Merci Goodness! Merci Finest European Chocolates Review

Can You Say Best Chocolates Ever?

Merci Chocolates

Merci Finest European Chocolates

I was recently sent a box of Merci Finest European Chocolates to review and I’ve been in chocolate Heaven ever since.  Now remember, I’m a bona fide chocoholic – in every sense of the word – so I know my chocolates. You could blindfold me and feed me 50 different chocolates (would it help if I begged?). I’d be able to classify them in three categories:

  1. Premium
  2. Next Best Thing
  3. Last resort…. but still chocolate, so keep ‘em coming.

After just one bite into a Merci Chocolate, I realized that if it were in the lineup, I’d need a 4th category called, I’ve Now Forgotten Every Chocolate I’ve Ever Met…

Yes, as a matter of fact, Merci Chocolates are that darn good. They’re creamy, delicious, and take you to a whole other world… one covered in chocolate.  A chocolate world where crime, pain, illness, taxes, and pop music don’t exist.  No one gets older, no one gets angry, an no one ever ever ever has a bad hair day.  Say it with me now, Merci Goodness!

Merci Chocolates

  • Finest Assortment of European Chocolates
  • Name that means thank you
  • 20 pieces of rich, indulgent, individually wrapped chocolates
  • A delightful gift especially for expressing gratitude

The box shown above is their 8.8 oz box of heavenly chocolates. You can find this box on Amazon, but the best deal can be found by clicking the following link. For just a small amount more, you get TWO boxes and, trust me, you’ll want at least that many. See Merci European Chocolates, Assortment, 8.8-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 2).

Merci Chocolates are the Finest Assortment of European Chocolates with a brand name that literally means thank you!  I can’t think of a better way to say thank you (or I love you, or happy birthday, or happy anniversary, or Merry Christmas, or Holy Cow You’re the Bee’s Knees….) than with these amazingly delicious chocolates.

I suppose that’s why Merci Chocolates are a top gift-giving chocolates.  The gift giver and the receiver know that Merci chocolates are  made with the finest ingredients available. What’s more, each box is beautifully packaged and features 20 pieces of rich, incredibly delicious, individually wrapped chocolates. With seven flavor varieties, including Dark Mousse, Hazelnut-Almond, Dark Cream, and Praline-Crème, Merci Chocolates will flat blow you away.

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away.  Why not give your Valentine a gift that’ll rock their world?

Also keep Merci Chocolates in mind for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, and any day when you want to show someone how much you care.  They’d also be outrageously appropriate for saying Thank You when someone has a “thank you” coming.

Sure, thank you cards are nice, but thank you chocolates are MUCH better!  Not. Even. Close.

Merci Chocolates Review

It’s That Time of Year Again…

Time to Start Thinking About Gift Ideas!

NFL M&M Dispenser

NFL My Team M&Ms with Dispenser & 3 Bags

Each year, around this time, I start posting a lot of Christmas gift ideas. I might as well, my thoughts are geared toward my own Christmas shopping nearly 24/7.

Maybe it’s because I’m a girl, myself, but I find it easier to shop for the females in my family than I do the guys. Who could even begin to think the way their minds work?! I was actually looking for something for our wedding blog this morning when I came across the cool gift ideas for sports fans in this post.

Granted, they aren’t just for guys. I’d LOVE the Denver Broncos and St. Louis Cardinals dispensers muchly. And if they had one for College teams, I’d have to buy about five of the University of Kentucky ones.

Choose your own (or your gift recipient’s) favorite team and get customized M&M’s featuring that NFL, NBA, or MLB team’s colors and logos. Each comes with a team logo dispenser and three 7oz bags. All pro teams available.

Any sports fan would love these dispensers and personalized M&Ms. After all, we sports fanatics want our team(s) colors and logos everywhere around us and everyone (absolutely everyone) loves M&M’s.

Click through any of the pictures or links to see the teams available.

NBA My Team M&Ms with Dispenser & 3 Bags MLB My Team M&Ms with Dispenser & 3 Bags

Individual team candies are also available – without the dispenser.  Obviously, these would be ideal for stocking stuffers or Christmas bag “fillers” – maybe along with a sweatshirt or scarf with their team’s logo. The ideas and possibilities are endless.   Below are just a few of the teams.  Remember, every pro team you can think of is available (NBA, NFL, and MLB).

Not only do these gorgeous M&M’s make perfect gift ideas, they’re also GREAT for decorating cakes, cupcakes, and cookies with.  You can even throw them in a big bowl of (cooled) popcorn for a fun surprise for the sports fans in your house.

