy cups of hot cocoa served with cookies or pie. Here are some new and older brands and flavors- Hershey & Swiss Miss have added super dark flavors, which I love and is clearly the trend lately. Several brands have taken the Mayan/Mexican chocolate route- Nestle Abuelita is already a well established brand of Mexican chocolate with a cinnamon kick. It commonly comes in round hockey-puck size cakes that you divide up and melt in hot milk over the stove (very traditional). Oh and it's DIVINE, trust me. But for a more on-the-go society they powdered it and have it available in easy serving packets (still much better with hot milk than water).There's also an Abuelita choc syrup. And Hershey & General Foods have their versions of that choc-cinnamony taste too- all good, but Abuelita has the strongest flavor and will always be the best. Happy sipping!

NEW- Snyder's Dark Chocolate Covered pretzels!

2008-12-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

These have been available in milk chocolate for awhile, but brand new is the Hershey Special Dark Chocolate covered variety. Really tasty except they need more salt- the appeal of this snack is the combo of sweet, salty, and crunchy- Snyder's is good, but unlike Nestle's version, they do not have enough salty kick in my opinion. But if you mix the milk and dark together and sprinkle a little salt on yourself, it's still a yummy treat.....

NEW- Hershey BLISSful holiday packaging!

2008-11-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year- when all the chocolate co's roll out their fancy Holiday packaging and Special Limited Edition products. Hershey has dressed up their Bliss choc bags & foil wrappers (milk, dark, and meltaway center flavors), and they are beautiful! I love the colors- when you mix them all together, the evergreen, burgundy & gold color foils make for a very festive holiday bowl for a party or at work . Had trouble getting the right lighting but hopefully you can tell how pretty these are...

It's Brownie-palooza!

2008-11-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I get on a brownie kick- especially when I notice a few new varieties pop up on the shelves. So now is that time- there are some really great new box brownie mixes out that I just had to try, but this is only a starter list. There are many more and ultimatly I plan to do a full scale taste test between Organic and regular brands. The pics here show the latest offerings from Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Duncan Hines, Ghiradelli, and generic Hannaford. Im especially fond of the Cookie-Brownie bars and all of the Dark choc varieties- VERY rich & deep dark chocolatey....what brownie dreams are made of (especially warm and served with cold vanilla ice cream!)

NEW- Hershey Cacao Reserve Truffle Crunch!

2008-11-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Oh my, what do we have here? Hershey has expanded the Cacao Reserve line to include crunchy truffles, and they are truly delicious. The packaging really says it all, with a cross section picture and describing them as "Chocolate Truffle Crunch- a three layered tasting experience- rich chocolate, creamy truffle filling, and cacao bit crunch- the heart of the cacao bean". Plus they are beautifully wrapped in bright blue (milk) and purple (dark) foil so they are fun to share and leave as a surprise treat for someone! Highly recommended- currently found at Target.

NEW- Ghirardelli Luxe Milk bars!

2008-11-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

So now that Dark chocolate has been thoroughly celebrated and elevated to "chic" & healthy status, I think Milk chocolate is going to try to make a comeback. Here is example one- Luxe Milk bars from Ghirardelli. They are in beautiful slick packaging and have fancy add-ins like deep-roasted hazelnuts & natural toasted almonds. They are described as Rich, Creamy, and Heavenly milk choc, made with the "finest cocoa beans". Does the taste live up to all that? Absolutely, and Im not a big milk choc fan by itself, but I do love these- especially with the nuts. I prefer to pair it with some dark choc too- that Duet bar is just perfection. Well worth the price and calories!

NEW- Reese's Crunchy is back!

2008-11-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

So cool- they brought my favorite Reese's back- Crunchy! Filled with yummy crunchy peanut butter, they were last seen more than 10 years ago I think- and I always wondered why they were discontinued? Crunchy rocks! Welcome back!

NEW- Stirs the Soul Organic Raw Chocolate!

2008-11-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a product from my hometown- Portland, OR, that is as special, exciting, and unique as that great city! In true Oregon fashion, this chocolate is Organic and Raw- meaning it is very simply un-roasted cacao beans (preserving the maximum antioxidants & nutrients), raw cocoa butter, raw amber agave nectar (for natural sweetness), vanilla, and Himalayan crystal salt. And it is Fair Trade certified, vegan, low glycemic, and allergy free. This is chocolate for the purist and those trying to break an addiction to refined sugar sweetness (like me, sad to say). It is just a very wonderful, intense, strong, healthy blast of real chocolate flavor, and they have 5 or 6 different varieties- see the entire line at STIRSTHESOUL.COM - available in Natural food stores and by mail order. Thanx mom!!

More Halloween M&Ms and fun treats to make!

