Chocolate Elegance

Fearless Chocolate Review

Fearless Chocolate

Fearless Chocolate

Unfortunately, we did not do this company justice. We might have to schedule a redo.

One of the first mistakes I made was picking a flavor of chocolate I don't really like. Several years ago, I got sick after I ate something with ginger in it. While I recently got to the point where I could eat ginger again without turning green, it's not among my top choices when it comes to spices. So what do I do? Pick the ginger hibiscus chocolate bar to sample. That makes a ton of sense, right? Well, I thought the flavor combination sounded interesting, which it was, but when you simply don't like a flavor, it's hard to point out anything good about it. I will say that what was inside the package smelled good, and I could tell that the chocolate was of a high quality, even though the Man accidentally left the bars in the car where they melted and re-hardened with the cooler evening air that's typical in Boulder in the fall. The man thought the ginger flavor could have been hotter, more spicy and prominent, but he liked the smooth consistency of the chocolate.

I grabbed a second flavor, one I was pretty sure I would like, as the bar was filled with crunchy seeds. I prefer nuts in my chocolate (go ahead and laugh), but sometimes seeds will do just fine. I was hugely disappointed when I my taste buds were hit with that all too familiar rancid taste after biting into what seems to be wonderfully balanced dark chocolate. I'm going to give the company the benefit of the doubt and assume that this was probably the fault of the store where we purchased the bars, though I can't be sure. Sometimes when there's not a high turnover, items sit too long on the shelves or don't get rotated properly. Occasionally air can get into packages during or after delivery, and that will cause any oils to go rancid more quickly. It's possible that this was the case, but I can't stand rancid nuts or seeds in anything. I couldn't really give a fair review of the chocolate without knowing if this is a problem coming from the makers, something that happened in transit or the fault of store where the bars are sold.

I do love what the company has to say about their products. From their website:

From the rain forests of Brazil, Fearless chocolates originates in a 100% organic cacao plantation. Delicately processed in small batches, we Infuse FEARLESS with ethically traded superfoods to fashion deliciously vivid and dynamic flavors. Keeping our recipes simple and uncluttered, allows the natural vibrancy of each ingredient to shine. FEARLESS CHOCOLATE is always 100% Certified Organic, Kosher, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free and Gluten-Free.  

BEING FEARLESS

Being FEARLESS is an expression of our approach in life and business. FEARLESS CHOCOLATE is meant to be an energizing, radiant companion to the part of us that dreams and takes action. We are unwavering in our commitment to honoring the environment, to honoring the integrity of our chocolate, to honoring our community from farm to table, and to be brazenly virtuous in this world which we are all creating.

Week 2

The Sex and Chocolate Show Number 2 by The Sex And Chocolate Show on Mixcloud

Train wreck ahead

Well, the Man and I had an off night. It happens. I couldn't spit out a complete or coherent sentence for the life of me, and the Man wasn't his usual unconstrained self. I also spilled chocolate on my white shirt and lost my train of thought more than a few times. We had some technical issues, and there were some other minor problems throughout the show. That said, the music was good, and we made it through the night without injury, tears or anyone flouncing. Below is the recap:

Fearless Chocolate

Fearless Chocolate

Unfortunately, we did not do this company justice. We might have to schedule a redo.

One of the first mistakes I made was picking a flavor of chocolate I don't really like. Several years ago, I got sick after I ate something with ginger in it. While I recently got to the point where I could eat ginger again without turning green, it's not among my top choices when it comes to spices. So what do I do? Pick the ginger hibiscus chocolate bar to sample. That makes a ton of sense, right? Well, I thought the flavor combination sounded interesting, which it was, but when you simply don't like a flavor, it's hard to point out anything good about it. I will say that what was inside the package smelled good, and I could tell that the chocolate was of a high quality, even though the Man accidentally left the bars in the car where they melted and re-hardened with the cooler evening air that's typical in Boulder in the fall. The man thought the ginger flavor could have been hotter, more spicy and prominent, but he liked the smooth consistency of the chocolate.

I grabbed a second flavor, one I was pretty sure I would like, as the bar was filled with crunchy seeds. I prefer nuts in my chocolate (go ahead and laugh), but sometimes seeds will do just fine. I was hugely disappointed when I my taste buds were hit with that all too familiar rancid taste after biting into what seems to be wonderfully balanced dark chocolate. I'm going to give the company the benefit of the doubt and assume that this was probably the fault of the store where we purchased the bars, though I can't be sure. Sometimes when there's not a high turnover, items sit too long on the shelves or don't get rotated properly. Occasionally air can get into packages during or after delivery, and that will cause any oils to go rancid more quickly. It's possible that this was the case, but I can't stand rancid nuts or seeds in anything. I couldn't really give a fair review of the chocolate without knowing if this is a problem coming from the makers, something that happened in transit or the fault of store where the bars are sold.

