Showing posts with label Chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chocolate. Show all posts

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Out and About: Cost Plus World Market

Happy Thursday!

One of my family's favorite things to do is going to Cost Plus World Market -- they have THE cutest things ever! 
And they also have wines, chocolates, and other food items that are hard to find elsewhere. :D

I was able to take a few pictures on my phone as I was walking around the store:


Keep Calm and Carry On! :)


This picture frame is so cool!
One of the things on my bucket list is to take a requisite-phone booth tourist photo when I visit London, haha! ;) 


If you've read some of my older posts, you might remember all about my obsession with all things London, haha!
This is so perfect, I love it! :)


I would also love to visit Paris, of course!


They have pashminas and other cute accessories!


These chocolates are so so so delicious!!!


Chocolates, chocolates, and more chocolates!

The only thing I bought was a scone mix (a post on that soon!), but I was definitely very happy just walking around the whole store. :)

Have you shopped at Cost Plus World Market before?
How's your week going?

Hang in there, guys! It's almost the weekend! ;)

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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

BzzAgent: UNREAL™ CANDY -- Get Unjunked!

Happy Tuesday!!! :D

I just wanted to share with you guys my most recent discovery courtesy of www.bzzagent.com -- UNREAL™ CANDY!



UNREAL™ STARTED WITH A QUESTION FROM A KID: "WHY DOES THE JUNK FOOD WE LOVE HAVE TO BE SO BAD FOR US?"

A few years ago, Michael and his 13 year old son, Nicky, got into an argument over Halloween candy... Later, Nicky did some research online (to prove to his dad that candy isn’t so bad). He discovered that his dad was right (for once)... Nicky started calling chefs and professors, hoping to find one to take up the challenge. Not a single person believed it could be done. Finally, Kris’ research led Nicky to a well known professor of food sciences at the University of Bristol, in the UK. That professor recommended Adam, a top chef in Spain. Adam was so inspired by the mission of changing junk food that he immediately brought together top scientists and chefs all across Europe to recreate America’s biggest selling candies, without the junk.

We've just unjunked America's favorite candy and true to Nicky's dream, we think it tastes better without the corn syrup, the artificial ingredients, and the partially hydrogenated oils. Not to mention less sugar. We even added more cacao, real caramel (not corn syrup dyed to look like caramel), more peanuts, protein, and fiber. All this is the product of the UNREAL™ culture.

***from www.getunreal.com***

UNREAL™ coupons from Bzzagent

BzzAgent sent me some UNREAL™ coupons so I can get the products and review them for you guys (and not to mention, spread the word about these healthy chocolates!). :)


UNREAL™ Candy is available at stores like Ralph's, Rite Aid, Staples, Haggen, TOP Food & Drug, BJs, CVS, Michaels, Food 4 Less, Walgreens, Fred Meyer, and Kroger.

According to the website, there are "30,000+ UNJUNKED™ stores coming soon".

First thing I gotta say, these are really hard to find!
I went to Walgreens first and they said that they stopped carrying UNREAL™ Candy. 
The next store I went to is Ralph's and they said they've never seen UNREAL™ Candy before... I don't know why that is, but I finally found them when I went to CVS (third time's the charm, I guess, haha!).

And when I got to CVS, finding the actual candies on the shelves was a bit of a challenge as well... these are snaps from my iPhone of the UNREAL™ Candy available at CVS:

UNREAL™ Peanut Butter Cups/ UNREAL™ Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bars/ UNREAL™ Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

UNREAL™ Candy Coated Chocolates/ UNREAL™ Candy Coated Chocolates with Peanuts

These were the bigger sizes, so I had to look for the smaller versions because those are what my coupons are for. ;)

Here are my choices:

peanut butter cups/ candy coated chocolates with peanuts/ chocolate caramel nougat bars

I got the candy coated chocolates with peanuts for free and four chocolate caramel nougat bars at Buy 1 Get 1 Free. :)

My UNREAL™ Candy "haul". ;)

My first impressions: Besides being hard to find, I feel like UNREAL™ candies get lost amidst all the colorful candy and chocolate wrappers -- if you didn't know that these are the healthy kind of chocolates, you probably wouldn't even notice them. 