2008-11-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some very specially packaged Halloween M&Ms -10 packs of the regular size bags. And some very fun colorful treats you can make with all the M&Ms you get for Halloween- Rice Krispy Treats made with cereal, marshmallow, REFRIGERATED M&Ms, and butter. Just take a BIG plastic or glass bowl, put 1 TB butter in the bottom and fill it with one bag of marshmallows. Heat in microwave till its all puffed up to top of the bowl. Add 1/2 box of crispy rice cereal and mix, then when its all coated in marshmallow, add the cold M&Ms (if not cooled they will start to melt & break apart), mix it all up- then spread it out in large greased pan and cool for a bit- then cut in squares & enjoy!

The M&M Halloween collection is here!

2008-10-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

So here they are in all their various designs & glory- M&M Halloween/ Autumn packaging from this year and last...plus one much older from the 80's (bottom left corner). As you can clearly see there are LOT of different designs issued for the same product, and the differences depend on the store they come from. For each major holiday, M&M puts out a "mass market" design for all the grocery and standard stores, but they also have special designs contracted for mega-store Walmart and another set just for Target. You can see them grouped together and clearly tell the differences, it's really quite striking! But inside the product is the same and the M&Ms are all new fall colors- this year is great with orange, purple, black, and green- what they call "New Electrifying" colors and "Cool Ghoul's Mix". Plus there's and "Autumn Mix" of maroon, mustard, and brown tones, in dark chocolate only. I really hope they keep doing all this great packaging, I love to see what they come up with- it's an extra treat with every holiday!

Chocolate Shampoo & Conditioner!

2008-10-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

My wonderfully amazing Brazillian friend Adriana brought me these hair products all the way from Brazil! They both contain "theobroma cacao extract", which comes directly from the "chocolate" cacao bean and of course, anything with cacao added must be good for us (in my mind anyway...) So you can see its not nearly as dark or chocolaty looking as the bottles, but it smells yummy and really does clean nicely. LOVE, love, love it- thank you Adriana for this exciting, exotic addition to my blog and collection of choco-products!

Vintage Red M&M dispenser!

2008-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

My awesome good friend Linda gave me this adorable vintage red dispenser from 1991- love, love, love it! It still works, just put M&Ms in the door in back, pull the arm, and out they come in his hand! You can tell the vast difference in his character's face from what's on the packaging and tv now- this is back when 2-D animation was the norm, before computer FX made cartoons look so real. I love his innocence and cute face. Thank you Linda- he will be treasured in my collection always!
PS-if you compare this one with the current Red character,it looks like him as a little chubby baby boy M&M,with his sweet innocent babyface-now he looks all adult with an attitude-he grew up just like us :)

NEW- Vintage classic Hershey favorites!

2008-10-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

Just found these in a display at CVS, of course had to get all 4! They are a reissue of the original packaging for these bars from waaaay back in the early 1900s and wow are they cool looking or what? This is back when Hershey created the "original 5 cent chocolate bar" and made it affordable to the masses- which in turn made him a very rich man. Of course nowdays the wrapping is plastic, not foil & paper, and unfortunatley if you read the Mr. Goodbar its "made with chocolate" which means it's got cocoa beans in it but has some other cheaper oil in place of cocoa butter. Yes this does affect taste but most consumers won't notice or care (I persoannly cant eat it like that...)Fortunatley they DO still use real cocoa butter for the other items shown! And always will if they are smart enough not to mess with their best sellers formula....

A celebration of all things REESE'S!

2008-09-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

Who knew 2 little chocolate peanut butter cups born in the 1920's would become so popular they would have endless spinoffs- now there's Reese's cereal, ice cream, cookies, and dozens of Limited Edition flavor variations. Millions of Americans (myself included) have grown up on the addictive flavor of Reese's, making them the most popular Hershey product by far. But supposedly they are not so popular in Europe or other countries where people are raised on Nutella and don't usually like peanut butter at all -they prefer a choco-hazelnutty flavor instead. But Reese's is still hugely recognized and eaten worldwide and will forever be expanding it's line here in the US. I know we simply could not imagine life without those peanut butter cups in the familiar bright orange packaging- still going strong after 85 years!
PS- Regarding the latest uproar about Hershey substituting vegetable oils in place of REAL cocoa butter to cut costs, they wisely have chosen NOT to do that to their Reese's, Milk choc bar, Almond Joy, or Kisses. They know better than to mess with the formula or taste of their best sellers...

M&Ms World Orlando!! Love, love, love it!

2008-09-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Yay- I finally made it to the third & final M&M World in the U.S.-Orlando, FL (you know, home of Disneyworld, Seaworld etc..)! The other 2 are in Las Vegas & NYC of course....big flashy cities with heavy tourism. Orlando is the newest store, inside Florida Mall, and is as fabulous as the others- it's huge, colorful, fun, and really a Mecca for any/all M&M lovers & collectors with everything imagineable for kids & adults. Also that day we went to Universal Studios park where they had M&M vending machines, which I havn't seen anywhere else (Mars is THE candy supplier to Universal) Take a look!

