I’m not sure how long the Vosges brand Mo’s Bacon Bar has been available, but when I first heard about it last year I knew I had to keep an eye out. The bar is said to have been an inspiration of chocolatier Katrina Markoff, who drew on her childhood experience of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon.

I was really interested to see how this would be pulled off. Bacon is yummy, chocolate is yummy, but together?

I found a bar at Cost Plus not too long ago and picked it up for about $6. A hefty price tag for 3oz of chocolate!

The bar is wrapped inside a foil pouch and packaged in a thin cardboard box. There isn’t much of a scent when the pouch is first opened, though there is a slight smokey smell if you get up close enough.

I had my bar in the fridge for about half an hour before I opened to make sure it didn’t melt all over me. It was slightly above room temperature when I opened it up and had a satisfying snap when I broke a square off.

That was about where anything good ended. Well, that’s not entirely true – the chocolate was smooth except for the bits of bacon throughout. And granted, there wasn’t a lot of bacon. But the “applewood smoked bacon” just did not work for me. It was really disappointing because I wanted to like this, but I could barely get through the one corner I bit off. I gave it a minute to get over it, thinking maybe it was just because I wasn’t used to bacon and chocolate and I’d be more receptive after a second bite. No go. In fact, that one went into a paper towel.

Overall, the smokey bacon flavor was just way too overpowering. The chocolate tried to poke through but failed miserably, and – even though my package said it’s good until next January – the bacon tasted stale and old and was so much a part of the chocolate that I can’t even say the chocolate was any good.

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Another trip down the candy aisle at Sam’s Club recently turned up this large bag of Limited Edition Neapolitan Hershey Kisses. I love neapolitan ice cream so I had high hopes for these!

The bag I found is 24 oz and I picked it up for about $7. Each candy is wrapped in the standard Kisses foil, and like all the other Limited Editions these have their own special design of silver, brown and fuchsia with a little flag that says “Neapolitan.”

Neapolitan consists of three layers containing chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Hershey’s pulled this off with chocolate on the bottom, a larger strawberry layer in the middle, and a small vanilla tip.

At room temperature these had a waxy mouth feel and even after being in the fridge for a bit to firm up they just kind of coat your mouth. Strawberry is definitely the dominant flavor — even upon just opening the bag it’s all you smell. The chocolate and vanilla are totally lost to the point that you wonder if they’re strawberry flavored too and just colored for the sake of being able to be called Neapolitan Kisses and not straight-up Strawberry Kisses.

Overall I wasn’t terribly impressed with this limited edition release, and the kids weren’t either which is saying something!

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Yes, chocolate for breakfast – and it’s actually good for you!

I had the opportunity to try some Antioxidant Indulgence cereal recently and am very happy to report that it was delicious! Because of its health factor I was expecting it to be vitamin-y or at the very least bland, but the crunchy whole grain flakes perfectly carried the dark chocolate flavor, and the real strawberries and Goji berries had the usual condensed, sweet flavor of dried fruits. The kids even loved it!

Like I said, the cereal is made with dark chocolate, strawberries and Goji berries which are all touted as great sources of antioxidants, which provide a boost to the body’s immune system and help neutralize free-radicals. It’s also low-fat and high in fiber (6 grams per serving) and is made with all-natural ingredients, providing 16 grams of whole grains per serving and is a natural source of vitamin C, niacin, iron, magnesium and selenium.

It’s one of three new cereals in the Natural Living line, which also include Omega-3 Harmony and Artisan Inspiration.

Each 10 oz box is about $4 and can be found at most grocery stores, including Whole Foods, Vons, Safeway, Albertsons, Ralph’s, Wegman’s, and Publix.

[image used with permission from Organic Milling]

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My husband recently discovered that one of his co-workers is a distributor for Xocai Healthy Gourmet Chocolate. I hadn’t heard of the company before but when his co-worker offered to let me try some of course I was more than happy to!

Overall I really liked the chocolate and would love to get my daily fill of vitamins and fiber from it! Though I did get some reading material included with the samples I still don’t know much about the company itself – I didn’t want marketing to interfere with my reviews, so I only referred to the pamphlet that contained information about the products I tried.

The chocolate is made from cold press cacao beans harvested from family-owned and operated farms on the Ivory Coast, and açaí berries, which seem to be the newest health food rage. Açaí berries are a high-energy fruit harvested from an amazonian palm tree. A lot of juices and snack mixes are including the berry in their ingredients lists now.

I received a few samples, and the above is the Xocai Nugget. It has a high cacao content combined with the açaí berry and blueberries, and is about the size of a Hershey Nugget, though any other comparisons end there! It’s a little bit dry at first bite, but after just a few seconds and a chance to warm up it becomes smooth and fruity and really very good. There’s no bitterness and though I can’t pick out just the açaí berry or blueberry flavors it does leave a pleasant, fruity aftertaste. A serving size is one nugget (12 grams) and each nugget is 70% cacao, caffeine-free and is even ok for diabetics.

