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Yes, it is time for yet another dark chocolate review. And yes, I bought this from iHerb, as usual. Their shipping prices are definitely more reasonable than the other online stores. They have this 95% off DHL prices if you order more than US$60. Not too shabby. It arrives from the United States in less than a week. Well if it is the holidays, there might be some delay here and there but DHL is quite fast. Definitely better than the previous one iHerb offered.  Anyway if you like dark chocolate, I think you will love this. The problem with dark chocolate is that it is often just too bitter. And in Singapore, we are so used to milk chocolate that most of us find dark chocolate a little like eating coffee or something. I guess it can be an acquired taste. Not that I have good tastes but after a while, I have no problems eating dark chocolate. And the cocoa content does affect how bitter the chocolate is going to be.

Oh by the way, dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate. One of the main reason is the cocoa content. Since cocoa is packed full of nutrients, dark chocolate with more cocoa content would give you more nutrients than milk content. Furthermore, there is usually less sugar in dark chocolate.

Wow, comes with forest mint. The advantage of buying individual chocolate squares is that you don’t have to finish the entire chocolate in one sitting. If you purchased them chocolate bars, it is a hassle to “pack” the chocolate if you cannot finish it. The mint flavour is pretty good here. At least you can taste the mint on your tongue. Most mint chocolates are pretty weak in the mint department.

About 100g of chocolate.

The back of the pack.

Cool, they donate 10% of net profits to organizations that support species conservation, habitat preservation and humanitarian efforts. So why not support them?

The ingredients are bittersweet chocolate and natural mint flavour. Wow, that is one short ingredients list. Of course they do need to make the actual chocolate which also has a very short ingredients list. That is what food is all about. Not chemicals or whatever crap fillers they have. If you were to check the ingredients of many of the chocolates we have in our local supermarkets, you would have probably thought that you were eating something else. Don’t believe me, just go to the supermarket and see for yourself.

Some nutritional information. Hmm…..seems to have quite a lot of fiber. Yes, I too don’t know how that goes but hey, if it is true, you might have a better time at the toilet after eating the chocolate. Get it? The chocolate is black and so is your…..okay, never mind.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a US$10 discount for US$40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a US$5 for anything less than US$40. By the way, iHerb has a discount on DHL shipping to Singapore for orders over US$60.

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This is yet another cranberry review. If you guys have been in this blog long enough, you should know by now that I love cranberries. Those dried types. They are slightly sweet with some tartness and their texture is just wonderful. And judging by the number of dried cranberries available in our supermarket, I have to say there are quite a number of people who agrees with me. And cranberries are not that expensive. Unlike blueberries which seem to cost like a bomb here. Anyway, I bought this online from iHerb. Pricing is slightly cheaper than what you would normally find in Singapore. Usually we get cranberries in those plastic packaging. But this St Dalfour comes in a nice little glass jar. Not that I am looking for something that is in a glass jar but hey, it is something different and some might even say a little more “elite”.

All natural preservative free! Ya! From what I know, dried cranberries do keep very well. Hence quite a number of dried cranberries suppliers do not add anything more than sugar to their cranberries. There are some who add flavours to their cranberries like the ones from Shop N Save. They are actually quite nice but I would rather go for something that is all natural. Yes, I hug trees as well.

Look at those nice juicy and plump dried cranberries.

All natural and healthy! Hand-picked, clean and ready to eat. I certainly hope so. I have been eating them straight out of the pack for years already.

Well, these premium cranberries are grown in pristine bogs in Nova Scotia, Canada. The climate and terrain act in harmony to create cranberries of extraordinary quality. They are packed without preservatives using a special all natural, patented deep vacuum method. St. Dalfour keeps the tender plump quality of the cranberries. They are not dry or hard, they are succulent. They are the best cranberries in the world. Yes, indeed. Although I won’t say they are the best I have ever tried, but they are close. The correct amount of sweetness and the correct amount of tartness. Delicious! Great for snacking.

Packed in France with cranberries from Canada. Weird right? But then we are living in the 21st century where the world is interconnected. All thanks to those pioneers who traveled around the world and spread diseases to kill of the natives.