NEW- Breyers & Klondike Triple Choc ice cream!

2008-09-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

Both Breyers & Klondike have come out with Triple Chocolate flavors, so of course I had to try them and do a little comparison. There's white, milk, and dark choc flavors represented in both, but the big difference is that Breyers is 100% all natural and in my opinion has always been the best ice cream available mass-market. But Klondike is an ice-cream bar and has the fun advantage of that crispy choc coating shell- definitly appreciated by kids but with no stick to hold it up these treats get very messy very quickly! My vote goes to Breyers on taste and texture, but Klondike puts up a good fight....

NEW- Dark Mayan Chocolate coffee drink mix!

2008-09-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

So General Mills has finally joined the Dark Choc party and added a pinch of cinnamon! They call it Dark Mayan Chocolate Coffee drink mix, which refers to the ancient historical roots of chocolate when the Mayan/Aztecs drank it as a beverage of gound up cacao beans, water, and spices. Mexicans of Mayan descent today still add cinnamon to chocolate in bars & drinks. This mix only has a hint of actual coffee flavor (which is great for some, sad for others) but mostly it smells amazing and tastes fabulous too mixed with hot water or better, hot milk. I was struck by the beautiful tin container which I cannot throw away- its a proud new member of my choco-tins & boxes collection. Enjoy!

NEW- Breyers M&M Cookie Dough ice cream!

2008-08-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

Another fabulous M&M surprise for me at the grocery store! And another top-of-the-line Breyers flavor, with a price to match- yes this was an expensive indulgence but I simply had to give in- the packaging alone sold me, who can resist Miss Green? I even bought this instead of their Triple Chocolate flavor, such is the power of the almighty M&M. The ice cream is dreamy: their light vanilla (Bonus-lower fat-and Breyers vanilla has always been the best) with mini-M&Ms and cookie dough pieces! To-die-for and worth every penny, trust me. Find it, love it, life is good....

NEW- Snickers Rockin' Nut Road!!

2008-08-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Oh happy day- I finally found these after first seeing them on the Candyblog and Candy Addict websites. The flavor combo sounded amazing- Marshmallow nougat, Almonds, Caramel, all covered in Dark Chocolate! Wow, that's a serious candy bar. I looked for months and finally spotted them at Walgreens (but oddly not on any new display, just tucked away with other regular candy). Of course I bought 3 and was very happy with the taste, my only disappointment being that the nougat did not have a strong enough marshmallow flavor among all the other ingedients....but overall it's delicious and decadent, very rich, and very filling. Not at all like Rocky Road that we are used to in ice cream, but totally different & highly recommended to try. But where's the advertising I wonder? No promos at all!? Weird....

3 Musketeers Mint covered in Dark Chocolate!

2008-08-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

These are the best thing to happen in mint choc candy since York & Jr. Mints- and they are not only delicious (my humble opinion) but have the added bonus of being low fat! The pkg says it all- "Whipped up, Fluffy, Chocolate-on-Mint taste" and 45% lower fat than average candy bars. That's because, just like regular 3 Musketeers, the fluffy nougat is nothing more than sugar, egg whites, and flavoring. Plus these are DARK choc covered which goes perfectly with the mint taste, but they are different than a York Peppermint patty in their lightness- flavor and density are both lighter, softer, and highly addictive. The Fun Size pkg is quite small, so its impossible for me to stop at one- but even 2 or 3 and its still a low fat (albeit high sugar) treat :)

NEW- Jet Puffed Marshmallow flavors!

2008-08-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

Here we have some new fun flavors from marshmallow king JetPuffed (Kraft):
Chocolate & Vanilla Swirlmallows are really cool looking, with stripes & swirlys of the 2 flavors, very tasty & fun. They smell heavenly- I may eat them alone but more likely will use them to make cocoa-krispy treats :).
Then I found these choco-covered mini marshmallows - Mallow Bites- hidden deep within the baking section at Target, where honestly nobody will see them unless they have the choco-radar that I have- really these need to be in the candy aisle since they are to be eaten like candy, not baked with. They even come in a cool resealable bag. Hopefully more stores will put these out more prominently- they would do great at movie theatres too I think.

NEW-Banana Split Creme Oreos!!!