New York Jets M&Ms; Candies Green Bay Packers M&Ms; Candies

Dallas Cowboy M&Ms; Candies Chicago Bears M&Ms; Candies

New England Patriots M&Ms; Candies Washington Redskins M&Ms; Candies

Boston Red Sox M&Ms; Candies New York Yankees M&Ms; Candies

16 Tasty Year Round Uses for Candy Coated Almonds

Starring Jordan Almonds from Oh Nuts

Candy Coated Almonds

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a bag of Oh Nuts Candy Coated Almonds.  Being a complete nut fanatic, I couldn’t wait for the bag to arrive in the mail. When it did, it took me all of 2 seconds to tear into it. I was probably on my third candy coated almond before the mail carrier was off of our street.

I have no shame when it comes to nuts, coffee, chocolate, or catfish. No shame whatsoever.

My mind has been buzzing over the many uses for these wonderful and beautiful candy coated almonds. I’m afraid that the pictures here just don’t do them enough justice. They’re so bright, shiny, and colorful!

Below are just some of the ways I’ve come up with for enjoying these little lovelies.

Blue and White Candy Coated Almonds

  1. Celebrate March Madness with your favorite team’s colors. I bleed UK Wildcat’s blue and white, so it’s little wonder that I chose these two colors! Leave the delicious candy coated almonds in candy dishes, throw them in a bowl with fresh popcorn, or use them to spell out your team’s initials on top of a cake.
  2. Use colorful candy coated almonds in Easter baskets and/or as Easter decorations.
  3. During baseball season, choose the colors of your favorite team. I’d have St. Louis Cardinals’ colors in baskets, candy dishes, bowls, etc.
  4. These beautiful candy coated almonds would make excellent wedding favors. There are countless wedding favor bags and boxes available.  Simply order candy covered almonds in the chosen wedding colors and fill the bags/boxes.
  5. These are perfect for snacks at the office. Keep the bag in your desk drawer and you’ll have healthy snacks readily available throughout the day.
  6. Fourth of July? Red, white, and blue candy coated almonds would be gorgeous on cupcakes, cakes, and cookies.
  7. You could use these almonds as favors at a baby shower, much as you would a wedding.  There are colors available that make me instantly think of baby showers: pink, blue, yellow, white…
  8. Speaking of pink, activities and fund raisers for breast cancer awareness would be a perfect fit for the beautiful pink candy coated almonds.
  9. A bag or two of candy coated almonds would be delicious additions to gift baskets, whether it’s for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, or Christmas.
  10. Send a few bags to your favorite college student.  We all love to send treats to those we love and, quite frankly, Oh Nuts products are PERFECT for this. Nuts travel well and won’t spoil or get “messy” like a lot of other treats. As a bonus, they’re as healthy as they are delicious!
  11. Use beautiful red and white candy coated almonds in heart-shaped candy dishes as part of your Valentine’s Day decor.  Give some as gifts to your favorite valentine as well.
  12. Choose red, green, white, gold metallic or silver metallic  for Christmas decorating. They’d be beautiful additions to fruit baskets.
  13. Orange and Black Candy Coated Almonds are perfect for Halloween!
  14. St. Patrick’s day cupcakes call for green candy coated almonds.
  15. NFL fans can choose their team’s colors for tailgating snacks.
  16. The metallic colored almonds (see #12) are also ideal for New Year’s Eve AND silver or gold wedding anniversaries.

White Candy Coated Almonds

Health Benefits of Almonds:

  • Since almonds are a plant based food, they contain no cholesterol.
  • Almonds are loaded with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and other antioxidants and phytochemicals.
  • Studies show that just 3 ounces of almonds a day can actually lower a person’s cholesterol by 14 percent. 14 percent!
  • When we munch on healthy snacks, like nuts, we stay away from unhealthy and harmful snacks like chips. That, alone, makes them worth their weight in gold.

Wonka Candy Just in Time For Easter

Get Those Easter Baskets Ready!

Wonka Sweetarts Jellybeans CarrotAs someone with a head full of sweet teeth, I recently hit the mother-load. Wonka Candy sent me a goody bag filled with outrageously delicious candy to review on Get Cooking and I love them dearly for it. The candy had an adorable Easter theme, so for those of you who will soon be filling Easter baskets, pay close attention.