I do love what the company has to say about their products. From their website:

From the rain forests of Brazil, Fearless chocolates originates in a 100% organic cacao plantation. Delicately processed in small batches, we Infuse FEARLESS with ethically traded superfoods to fashion deliciously vivid and dynamic flavors. Keeping our recipes simple and uncluttered, allows the natural vibrancy of each ingredient to shine. FEARLESS CHOCOLATE is always 100% Certified Organic, Kosher, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free and Gluten-Free.  

BEING FEARLESS

Being FEARLESS is an expression of our approach in life and business. FEARLESS CHOCOLATE is meant to be an energizing, radiant companion to the part of us that dreams and takes action. We are unwavering in our commitment to honoring the environment, to honoring the integrity of our chocolate, to honoring our community from farm to table, and to be brazenly virtuous in this world which we are all creating.

You may not want to eat chocolate after this, but it's interesting to note that the FDA has detailed what constitutes an acceptable level of bug parts and other gross things in your food. They determined that an average of 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams of chocolate is OK. 

On a different note, this is very interesting:  http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2013/07/take-two-normal-people-add-money-to-just-one-of-them-and-watch-what-happens-next.html

Feather Slapper

The sex toy we picked for this show was the Feather Slapper by Sex and Mischief. After a brief discussion about who likes to be spanked and why, we each gave it a try. I like it, but I'm not too keen on the feathers, though tickling definitely has its place in the bedroom. I can see how this toy would be a big hit, especially for a playful couple.

I swiped this description:

How

While he sits on the bed or a chair, back yourself into his lap and spoon each other while seated.

Benefit

Because you can't see your partner, fantasizing is easier, which can add too the excitement.

Bonus

Tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor so you can grip him and keep him erect.

This week, we decided to discuss the caboose sex position. This is a "the Man approved" position.

He likes. When we talked about he reverse cowgirl the week before, I mentioned that I feel more comfortable with contact, a visual connection and some feedback from my partner. Somehow, this position corrects most of what I don't like about the reverse cowgirl. Normally I like to see my partner's face, but if he's at least able to whisper in my ear, that's fine, too. I'm not too happy that anyone would suggest that this position is good, because you can fantasize. I'm pretty sure I don't want the guy I'm with to be thinking about fucking someone else while he's fucking me, and I don't want to imagine the guy I'm with is a different person! For me, fantasies are for outside of the bedroom, unless you are acting out a fantasy together, which is a whooooole different game.

Tune in next Saturday. We promise to be FUCKING ON! If not, we will at least have more good music. 

Cure for the Monday Blues

We started the show by sampling some Debrand chocolate bars. Debrand has been one of my favorite chocolate companies for a long time. Years ago, one of our listeners suggested we try some of their goodies, so I ordered a box of both their classic chocolates and their connoisseur chocolates. I gave a few pieces in each box a 10 out of 10 rating. Their creations are outstanding.

The chocolate with the coffee cup on it is fucking amazing! This is the connoisseur collection. 

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Peppercorn, a local shop, carries a few Debrand products. The Man and I settled on three of the sampling or tasting bars. It's cute that the bars are scored in bite-, nibble- and chunk-sized pieces.

What I absolutely love about Debrand chocolates are the  perfectly balanced flavors. Each ingredient is distinctive on the palate, yet the flavors combine in a wonderful mixture. For example, with the first bite of the dark chocolate raspberry bar, a marvelous burst of natural fruit flavor exploded in my mouth. I was transported to a warm summer day, plucking fresh raspberries off the bush and plopping them in my mouth. Just when I started wondering about the chocolate, it hit my taste buds, a deep, rich chocolate flavor with no hint of bitterness whatsoever. Beautiful. It was seductive and elegant and definitely not overly sweet like so many other chocolate-raspberry bars on the market.

We tried two other bars -- the Hazelnut Sea Salt Bar and the Sweet Potato Bar. I generally love any combination of hazelnuts and chocolate, and I wasn't disappointed with the bar we sampled. I found it a little bit sweet, but not obnoxiously so. It's a milk chocolate bar with hazelnuts, crispy wafers and sea salt. The taste reminded me a little bit of the chocolate-filled wafers pictured below, only better, more chocolaty, and the hazelnut flavor was distinctive and pure, no rancid nuts used by this company, which, unfortunately is typical of many companies. No, the ingredients in Debrand bars taste fresh:

The Sweet Potato Bar was very interesting. From the Debrand website, it is described in the following way: Sweet potatoes cooked into a made-from-scratch pecan brittle, crushed and blended with milk and white chocolates. The spices build in your mouth and mix so nicely with the chocolates. Despite the odd color, it's a definite must try for anyone looking for something different, as the flavor is intriguing and makes you want to try more than just one bite. Though it's sweet, the flavors of the spices seem to counter the sugar, making the bar perfectly delicious.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Debrand chocolate bars to anyone who claims to be a chocoholic and to anyone who simply wants to try some quality chocolate with superb flavors. Check out their website at www.debrand.com. Make sure you go to the chocolate guide tab on the upper right side. There's a video for each chocolate that makes your shopping or browsing experience quite fun. Each chocolate is described, and you get to see what's inside.