2008-08-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

Oh yum- these are to-die-for delicious: Dark choc Oreo biscuits with banana flavored cream- and plenty of it-one thing I love about Oreos special Limited Edition flavors is they don't skimp on the creme filling- it almost seems like Double Stuff! The smell alone of these cookies is awesome- like banana bread. Now to be a true Banana Split I wanted to pair these with the Strawberry flavor Oreos, but alas, can't find them anymore- limited edition doesn't last long! Get these while their hot! (BTW- I have only seen these so far at Winn Dixie)

NEW- M&M cookie & ice cream treats!

2008-08-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Perfect for summer- M&M Ice cream cookie sandwich and the NEW M&M ice cream bar thats shaped & colored like an M&M! Yummy, but WHY aren't they made with choc ice cream, since M&Ms are candy coated chocolate after all? I just don't understand the use of vanilla ice cream....it's contradictory to the perfection of M&Ms. Oh well, maybe they will come out next. Then there's these little M&M energy cookies- called Generation Max they are "fortified with vitamins & minerals to keep you going"- well that's great, but they really skimped on the candy- hardly any actual mini-M&Ms in each cookie, so not a hit for me. Great concept- poor execution.

Chocolates of the World- Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Phillipines!

2008-08-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

For lack of being able to find any actual choc bars from these countries, here are the few choc items I found at import grocery stores- they love their cookies & biscuits! The DELUXE crackers were particularly rich, buttery, and addictive with nice dark choc cream. The Meiji panda cookies I always thought were Japanese, but this box said MFD in Singapore. The Jack & Jill pretzel sticks were made in Phillipines- waxy, weak choc, needed salt on the pretzels. The choc cream wafers are from Taiwan, and all others from Malaysia. The Love Letters wafers were particularly yummy.
To see great wrappers from almost EVERY country in the world, visit a website I found recently from a tip at Candyblog.net
www.chocolatewrappers.info
Go to museum section to see scans of wrappers categorized by country of origin- this man from Czech Republic has collected over 50,000!!! Very impressive site with LOTS of info and choc history....a window to the wide wide world of choc products....

My new motto (and favorite t-shirt ever)!

2008-07-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

Speaks for itself- love it!!

NEW Breyer's Hershey Kisses Ice Cream Poppers!

2008-07-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

WOW- these really POPPED out at me from the ice cream aisle- and they are delicious! Hershey Kisses shaped ice cream bites covered in a crispy chocolate shell, they are really fun to eat- melt easily in your mouth and really do taste like Kisses! They also come in vanilla, but why bother with that when there is this flavor? A little expensive for the small pkg size, but Breyer's is the best so get them on sale and enjoy. Highly recommended...

A celebration of CHOCOLATE CEREAL- my other favorite food....

2008-07-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

Every morning without fail I wake up and pour myself a big yummy bowl of sugar cereal with chocolate milk (my fav is Silk Chocolate Soy Milk since Im lactose intolerant) Recently a friend asked "how many boxes of chocolate cereal do you have right now in the pantry?" and I thought for a minute- a lot! At least 6! Yes, I LOVE it and even take baggies to work for a snack- its just the best food ever, anytime, anywhere (Im a sugarholic too- but not overweight since I exercise and otherwise watch my diet closely - no fried food!) Chocolate seems to be popping up on the cereal aisle more than ever lately - ever since the latest "health craze" about dark choc, all the so called "healthy" cereals have jumped on the bandwagon, adding it to their flavor varities. There's Choc Chex (very yummy, see earlier post), Choc Special K (with REAL dark choc chunks- really special), Choc Life (havn't tried yet) and Honey Bunches of Oats w/ Choc Clusters (good but not great). So here's a little sample of my current favorites- the best will always be Count Chocula of course, but I also love the new Choc Marshmallow Mateys (like Cocoa Puffs w/ tons of marshmallows!) and also love the PB&C even if its a generic of Reese's Cereal, it tastes just as good for half the price. Also not shown but with Honorable Mention- Double Chocolate Cookie Crisp, Cocoa Puffs, and Cocoa Pebbles (try these two with strawberry milk for a fun twist). Im a true worshipper and will always enjoy the many variations these cereal co's come out with- and always with chocolate milk- it's the only milk in my fridge!!

NEW Dove Desserts- Tiramisu & Bananas Foster!!

2008-07-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

For those of us who can't afford to regularly dine out at fancy restaurants and eat gourmet desserts, this really is the next best thing: Dove (owned by Mars/M&M) has released a new line of their caramel filled Promises called DESSERTS, flavored with 2 of the world's most loved dessert flavors: TIRAMISU in deep dark chocolate has a slight cinnamony, Italian cream, almost coffee taste which tastes exactly like real Tiramisu with choc syrup on it. And even better (for me) is the BANANAS FOSTER in rich milk choc with the baked banana/ brown sugar/ rummy combo- its pure choco-bliss in a bite! And going one step further, I tried eating them both together and found the explosive flavor combo really was a melty Choco-Nirvana moment- complete with my eyes closing and the "Mmmmmmmm" - that deep sound of complete soul satisfaction. The flavors totally go together but are equally amazing on their own. I don't often buy the same choc twice (cuz there's always new ones to try) but I will be watching the sales and buying these again for sure! Thank you Team Mars/Dove!!
PS-these also have the cute Dove Promises messages inside, so don't crumple them up too fast!

NEW Altoids Dark Chocolate Dipped Mints- ouch!

2008-07-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

So standing in line for checkout the other day this particular tin really jumped out at me- the packaging is new and REALLY impressive- so bold and beautiful! I have never been an Altoids fan- they are way too hard and strong for me, I would much rather have a TicTac or piece of gum - but they are very popular so plenty of ppl do enjoy them. I was going to skip it but then I saw the words that melted my heart- "Creme de Menthe" - LOVE that flavor and it sounds so smooth and french and creamy- admittedly the advertising ploy worked and I decided to give these a try in the hopes that MAYBE they somehow were able to soften the Altoids a little (creme de menthe just sounds soft & creamy right?) So while fondly admiring the tin I opened them up and saw the glistening dark choc nuggets inside and with very high hopes to be Wowed I popped one in my mouth and - OUCH! These things are so hard its dangerous! They did not soften them, thats for sure, and after realizing it I just sucked the yummy dark choc off and had to spit the Altoid out- ICK. I will be giving these away at work with a stern warning that they are rock hard- beware! So I come away with the new appreciation that JUNIOR MINTS & YORK PATTIES ARE THE ONLY DARK CHOC COVERED MINT I EVER NEED- they are both soft and minty and covered in dark choc- in fact these Altoids got that taste in my mouth so I had to run out and get a box of Jr. Mints immediatly. Mmmm, way better. Oh well, at least the Altoids tin is worth keeping!

NEW Tiny dark Tobler & dark Pomegranate Hershey!

2008-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Here are 2 great new offerings from totally unrelated companies but similar packaging- both eye catching & bold, using red, black & yellow- really stood out to me. Swiss Toblerone has shrunk their famous Tobler bars into "the tiniest Toblerone in the world" says the bag- they are perfectly bite size dark choc with honey & almond nougat. Delicious, adorable, and great for snacks on the go- throw a few in your purse or lunch bag. And Hershey has added an exciting new flavor to their Extra Dark line of squares- this is All Natural Pure Dark Chocolate (60%) with Pomegranate flavored pieces- yes, i know, the dreaded word "flavored"- red flag! Apparently (according to the ingrediants list) its not actual pomegranate pieces but rather some random fruit with pomegranate juice added, so altho its All Natural I guess real pomegranate either didnt hold up well or is too expensive or hard to process? Not sure but you do get a strong pomegranate flavor and pieces of fruit in each bite which contrasts very nicely with the slightly bitter chocolate. Really quite good and recommended. Plus each one is individually wrapped for a yummy treat anytime, anywhere- bonus!

NEW M&Ms Premiums- fancy new flavors & colors!!

2008-06-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

So excited! This is majorly HUGE news for M&M and candy lovers- M&Ms PREMIUMS have hit the shelves!! I found these at Target after hearing rumours of them at diff candy websites, and here they finally are! OMG so beautiful- the colors! The packaging! The flavors! These are NOT the M&Ms you grew up with - they are all dressed up for a very fancy party and come in an array of cool new flavors: Triple Chocolate, Mint, Rasberry Almond, Mocha, and Chocolate Almond (that's all Target had at least). For starters I got the 4 you see here, Im sure they will go on sale with a promotion coming soon I hope (have not yet seen any print or TV ads for these at all!?). The Target price is $3.99 for 6 oz, which may seem high but not really - these are seriously VERY special M&Ms. The cool metallic/marbled colors are really space age looking and SO pretty, would look amazing in a candy dish or as decoration on cookies/cakes. It's hard to capture the full effect here online- gotta see up close. The packaging is so fun, fresh, and innovative Im just blown away. Its a fully resealable bag within a box (see photo) and works perfectly to show them off. The taste? It starts with a heavenly smell form whatever flavor you pick, but Im a little bummed cuz there's no crunchy candy shell! It's so weird to bite an M&M and have just a soft chew- no crunch at all! Took me a moment but I got over it- that's a curious choice they made which separates them even further from regular M&Ms- or maybe the metallic dye/colors would not work for a hard shell(?). Anyways they taste as awesome as they sound and I will definitely buy the other flavors. So for the love of chocolate, keep an eye out for these, they are some very classy candies!

Chocolates of the World (pt.6)- Brazil!