The next one I tried is the Xocai X Power Squares. Each 6 gram wafer is just over 1″x1″ and is touted as being the most “powerful, health-promoting chocolate ever produced.” A serving size of three squares claims to be the equivalent of 12 lbs of tomatoes, or 1.9 pounds of spinach, or 2 pounds of raspberries. They’re loaded with epicatechins, catechins, and flavonoids.

These have a nice snap when bitten – exactly what you’d expect from a wafer – and a very smooth taste. There isn’t as much of a fruity flavor in these, it’s all dark chocolate with a surprisingly light aftertaste.

Next I tried the Omega Bar, and right when I opened it I got a pleasant orange whiff. This bar is a little dry at first bite as well, but smooths out quickly, and the orange and acai berries in this one are very present. There’s a slight crispness to it from flaxseed, which I was surprised to see listed and which offers up the benefit of omega-3 to the mix. The orange leaves a dominant aftertaste the becomes slightly bitter after a few minutes.

At first bite I was conflicted on the Protein Bar. It’s about what I’d expect from a health food bar – even with the unprocessed cocoa, acai berries and “other anti-oxidant rich berries” the dense bar tastes very vitamin-y. I actually like protein and health bars but I can’t quite pinpoint what it is about this one that I’m not crazy about – possibly the low-glycemic-index sweetener used? I’m not sure.

Last but not least I tried the Powerhouse Cookie, an “extreme dark chocolate chip cookie.” It was very moist, and at first bite I got more tangy than chocolatey. The cookie claims to provide your entire daily requirement of flavonoids and has 7 grams of fiber. It’s also said to be suitable for vegetarians and vegans, using only whole wheat flour, whole cacao beans, cocoa butter and natural sweeteners. I didn’t find anything outstanding about the cookie though I did enjoy it.

Like I said at the beginning, overall I really liked all the products and think it’s great that chocolate can be used as the vehicle for some seemingly great health benefits! If you have questions or are interested in the company, please feel free to contact my husband’s co-worker, he’d be more than happy to answer any further questions!

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We took a trip to Cost Plus World Market last week to stock up on some more good chocolate (they finally have Tim Tams! And Aero Bars!).

I got a nice little pile of chocolate I’ve been wanting to try and my husband went right for this one, which is saying a lot because he’s not really into sweets. I think it was the packaging that got him, though – all those almonds and chocolate, really? We had to give it a try and see!

First off, this bar is huge! I took a shot of it with my hand to show you just how big it is, weighing in at 8.75oz. Valor Chocolates is made in Spain, and the dark chocolate with almonds is considered one of their premium bars.

When you first open the bar this is what you’re greeted with! My husband let me open it up for pictures while he was at work and I knew he was in for a treat – his favorite type of chocolate is chocolate combined with almonds!

From the front you can’t even tell what’s waiting for you inside!

As you can imagine, each bite is guaranteed to have several almonds. The chocolate is truly delicious – smooth, not bitter, and very satisfying. The almonds taste fresh with a very nice crunch and neither of us came across any that had gone rancid.

At room temperature the chocolate is just slightly soft (hence the fingerprints, which I didn’t think about until I’d already handled it!), and melts perfectly in the mouth. Needless to say, as soon as he gets back from his current business trip I think we’ll be heading back to the store to stock up!

I highly recommend this bar if you happen to come across it!

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I saw the commercial for Werther’s Original Caramel Chocolate several weeks ago and knew I had to give them a try. I love Werther’s caramels and was glad to see them expand their line with a non-hard candy caramel chocolate combo!

My first impression of the candies were how small they are – they look much bigger in the commercial, maybe about half the size of your palm, at least a couple of bites. I don’t know if they did that on purpose in the commercial or if they decided to make them smaller after the fact, but these are tiny! One bite and they’re gone.

Anyway, the bag is 5.2 oz of candy, which came to about 16 or so pieces (I forgot to count!). Each oblong piece is wrapped in the recognizable Werther’s gold foil.

Unwrapped, each piece is actually rather pretty with the swirled caramel and chocolate.

The chocolate is smooth but it’s obviously just the vehicle for a weird caramel flavor – it looks like chocolate but I don’t taste any, and by only the second piece the caramel flavor starts to taste kind of burnt. I’m not sure how that happens but the yummy Werther’s caramel flavor seems to be lost.

Have you tried these? What do you think?

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I was contacted last week about trying out a new bar from Lindt, the Lindt Excellence Chili Bar. I excitedly responded that I’d love to, and then sat back and thought about it. I realized I had never tried a chili-infused chocolate of any kind – solid or liquid – even though it’s said to be one of the oldest ways of consuming chocolate. I anxiously awaited my sample, which showed up quickly.