First of all, here’s one you’ll want o pocket – as in, don’t put these in any Easter Baskets, you’ll just take them right back out. Wonka Exceptionals Scrumdiddlyumptious Chocolate Eggs are as delicious to eat as they are fun to eat. Cute candy shouldn’t have such a Heavenly chocolate flavor, right? That intense chocolate goodness should be saved for the high brow bars wrapped in shiny foil. I guess someone forgot to tell Wonka.

Thank goodness.

The Wonka Exceptionals Scrumdiddlyumptious Chocolate Eggs are milk chocolates shaped like Easter eggs. Oh, but get this – Wonka has more up his sleeve. These milk chocolate eggs are teaming with delicious toffee, crispy cookie, and crunchy peanuts. When I first bit into one, I immediately looked down at the remaining egg in my hand – to see what made it so extraordinary. I was expecting a chocolate egg, with nothing but chocolate (which would have been delightful as well), but then I got this amazing surprise of crunchy deliciousness. When I looked down, I saw the culinary culprits – toffee bits, peanuts and cookie crisps.

Are you registering just how delicious these eggs are? If so then you know what I mean when I say don’t let the Easter Bunny put these in any baskets – keep them for your private stash.

Also delicious are the flavorful and adorable Wonka Springy Double Yummy Gummies. The flavors are orange (represented by a duck), yellow (represented by a sheep), and strawberry (you guessed it, a pink bunny). These are stupid good. My youngest daughter is madly in love with them and wants to stockpile them for the entire year. I thought she was kidding until I saw the look of determination in her eye. I think I’d better take her seriously.

These are extremely good and so cute I can’t even describe it. These little guys have the fruity gumminess you’d expect PLUS a little fluffy marshmallow surprise. You can’t have Easter without at least a little marshmallow.

Wonka is just outdoing himself this Easter. Look in the candy aisle of your favorite store for these candies PLUS Wonka Gobstoppers (a personal favorite – I dig out all the reds and grapes… drives everyone crazy, but I just Wonka Sweetarts Jellybeans Easter Candysay, “Beat me to it and they’re your’s” – I’m a loving mother but I take no prisoners when it comes to candy.), and Wonka Sweetarts Jellybeans. The Jellybeans are bright and colorful and more delicious than you remember jelly beans being.

They have some packages of orange jellybeans shaped like giant carrots. I had one sitting in an Easter Basket on the table right in front of an adorably Ty rabbit. It lasted a few days – until one of the suspects (my sources say it was daughter #2) couldn’t resist temptation any more. The rabbit never saw it coming.

The orange jellybeans aren’t just cute when they join forces to make the carrot, they’re actually delicious – with a distinct orange flavor.

When it comes to making Easter and spring cupcakes, cookies, and cakes – you’ll want to grab a few of these bags to have on hand for decorations.  I love to ice sugar cookies and use jellybeans to create a border.  The same approach makes some pretty darn cute cupcakes, too.

Don’t wait for Easter Sunday to enjoy all of these Wonka treats – make the season last as long as possible by enjoying them now. Do like I’ve done and create a big Easter Basket filled with them on your dining room table, complete with bunnies, chicks, and “grass.” You might need to set up a surveillance camera, though.

Especially if you invite anyone in my family over.

Dove Chocolates: For a Valentine’s Day You’ll Never Forget

New Swirl Candies are the Stuff Dreams are Made Of

Dove Promises

We’ve always been big fans of Dove chocolates in our home.  Dove Chocolates give you the rich, smooth, and creamy flavor of extremely expensive chocolates without costing you a small fortune.  Another big plus?  They’re easier to find than trouble.  No need to “check for a retailer near you,” just run to your favorite grocery or department store and grab reinforcements as soon as you run out.

Or, better yet, do as I do and grab reinforcements before you run out.

A chocolate-y sense of irony just occurred to me.  I’m writing a chocolate candy review while eating a couple of chocolates (Dove’s Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Swirl candies) and drinking a cold mocha frap.   And that’s not all.  As all of this is playing out, it’s doing so as I’m surrounded by the aroma of a chocolate cake in the oven.

Can you even picture how widely I’m smiling right now?

