Our Engagement with Good Charlotte (not candy)

June 4, 2010 was a very big day my life.
All started around 10am with Breakfast at my FAVORITE Diner EVER, and thats Dottie's True Blue Cafe in San Francisco, CA.
Following breakfast Stephanie and I head over to the Regency Ballroom to meet up with the #GCFam Ladies. (Sara, Jasmine, Loreana, Isa, Ashley, Valerie and Kaylyn) We meet up with Benji Madden and later Joel Madden with the Family. Later Steph and I go over and see them where the Engagement went down.
Stephanie the rest of the day was just in shock! Staring the whole day at the beautiful ring on her finger.
below are some pictures of us.

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Bar - Toffee

This Green & Black's Toffee Chocolate bar I found at Target at an affordable price of about $3.50.
Inside the wrapper can be found the story of Green & Black's Organic. Paragraphs about how their organic chocolate is made, why they are a green company and being a Fair Trade grower.
As noted on back of the main wrapper this bar is suitable for Vegetarians. The Company is out of Parsippany, New Jersey, but the bars are made in Italy.
you can find more info on Green and Black's Organic at http://www.greenandblacks.com

The Toffee bar is pretty good! a nice taste with a tiny hint of crunchy toffee inside.
I'm not a huge fan of European chocolate for the simple fact it taste dry and chalky. You can taste the dry ingredients as soon as you take a bite. One of the reason I favor that creamy American Chocolate taste.
After eating a piece it leaves you wanting something to drink. You have that urge to naturally want Coffee for your Toffee Chocolate bar.

Zotter Chocolate Banana Bar

Zotter Chocolate Banana is a product of Austria. this company is also Fair Trade Certified!
A little about the Zotter Company I found online is:

20 years ago, Josef Zotter opened up a pastry shop in his home town of Graz where as creating pralines and candy. In 1999 the pastry shop was sold and the Zotter family specialized in producing chocolate.
The old building of his parents from Riegersburg (Oststeiermark), used until then for agriculture purpose, was transformed into a chocolate manufacture. The Zotter family started up with only 2 collaborators. Four years ago, in 2003, under the pressure of a more and more demanding market, the new manufacture started up.
Today, more than 100 people work here, in production and welcoming of guests. He is one of the few chocolate producers in Europe who produce from the cacao bean to the final chocolate bar.
One can surely say that the extravagant packing of each bar has contributed a lot to the success of the Zotter chocolate and its placement and recognition in the market. For the artistic breath emanating from the packing of each chocolate bar we give thanks to Andreas Huber Gratze, born in Graz but presently living in Berlin. Educated artist, Andreas Huber Gratze contributed with his work to the creation of an individual and unmistakable package that makes ZOTTER chocolate unique.

I purchased this Bar at the same time as last weeks 99% Chocolate bar. I did get a wierd look from the owner of "Fog City News" as he says I pick the most extreme differences in Chocolates.
Sitting down to write this blog I realized this Chocolate Banana bar from Zotter does contain Alcohol in the banana filling. (I'm Straight Edge) Thus giving my beautiful girlfriend the honors of Taste Testing for today's blog.
Much like most candy bars, wrapped in gold foil with the Company logo stamped.
The Candy Bar its self has nothing stamped on it, just a plain chocolate bar.
As Stephanie takes a bite into the Bar, the first bite is very overpowered by the center filling of Dried Banana. Something that you haven't really experienced before, because of the unusual texture of the banana with the creamy chocolate. Then taking additional bites, the Chocolate, Banana and Alcohol all mix into one creating the ideal combination.
The only draw back is once your finished with the candy bar is your stuck with a very strong banana in your mouth, as if you have had a banana and not a chocolate bar. Stephanie also adds the Zotter Chocolate Banana bar would go great with a Coconut drink, due to its fruity flavor.

Michel Cluizel - Noir Infini 99% Cacao

I saw this bar at my local Chocolate store called "Fog city News" at 455 Market St. in San Francisco, California. This store offers over 100 rare and international candy bars. So far they have never let down!
Straight from Paris, France in a Murdered Out Flat Black wrapper with gold writing on the wrapper tucked between a few larger candy bars the Noir Infini caught my eye!
As you can see in the pictures once opened the Michel Cluizel Noir Infini 99% is covered in a standard candy bar gold foil.
The Chocolate smells so good! the smell is just like baking semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Once tasting, you realize that 99% Cacao is TRUE!
Being 99%, Its just about pure. Not much flavor and Extremely bitter.
you can really tell there is not much sugar added this bar.
The label reads 0.6g of sugar. Thats not much at all!
Honestly I could barely eat it. Just a very tiny corner of the chocolate bar is all I could handle.
To me the Noir Infini 99% is an after diner chocolate with coffee.
the bitterness and taste needs a Sugared French Vanilla Hot Coffee to really enjoy the flavor.