Maybe it has something to do with the packaging -- I think the brand name needs to stick out more (think Snickers) and maybe it would help to have a more distinctive color (think Reese's)

The price may also have something to do with it -- at $1.19 each, I think these are reasonably priced (especially considering they are healthy)... but when you compare them to more well-known brands, such as Snickers, which are sold at 69cents or so, UNREAL™ candies lose out -- it is inevitable that consumers will buy the more well-known and cheaper brand.

With that said, these are definitely worth the price. 
If you're looking to eat a more healthy diet, but are still craving chocolates, UNREAL™ candies are for you.
If you have children who want chocolate, these may very well be your common ground. :)

Now, let's talk about the specifics:


UNREAL 54™ CANDY COATED CHOCOLATES WITH PEANUTS

NO Corn Syrup
NO Partially Hydrogenated Oil
NO Artificial Ingredients
NO GMOs
NO Preservatives
LOW Glycemic Index


Learn more about it here.


They look a lot like M&Ms, but the color variation is not as wide and the actual colors aren't as vibrant -- but that's good, right?! It means there's no artificial coloring.

These are delicious and taste exactly like M&Ms! :)

And now, the other one:


UNREAL 5™ CHOCOLATE CARAMEL NOUGAT BAR

NO Corn Syrup
NO Partially Hydrogenated Oil
NO Artificial Ingredients
NO GMOs
NO Preservatives
LOW Glycemic Index


Learn more about it here.


The first bite of the nougat bars was kind of weird -- you can tell it's healthy and it's not too sweet. But as you go along, the chocolate-y taste becomes more and more apparent and it's actually really good! :)

I would probably still eat other chocolates (just being honest!), but I will also definitely buy more UNREAL™ candies -- I can't wait to taste the peanut butter cups and the peanut nougat bars!

Have you tried anything from UNREAL™ Candy before?
Which ones would you like to try?

I hope you are all having a lovely week so far! :)

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P.S. I have two giveaways for you guys right now! Please do enter if you haven't already. :)
Spirit Ink Giveaway: Win a set of temporary tattoos! Open internationally. Ends 9/20.
Too Much Soul Giveaway: Win an accessory of your choice! Two winners! Open to U.S. residents only. Ends 9/30.

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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Giveaway: The Madelaine Chocolate Company ***CLOSED***

Happy Saturday!

I promised you guys a sweet giveaway, and here it is, yay!!! :D
We talked about The Madelaine Chocolate Company this past week, and now it's time to talk about how one of you can win all three of the chocolates I reviewed...


So, what exactly is up for grabs?

Gold Foiled Hazelnut Truffles

Caramel Filled Twist Wrap Truffles

White Chocolate Twist Wrap Truffles

I am soooooo excited!!!
Let's get on with the giveaway? :)


To enter:

Mandatory entries -

1. Follow What Mimi Writes via GFC -- let me know you follow in a comment and include your email address. (+1)
2. Follow @WhatMimiWrites on Twitter. (+1)
3. Follow @madchocny on Twitter. (+1)

Extra entries -

4. Visit www.madelainechocolate.com and tell me which chocolate is your favorite. (+2)
5. Tweet about the giveaway, mention both @WhatMimiWrites and @madchocny -- let me know/ leave me a link. 
You can use this tweet: #Giveaway: Calling all #chocoholics! #Win 3 kinds of truffles from @madchocny over @WhatMimiWrites! Ends 8/25! Join: http://tinyurl.com/9mcl6md :) (+2)
6. Like The Madelaine Chocolate Company on Facebook -- leave your Facebook name in the comments. (+3)
7. Like What Mimi Writes on Facebook -- leave your Facebook name in the comments. (+3)
8. Say Hello! to The Madelaine Chocolate Company on Facebook and tell them What Mimi Writes sent you there -- leave me a link to your wall post. (+3)
9. Mention this giveaway on your blog, either on a post or on your sidebar -- let me know/ leave me a link. (+4)

A total of 20 possible entries!