You still have time to sweeten your Valentine’s Day gift.  Run to your nearest store and stock up on Dove Chocolates.  You MUST, MUST, MUST find their newest delectables:

  • Dove Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Swirl bar – The smooth chocolate combines with the sweet raspberry in a way that delights every cell in your body.
  • Dove White & Milk Chocolate Swirl bar – While I can tell you that this candy bar is outrageously delicious (truly, truly spectacular), I missed the chance to give you the imagery that would have done the flavor justice.  When each of my daughters tasted this candy bar, their expressions summed it up perfectly.  Imagine the look on someone’s face when they’ve just eaten something so delicious they feel a little bit guilty.  Picturing it?  Now you have a fraction of an idea of how wonderful this bar is.
  • Individual sized Dove Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Swirl candies – These stupid good little candies made me vow another New Year’s Resolution:  I resolve to NOT let a day go by without having at least one of these little wonderful treats.  The good news is I’ve finally made a resolution I’ll keep!  Honestly, I intend to eat one of these every day for the rest of my happy chocolate-loving life.
  • Dove Promises are outstandingly smooth and delicious little candies.  The little individual candies have fun, uplifting little messages inside the wrapper – we always get a huge kick out of these.  As though we needed another reason to tear into them.

So there you have it.  A couple of suggestions from the world’s biggest chocolate lover – if you want to really step up your Valentine’s Day efforts this year, head off for the store now and buy each of the suggestions above…

… then watch their face!

Divine Chocolates: Heavenly Chocolate with a Heart

Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Divine White Chocolate with Strawberries

Let it be written, let it be posted, let it be tweeted:  Divine Chocolates are extraordinary!

A few weeks back, I was sent some Divine chocolate candy to review on my food blog. When it comes to something like chocolate, I always pinch myself… “Is this person really asking me if they can send me chocolate?” L-U-C-K-Y! The best I can figure, fate must smile upon those who live right. Fortunately, sometimes it hands you chocolate as its smiling.

LOVE when it does that.

Divine Chocolate mailed me a Dark Chocolate with Raspberries bar, some adorable little heart-shaped candies (dark and milk chocolate), and what will forever go down as one of the most sensational candy bars I’ve ever eaten – their White Chocolate with Strawberries. Not surprisingly, I thought we’d start the review with this one!

The Divine White Chocolate with Strawberries bar (shown in all its glory at the top of the post) is smooth, creamy white chocolate with crunchy pieces of real strawberry crisp. The explosion of wonderful, full strawberry flavor works like a dream with the creamy, delicious white chocolate. It’s a combination that I can’t get out of my mind. It’s just sensational.

Divine Dark Chocolate with Raspberries

Another dream combination is Raspberries and chocolate – in fact, it’s one of the most magical combinations I can think of. Divine’s Dark Chocolate with Raspberries is out of this world, as well. Even people who aren’t wild about dark chocolate (seriously, people?) will love this bar. The raspberry flavor works like a charm.

The adorable and delicious heart candies were also a huge hit in our house. Perfect for throwing in your mouth any time you feel the need for chocolate. You don’t even want to know how often I get in touch with that need.

Each of these remarkable candy bars (including the hearts) are suitable for vegetarians. What’s more, they are free from artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives. And did I mention they were remarkably delicious?

About Divine Chocolates or What Makes them Truly Divine

Choosing Divine as your chocolate treat is a delicious way of playing your part in a more equitable trading partnership. Divine is the only Fairtrade chocolate company which is 45% owned by the farmers. While Fairtrade ensures farmers receive a better deal for their cocoa and additional income to invest in their community, company ownership gives farmers a share of Divine’s profits and a stronger voice in the cocoa industry. That’s good business! – From Divine Chocolates

You can order Divine Chocolates online, or use their Store Finder to find the store closest to you. If you want to give your Valentine candy they’ll never forget, here’s your chance.  A word of caution, though: You’ll want to buy yourself a few bars as well, they may love you but they aren’t going to want to share!

Divine Dark and Milk Chocolate Hearts

Dan’s Chocolates has Back to School Deliciously Covered

Good ol’ Dan’s Chocolates – they think of everything. Don’t get me wrong, like any self-respecting chocoholic, I’d love them even if they thought of nothing. Fortunately, though, they’re as clever as they are Heavenly.

Dan’s Chocolates has every occasion you can possibly imagine, as well as some you may not have thought of. Their outstanding chocolate candy will be delivered to you (or your lucky recipient) in a great-looking box – ready and willing to celebrate whatever occasion is at hand.

The box above is the Back to School Chocolates and can you imagine the look of sheer joy on a student’s face when you surprise them with this box of deliciousness – or even when you have it shipped to them?  The THANK YOU’s would never stop.

Back To School Chocolates

  • Chocolate truffles delivered directly to you.
  • We can make chocolate delivery anywhere in the USA.
  • A 1 pound box includes 36 truffles or 16 1 oz bars.

