As you may have noticed, winter has settled in and is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Between the biting wind chill and the snow/rain that melts then freezes in an endless cycle, Kansas has an interesting staple on the "winter weather" label.
During these times, I like to ignore the cold world outside and stay inside under a mountain of blankets. Unfortunately, there are times where I have to brave the elements. For these times, I like to prepare as much as possible by beefing up my winter blubber, as I like to call it.
Much like a bear does before it hibernates, I eat an enormous amount of food and rely on the extra fat to keep me warm during times I have to breath frigid, cold, fresh air. While it's not a perfect (or really any) science by any means, it does give me more excuses to eat my favorite food: chocolate.
So for those wanting to follow my winter methods, or are just curious about chocolate in general, here are some of my favorite chocolates and the brands that make them possible.
1. Nestlé - Crunch
Highly underrated, the Crunch bar that Nestlé makes has always been one of my favorites. Unlike a Hershey's Bar, which is easy to split and break, Crunch is just one solid bar, so there is less opportunity for sharing with snack vultures. Made with rice crispies and Nestlé's delicious chocolate, its best attribute is its simplicity.
2. Mars - 3 Musketeers and Dove (various)
I'm a pretty big fan of nougat, especially when the nougat is a good balance between fluffy and sturdy and chocolate-covered. Enter the 3 Musketeers, which is comprised of three ingredients: chocolate, the previously mentioned nougat, and pure love. I've been known to eat the chocolate off the bar and then eat the nougat, which makes the chocolate experience much more fun.
Dove is probably my second favorite kind of chocolate. I am no trained chocolate connoisseur by any means, but I've found that Dove chocolate is smoother and sweeter than other chocolates of similar size and price. Its only downfall is that it's semi-limited in its selection in comparison to some other brands. On the bright side, there are inspirational messages on the inside of Dove singles, which makes opening one like opening a fortune cookie (only better, because it's chocolate).
3. Hershey - Mounds and Kit Kat
While the classic Hershey Bar is a staple I won't turn down, I'll have to say that Mounds and Kit-Kat are my two favorite Hershey candy bars. Mounds are the lesser-known cousin of Hershey's Almond Joy. As I'm not a big fan of almonds and a huge fan of dark chocolate, Mounds gets my vote with its dark chocolate-covered coconut goodness.
Kit Kat was, and still is, my favorite candy bar to get at a sporting event. Fun fact: it's sold by Nestlé everywhere in the world BESIDES the U.S., where it's sold by Hershey. It's chocolate-covered wafer bar is split into four sections, and if you don't separate the sections before eating it, I might have to classify you as a serial killer.
4. Cadbury - Cadbury Dairy Milk
No, it's not just milk. It's a chocolate bar made exclusively out of, you guessed it, dairy milk chocolate. This makes it so deliciously smooth, I almost cried the first time I tried it. While there no dark chocolate option (which would defeat the brand name, I know), I still enjoy the original and the caramel-filled options of this chocolate line. Also, the branding reminds me of Willy Wonka, which is very fun to look at while I'm shamelessly stuffing my face.
5. Ghirardelli - Intense Dark Chocolate
This is my favorite of the list. American-born with Italian roots, Ghirardelli is based out of San Francisco and has been alive and well since 1849. While I will never turn away any type of Ghirardelli chocolate, its Intense Dark collection takes the cake. Ranging from normal dark chocolate all the way up to 82% Cacao Dark Chocolate, it's not for a weak chocolate soul. Also, the Intense Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt is to die for, no joke. I also heard somewhere that dark chocolate is good for you, so I have no qualms about eating much more than the average person...
While these are some of my favorites, this only scraps the delicious surface of this wonderful chocolate world. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I have some Dove around here somewhere...