Debrand tasting bars. Check out the wild flavors!

Drool

Mmmm chocolate!

A gorgeous chocolate dipped chocolate truffle. Very sexy.

S&C Intro

Ggirl here.

I recently read the book, “Julie and Julia” by Julie Powell. It was much better than I thought it would be. Despite what I assume was a brilliant performance by Meryl Streep portraying Julia, I had no desire to see the movie, because the character, Julie, came off as annoying, arrogant and somewhat selfish in the movie trailer I saw. I figured the book would reflect that same sentiment. What I didn’t expect was to stumble upon a well-written, humorous and interesting memoir about a young woman on a mission to cook her way through one of the most authoritative cookbooks on French cuisine out there, Julia Child’s “Mastering The Art of French Cooking.” Even more inspiring than the natural way Powell puts words together in fancy sentences was how she cooked and blogged about her experiences conquering all 524 recipes in one year.

Sometimes things come together in weird and unexpected ways. Reading this book seemed at first to be a simple distraction from my chaotic summer. In the end, it sparked the idea to do my own version of a challenge to be completed within the time frame of a year.

Welcome to 365 days of sex and chocolate!

The history:

About 10 years ago, I started doing some local radio. It was unrehearsed, uncensored and very unprofessional. Somehow I persuaded a guy I was dating to join me as my co-host, or maybe he persuaded me. Enter The Man. Either way, the Sex and Chocolate Show was born, a show that ran for several years in various forms. Basically, my co-host and I talked about anything and everything -- from the news of the weird to politics -- sampled and reviewed chocolate, and discussed sex toys and relationships. We even did a few impromptu live reviews of the toys, which ended up being more funny than informative, but it kept people listening. Then we took a longer than expected break from it all.

Let’s face it, MOST people (those who don’t fascinate and confuse me) love sex and chocolate or at least one or the other. Many people who are into either are VERY into it. For example, chocoholics are notorious for being more than a little bit obsessed with the delicious confection and have no problem admitting it. Their senses become heightened at the mere mention of the word CHOCOLATE.

These days, I’m inspired by anyone who can do anything for a whole year. Most people can’t even last a whole month, let alone a year in any kind of commitment or challenge. For example, I sometimes tell myself I could take the 30-day vegan challenge, until I remind myself that it means no cheese for a whole month, A WHOLE MONTH! I’d like to think I could give up that creamy, fat-filled dairy goodness, even though I don’t actually attempt it. Who am I kidding , though? On the other hand, I once gave up chocolate for THREE months. Insane. I know. I won’t do that again.

Since I eat chocolate every day, it wouldn't be much of a challenge to continue that pattern for a year. What would be a challenge for me would be to integrate daily sex into my lifestyle. In reality, I’m a bit of a loner. I may love sex, but I don’t often get the opportunity to engage in playful contact with someone else all that often. Even if I had a partner with an equally high sex drive, having sex every day seems like it would be a struggle at times. I mean, I’m not as into sex if I’m feeling crummy or become preoccupied with my own frequently fluctuating emotions. I do think it would be an interesting experiment to engage in some sort of physical contact every single day for a year.

Some time ago, two couples did take the sex challenge, one couple for a whole year and the other for over one hundred days. From the Huffington Post article, 365 Days Of Sex: The Secret To Marital Success?, here's what the couples discovered:

Charla Muller and Annie Brown both talk about how mandated physical intimacy created more emotional intimacy. "It required a daily kindness and forgiveness, and not being cranky or snarky, that I don't think either of us had experienced before," Charla said.

Since the man and I no longer live in the same town, we had to come up with a different kind of challenge, one we think our readers will enjoy. Basically, instead of doing one post a day for a year, we will be writing 51+ posts in a year or about one post a week in the 365 day time frame. That’s not too much of a challenge, but here’s where it gets tricky. In each and every post, we will be reviewing the following: One chocolate bar company, one sex toy and one sex position. We will also discuss one random topic and post one sensual image for your hungry eyes. I will probably be unable to resist tossing in some good music choices to stick in your ears and tickle your ear drums, too.

Our podcast will highlight some of our weekly adventures. The nice thing about the podcast is that we will occasionally have special guests join us, and we can take callers with questions, suggestions or advice.

That’s our plan for now. The Man and I start this weekend, so stay tuned!