Monday, September 10, 2012

Chocolates and Giveaways

M Pax, Laura Eno, Brinda Berry, and Ciara Knight are co-hosting the ‘What’s Your Chocolate?’ bloghop. Visit the other chocolate lovers and enjoy the party. For the full list of everyone involved, go HERE.

What’s my favourite chocolate?
This might come as a surprise to some, but I don’t have a sweet tooth. I rarely eat desserts, and I steer clear of sugary fruits and wines. However, I love my chocolate, specifically dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa. Manna from Heaven.

When I want to indulge in something special, I go to my favourite local chocolate store: Nina’s Chocolates. The chocolatiers there create handmade chocolates and supply me from a huge selection of yummies such as their scrumptious plum liqueur bombs, or their orange truffles, or their cream ganache tasties, or, or, or… the list goes on. Yum.

So tell me, what’s your favourite chocolate?

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Also on the agenda: The Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall GIVEAWAY

SA Larsen recently signed with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary. Woo Hoo! Congratulations, Sheri! And because our literary community is, in her words, ‘so freaking fabulous and generous’, she is hosting a Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall GIVEAWAY!! The giveaway consists of:
  • two separate Rafflecopters with multiple giveaways
  • and one grand prize Rafflecopter giveaway - to enter for the grand prize, you must enter either giveaway #1, #2, or both.
The giveaway is open until September 27th. WINNERS will be announced on September 28th. (Entrants may win more than one prize!)

List of Rocking Participants: Lenny Lee, Colene Murphy, LM Preston, Darby Karchut, Joanne Brothwell, Patti Larsen, Christine Fonseca, Catherine Stine, Jessica Bell, Kelly Hashway, Leigh Moore, Christine Danek, Alex J Cavanaugh, Katie Mills, Matthew MacNish, Beverly McClure, Marcy Hatch, Jennifer Million, Nicole Zoltack, Christina Lee, Kris Yankee, JL Spelbring, Sharon Mayhew, Candice Granger, Dianne Salerni, Lisa & Laura Roecker, Elana Johnson, Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, Susan Kaye Quinn, Lydia Kang, Julie Musil, Natalie Agurrie, Talli Roland, Medeia Sharif, Kelly Polark, Angela Brown, Sarah Fine, Stina Lindenblatt, Lynda R Young, Susan Fields, PK Hrezo, Shannon O'Donnell, Shelli Johannes-Wells, Theresa Brown Milstein.

Giveaway #1: click to the rafflecopter HERE
Giveaway #2: click to the rafflecopter HERE
Grand Prize Giveaway: click to the rafflecopter HERE


Picture: A cherry truffle from Nina’s Chocolates. I bought a bigger selection, but I ate the others before I remembered to take the photo. Oops.

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79 comments:

Kyra Lennon said...

I feel like a freak today LOL! Everyone is saying they love dark chocolates the most, but I am all about the sweet stuff! :D

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm not big on sweets either, but I was able to select a chocolate. And excited for SA Larsen!

Anonymous said...

That cherry truffle looks yummy! My chocolate pick is chocolate cheesecake.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

I have to admit: I am a chocoholic.

Thanks for sharing in my celebration. You are awesome!!

Old Kitty said...

Nina's chocolates sound utterly scrummy!!!

Big yay for lovely SA Larsen!! Take care
x

baygirl32 said...

I must have read that wrong.. you don't have a sweet tooth?!

DEZMOND said...

So, I'm curious to know what that chocolate from the pic is is filled with? :)
Orange truffles... mmmm..... I love those and the rum filled ones.... and Cherry filled ones.... and fruit filled ones.... but I don't eat much chocolate. Maybe once a month..... The devil's food gives me pimples LOL

Unknown said...

Hi. My name is Merrie, and I'm a chocoholic. All-time favorite is made in the tiny town of Greenwood, Nebraska, USA - Bakers Candies. They make the best melt-in-your-mouth milk and dark chocolates in various flavors. I gain ten pounds just walking through the doors. ahhh....

Unknown said...

Congrats on your signing!

Susan Fields said...

Congratulations to Sheri! I recently discovered chocolate with sea salt - yum!

Annalisa Crawford said...

Well done for remembering to take that photo - I'd have eaten them and had to go back for more.

There's a couple of chocolatiers relatively close to me, and I love going in an buying just one or two. It makes the choosing and the enjoyment all the greater when you know you don't have a whole box!

shelly said...

Dove and Goddiva chocolates.


Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

http://www.shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/

http://secondhandshoesnovel.blogspot.com/

Maryannwrites said...

Love truffles, and the darker the chocolate the better, for flavor and for health benefits. Best thing that has happened in years is when it was determined dark chocolate is good for you. Of course, I'm sure we must still eat it in moderation. (smile)

Southpaw said...

I've never been huge on fruit flavored truffles - except lemon.

Raz Darnell said...

I work as a qa tester... I once casually told the developers what my favorite kind of chocolate was, and now, whenever a bunch of changes (which are likely to have lots of bugs) get pushed to the website, a bar of spicy dark chocolate mysteriously appears on my desk. Hush chocolate. Ah, bribery. You are delicious.

Unknown said...

I don't eat much chocolate. But, there are times I crave it and when I do, I eat way too much.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Hi Lynda,

I love white chocolate and I used to be very fond of "milkybar". Now I adore dark chocolate!

Writer Pat Newcombe said...

I love creamy milk chocolate with nuts! But I am not a massive chocolate lover... Am I peculiar or what??

Carol Riggs said...

I'm not that into sweets either, though I eat them. Ditto for chocolate. I do prefer the dark choc like you when I eat them, however! Thanks for the info about the giveaways. Wooo, big congrats to SA Larson!! :)

Michelle Wallace said...

Confession time: I do not have a sweet tooth and I am definitely not a chocoholic!
However, I do eat a chocolate from time to time, preferably a nutty one.

Victoria Lindstrom said...

Linda - now you're talking my language! I like my dark chocolate with a hint of orange or mint. Have a wonderful week!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynda .. the plum liqueur sounds superb .. I'd love to try one of those .. and truffles and anything with ganache - I don't usually succumb ... but if they're around - the chocolates will be gone very quickly!

Cheers Hilary

M Pax said...

I don't have a big sweet tooth either. there is something about hand made chocolates though. Wow, that looks so good.

Loree Huebner said...

I am a dark chocolate lover. All kinds. I've recently fallen in love with dark chocolate Milky Way bars.

I love the real, real dark chocolate too...just a nip.

Libby said...

A specialty chocolate shop? I might eat less of it if I had to pay more and it was gourmet. Perhaps I'll try it. :)

Jai Joshi said...

Well, I do have a sweet tooth but I try to control it and break it out only on special occasions. I also worked hard to break my chocolate addiction too and have been successful in that endeavour. But if I was stranded on a desert island, I'd have to have my milk chocolate lindor. And a devil's food cake with fresh cream filling. Mmmmmm...

Jai

Sherry Ellis said...

I love dark chocolate - 70% cocoa or higher!

Tim VanSant Writes said...

Choosing a favorite chocolate would be like choosing a favorite child. [You know you have one, but you'd never say so in public.]

Catherine Stine said...

Liqueur BOMBS--the term kind of says it all, huh? A detonation of flavor.
Congrats, Sheri, I'm doing both the choco hop and celebrating Sheri's agent find on my blog too.
Catherine Stine’s Idea City

Unknown said...

I love that you ate the rest before you took the picture. You are a REAL chocolate lover! Currently, I'm favoring Trader Joe's dark Chocolate bars.

Heather Murphy said...

I don't have much of a sweet tooth either, especially when it comes to chocolate. I actually prefer white chocolate

Ciara said...

A great Cab and a piece of dark chocolate is Heaven. I'm a huge bitter-sweet kind of gal.

Luanne G. Smith said...

I try to limit myself to the dark chocolate these days (well, every day). You know, for the antioxidants. :D

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It's a cherry truffle and I ate it last night ;)
I also love the rum filled ones. Yum!! I'm lucky, chocolate doesn't give me pimples. YAY!!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

crazy, huh? ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

yes!! That weight gain is a sure sign of quality chocolate ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

My brother doesn't like chocolate. I think he must've been adopted ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

That's certainly getting stranded in style

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

yes, it's very important to keep those antioxidant levels up...

Anonymous said...

That pic is lovely.

These days I love Goldenberg's Peanut Chews, but I blogged about my childhood chocolate, Whoppers.

LynnRush said...

I love me some Cherry Truffle!! All these blogs, they're making me REALLY want some chocolate. :)

Livia Peterson said...

I'm not a huge fan of dark chocolate. I love milk chocolate -- it melts in your mouth and trascends you into heaven for a minute. :)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I like some dark chocolate but mostly I stick with milk chocolate and I like it with something, peanuts, raisins or mint.

Golden Eagle said...

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, either--I'm not even much of a fan of chocolate. :P

Brinda said...

