I just got word that a product from one of my favorite merchants (EdibleGiftsPlus) is going to be featured on the Rachael Ray show on September 25 as her snack of the day.
Choc Stix are chow mein noodles dipped in smooth chocolate. You can choose from either milk chocolate or white chocolate. They come packaged in a cute little Chinese takeout box.
At less than $10, this would make a really cute and original gift. Who I am kidding? I’d have them eaten before I could give them away! You can check out these and lots of other really cute treats (I’m partial to the Brownie Stix) at EdibleGiftsPlus.com.
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.
As we get closer to Valentine’s Day, many of us start thinking about chocolate covered strawberries. Because it can be hard to find them locally, I usually end up ordering mine online. However, I recently discovered that not all chocolate covered strawberries are the same. In fact, some of them are actually fake chocolate!
I’m not going to go into specific brands, but I think this is important information for those of you who might be ordering chocolate covered strawberries online. The last time that you shopped online for chocolate covered strawberries, what was the actual description of the product advertised. Did it include the word “chocolate” in the ingredients? I’ve recently found out that many of them do not. Many say things like “hand dipped strawberries” or “covered strawberries.” Chocolate isn’t mentioned when you look closely. Why is that? Because those companies are not using real chocolate and the FDA won’t allow them to say “chocolate covered” unless they truly are.
I talked to the owner of ccberries.com to get educated about the differences. Apparently most companies use a candy coating rather than chocolate on their strawberries. In order to be advertised as “chocolate,” the coating must contain cocoa butter…and a lot of cheaper coatings do not. Instead, they use vegetable oil as a cheaper filler.
So if you are looking for chocolate covered strawberries this Valentine’s Day, educate yourself and make sure that you are getting what you pay for. Read descriptions of products called “hand dipped strawberries” carefully and check out their ingredients. Find sites like ccberries.com that actually sell real chocolate covered strawberries so that you or your recipient will not be disappointed.
Looking for a terrific Valentine’s Day gift for a chocolate lover? Rosa Regale and chocolate would be at the top of my list! Rosa Regale is probably my favorite wine, and nothing says “Valentine’s Day” like chocolate covered fruit. wine.com has a set that sells for only $29.99 and includes Godiva Chocoiste Dark Chocolate Raspberries and Almonds.
What makes this combination especially perfect for Valentine’s Day is that the wine is sparkling but not traditional champagne. It pairs beautifully with chocolate, especially dark chocolate. The wine has a slight raspberry flavor that would also go well with fresh chocolate covered strawberries.
I first tasted Rosa Regale on a Disney Cruise at Palo and they brought it to us with little pieces of dark chocolate. It was heavenly! I’ve seen it priced everywhere from $15 to $40. Read more about it at wine.com:
Chocolate is everywhere during the holidays, even in the drinks. I’m a sucker for a good chocolate martini and have been trying out a number of different recipes to find just the right one for the holidays. Here are a few of my favorites. If you have a favorite of your own, leave a comment to share it with everyone else!
Godiva Chocolate Martini (the classic)
1 oz. Godiva Liqueur
1 oz. Smirnoff Vodka
Godiva Cranberry Martini
1 oz. Godiva Liqueur
1 oz. Smirnoff Vodka
1/2 oz. cranberry juice
Mint Patty martini (from Martiniart.com)
3 ounces of freezing Absolut Pepar vodka
2 ounces of White Creme de Menthe
1 tablespoon of Peppermint Schnapps
1 ounce of Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur
1 Starlight mint
2 freezing martini glasses
Add your vodka, Creme de Menthe, and Starlight mint to a cocktail shaker 1/2 full of ice and let the shaker stand for a minute.
Give ten good shakes, and add your Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and give another fifteen shakes.
Strain your cocktail into the martini glasses.
Top each glass with half of the Peppermint Schnapps.
Need a little more help? Check out this chocolate martini video for some hands-on advice.
