Snow, Ice and Chocolate!

We've got ice and snow in North Carolina and the capital city is shut down! Whoohoo! Of course, it's Saturday, so it's no big deal. Come Monday, we might have some issues.

In honor of the snow, we'll talk Snowflake Pretzels. My Sorbet Sistah Tracy said these were awesome, so when I saw them on sale at Crate and Barrel, that was a good enough excuse to buy them. And I love the cute tin they are in:

Here they are :

The tin says these are "wintry snowflake pretzels dipped in white confection and white nonpareils."

Now let's analyze that statement. I think all snowflakes are wintery (both spellings of wintry are okay BTW) so that's just hyperbole. (Not that I'm opposed to hyperbole in the least, mind you.) Where we run into trouble is white CONFECTION - i.e. - these don't involve anything remotely close to chocolate. Well at least they're honest. And nonpareils are just tiny sugar balls. Closely related to sprinkles.

Bottom line - these things are delicious!! Once you start eating them it's almost impossible to stop. Those lame pretzel M & Ms have nothing - I mean NOTHING on these. I hope I get invited to a Super Bowl Party so I can take these and save myself from them. A+++

Since we have more sleet right now than snow, let's talk ice. Or at least the candy equivalent of ice - mint.

Andes has a Valentine's Day offering:

It's the same old Andes mint, but I like the inner wrappers (although the outer package looks awful - I say go red or go pink, but not - what - mauve? Ugh.):

The best part is they did some different designs, not just slapping the same old mints in new wrappers:

I still am not a fan. I think these taste kinda like toothpaste.

These aren't chocolate, but they are my favorite peppermint:

Nice and chewy! LOVE these! And look at those adorable hearts:

All I have to do today to "get the sensation" is stick my head out a window, but just in case you'd prefer a more pleasant method:

Love the cute hearts on the wrappers:

And you know I'm thrilled with the heart shaped patties as well as the slightly pink mint filling. Go York! Same solid taste, but a nice holiday touch! YAY!!

Ah - love is in the air! Well, at least today, snow is in the air here in North Carolina. We don't get it much so it's something really nice to see. It's so quiet outside and it gives the landscape a gorgeous clean and pure look. We often take for granted the things we see all the time, but the unusual is easier to appreciate. I'm watching the birds hopping on the white background where I can really see their coloring. Just saw a cardinal - gorgeous!

If you're in the snow - take some time to enjoy it - and be thankful that you're warm. And try not to take the usual for granted. I mean, those white confection pretzels are unusual, but they will never replace Reese's. Ever. Not even if Raleigh and Hell DO freeze over.

Chocolate Christmas Shopping

Tracy and I hit the stores on Saturday (I know - crazy, right?) and everyplace was pretty packed. Recession over? We're all just bored? Last minute panic? Who knows? But I was still looking for candy. (I mean, it ain't over till it's over!) And I found a few missing items I felt compelled to cover.

First there's another Christmas Whopper. This is just the regular old Whopper in a Christmas box. Not bad, not extraordinary - I like the Sno-balls better. And you know how I feel about the attempt to trick us by only changing the packaging. But this is pretty cute packaging and these would make a great stocking stuffer.

Where I really missed the sleigh was with peppermint. I don't really love peppermint and chocolate, but I can't escape it this time of year. First there's a new Bliss (at least new to me) and not specifically Christmas, but what the hell:

These were not my fav. In fact, I'm going to go so far as to say that I don't like these at all. There's some funky aftertaste. Toothpaste? Lighter fluid? Poison?

Tracy spotted these at Target, and they are pretty festive. Look how gorgeous:

There are four in the pack - and the best part? No Martha Stewart!!! Yay!!

They are really thin:

Wow! This is my favorite peppermint bark - love the thinness - making it not too chocolately and not too rich. Love the crunchy peppermint chunks on top and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how pretty it is! Also like the dark and white chocolate with the peppermint (rather than milk and white like Ghirardelli). And I almost didn't try it! Thanks, Tracy, for spotting it! Thanks, Dove, for making it! And thanks, Martha, for not ruining it with your lame advice.

