JELL-O has released a new product called Mousse Temptations. Although my Kroger is not yet carrying it, I was able to pick up a package at Marsh. They come packaged just like their regular refrigerated pudding cups (6 to a pack). They have three flavors that I could find: Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Indulgence, and Caramel Creme. The best part is that they are sugar free and only 60 calories–a perfect snack or dessert if you are on Weight Watchers!
I opted for the Dark Chocolate and figured that I would give them to my family for dessert last night. I’m the biggest pudding eater in the house, but everyone was up for trying something different.
The texture was definitely between a real mousse and pudding. My daughter first thought it felt like a brownie when she stuck her spoon into it because it was so thick. But then when you taste it, it is actually very light. The Dark Chocolate had a true dark chocolate taste without the sweetness of milk chocolate. However, my kids do not normally like dark chocolate and they gobbled the Mousse up. In fact, with a family of 4, we were all fighting about who was going to get the other 2 cups (I’m eating one as I type before the kids get home from school!).
If you are watching your waistline but love chocolate, I would definitely recommend the Mousse Temptations by JELL-O. No diet taste or consistency at all. They might be a bit hard to find right now but are definitely worth looking out for.
I was walking through the snack aisle at SuperTarget looking for some trail mix to throw in my suitcase for an upcoming trip. I happened to see a box of Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. I vaguely remembered Hungry Girl mentioning them. Because they were in 100 calorie packs, I figured that I would buy a box (of 7) and give them a try.
Curiosity got the best of me before I even left for my trip. The call of “Dark Chocolate Flavor” was too much for this chocoholic. I opened the package not knowing what to expect (except that it seemed a little small for 100 calories).
Inside were about a handful of perfectly roasted almonds with just a touch of cocoa flavor. It was a little sweeter than if they had been rolled in plain cocoa, but not too much. Definitely not a “milk chocolate” taste. The package reads that it is 100 calories and 8 grams of fat. I guess that it to be expected from a dry roasted nut like an almond. I don’t think that the cocoa added much to that.
If I were looking for a real chocolate fix, I don’t think that this would do it for me. As it was, I was looking for a healthy snack (and with 2 grams of fiber, I think it was) with a little chocolate kick. I will definitely be throwing these in my carry-on for trip this weekend. And a couple to share because I have a feeling my travel companions will be curious about them as well.
Although I’m a big chocolate fan, I’m not really a big chocolate candy bar eater. In particular, I don’t really enjoy the nutty chocolate bars. A few years ago, my husband and I bought Halloween bags of Snickers, Baby Ruth, and 3 Musketeers just to taste test them against each other. It’s been a while and I can’t even remember what we decided. So I decided to steal some of the kids’ Halloween candy and give it a shot again.
Snickers: This is the one that I always think about when I think about nuts in a candy bar. It contains peanut butter nougat, which I don’t particularly enjoy. I do, however, like the peanuts and the caramel.
3 Musketeers: The filling in the middle of the 3 Musketeers is a fluffy, light chocolate. So it’s essentially chocolate on top of chocolate. What’s not to like about that? It’s very sweet for its little size. I think this is a candy bar that I could eat a lot more of. Why did I think that it had nuts?
Baby Ruth: This is a complex candy bar with a lot going on–chocolate covered peanuts, caramel, and nougat. I had to eat more of this one than the others to even figure out of I liked it or not. It’s very sweet. And I like the nougat better than in the Snickers. But I don’t think I like the peanuts as much.
In the end, I decided that while I like them all, I’m still not going to start eating any of them on a regular basis. Candy bars are just not my first choice in chocolate. Keep in mind that my findings are based only on the “fun size” of each of these candy bars. Much more than that and I would be sick to my stomach!
Nothing says fall to me like s’mores. Give me a lightly toasted marshmallow, bar of chocolate, and crunchy graham cracker and I am in heaven. According to Wikipedia, the first recorded s’more recipe was the Girlscout Handbook of 1927. Not much is known about the origin of the name “s’more,” but who really cares? They are one of the yummiest treats on the planet, especially when the chocolate melts just right….
If you are a fan of the s’mores as I am and would like to enjoy some variations (besides just making them in the microwave or on a baking sheet in the oven), I have two for you. The first is S’more Pudding. We just made this up at our house. Take the cook and serve chocolate pudding (sugar free for us) and pour it into the bowl while warm. Top it with a handful of mini-marshmallows and crushed up graham crackers. My girls love this! If I want a lower calorie treat that is similar, I substitute sugar free Cool Whip for the marshmallows.
My other favorite s’mores treat is the S’more Brownie. You’ll find lots of different recipes for these online, but they are essentially just cooking up a pan of brownies and topping them with a mixture of mini-marshmallows and graham crackers during the last few minutes of baking. You can then drizzle them with a little chocolate syrup at the very end. I originally saw these as a Weight Watchers recipe where you use the low fat brownie mix, low fat graham crackers, marshmallows, and sugar free chocolate syrup.
We’ve got another few good weeks of s’mores weather here in the midwest. I will certainly be eating my fill!
I’m always skeptical when I see chocolate and it isn’t expensive. (I’ve mentioned before that I am a bit of a chocolate snob). So I had low expectations for the Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn from The Popcorn Factory. I figured the popcorn would be fine (because that’s their specialty) but that the chocolate would taste cheap. I could not have been more wrong!
I had ordered a variety pack of different types of popcorn, candies, and cookies. As soon as I opened the tin, I headed straight for the chocolate. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t even share with my kids. I actually ate the entire bag of it before anyone else even knew I had it! I seriously thought about ordering more immediately so that I could have it by the next weekend. The contrast of the chocolate and the popcorn made it an addictive combination that I couldn’t manage to put down.
What I love about The Popcorn Factory is that you can find an assortment for any occasion. You can order plain old bags when it is just for snacking. Or you can order tins and baskets for any holiday. Their shipping is fast and reasonable. Whether you are looking for a treat for your family or a gift for friends, you should absolutely give the Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn a chance.
