Chocolate | But I Smile Anyway...

Did You Know It’s #WorldChocolateDay Today?

07 Jul 2016 55 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #WorldChocolateDay, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Chocolate, Malteasers

My life has been swallowed up by things the last few days, with inspections and such like, so when I found this little gem of information today, I thought “Why not post about Chocolate, my favourite food group, today, as a returning post!”

If you are a regular follower, you know how much I LOVE chocolate, and Malteasers, in particular. I am a firm believer that our chocolate is one of the best in the world, here in the UK!

My contribution to the Bloggers Bash food this year!

I have no Malteasers in the house at the moment! Gutted! (No, the above is not my personal stash, honest!)

But I do have a variety of chocolate from around the world, (well, Europe…!)

When we came back from Finland, my brother, knowing my sweet tooth, sent me home with a selection of chocolate from Finland.

And I am being totally honest (and surprised with myself at the moment!) in saying that I have only eaten the Marabou Daim bar so far! That’s good going for me, we came back at the end of May!

Then, after the Bloggers Bash, Huggable Hugh, who knows of my chocolate fetish, sent me this…

Real Welsh Chocolate! I didn’t know there was a different type! Thanks Hugh!

And it doesn’t stop there.

On Monday evening, I came home, and there was a parcel waiting for me…

from my gorgeous Blog Sis, Erika Kind… containing…

More chocolate, from Lichtenstein this time! This batch includes Dragee Keksi, which has a hint of Malteaser in it too!

Don’t worry, I will not eat it all at once… that would be silly, and greedy, and I don’t want to be sick! I may share some with the kids… but then again, I may not! (These are my treats!)

So if you weren’t aware, it’s World Chocolate Day today.

Go! Eat chocolate!!!

SoCS – Real 26/3/16

26 Mar 2016 36 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Chocolate, Real, Socs

After a post I wrote earlier today, the word ‘real‘ made me think back to it.

I had compared our UK Malteasers to the USA’s Whoppers, and I lamented at the taste of the chocolate from that side of the Atlantic.

Then, through the comments, I find that actually, my American counterparts don’t actually get to eat real chocolate! You poor things!

According to legislations out there, the amount of Cacao that can be used is significantly less than here, and there are all manner of fillers used, corn starch, and fats, to bulk it out.

I feel like that is a true travesty! How can someone tamper with something like chocolate?!

REAL chocolate! I feel privileged to be able to get decent, real chocolate here. Even the cheaper brands still taste good!

Written in response to Linda G Hill’s SoCS prompt this week.

The BIG UK Vs. USA Debate – Malteasers Vs. Whoppers!

26 Mar 2016 77 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Chocolate, Competition, Humour, Malteasers, UK VS USA, Whoppers

My post for Hugh’s challenge this week, featuring Malteasers, started a little debate between myself and PJ of Priceless Joy blog fame.

2016-03-25-19.08.43.jpg.jpeg

Well, debate may be a bit of a strong way to describe, but I am a firm Malteaser fan. I may go so far as to say they are my most favourite chocolate treat EVER!

So it was interesting to hear that the US had their own version, called Whoppers. PJ was sceptical that the US one would taste better than the UK one, and being a bit biased, I was inclined to agree… I have tasted American chocolate several times, and I’m sorry but I much prefer my UK chocolate thank you very much!

So when my family and I went for a day out to Lakeside Shopping centre yesterday, it wasn’t my intention to do this, but we passed a candy store which holds all manner of imported US candy. I asked out of curiosity whether they stocked these Whoppers. Alas they didn’t… but there was another store of a similar ilk that was possibly a stockist.

Right! This was great! I was so excited! I could feel a comparison post coming on, if only I could get hold of these Whoppers… and YES! They did!

My favourite!

The imposters!

So armed with my boxes of chocolates, purely for research purposes, I’ll have you know, I came home and the ~~eating~~ reviewing and ~~eating~~ photographing commenced!

Sorry, but I love my Malteasers packaging too much… so that was one point to them straight away!

Now to look at the product itself…

2016-03-26-12.13.27.jpg.jpeg

Note the glossy finish of the Malteaser, compared to the misshapen sphere that is the Whopper… Hmmm… another point to the Malteaser for appearance!

And then the biggie, the taste test!

A Whopper, has that different aftertaste, chocolate wise and the ‘malt’ or honeycomb inside was rather hard and dense to bite into.

A Malteaster, the chocolate was beautifylly milky, and the honeycombe centre, light, yet crisp.

Point 3 awarded to Malteasers!

I got the family to do a blind taste test too, and they were all unanimous in choosing Malteasers as the best taste!

An amendment here, Lil Princess liked the look of Malteasers but thought the Whoppers tasted better! Sheesh! I’m going to sent her to live in the US, traitor!!!

Sorry USA, but I think we won this one hands down!

And if you would like to read about more of my Malteaser adventures, click here! Malteasers apparently help with mindfulness!

(Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone but I have hidden the rest of the Real Malteasers now! They are mine… all mine!!!! Mwahhhh ha ha ha!)

Chocolate Heaven!!!

31 May 2015 50 Comments

by Ritu in Foodie Pics Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Chocolate, Strawberries, Yum

I’ve had great fun today, making chocolate covered, double dipped strawberries!!!
OMG! Lush!!!
Recently I went to a birthday gathering, and my niece had produced these huge, plump, juicy mouthfuls if delight… And you couldn’t stop at one, oh no, one would never be enough!!!
So it just had to be done!!!
And if you eat enough you get one of your five a day too, isn’t that right???
Well, I need to taste one, to make sure it’s ok…

Oh yes! That definitely hit the spot!!!

(And, yes, I know, it’ll probably hit my waistline soon too!!)

2 of my guilty pleasures…

08 Jan 2015 14 Comments

by Ritu in Sonu Singh, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Bed, Cats, Chocolate, Guilty Pleasures, Kittens, Long, Sonu Singh

Sonu Singh and CHOCOLATE!!!!!
He’s lying stretched out at the end of the bed… Looking LOOOOONG!
And the chocolates… Well sometimes you just need to, right??!