Vosges Haut-Chocolate - Mo's Bacon Bar

I have been really been excited about this Candy Bar for a while. When I decided to write this blog, Mo's Bacon Bar was the first Chocolate bar I ran out and purchased.
I found out about Vosges Haut-Chocolate when watching "Unwrapped" on the Food Network with the episode featured on Bacon!
(blurb from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate-covered_bacon)

A chocolate bacon bar is marketed by the Chicago-based luxury chocolate company Vosges Haut-Chocolate as "Mo's Bacon Bar". The bar contains smoked applewood bacon, alderwood smoked salt, and milk or dark chocolate. According to the company, "Sweet and smoky and salty is the perfect trifecta." They are sold online for $7.50 per 3 oz. bar. Vosges Haut shipped their product to London, England, to Selfridges & Co., where their stock sold out in 48 hours. Not everyone was as excited about Mo's porcine delicacy; one British journalist said, "It is the vilest thing I've ever eaten. It's like the chocolate came out of a full ashtray.

As you just read its a bit expensive at $7.50USD. Worth Every Penny!


According to http://vosgeschocolate.com the instructions on eating "Mo's Bacon Bar" are as follows

Breathe…engage your five senses, close your eyes and inhale deeply. Be in the present moment, notice the color of the chocolate, the glossy shine. Rub your thumb over the chocolate bar to release the aromas of smoked applewood bacon flirting with deep milk chocolate. Snap off just a tiny piece and place it in your mouth, let the lust of salt and sweet coat your tongue.

Wrapped in a Silver Foil Wrapper nestled inside a thin Candy Bar box.
When you open the chocolate bar, it comes in 8 large Squares, each with a different pattern embossed showing Vosges Haut-chocolate Owner and Chocolatier Kristina Markoff's artistic side.

Tasting Time

WOW THIS BAR IS AMAZING!
the mix of Chocolate and salty bacon is just awesome!
a very soft creamy 45% Cacao Chocolate. The Bacon in this bar is REAL!
not a candy that tastes like bacon, it really is real.
a very salty bacon gives the Chocolate a great flavor.
I followed the instructions and really loved the taste of Vosges Haut-Chocolate gives for Mo's Bacon Bar.

The best part of Vosges Haut-Chocolate is it's available online at http://www.vosgeschocolate.com

Any suggestions on your favorite candy bar please let me know at @GCDCMA or by email gcdcma08@gmail.com

Candy Blog Debut / Peppermint Aero Bar

I have always eaten a lot of candy through out my life
Almost every day I eat some type of Candy. Usually Chocolate.
After a long discussion with my girlfriend, I have decided to share my candy journey with everyone, and will also give an honest review in every post!
This blog will be updated at least once a week, maybe more.
I want to showcase different candies from around the world, rare candies. Anyone can go to their local store and pick up a Snickers, Milky Way or anything else.
I want to try something different! I want to try candy that might be native to a different country, your region.
Feel free to give me suggestions via Twitter @GCDCMA

The first blog today I am kicking off with a Peppermint Aero Bar




(origin via wikipedia) Aero is a milk chocolate bar filled with bubbles of air, made by Nestlé and primarily sold in the United Kingdom (its country of invention), the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Argentina, Australia and Canada.

The Bar comes with 7 blocks, each easy to break apart, exposing the neon green center.
This Aero bar was a little different.
The taste is not what I'm used to. The Mint center is known as a "Bubble Melt." just that. Its very light and aero-y and melts when it hits your tongue.
Once really tasting the Aero Bar I really liked it.
The Chocolate is nice and soft (Nestle) style, very milky, not a very rich flavor. The Peppermint is very dominate in this bar, which I really liked!
Overall, not one of my favorite Candy Bars out there, but I really enjoyed the Peppermint Aero Bar.
I can't think of another Chocolate Bar that would be compared to Peppermint Aero Bar, which makes this bar so unique!