2008-06-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Adrianna brought me these from her home country of Brazil! These are all common chocolate candy bars there, and the packaging is all written in Portugese. As you can see by the delicious pictures, there's Nestle strawberry and milky cream filled bars, one with coconut, as well as a big dark bar (which has ingredients written in at least 6 diff languages on back!). Thanx so much Adrianna- Brazil knows good chocolate!

See ealier posts covering Chocolates of the World from Japan, Korea, Russia, Poland, Eastern & Baltic Europe, Costa Rica, Israel, and more....! choc on

NEW- more Batman promo chocolate candy!

2008-06-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here are more deliciously fun promo chocolates for the upcoming Batman movie "The Dark Knight". There's a Special Edition KitKat with a bat design, Reese's Pieces in black and blue colors, and a Reese's Bar in the shape of a bat of course- plus the obligatory online game tie-in where you "Find the Bat signal and you can Win instantly!" Does anyone really ever jump thru all the hoops and win these promo games? I never met anyone who did.....but it's the chocolate I care about- anything else is extraneous! Choc on
PS- see earlier post for New Reese's dark & milk choc bats!

NEW Reese's Select Clusters!

2008-06-18T14:28:00.001-07:00

Wow- this is BIG news for Reese's fans- new Clusters that includes the famous Reese's peanut butter and milk choc PLUS chopped pecans & peanut & caramel! Im not a big fan of the Caramel Reese's cups that came out a few years ago (too sweet, not enough salt- out of balance) but these clusters are absolutely divine! Perfect combo of flavors and texture. This bag is large with about 20 individually wrapped clusters inside- I had a hard time stopping after 4- yes that good. Even better news is it sounds like on the back they are planning even more variations to expand the line- it says: "Now Reese's Select brings you a new line of deliciously different yet familiar products that delivers the ultimate Reese's experience." Hmmmm, me thinks this means more to come...keep visiting to see what I find!

Chocolates of the World (pt.5)- Costa Rica!

2008-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

My good travelin' friend & co-worker brought me these from Costa Rica! Dark choc covered PASSIONFRUIT! Does it get any better than that? I was so excited and thrilled (as she was to find it for me)a chocolate brand & flavor I have not ever seen or tasted before - this is a rare treat indeed. The passionfruit is actually in jelly form and goes exquisitely well with the very high quality dark choc - I had a hard time not eating the entire bag in one sitting. Manufactured by Cafe Britt (www.cafebritt.com)in Costa Rica- my first try ever of choc from that country- quite impressive! Thanks sooooo much Linda!
Choc on

Hershey Kissables- giving M&Ms some healthy competition....

2008-05-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hershey is clearly trying to tap into the M&M market with their Kissables line-colorful candy coated mini-kisses. Candy size and colors similar to M&Ms, just with a diff shape and no cool characters- but everyone knows what Hershey Kisses are- they have been around even longer than M&Ms (1907)! Now in addition to the milk choc they have Special Dark, and started making Special Editions for major choc holidays (Valentines, Halloween, Christmas, Easter) Not sure if these are available outside the US (I do know that M&Ms have been worldwide for quite a long time now) but I think they are doing ok here as far as sales. What's interesting is that this rivalry for the candy market goes waaaay back between Hershey & Mars/M&M, so here it still is alive and quite well- just like the Coke VS Pepsi war, this is good old fashioned brand competition, and it makes both sides stronger and better- so bring it on I say! More power to you both!

Holiday M&Ms- 4th of July!

2008-05-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the last few years M&M packaging for 4th of July- U.S. Independence Day. And with of course red, white, & blue colored candy, these are really fun to go with the barbeques, parties, and fireworks! I havn't seen them this year but I suspect its because M&Ms are too busy promoting the new Indiana Jones movie (see earlier posts with great new packaging)...I do know in June they are slated to launch some all new gourmet flavors, so keep an eye out here for that!

Chocolates of the World (pt.4)- Scandinavia!

2008-05-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Here are examples of chocolates made in Scandinavia- Norway, Sweden, & Finland. I know Freia is a popular brand there (not to be confused with Fry's of England or Frey's of Switzerland!)I got all of these at a local Scandinavian import store and found them all to taste quite good. I could only read the ingredients on one bar- they were all listed in multiple languages and again Im happy that no matter what european language I read, the word for chocolate always seems to have something familiar to it. On these bars are the words:

SJOKOLADE
CZEKOLADZIE
KAKAO
MELKESJOKOLADE

So cool- they are all just barely similar enough to english to look/sound like chocolate/ cacao/ milk chocolate. Love that! choc on

NEW Chocolate Marshmallow Hershey Kisses!