And now I have some pics of my favorite peppermint/chocolate combo (other than the Dove bark -it's moved to the top spot for me!):

The Lindor truffle is just so amazingly smooth and creamy it's hard to beat. It has the best chocolate, but I really like those festive peppermint chunks on the Dove bark. I like the mix of textures and the Dove bark is just so damn pretty! If you see the Dove bark - get it - it's fantastic!!!

We also spotted these and I had to get them for my tree:

How great are those?? I love them! $1 at Target and they have candy in them. Now, don't get excited about the candy, this is all that in there:

That's pretty weak, huh? How about the TWO Tootsie Rolls? I mean, why even bother? But I really do like the ornaments - look for them in the stocking stuffer section of Target if you like them too.

I thought I'd leave you with some tips Martha might share:

Get to the stores early, they won't be as crowded.

Wear comfortable shoes while shopping so you don't get crabby.

Consider taking endless hours to make gifts by hand. Your time isn't worth nearly as much as mine, so you might as well waste it.

Don't scream obscenities or make rude hand gestures in the parking lot. Some of the women I met in prison have been released.

And finally,

If you are allergic to any foods, don't eat them.

Happy Shopping!!!!

A Quick Kiss

I'm a sucker for Hershey's Kisses. I love all the great flavors, love the shape, love the wrappers. So I'm always excited to see the new flavors. This one isn't new (I reviewed it last year):

Still a solid choice. I stand by last year's comments. There's also a really good looking cookie recipe on the back of the package.

These I haven't had before:

The dark chocolate is a nice offset to the mint. No candy chunks as in the peppermint ones and not as sweet with the dark chocolate. More sophisticated. And pretty darn good, I might add. No Lindor Truffle, mind you, but good.

And these I hadn't seen either:

Wow!! Yum!!! I didn't think I would like these at all (not a big fan of whiskey), but they are really good! Once again, I have no idea what I'm going to really like until I try it. I hope this won't interact with my Percocet.....

More on whiskey, rum and liqueur tomorrow! Woowee!!

The Grand Chocolate Peppermint Finale!!

Why? Why, oh why do I keep giving Russell Stover a chance? It's just like my continued return to Match.com - clear insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Forget crutches, I should be sporting a straight jacket.


Here's RS's entry in the battle for peppermint prowess:

Unlike the usual RS filled blob, we can actually see that this is, indeed, a snowman. He is apparently hanging onto this scarf for dear life, but nonetheless, we can tell what he is. We can even see the carrot for his nose. The point of view is wrong, no snowman's nose is a sideways carrot, but still extraordinary for RS. He is made of white chocolate with peppermint chips and a dark chocolate base. The peppermint is in there, although not nearly as visible as in other offerings. And I have to say, I prefer the dark chocolate here to the milk chocolate of Ghirardelli. I know, shocking, right? But before things get crazy, the Ghirardelli chocolate is so much smoother and creamier than the RS chocolate, they still come out ahead.

But there's another entry in this peppermint pecking order:

Our friends at Dove! I have to say this may be the ugliest holiday candy bag ever - mostly grey and with the Martha Stewart stamp in blue. Ugly. It does get better, however:

LOVE the red and green polka dots!!

Now these have the right combo - dark chocolate (I think dark works best here because it offsets the sweetness of the white.) I also like the balance of the three flavors - here dark chocolate comes out on top, you taste it the most. Peppermint lovers may prefer Ghirardelli as would milk chocolate lovers. And the Ghirardelli squares are really hard not to like. But I just think the dark chocolate works best.

The only drawback to the Dove Promises is the horrible Martha Stewart "tips" on the inside. I much, much, much prefer the old cool holiday messages - things like "Let joy find you this holiday season" or "Linger under the mistletoe." Instead we get:

That says "Out of wrapping paper? Use an old map or a sewing pattern."