Please leave one comment per entry or if you choose to put them all in one comment, please clearly list how many entries you have -- either way would be easier for me, thanks! :)

This giveaway is open to United States residents only.
It will end on Saturday, August 25th at 11:59pm PST.

The winner will be chosen via random.org and notified via email.

Good luck!!! :D

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Tasty Tuesday: The Madelaine Chocolate Company

Happy Tuesday! :)

Prior to writing this post, I enjoyed a delicious piece of brownie -- I believe that life isn't complete without dessert, haha! I am a chocoholic, and that is why I am ecstatic to be working with The Madelaine Chocolate Company! :D


Established in 1949, their delicious chocolates have been a part of American family life for 60 years.
They have dedicated themselves to perfecting the superior taste and quality of their chocolate. Their belief that everyone should be able to afford great tasting chocolate is what drives their commitment to their customers, and ensures that they never compromise on flavor or quality.

package from The Madelaine Chocolate Company

Their shipping is fast and reliable -- my package was delivered to my doorstep in 5 days! :)

Specialty Gourmet Chocolate Especially For You From... The Madelaine Chocolate Company!

The chocolates were prepared and packaged really nicely, as you can see above and below.

Caramel Truffles, White Chocolate Truffles, and Hazelnut Truffles

Estee from The Madelaine Chocolate Company generously sent me three kinds of chocolates to try and review for you guys -- Thanks, Estee! :)


Just judging from the way their chocolates are packaged, you can really tell that they make sure every aspect of their products is of the utmost quality.

I especially love their attention to detail -- the ribbons and the label seen above are a nice touch.


Extreme summer heat + Chocolates in the mail = Not a good mix, right?!
But not with The Madelaine Chocolate Company

They make sure that their chocolates don't melt in transit -- the chocolates are wrapped in a bubble wrap and are placed inside an insulated foil bag. To add to that, they also come with two ice packs = the chocolates arrived in perfect condition! :)

Speaking of the chocolates, let's talk about them...

1. GOLD FOILED HAZELNUT TRUFFLES (16 pieces) --


Layered dark chocolate and milk chocolate blended with pure hazelnut paste from Italy, wrapped in two-tone gold Italian foil.


These are so delicious -- total chocolate!
Because they were very rich, I ate each piece one small bite at a time -- it was absolute heaven! ;)

2. CARAMEL FILLED TWIST WRAP TRUFFLES (9 pieces) --


Premium milk chocolate ball filled with buttery caramel, wrapped in gold foil.


Chocolate and caramel is a classic combination, and these didn't disappoint.
The caramel is so soft -- it definitely melts in your mouth, it's amazing!

3. WHITE CHOCOLATE TWIST WRAP TRUFFLES (9 pieces) --


Premium white chocolate truffles, wrapped in blue foil.


I love love love white chocolate, so it's no surprise that this is my favorite out of the three. ;)
The white chocolate is so creamy and so delicious, I love it!


Are you a chocoholic? Have you ever bought anything from The Madelaine Chocolate Company before?
Which of these chocolates would you like to try the most?

You can keep up to date with The Madelaine Chocolate Company on Facebook and Twitter.

***Stay tuned for a really sweet giveaway coming this week! ;)***

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P.S. Win any bag of your choice from Twisted Orchid (worth $80 or less)!
It is open to U.S. residents only and it will end on August 9th at 11:59pm PST.
To enter, please click here.

Like What Mimi Writes on Facebook and be friends with Mimi! :)
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