2008-05-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well these looked like fun so I had to try them- who doesn't love choc and marshmallows? Perfect for summer. Opening the bag the smell is delicious, exactly like those two flavors melted together. The packaging is fun, with checkered foil and trademark flag announcing the flavor. And they are mmmm mmmm tasty- as soon as I tried one I thought of S'Mores of course! Which led to a fun summer recipe idea-

Golden Graham Cereal S'mores: take a large bowl of marshmallows and a bit of butter, melt it in the microwave till they puff up- mix it till its gooey- pour in a half box of Golden Graham cereal and a cup of unwrapped Choc Marshmallow kisses- mix all together till the choc is melted and its all marshmallowy coated, spread in a greased pan and wait to cool- cut and serve!

Chex goes Chocolate! (and it's good!)

2008-05-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Chex cereal, one of the most popular in the US, has added Chocolate to their mix of flavors- and surprise! its good! I was skeptical but had to try it since I love cereal and try all the new ones- and I was really impressed with this one! There's a mix of choc and regular rice chex in there but the cocoa flavor is really strong and theres almost a kick to it- the kind of mysterious kick that makes you keep wanting more- its actually delicious (especially with choc milk, which is the only way to eat any cereal in my mind). Chex Mix for snacking also came out with a Dark Chocolate version using the choc cereal, dark choc covered mini pretzels, mini choc cookies, and mini M&M type candies- mmmmmm this is good stuff, seriously....try it. Im a believer!

Chocolates of the World (pt.3)- Israel!

2008-05-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some examples of Israeli Chocolate- sent to me years ago by my good friend Jenny. The chocolate was all milk - one is a plain milk choc bar (elephant cartoon), one is choc w/hazelnuts, and the super colorful one is like choc candy coated crispies if I remember correctly- wish I could read the writing. It's beautiful script- love it! Will have to ask my friend to translate- Thanx Jenny!

NEW Reeses Milk & Dark Choc movie promo- "The Dark Knight"

2008-05-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here is the new Reeses movie promo tie-in for the Batman movie opening this summer- "The Dark Knight". They are called Bats on the pkg and are basically oval shaped Reeses cups with a bat design on the foil. Most exciting is the choice of milk AND dark choc- a rarity for Reeses. Good call! Love them both......

Chocolates of the World (pt.2)- Japan & Korea!

2008-05-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Here are more Chocolates of the World that I found by simply visiting my local Asian/Oriental grocery stores- turns out they have some great choc products and packaging! I found choc cookies, ice cream bars, cakes, and a few choc bars. It's mostly quite good and tasty- not as high quality or fancy as European choc but yummy nontheless, and not expensive at all. This entire haul cost less than $30! Another bonus is that within the packages many items are individually wrapped so they will stay fresh longer and are perfect for sharing- gotta share the love :)

Chocolates of the World (pt.1)- Russia, Poland, Baltic & Eastern Europe!

2008-05-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

Altough I've been lucky enough to visit 12 countries over the years, by no means do I have the budget to just up and fly away anytime to exotic locales. Being a chocolate afficianado on a budget means that I had to learn how to satisfy my craving/fascination for international chocolates by travelling locally- to nearby import ethnic grocery stores! Turns out if you are in any decent sized city (mine is medium size) you will find at least a few ethnic import grocery markets catering to local foreign groups that live there and want the taste of their homes. Their products cannot be found in the average American grocery store- these shops are run by native Russians, Koreans, Italians, Japanese, Indians, Polish, Mexicans, etc...who feed the need for their own people's cuisine. I LOVE visiting these shops and the major bonus is that almost every one offers chocolate in some form, be it bars, cookies, cakes, or drinks. The wonderful truth is that CHOCOLATE IS OMNIPRESENT and loved worldwide! So here I plan to showcase Chocolates of the World and celebrate the beautiful packaging and variety of choc available locally to any armchair traveler- Enjoy!
PS- to find these import grocery stores in your area just visit Citysearch.com or Yellowpages.com and search for the type of market you want...they give addresses, phone #s and maps- easy.

Holiday M&Ms- Spring/ Easter!

2008-05-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

This is my second entry showing the multitude of unique packaging for holiday M&Ms- turns out Walmart and Target have their own special packaging that is different from "mass market". Here you can really see the differences!

Earlier post showed Halloween M&M packaging....

Frey's Swiss rainbow of VERY unique choc flavors....

2008-05-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I just had to show the beautiful rainbow of flavors offered by Frey's Supreme line of choc- they are a Swiss co. that apparently made this line exclusivley for Target stores to break into the American market (according to their website press releases) A little history: Frey is a 100% Swiss co. started waaaay back in 1887 in the little village of Aargau, Switzerland as a small family business run by brothers Max & Robert Frey. Today, Chocolate Frey is still made entirely in Buchs, Switz. where the complete manufacture process, from bean-to-bar, occurs. The bars are quite slim and have some very UNIQUE flavors- here's a list:

Rhubarb & Aloe Vera, White Lemon & Lime, Japonaise (hazelnut & meringue crunch), Tiramisu, Hot Chili Pepper, Bouquet D'Oranges, Citron & Poivre (black pepper), Cafe & Cacao Nib, Pecan & Caramel, Coeur de Macadamie, Cinnamon & Blood Orange, White w/Blueberry, Merveille de Lait, Noir Satin, Gingerbread (holiday only), Cinnamon Coriander (holiday only).