Anyway, the ingredients are just cranberries with a touch of sugar. Check out the nutrition facts if you have too much time on your hands.

A view of the actual dried cranberries.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a US$10 discount for US$40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a US$5 for anything less than US$40. By the way, iHerb has a discount on DHL shipping to Singapore for orders over US$60.

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Did I tell you guys that I love chocolate before? Don’t know why, but I love them. Of course I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate. I mean milk chocolate is just sugar and milk. You probably won’t taste any chocolate in those milk chocolate anyway. So why go for milk chocolates in the first place? Yes, there are applications where milk chocolate is more suitable like in those chocolate coated dried fruits – you need to taste the dried fruit. If you use dark chocolate, it might overwhelm the entire thing and you would probably not have tasted the dried fruit. But overall, I prefer dark chocolates. If you have not tried dark chocolate, you should consider trying them out. Definitely better than milk chocolate. And nowadays we are starting to see an increase in the availability of dark chocolates in our local supermarkets. Or you can simply just shop online, like me! I bought this from iHerb.

About 90g of chocolate. This is the Cherries & Almonds. Not too bad. I ate the entire pack in one sitting. Probably one of the better tasting chocolates I have ever tasted. It can be very difficult to find good tasting chocolates in Singapore. Somehow we only get those Cadbury and Van Halen and the other boring brands. And mostly they are milk chocolates. However if you visit Cold Storage, you will be able to spot several better brands on their shelves. The prices can be rather scary if you ask me.

By the way, there is a love poem inside! The cocoa content is 55%. Very complex this one.

The back of the pack.

They use Michigan cherries and dry roasted California almonds in Belgian dark chocolate crafted from African cocoa beans. The chewy, crunchy combination of cherries and almonds provides a delicious flavor contrast then gradually blends into the complex flavours of dark chocolate. Yes, that is what I am talking about. Chocolate is not all about sweetness or whatever – it has to be the correct combination in texture, taste and feel. Hence manufacturers need to know what they are doing. The cherries are perfect in this case because it provides a very different texture (and taste since it is a bit sweet and tart) to the chocolate. Almonds and chocolates are yet another winning combination that never fails.

The ingredients are dark chocolate, dried cherries, almonds, rice flour and sunflower oil.  I love the short ingredients list. It means that the chocolates are real chocolates and the cherries and almonds are the actual stuff. I would not recommend all those “flavours” that have been added to the chocolate. They are not the real thing. Actually if you were to read the ingredients list in most of our store bought chocolates, you will be surprised to see that most are not made from real chocolates (or at most a small percentage). Kind of sad that our taste buds have been diluted by years and years of crappy fake products. Oh by the way, this is made in the United States.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a US$10 discount for US$40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a US$5 for anything less than US$40. By the way, iHerb has a discount on DHL shipping to Singapore for orders over US$60.

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The best (and only) chocolate peanut butter cup I have eaten is from Reeses. If I remember correctly, it was bought from Candy Empire and it was pretty good. But they are made from milk chocolates which are not my favourite. I prefer dark chocolate. And when I saw on Vitacost that they carry peanut butter cups made with dark chocolate, of course I went ahead and bought them. And they are actually much cheaper if you buy them online than if you purchase them from the local stores. The rental here is killing. Thus everything in Singapore is extremely expensive. Hey, even shipping here is expensive. And Singapore is so small. Car parks, fuel, ERP, road tax, COE and whatever nonsense the govt thinks of, it is no wonder the cost of living in Singapore has gone through the roof. And of course, the standard of living has dropped tremendously for most Singaporeans.

One small pack of the Justin’s Organic dark chooclate peanut butter cups. About 40g. Not that much. Basically they are just peanut butter that is covered by chocolate. And yes, you can easily do it yourself if you have some peanut butter and chocolates (and of course moulds).

Remember, it is organic!

The ingredients are organic dark chocolate, organic soy lecithin, organic peanuts, organic evaporated cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic palm fruit oil, organic vanilla flavour. Everything is organic here. Sometimes we do go overboard when we look for things organic.

Some nutritional facts.