I pretty much could live on chocolate if it wouldn't ruin my health and double my weight. That chocolate in the photo looks yummy.

Theresa Milstein said...

Perfect post topic for you!

When your book comes out, make sure you celebrate with lots of chocolate.

Denise Covey said...

Unlike you Little Miss, I have a real sweet tooth. I've been told dark chocolate is so much healthier but I can't force myself to like it, grrrrrr...I'd rather have 1 square of milk chokky than 4 squares of dark, get the drift. We have a chocolate maker who comes to our farmer's market in Brisbane Square - now I like his dark chocolate as inside he has strawberry bombs etc...Yummo!

Great blogfest eh?

Tara Tyler said...

well at least you like chocolate =)
i like dark, but not too dark!

Trisha said...

I'd love to visit your local chocolate supplier - they sound amazing!! I want one of those plum bombs...NOW!

Anonymous said...

That looks yummy.

Renuka Rana said...
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Shruti Malik said...
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Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I need to visit Brisbane more often ;)
The beauty of dark choc is that 1 square is generally enough. I used to eat entire family sized milk chocolate blocks in a day. That had to stop ;)

Shruti Malik said...

The truffle looks yummy. Although, am a huge fan of handmade chocolates.
http://lachocolat.in

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'm not familiar with a whopper... It sounded nice though.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I was going to rattle on for longer about chocolate, but I wanted to fit in Sheri's celebration too ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

they deliver...

Jemi Fraser said...

I'm a chocolate lover too. Dark chocolate is one of my faves too. Along with Rolos!

DEZMOND said...

it gives me acne because I pretty much eat no industrially processed food. Almost 99% of the food I eat is made from fresh groceries and ingredients, so when I eat some chocolate my body rebels :) because chocolate has all those processed things in it and sugar and who knows what else :)
"Milka", the European chocolate you and I talked once last year, had cherry and raspberry filled chocolates limited edition this summer, and I loved those.

Anonymous said...

Congrats! to SA Larsen! I'm off to enter now. Oh, and I prefer milk chocolate over dark, but am learning to eat the latter.

Laura Eno said...

Orange truffles sounds divine! Thanks for joining the blogfest. :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

I am a complete chocoholic. Truffles are my favourite, as are hazelnut chocolates.

cleemckenzie said...

You can eat all the truffles in the box, Lynda. I'll take the chews and nuts. We'd make chocolate-sharing friends.

LTM said...

Oh, I am the SAME way, I tell ya! I don't eat many cakes and cookies, but I LURV my dark chocolate. Nina's sounds like my kinda place!

And hooray for Sheri!!! <3

Kelly Polark said...

I love that there is a chocolate blog hop!

My fave chocolate is the chocolate cake from Portillo's.

Lydia Kang said...

I love Lindt's truffles. They're my crack.

Romance Book Haven said...

Congratulations to Sheri!

I love Cadbury Dream and Tim Tams! But recently got Ferrero Rocheo for daughter as she likes those!

Nas

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

deal!!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Sounds like your diet is exceptionally good. I try to eat as much fresh as possible (don't get me started about FINDING fresh, though--as opposed to finding limp, pale vegies masquerading as fresh).

Cherry and raspberry filled chocolates are almost worth the acne ;)

Cherie Reich said...

Mmm, dark chocolate. I like too much chocolate as it is.

Gina Gao said...

Chocolate is literally one of my favorite things on earth. Milk chocolate is by far my favorite kind.

www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

Stina said...

You know, I don't think anyone is giving chocolate away for Sheri's celebration. Oh, that sucks!

T. Roger Thomas said...

I hope you win.

Leovi said...

Chocolate, like all versions, even in the most erotic.

Suze said...

I feel a bit bereft, today, knowing I can't have a scrumptious plum liqueur bomb.

Have one for me, Lynz?

Callie Leuck said...

I rarely get chocolate cravings, either, but when I do, if it maintains for long enough (like for example a week or more) I might make a trip up out to the mall where there is a Ghiradelli chocolate shop. (They're also the only mall in the area with a J.C. Penny's which is where I tend to buy my clothes, so it's not like a trip just for chocolate.) Ghiradelli shops make a dark chocolate raspberry shake that is TO DIE FOR. I've only had it twice ever, but it is SO worth the luxury.

Meradeth Houston said...

Ahhh, I'm now totally craving chocolate! I'm very partial to something dark and possibly with raspberries in it :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

If you insist... ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

YUM! That sounds so delicious!