Dove Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate
The Dove milk chocolate didn't have much of a smell. The taste was kind of plain. It tasted better than Palmer's milk chocolate but worse than Hershey's milk chocolate. The aftertaste reminded me of a Wendy's frosty or a Fudgesicle [read: not chocolatey enough]. "Silky smooth" seems a bit of a stretch. I found Dove Milk Chocolate boring in taste and smell.
Dove Milk Chocolate With Caramel
The Dove with caramel had a light milk chocolate smell. Caramel squirted out on the first bit. The caramel had a nice texture, but was not buttery enough. This candy was just so-so.
Dove Extra Dark Chocolate, 63%
The extra dark chocolate smelled like semi-sweet chocolate chips. The chocolate had a milkier taste than Hershey's special dark chocolate, but with a less intense cacao taste. The overall flavor reminded me of hard shell dark chocolate used on ice cream. This candy was not that great by itself. The flavor would be brought out better if paired with the right wine. This is another "will eat if there's nothing else" candy.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Ghirardelli Filled Squares Chocolate
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate With Peanut Butter Filling
"perfect combination of intense creamy milk chocolate and gourmet peanut butter with crunchy peanuts roasted to perfection. This "grown-up" version of your childhood favorite is one you are sure to crave!"
This square had a sweet, pleasant peanut butter smell. The filling was peanut butter, with a few pieces of peanuts. I liked the smooth taste of the chocolate. The peanut butter filling was okay. I prefer peanut butter filling that's crunchy and gritty, like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This bar fell under the category "will eat if there's nothing else."
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate With Caramel
"delivers the perfect balance of intense Ghirardelli milk chocolate and a rich buttery center. Our smooth caramel center is so popular and uniquely delicious, we offer it with two different chocolate shells: milk chocolate and 60% cacao dark chocolate. "
When I broke the caramel square in half, a curtain of caramel drizzled out. The caramel filling was indeed buttery. I like my caramel a little thicker; but other than that, I have no complaints. I think this candy would be nice paired with a cup of espresso and a good book on a rainy day. I would buy the milk chocolate-caramel square again.
"perfect combination of intense creamy milk chocolate and gourmet peanut butter with crunchy peanuts roasted to perfection. This "grown-up" version of your childhood favorite is one you are sure to crave!"
This square had a sweet, pleasant peanut butter smell. The filling was peanut butter, with a few pieces of peanuts. I liked the smooth taste of the chocolate. The peanut butter filling was okay. I prefer peanut butter filling that's crunchy and gritty, like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This bar fell under the category "will eat if there's nothing else."
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate With Caramel
"delivers the perfect balance of intense Ghirardelli milk chocolate and a rich buttery center. Our smooth caramel center is so popular and uniquely delicious, we offer it with two different chocolate shells: milk chocolate and 60% cacao dark chocolate. "
When I broke the caramel square in half, a curtain of caramel drizzled out. The caramel filling was indeed buttery. I like my caramel a little thicker; but other than that, I have no complaints. I think this candy would be nice paired with a cup of espresso and a good book on a rainy day. I would buy the milk chocolate-caramel square again.
YouBars vs Element Bars
If you're interested in custom made energy bars:
YouBars official website
Element Bars official website
New York Times article on YouBars
Gadling Article on Element Bars
Sources:
"With These Nutrition Bars, Every Order Is Special", by Lisa Napolin, The New York Times, 2/20/2008
"Like energy bars? Element Bars lets you design your own", by Scott Carmichael,Gadling, September 18, 2008
Sources:
"With These Nutrition Bars, Every Order Is Special", by Lisa Napolin, The New York Times, 2/20/2008
"Like energy bars? Element Bars lets you design your own", by Scott Carmichael,Gadling, September 18, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Subway's Flatbread Sandwich Creations
Subway
located in Wal-Mart Supercenter
1580 Branan Field Rd
Middleburg, FL 32068
Subway recently added flatbread sandwiches to their menu. So of course a taste test was in order:
Chicken Florentine
"...tender, juicy chicken, olives, tomatoes, Tuscan spices and melted cheese, all topped off with our creamy spinach artichoke spread..."
This sandwich had just the right amount of chicken, cheese and Florentine spread. The bread was oh-so-soft and a perfect pairing with the chicken, in both the toasted and untoasted versions. The Florentine spread was deliciously savory. Thumbs up!
Steak & Bacon Melt
"...steak, crispy bacon, peppers, onions, melted cheese and your choice of veggies..."
When my sandwich was being made, I noticed two containers behind the glass. One had what looked like chunks of steak. The other had something that resembled Steak-Umms chopped into little pieces. What was put on my sandwich was the Steak-Umm type meat. I don't think I would've wanted the first bin, though; those pieces had an odd look and color. And by that I mean "overcooked and left to harden in a sunny, dusty spot." Ew.
Steak issue aside, I should have requested the bacon be left off. The salty bacon flavor overpowered the rest of sandwich's flavors. I wouldn't order the Steak and Bacon Melt again.
located in Wal-Mart Supercenter
1580 Branan Field Rd
Middleburg, FL 32068
Subway recently added flatbread sandwiches to their menu. So of course a taste test was in order:
Chicken Florentine
"...tender, juicy chicken, olives, tomatoes, Tuscan spices and melted cheese, all topped off with our creamy spinach artichoke spread..."
This sandwich had just the right amount of chicken, cheese and Florentine spread. The bread was oh-so-soft and a perfect pairing with the chicken, in both the toasted and untoasted versions. The Florentine spread was deliciously savory. Thumbs up!
Steak & Bacon Melt
"...steak, crispy bacon, peppers, onions, melted cheese and your choice of veggies..."
When my sandwich was being made, I noticed two containers behind the glass. One had what looked like chunks of steak. The other had something that resembled Steak-Umms chopped into little pieces. What was put on my sandwich was the Steak-Umm type meat. I don't think I would've wanted the first bin, though; those pieces had an odd look and color. And by that I mean "overcooked and left to harden in a sunny, dusty spot." Ew.
Steak issue aside, I should have requested the bacon be left off. The salty bacon flavor overpowered the rest of sandwich's flavors. I wouldn't order the Steak and Bacon Melt again.
Simply Orange: With Mango, Pulp Free
Yesterday I bought a bottle of Simply Orange: With Mango. I'm not a fan of mango in general; fresh mango tastes metallic to me. But I thought it would be fun to try something new.
Simply Orange: With Mango tasted like peaches to me. The fresh mango and orange flavors were not obvious to me. This product had a heavy, overly sweet aftertaste. The aftertaste reminded me of cheap citrus flavored candy.
I'm also skeptical about their slogan "Simply Unfooled Around With." The ingredient list reads as "Contains orange and mango juices, natural flavors." The mystery third ingredient(s) presumably negate the claim of "Oh, this is just o.j. with a squeeze of mango."
I probably wouldn't buy Simply Orange: With Mango again.
*ETA: Kitchen Sink / EatMyWords has a kick butt piece about why it's not "simply unfooled around with" juice:
Eat My Words
Simply Orange: With Mango tasted like peaches to me. The fresh mango and orange flavors were not obvious to me. This product had a heavy, overly sweet aftertaste. The aftertaste reminded me of cheap citrus flavored candy.
I'm also skeptical about their slogan "Simply Unfooled Around With." The ingredient list reads as "Contains orange and mango juices, natural flavors." The mystery third ingredient(s) presumably negate the claim of "Oh, this is just o.j. with a squeeze of mango."
I probably wouldn't buy Simply Orange: With Mango again.
*ETA: Kitchen Sink / EatMyWords has a kick butt piece about why it's not "simply unfooled around with" juice:
