NEW! Limited Edition Fudge Covered Ritz crackers!!

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!

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!!

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!

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!!

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!

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!

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!!!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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)!

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!

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!

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?!?

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....

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!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

NEW- AXE Dark Temptation body spray smells like chocolate!

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!

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....

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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!!

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!

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!

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.....

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...

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...

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....