Chocomania: A temporary pleasure
Friday, July 31, 2009
Before we get to the chocolate, I have to tell you about something else first. My blog friend Michele (you might remember her from this Christmas post) and I were emailing back and forth this week and she told me about this awesome bike ride she’s doing this weekend called the Pan Mass Challenge and, people, she’s riding 200 miles in two days. How many of you are planning to drive that much this weekend? I didn’t think so.
Even more exciting, Michele’s 13 year old son is joining her. Now picture this: This teenager has been dragging himself out of bed at ohmygod o’clock in the morning every weekend for months so that he could train for this ride.
And they’re doing this to raise money and awareness for cancer. In fact, their “pedal partner” is a six-year-old girl who has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia for a year. To learn more about this amazing endeavor, click here.
And now on to the chocolate…
~ ~ ~
Remember way back in the beginning when I started this whole Chocomania thing? We started with M&Ms because they’re kind of the Every Candy. Since then, we’ve talked about a variety of gourmet and organic chocolates and also regular ol’ chocolate, but sometimes it’s good to come back to your roots. So today we are back to M&Ms. Thanks to the sharp eye of my friend Sue, I have now discovered these:
Okay, so did you just hear a choir of angels singing from on high when you saw the photo? I got GOOSEBUMPS when I saw Sue’s email about this extraordinary new chocolate opportunity. I swear, I am not making this up.
Do you see the not-so-fine print? Yep, this is a short-term thing, meant to taunt us and possibly also start a black market on these things. But of course.
Now, before you grab your car keys and rush blindly to just any ol’ store, let me tell you the one place I know of that you can find this new treat: Walgreens. That’s the only place; trust me, I’ve looked elsewhere.
Walgreens might be big in some places, but here in the town that surrounds Jenworld, it is not. We are a CVS community and Walgreens has only recently crossed our border. But at least we have one (or maybe two, I’m not sure), so who cares if it’s all the way across the county? I can still get there in 20 minutes or so.
And I did.
And I bought multiple bags.
But possibly not enough.
I might need to go back for more.
Yes people, they are good.
There is a caveat to that. For those of you who grew up on Smarties (as in, Brits, Canucks, and Aussies), you might not like this. I remember well how vast the M&Ms / Smarties divide is and how it is never, ever crossed. (Well, except for me. I might be picky about some chocolate-y things, but in other ways I am a choco-whore, plain and simple.)
Coconut M&Ms come in three colors and the little white M&M logo on each candy has been embellished with a palm tree and other beachy motifs. The candies are a bit fatter than regular M&Ms, but not as much as the peanut butter or peanut ones.
As for the flavor, I thought at first they were dark chocolate, but then realized that’s the same ol’ milk chocolate. It’s the coconut that gives them the fuller flavor. Well, not actually coconut itself, but some sort of lab-derived flavoring, although the taste is not at all fake, which surprised me. The overall flavor is of a richer milk chocolate with a hint of coconut, along with something else I can’t quite pinpoint and which the ingredients list did not illuminate for me.
It’s probably just as well that Coconut M&Ms only come in the 1.5 ounce bag, as a larger bag would be a major temptation. I wouldn’t just be tempted to eat more than I should, I would actually do it. I’m thinking it’s probably just as well that this is a limited edition treat, as it could otherwise prove to be a problem for me. I had a line in yesterday’s post that said, “This wasn’t like letting a kid loose in a candy store, it was like letting an addict loose in the evidence room.” Yeah, well where certain candies are concerned, I am that addict. Coconut M&Ms are now on the inventory of the evidence room.
As it happens, my list of preferred chocolates recently got smaller, as I have now sworn off a long-time favorite chocolate just on principle. Damn my scruples. I’ll explain why next week.
Don’t forget: Last day to enter the Eco Women’s giveaway!
Entry Filed under: chocomania. Tags: mars.
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1. Julie | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 12:39 am
well, this is sure something. The coconut M & M’s . . .I don’t normally go to Walgreens for anything, although we’ve had them in the neighborhood for quite some time. Our drugstore that was our ‘go-to” place was called Longs, here in Northern CA. But, CVS just bought them out, so now it’s CVS and Walgreens. CVS sucks balls, they “remodeled” the already/recently remodeled Longs, and now it looks like an old, from the 70’s throw back. Butt ugly aisles, trashy looking. Okay, off of that rant.
I will go to Walgreens tomorrow and search out this summer time goodness! It reminds me of the cherry M&M phenom. Of which I missed. And could not find a bag anywhere, because the M&M company decided to throw out a teaser flavor, and then take it all back. I still to this day have not bit into a cherry flavored M&M. This limited edition stuff better not back fire on the company. Or I may mutiny. Or something like that.