Yeah - I don't have any wrapping paper, but I have tons of sewing patterns (like that would look good) and maps. Martha does have a computer, right? Who has maps anymore? Maybe she owns stock in Rand McNally.

Other great tips from the wise one:

"Individually wrap ornaments in acid-free tissue for storage."

Need some more stress? Start worrying if you're wrapping the ornaments in the right paper.

Or how about this gem of genius:

"Make a plan for clearing and cleaning holiday dishes."

A plan? Are you kidding me? You need a plan to storm the beach at Normandy, not to clear the dinner table. How has anyone survived the holidays without Martha's wisdom? A better question is "How much did Mars pay her for this BS?" I would write cool inserts just for free chocolate. And they would be WAY better than Martha's. And I'm not a convicted felon.

Now this snowman kicks RS's snowman's behiney:

Wow! Even his nose is in the right place!

I found him with this gorgeous tree in Walgreen's:

These are made by Riviera Brands out of Deerfield, Illinois under the Hazelwood Gourmet label. The wrapper says they are made with Belgian chocolate. I don't know about that.

However, the snowman is way better than I expected. The peppermint is chewy rather than crunchy and the milk chocolate base is thick enough to offset the sweetness. I am shocked! The snowman is really good looking AND tastes good! What a great office gift or stocking stuffer. Well done! Hell, even unknown brands kick RS's butt.

The Christmas Tree is also not bad. It's pretty much just chocolate, but it really is festive. I think these are better than those chocolate lollipops Godiva did for Halloween. A+++ in design and B for flavor. And, if I know Walgreen's they'll probably run a sale on them soon if they haven't already. Grab some for emergency gifts. Hell - they look good enough to hang on your tree! (See - I got better ideas than Martha! Acid-free tissue - puleeze!)

Speaking of my arch enemy - Godiva - here's something I found in Belk but did not see in the Godiva boutique:

Could there be a cheesier inner wrapper? Even Hershey and Mars do better than this!

But I do like the look if the candy itself. I like the red and white chips. Here's the Godiva description:

Deliciously creamy Godiva white chocolate, mixed with cool, crunchy candy cane pieces, enrobed in Godiva dark chocolate and topped with candy bits.

Here's my description:

Some okay white chocolate with some crunched up peppermint dipped in some okay dark chocolate with some random sprinkle like things.

There ain't no "creamy" anywhere. I swear I just don't think Godiva's chocolate is that outstanding. These aren't bad, but they aren't great by any means. I think something much better is:

Now this is my kind of assortment!!! The boring chocolate Santas are the smallest quantity and the Reese's Trees are the largest! And that Martha bitch is nowhere in sight!

We'll talk trees and Santas in another post. Our present priority is peppermint:

You want creamy? This is creamy! Love the special holiday shape! Like the sparkly snowflake wrapper. (Godiva, get out of the candy ghetto with that cheap wrapper! And don't try to use old maps either.)

Peppermint Patties are an oldie but a goodie. Way cheaper than Godiva, but, to be honest, I like them better! Now, again, they can't beat the creamy Lindor truffle, but these are good.

I have to conclude with what might just be my favorite peppermint confection of the season - Harry and David's Peppermint Maltballs:

They look totally festive - Put then in a clear glass container and - bam - instant holiday cheer! (Take that, Martha!). And they taste great! The crunchy maltball and the dark chocolate all make for a great combo. Very creative use of textures and flavors and I like they way they look.

Let me conclude with a tip for Martha:

"Wrap little white lights around the bars of your cell, it is both festive and elegant."

And for Santa:

"Even if someone is chasing you with a golf club, keep your eyes toward the front of the sleigh at all times."

