The Joy of Chocolate

I am a chocolate lover and today I was craving for one so I checked our pantry and saw our stock of chocolates...I like all varieties of chocolate (dark, milk, and white but I especially enjoy white chocolate). Chocolate is synonymous with many different occasions such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. Since I love chocolates, I am going to start my post for 2011 with a treat that makes everyone's mood better. Feast your eyes on these deliciously taken photos of chocolates from our pantry. (,")

Lindt Collection

There's only 14 here because I already ate one 
before I took the picture. :)

This bag of chocolates was bought by my Mom at Duty Free Philippines for $35. It contains 15 pieces of Lindt chocolate bars (so that's about $2.33 a piece, not bad considering it costs $3.50 at the store). I was a bit disappointed though because the bag does not contain my favorite Lindt bar (Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut). :(

1 pc. Lindt Cresta
     Enjoy a Cresta Classic bar made of Swiss Milk Chocolate with a praline filling and crunchy brittle pieces.
1 pc. Lindt Pistachio
     Experience exceptional Lindt milk chocolate enrobing luxurious whole pistachio nuts covered in a smooth white almond filling. Experience this chocolate bar at room temperature, enjoy it slowly and notice how it engages and awakens all your senses.
4 pcs. Lindt Swiss Classic Coffee
     Experience Lindt's classic smooth and creamy tasting Swiss milk chocolate flavoured with delicious hints of coffee.
4 pcs. Lindt Swiss Classic White
     For the white chocolate lovers, Swiss Classic white is a sweet and creamy white chocolate that delivers a decadent taste experience created from years of passion and tradition.
5 pcs. Lindt Swiss Classic Milk
     Swiss Classic is Lindt's signature smooth and creamy tasting milk chocolate with a hint of caramel that delivers an enjoyable taste experience resulting from years of chocolate passion and tradition.
via: http://www.lindt.com/ca/swf/eng/products/bars/swiss-classic/

Hawaiian Host Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts

their story from the back of the box

she even sent me macadamia nuts

My aunt actually sent me five boxes of macadamia chocolates and this is the only one left (ah one of the perks of having an aunt, who is also my godmother and lives in Hawaii, is that I get to receive packages of macadamia chocolates from time to time...love it!).

Godiva Gems French Vanilla Truffles in dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is healthy chocolate

Researchers say chocolate triggers feel-good chemicals
ATLANTA (CNN) -- "I probably have a little every day, because I think it makes you feel good when you get some." Those are the words of a chocolate lover.
Those sweet desires are not just imagined. Now, researchers have found that eating chocolate, the number one food craved by American women, causes the brain to release endorphins, chemicals that make us feel good.
"So we eat chocolate so we release and experience pleasure and so as a result, we crave chocolate,Ó said Adam Drewnowski of the University of Michigan. "We want chocolate in times of stress, anxiety, pain and so on. Chocolate is a natural analgesic, or pain killer."
Other researchers have also said chocolate contains substances that might mimic the effects of marijuana, boosting the pleasure you get from eating the stuff.
The ingredients might make the texture, smell and flavor of chocolate more enjoyable and combine with other ingredients like caffeine to make a person feel good, researcher Daniele Piomelli speculated.
source: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/indepth.food/sweets/chocolate.cravings/index.html


If I am a chocolate lover, my sister is a chocolate addict (she can finish a whole bag of chocolates in one sitting and I am not even exaggerating... I love you sis!). Good thing she gave up chocolates for lent, which means I have all this chocolates for myself (Yahoo! at least for the next three weeks).

Everybody just knows that when it comes to sweets, your instincts always cry out...chocolates!! Do you have a sweet tooth? Go on and share your favorite chocolate.