The overall taste is okay. The problem is they have too little peanut butter and too much chocolate. When I bite into a chocolate peanut butter cup, first I would like to have a feel of the crunch (the chocolate) and then a layer of thick peanut butter. If you add too little peanut butter, there isn’t really much of a texture when biting into the cup. And I thought the peanut butter was a bit too salty. But as I said, overall not too bad. And I love dark chocolate.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a US$10 discount for US$40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a US$5 for anything less than US$40. By the way, iHerb has a discount on DHL shipping for orders over US$60.

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Looks like I am trying everything on Vitacost or iHerb. Bought this just recently. I always believe that cranberries are just that – cranberries. But honestly there are (dried) cranberries that taste super wonderful and there are cranberries that taste like leather. This is one of the better ones I have tried. After that blueberry nonsense I got a while back (you can read it here – Bob’s Red Mill Dried Blueberries), I was so disappointed that I nearly stopped shopping at these online stores. But luckily I was overcome by the usual shopping fever and broke and bought some stuff online. Yes, I know I am addicted to shopping nowadays. Like an auntie like that. And I am not even a female. Jialat! But what can I say, at least the stuff I buy I do eat. Not like those people who go shopping those “cutesy” stuff of no value and is soon forgotten once a new trend arrive. I buy stuff which I eat and they are healthy. That is me! As you guys might know by now, I do most of my online shopping nowadays at Vitacost or iHerb.

This Eden Organic Dried Cranberries is very nice. First of all, the cranberries are pretty juicy (especially for a dried variety), probably because they are pretty large. I have purchased cranberries that taste rather leathery but this is certainly not it. From what I read, it is sweetened with apple juice, so that certainly helps to “moisture” the cranberries as well. Cost wise, I have to say it is average. Not the most expensive but also not the cheapest. I was a bit surprised because I had expected the prices to be much cheaper in the US, since cranberries are native there.

One pack. Look at those fresh cranberries. No those are not it. What you get are those ugly wrinkled ones. But they are delicious!

Double certified? I guess they mean that they have two certifications that shows they are organic or something like that.

Very low sodium. I didn’t know cranberries have lots of sodium in them. Anyway, they are sweetened with organic apple juice concentrate. Yes, everything is organic here.

North American cranberries have long been valued as health food. These are organically grown, infused with organic apple juice concentrate, slowly dried and lightly misted with organic sunflower oil to prevent clumping. Their tangy sweet flavour delivers big fun and healthy antioxidants. Check out the nutrition facts. The ingredients are organic cranberries, organic apple juice concentrate and organic sunflower oil. Product of Canada. Shucks, I am sorry. This one is from Canada. But still good stuff. I really enjoy consuming the entire pack in one good, while I was playing diablo. My keyboard is still sticky with traces of organic apple juice concentrate and sunflower oil.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a US$10 discount for US$40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a US$5 for anything less than US$40. By the way, iHerb has a discount on DHL shipping for orders over US$60. Not too shabby the prices. Shipping is also quite fast.

By the way, Happy New Year!!! Lets hope for a better year ahead!

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Did I tell you guys that I actually love blueberries? Especially those dried variety that is extremely sweet and tasty. I have tried those “fresh” blueberries here in Singapore but sadly, they have been flown here and there isn’t much of that blueberry flavour left. And they are not sweet at all. I am not talking about the sugary sweetness but the kind that makes you fall in love with fruits. Dried blueberries on the other hand is sweet. You don’t have to worry about it being air-flown or how long it has been on the shelf. It just taste wonder. Of course the problem in Singapore is the price. Everything in Singapore is expensive. It has been marked up by 300% at least before it reaches your hand. That is why I bought stuff online. But honestly, this Bob’s Red Mill Dried Blueberries is kind of a disappointment. First of all, it is not sweet. In fact, it is sour. The raisin kind of sour. And no blueberry flavour at all. I could swear I was eating just dried pieces of something leathery. I don’t know what went wrong. Perhaps I got a bad batch or perhaps the trip down to Singapore, the weather killed it or something. But I think that would be highly unlikely, since this is supposed to be “dried” goods. Very disappointing indeed.