Very impressive! About half of these are white choc based, but I have only tried the dark & milk ( I just can't eat white choc- its an imposter and gross to me). The flavors I tried were excellent and-bonus- they are very affordable at only $1.99. So ck these out at a Target near you and have a very unique chocolate flavor adventure!

Premium chocolate airport kiosks...seen any?

2008-05-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else seen the PREMIUM CHOCOLATE KIOSKS in AIRPORTS around the country? My airport here in FL has these fabulous stand alone kiosks labeled "Premium Chocolate" at all the news stands- they have been here about a year or so. They sell Scharffen Berger, Gold & Blacks, Dagoba, Guylian, Dove Rich Dark, Ghirardelli Intense Dark & squares, Cacao Reserve by Hershey, Nestle Treasures bar and truffles, and Hershey Organic. I think its so great to see better choc getting to this level, where the general public has way more to choose from than just the old standard Hershey bar (which by the way I see their Special Dark avail more than the milk lately...) I am not aware of any brand connection besides Hershey/Dagoba/Scharffen Berger - in fact several of the chocs here are direct competitors, so not sure who is creating the kisoks- must be the airport itself. Well good for them! Of course the prices are higher than normal, but not out of reach. Obviously our tastes are changing and all the advertising is paying off.....So look out for these kiosks in airports and buy yourself some great chocolate for the trip!

Chocolate TimTam cookies from Indonesia!

2008-04-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

My very cool friend brought me these all the way from Indonesia- Arnott's TimTam is a popular cookie outside the US in areas like SE Asia & Australia. These are real chocolate coated cocoa biscuits with chocolaty filling- delicious! The box is beautiful depiciting a woman doing a classic Balinese dance called Legong (as described on the package itself). Thanx so much Josh, really love these!

In praise of the NEW Ghirardelli print ad.....

2008-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this is a beautiful piece of advertising. The close up detail of the choc/caramel is sublime. If it does NOT make you want to eat some chocolate NOW (or at least try the new Ghirardelli bars), then you must be severely allergic or hate the stuff for some bizarre reason!
I personally cannot see an ad like this and just pass it by- I must save it. The beauty of the chocolate and artfulness of the photo together make me smile- the ad must be saved in my print ad collection and now here on my blog!
Yay scanner & blog. yes Im new..... :)

Dark Choc-Covered Toffee celebration/ showdown!

2008-04-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Being a major toffee fan I decided to take stock of some of the better dark choc covered toffee available here and by mailorder (within my limited budget). I was inspired by New Roca Toffee Thins by Brown & Haley, the Almond Roca co. To these I added Carey's of Oregon Dark Choc Almond Toffee, Marich Confectionary Co. Triple Choc Toffee, Peterbrooke Chocolatier Dark Choc Toffee, and Terry's Toffee (of Chicago) in Classic Dark, Chai-cago Spice, and Hazelicious. Talk about serious toffee heaven!! It will be hard to pick a favorite because they are all a bit different and unique in flavor, texture, & wow factor....but here's my 2 cents on their individual merit:

ROCA THINS- excellent unique Roca flavor, visible almonds, generous amounts of dark choc, super easy crunch with not much snap.

CAREY'S- also excellent, perfect balance of toffee and choc, easy crunch and good texture, a few nuts inside but would be better if outside had crushed nuts too.

MARICH- little milk, dark, & white choc balls with toffee inside- tasty but a little overkill on the choc coating- altho the pkg does say Triple choc so that's ok...

PETERBROOKE- Beautiful to look at with major amounts of diced almonds sprinkled over the dark choc squares, and almonds inside, but the texture was really soft and grainy, maybe a little old, not realllly bad but lacking refinement, very grainy.

TERRY'S- Excellent overall, strong bold interesting flavors and generous dark choc coating, some with nuts outside but not many inside, hardest crunch of all. Most expensive but most refined too.

If anyone has any more great toffee brand suggestions, or has tried these, please leave a comment, thanx!

Holiday M&Ms- Halloween!

2008-04-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

This will begin a multi part look at the major U.S. holidays thru the eyes of M&M wrappers. There is SO much variety, not only from year to year but from different stores- recently Walmart and Target have been selling totally diff. packaging for the same M&Ms than what I call "mass market"- all the other stores. It's really interesting to see all the variances side-by-side, so here's a small start. Sorry the photo isn't closer/better but i had to get them all in one frame....