Back To School Chocolates – About this Gift Box

Dan’s Chocolates makes this great chocolate truffle gift box for students returning to school or college. 36 fresh cream truffles will not be forgotten easily. The school bus design is printed on the box cover.

Head over to Dan’s Chocolates and enter Back to School Chocolates in the search box.

While you’re there, check out the other amazing gift boxes and gifts. There’s a Back to School Teddy Bear with chocolates that I have both eyes on….If I can just convince the husband I don’t have to go back to school to get it…

Personalized M&M’s for Graduates and Father’s Day

One of my favorite candies is also one of the funnest to eat:  M&M’s! I love the plain and peanut equally. Not only do I eat them straight from the bag like there’s no tomorrow, I LOVE to put them into my popcorn – whether at the movies or home.  They’re also remarkable in cookies, cupcakes, and brownies.

Basically, there’s no wrong way to eat M&M’s.

I adore the personalized M&M’s too. How freakin’ clever!  If you have a special graduate in your life, you’ll want to impress them to the moon and back with their own personalized bag of M&M’s.  Click through the banner below to learn more and to place your own order.  It’ll earn you instant hero (or heroine) status with a lucky graduate who’ll show them off to everyone they know!

Affiliate Banner / 12% off

You can also personalize your M&M”s to flaunt your favorite sports team – beyond cool.  It’d make a perfect gift for Father’s Day, in a bag along with a jersey or hat featuring his favorite team… maybe even tickets! View Show your team support with personalized MY M&M’S® candies. for more details.  They even have GORGEOUS M&M dispensers featuring your favorite team’s logo.  Father’s Day, nothing, I want the St. Louis Cardinals one!

Sweet! Personalized M&Ms for Mother’s Day

Too cool. Too cute. Too clever. You know what that means… It’s perfect for mom! M&M’s have made their popular, personalized candies for quite a while now and everyone loves them. (Seriously, how could you not love M&M’s?)

They’ve come up with something extraordinary for all the mothers of the world, though. You can select from an endless variety of colors, add personalized messages, and even upload a face to create special gifts for your mom – or for to fill candy dishes in her house for an outrageous surprise. Imagine HER face when she picks up a bite of candy only to find YOUR face looking back at her.

Click the ad below for more information.


Affiliate Banner / 10% off - Mothers Day

Madelaine Duets Double Filled Chocolate Truffles: Heavenly!

My family and I just had an unbelievable chocolate task – we tried to decide which one of Madelaine Duets Double-Filled Chocolate Truffles were the best.   Dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it… and I insist upon it being me!

I was sent a gorgeous box of Madelaine Duets double filled chocolate truffles to review for Get Cooking.  Have I told you lately how much I love what I do? These truffles are so amazing, I’m in complete awe of them.  We all went back and forth over which one is the best – I think we finally decided that we’d walk across glass for any of the varieties.

As if through magic, Madelaine has created four flavorful and wonderfully creative combinations: Peanut Butter & Caramel, Milk Truffle & White Truffle, Raspberry & Peanut Butter and Raspberry & White Truffle.   Each delicious combination is encased in the finest milk chocolate shell imaginable.  And they aren’t small truffles by any means.

The Madelaine® Chocolate Company researched and experimented with several flavors to create the best combinations.

“We experimented with the finest ingredients and numerous flavor combinations to find the perfect flavor harmony. The raspberry could not be too tart or too sweet or it would overpower the peanut butter. At the same time, we needed a buttery caramel that would enhance the flavor of the creamy smooth peanut butter. And of course the milk and white truffle had to be perfectly balanced.”

My daughters’ favorites were the Peanut Butter & Caramel and Milk Truffle & White Truffle.  My husband (who was working when the box came and was left with one to try!!!) loved the Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle (poor dear, he lives with a houseful of chocoholics who readily share everything except chocolate).  As for me, you know what, I think I might barely choose the Raspberry & White Truffle.   I’ve always been particularly crazy about the flavor raspberry and don’t often have the chance to enjoy it as a candy – especially not while paired with white chocolate.  You can’t even begin to imagine how outstanding this truffle is!

Whatever you do, head over to Madelaine Duets website and place a couple of orders:  Grab some for yourself, of course, and grab a couple of varieties for your mom.  Mother’s Day is just  around the corner and I promise you, these truffles will put a smile on mom’s face that will fill your heart with happiness.

These chocolate truffles are completely and utterly sensational.

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