2. Mooselet | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 2:19 am
I must admit I wouldn’t eat these. I don’t care for coconut - the closest I’ll come is smelling it and drinking a Pina Colada. But I rarely eat it - I avoid Almond Joys and the other kind without the almond (I’ve been gone for far too long to remember the US name - Mounds maybe?) and all assorted bars. Ick. You get these all to yourself.. although I’d shank ya for the cherry ones.
3. Jen | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 4:47 am
I can’t work out why I love Bountys but feel like I would hate these.
4.
badness jones | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 6:47 am
I love coconut and chocolate. It’s probably better that I’m in Canada and we don’t have Walgreen’s.
5.
Skywalker | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 7:15 am
I like chocolate, coconuts, and almonds…Is that an Almond Joy? That actually sounds good! M&M is starting to understand the need to explore new tastes. But I still want to lobby them for reinstatement of Krispy and more widespread sale of Peanut Butter M&Ms
6. Jenny | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 8:47 am
The PMC goes right by here! Way to go Michele and son!
7. jenn | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 9:16 am
DANGIT! No Walgreens around here.
And your friend’s ride? A-mazing. 200 miles in 2 days? I was pathetically proud of doing 20 miles one day. I can’t begin to fathom 200.
8. Michele P | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 9:57 am
Jen,
That was so sweet-thank you! I’m sooo looking forward to the ride!
And I am going to have to try the coconut M&M’s. My husband is a HUGE fan of chocolate and coconut. I’ll have to surprise him with a treat.
9.
paperdiva | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 11:25 am
Great review Jen!
Glad to do my part as a fellow choco-whore!
10.
Little Miss Sunshine Stat… | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 12:40 pm
My sister-in-law is doing the PMC for the 3rd year in a row. She wants to be one of those people she sees that are on their 10th year. Her Dad survived prostate cancer, her Mom did not survive brain cancer.
We are also choc/coco fans here, so I think I’ll try the M&Ms
11. Kirstin | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Ah yes, I just saw these on the counter at Walgreens yesterday! Now I’ll need to go back after reading your review!
12. Heather | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I have a walgreens down the street. I’m so going there tomorrow.
13. Cheri @ Blog This Mom! | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 6:08 pm
So . . . I read that coconut cuts sugar cravings. So . . . this ought to be doubly effective!!! Coconut with SUGAR! Yay.
Also? I’m on Day One (again) of no sugar. Heh.
14. Julie | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Youngest son and I, on way home from Borders, stop by Walgreens. I peruse the candy aisle, letting my heart sink, cuz I don’t see no coconut M&M’s! I grab my wrapping paper, boy grabs some Skittles, and we are in line.
One person ahead of me, so I ask the cashier person “do you have any coconut M&M’s?” and what does he grab next to him and lift up high so I can see over the rack of stuff blocking my view of the check-out counter?
Hmmm?
I think you can guess
Bought 2 bags, and we gobbled some on the ride home.
LOVED THEM! Don’t think I would have ordinarily bought a bag, much less noticed them at the checkout counter, but so glad you did a Friday review of them! And what else I love? That right there on the front of the bag it says “210 calories”. Because, that’s just about how many calories I let myself have for a snack, daily, since I’m on the “ELMM” plan. You know, eat less, move more.
Counting calories is not fun, but knowing that I can have a whole bag of these puppies makes it delightful! And I think they will rock my socks cold. They’re in the fridge right now!
15.
Lori Anderson | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Oh dear.
I haven’t had chocolate in a LONG time. I’ve been so very very good. In fact, I introduced Zack to his very first Godiva yesterday and didn’t even get one for myself.
But coconut? My wedding cake was coconut.
I am now officially in trouble.
16.
auntiemwrites | Friday, July 31, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Walgreens: Me: I’m so there.
I think your friend and her son deserve a bag each for doing this!
17. Jacey | Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 5:23 am
I’m guessing Cadbury, because of the palm oil, yes? I’ve topped buying it. It just doesn’t seem right, or justifiable. Plus it’s actually changed the taste of the chocolate.
I imagine you guys can’t get Whitakers Chocolate over there? I’m 90% sure it’s a New Zealand brand. It’s really good. And I would - for the sake of chocolate experimentation, and analysis - be willing to send you a few sample bars. Let me know.
-Jacey
18. Shana | Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 11:11 am
Maybe they “limited time” is different in different parts of the country, but we had access to these some time ago, and I didn’t realize they were “limited time” and developed an ungodly addiction, and when I went back to feed my addiction they were (gasp) GONE. Dude, I’m talking 12-step program to get over it.
Which means if they are now available again, I will buy them by the friggin’ case.