Godiva, Schmiva

Yesterday I walked a mile! Oh yeah, baby!! Today I decided I could venture out into the world. St. Tracy carted me to run some errands, and you know I had to secure some chocolate! The Godiva Holiday stars weren't out when I went into the hospital and I didn't want to miss them like I missed some of their Halloween pieces. Am I dedicated to chocolate or what? I do it all for you, dear readers! ; )

But first, let me show you what I found in the grocery store by the Christmas candy:

Andes is at it again! Now it doesn't say these are new or are for Christmas, but I've never seen them before. Let me tell you, these put the mint Girl Scout Cookies to shame!

Like the green layer! These are really, really good. These would be great as a stocking stuffer, an office gifts - less formal than the original Andes mints - and guaranteed to be a hit. Would be fab crumpled over ice cream or dunked in milk. A+++

Now let's check out the outrageously priced Godiva offerings:

Definitely gorgeous - love, love, love the way they look. At $2.25 each, however, they ain't cheap. They are about the size of a 50 cent piece.

The red one is Aztec Hot Chocolate - a chocolate ganache with a hint of habanaro oil in dark chocolate:

There's a very slight hint of habanaro. I think a hint of cinnamon too would have made this better. The ganache is smooth and creamy, but it needs a little more ole'.

Green is Twilight Mint - chocolate mint ganache in dark chocolate:

A nice, sophisticated mint taste - like a real mint sprig. But as I said in the last post, mint doesn't rock my world, so this is only okay to me. Pretty though, very pretty.

Gold is Holiday Spice - chocolate ganache with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in milk chocolate. Sounds awesome!!!

Hmmm......apparently my eyes see the world differently than the eyes of the Godiva people. That sure don't look like chocolate ganache to me! This is an interesting flavor - I think it would have been better if that were chocolate ganache. It's really sweet and the spices are there, but they need to be stronger or this mystery ganache needs to be a little less cloying.

And the one I have the highest hopes for - Almond Shortbread - almond shortbread cookies combined with creamy ganache in dark chocolate:

Okay - WTF? Dark chocolate? I don't think so! Godiva must have changed these after they printed their Chocolate Menu. The closest thing these taste like is sugar cookie dough. I don't taste almond at all. And there is kind of a slight aftertaste. Boo! What a let down!

For the price - remember $2.25 each - these are not worth it. Unless you have money to burn and want to use them to impress people. They do look pretty cool and I would be impressed if someone gave them to me and I didn't have to pay the $2.25! Or if they were on my plate after dinner. Maybe if I crash an event at the White House...

Let's see if their holiday truffles are any better:

Peppermint is already sold out at the shop we stopped by. What do I think? Toothpastey - needs some milk chocolate. And maybe some peppermint crumbles. Ghirardelli kicks Godiva's behiney on this one. I don't have a picture of a Lindt truffle, but Lindt does too. They have a dark chocolate Lindor truffle filled with creamy peppermint and it is AMAZING! Godiva is starting to become my high end Russell Stover. If I only had a golf club....

Next is Egg Nog:

I dunno - ZZZZZZZ. This was boring to me. I don't really think egg nog is the greatest thing ever, so maybe if you love eggnog, you'll love this. I'd rather have a Reese's Tree.

Now I'm excited about the gingerbread truffle - I love gingerbread!

This was my favorite of the truffles. It was very good, but I'd rather have gingerbread. But it was a great attempt and I would recommend it. I wouldn't go to the mall with a recently replaced hip for it, but if you are in the mall anyway, really like ginger bread, and are craving a bit of chocolate - get it, baby!!

Woohoo! Are you getting in the holiday spirit? I sure am this year! St. Tracy insisted I have a Christmas tree and went out and got one and decorated it for me. I love sitting here with my sparkly tree. I'm so grateful the surgery went so well, and I'm so lucky I have friends who were there for me. What are you grateful for this year? What fun can you have? What new things will you try and what old traditions will you share? If I have one wish for you it is that you not be too hard on yourself - you don't try to be perfect or do too much - that you take time to feel the joy and the fun. And to eat some chocolate!!