The packaging of the bar is a lightweight cardboard that folds over in the back like an envelope so you can easily store any chocolate left over (does anyone actually have chocolate left over?). The bar itself is wrapped in the standard, easy-tear gold foil. Each bar is 3.5 oz.

“This combination of fine dark chocolate with exquisite chili pepper delivers an absolutely unique taste experience. When savoring this new creation, chocolate connoisseurs will experience how the initially mild, delicate flavor of cocoa gradually gives way to a full-bodied but harmoniously spicy touch. Seductively piquant!”

I would have to say they nailed it! The bar is a very smooth dark chocolate made from sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter and chili extract.

At first bite it’s a nice, mild dark chocolate with a very light fruity hint, but after just a few seconds the heat from the chili hits the back of your throat before creeping to your tongue. It’s not uncomfortable – and trust me, I’d be the first to say so. I’m not a wuss when it comes to heat, but I generally like to taste my food and don’t add extra hot sauce or peppers to it!

My husband, on the other hand, does and though he doesn’t like chocolate bars without nuts he gave the Chili Bar a try and loved it. He even took a square into work with him this morning so a co-worker who also loves spicy food could give it a try, and unsurprisingly he loves it as well!

My three daughters each got a smallish sliver as well and thought it was “neat” and “cool!” that a chocolate bar could have chili in it that made your mouth “feel spicy.” A hit all around!

Overall it’s a very good chocolate bar, and as I said above everyone who’s tried it has loved it. I’m glad I got the chance and I’m going to keep an eye out for it at the store so I (and definitely my husband!) can have a bar in the snack cupboard at all times!

It looks like it can be purchased online at the Lindt website (third one down on the right side) as part of a 6 bar chocolate kit for $17.94. I’ll update as I find more locations!

[images used with permission from Lindt]

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Another trip to Sam’s, another box of candy bars! This time I found the Nestle Crunch Crisp, and much like the Snickers Charged I liked it well enough.

I’m not a fan of Nestle chocolate much anymore. Like Hershey I think the quality has gone downhill over the years though there are still the occasional treats from both that I’ll pick up when I get a craving. A Nestle Crunch is one of those, though I prefer the mini bars because a regular sized with the sub-standard “chocolate” is too much.

Anyway, the packaging for this one features an ad for American Idol, and considering the time frame I picked these up American Idol was still in its recent run, so at least they’re not expired! The bars are 1.74 oz and the wrapper has the familiar blue of a regular Crunch bar with a URL to forthekidinyou.com.

The bar is two crispy vanilla wafers with chocolate creme sandwiched between them. The outer covering of chocolate also contains the crisped rice bits of a regular bar.

The chocolate creme actually made the bar for me, though, I think. It had a strong chocolate-like flavor (and I say flavor because chocolate isn’t listed on the ingredients list, if you can believe it), that balanced out the bland chocolate of the outer coating (which ended up all over my fingers even at a room temp of 70 degrees).

Overall, I liked it and the kids liked it. I still can’t finish a full bar because of the over-punch of sweetness, but there’s no fear of it going to waste around here!

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My favorite month of the year! Ok, not really – but any month that you get to celebrate with candy is a good one.

Emily’s Chocolates, which I’ve written about before, are also celebrating candy month and the start of summer with their yummy dark chocolate-covered berries – strawberry, blueberry, and cherry.

The strawberries – my favorite – are especially sweet and we all know how perfect strawberries and chocolate are together!

[image used with permission from Emily's Chocolates]

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I’ve been looking for these everywhere and finally found a box last week!

Snickers Charged is a limited edition 1.83oz bar that includes 60 milligrams of caffeine as well as taurine and B-vitamins in addition to the milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel and nougat of a regular bar.

The packaging, which I assume is supposed to portray power and energy, is silver with a charging rhino. My first impression was that it was leaning a little too much toward a power bar look, something I’m not interested in, so it didn’t appeal to me much at all. If it weren’t for the mention of caffeine on the box and wrapper I probably would have bypassed them altogether!

Anyway, I really enjoyed the bar itself! I’ve been disappointed with past limited edition chocolate and candy bars, but I liked the Snickers Charged. While I’ve never been a huge Snickers fan – if given a choice at the checkout or candy aisle I’ll usually go for some Reese’s – and it’s been a while since I’ve had a regular Snickers, it tasted pretty much what I remember Snickers tasting like in general – a, well, satisfying mix of smooth chocolate, peanuts, nougat and caramel.

I didn’t find it to have a metallic taste or bitter aftertaste and while caffeine doesn’t affect me to the point that I walk around wired I did notice a bit of a pick-me-up not longer after I was finished. In all, I really liked the Snickers Charged and think I might pick up another box next time I’m out before Mars yanks them from the shelves!

[images: personal collection; all rights reserved]

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