Anyway, I bought this from Vitacost. The shipping cost is kind of expensive, more than even iHerb now. The reason is they sent the goods in a huge box. More than half the box was empty. I don’t know why.

All natural dried blueberries. But they should taste nice. This just taste dead.

Bob’s Red Mill Dried Blueberries are the finest available anywhere. They contain no sugar, oil, or additives of any kind. They’re simply sweet and plump blueberries that are great for snacking on right out of the bag. They are also a wonderful addition to muffins, breads, pancakes, waffles, yogurt and cereals. 226g of dried blueberries. I can’t even finish a handful. Very sad.

Whatever.

The only ingredients are blueberries.

Here are some steps if you would like to dehydrate these dried blueberries.

Some nutrition facts.

I believe that there are some supermarkets in Singapore selling this brand. Perhaps I should get them and see whether they taste the same or not. I honestly don’t think it is normal for the dried blueberries to taste like that. I have tried a few brands in our local supermarkets and they are very delicious. Even those cheaper brands are wonderful. I just don’t believe that such a popular brand would have this kind of standard in their products. I could be wrong though. Anyway, I will update you guys once I have a taste of the one from our supermarket.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a $10 discount for $40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a S$5 for anything less than $40.

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As you guys might know by now, I love honey. And I eat honey because of health reasons. No, I don’t want to be slim. Nor do I want to lose weight. I just want to be healthy. And at my age, I think it is one of the most important thing right now. Just look at the number of people falling ill left and right. A lot of my friends are getting sick with long term illness and that is not a good think. Just imagine the cost of the medication every month if you have some “un-curable” illness that the doctor claims that you need. So if you want to avoid that, it is very important to start eating healthy food. I have to admit, most healthy food aren’t that tasty. But honey is. Well, at least some of the honey is. Those supermarket honey taste like super sweetened syrup and gives nothing in the taste department. However raw honey is different. Since they have not been processed (or very minimally processed), their flavours are still retained in the final product. And different honey has different flavours. I love the Really Raw Honey brand but that costs a bomb. There are indeed other brands out there which is raw and you can certainly find them in our local stores. However there is another option – the Internet. And prices are much cheaper, especially if you are buying in larger quantities. The problem is the cost of shipping. I buy mine from iHerb. You can also try Vitacost as well.

One bottle of the Buckwheat Raw Honey.

Looks kind of cheena. And the colour of the honey is really dark. Even from the illustrations provided by the supplier, the colour is still pretty dark. So I am pretty sure it is not spolit or anything. Remember, always go for the raw honey. Never buy those heavily processed honey.

Buckwheat honey is gathered by honeybees from the nectar of the delicate white buckwheat blossoms, an uncommonly limited plant source. It is dark in colour and has a distinctive flavour. Due to it’s unique beneficial properties, buckwheat honey is recognized as a functional food. Their premium raw honey is carefully harvested to preserve all the nutrients that nature provides. Enjoy the benefits of Raw Buckwheat Honey. Nice, very nice. Raw honey will often crystallize, so in order to soften, place container in warm water and it will soften. Remember, you should only use warm water. Not boiling water!

Yes, extremely dark in colour. Product of USA and Canada. It should taste a little different than the other honey. I am looking for other mono floral honey varieties. It would be interesting to taste the difference in taste. Something which most people in Singapore would never have tasted since most of the honey we have are usually those store bought.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a $10 discount for $40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a S$5 for anything less than $40.

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This is completely kids stuff. No adults will enjoy eating this. I mean the stuff inside those pouches are simply fruits that had been mashed into a pulp and then made into this supposed cool treat. However, in the end, it is just mashed fruits. Yes, some do find it rather interesting. And you have to admit, it is definitely better than many of the other snacks we have in the supermarket. Remember, this is made with 100% real fruit, so you probably won’t get too much of a sugar rush or anything like that. For that reason alone, I think if you can get your kids to eat this instead of candy or whatever, I think it is a great improvement. I am also trying to get my nephew to start eating this. But alas, he is very fussy when it comes to snacks. And yes, you have to either give him chocolate or candy. Others don’t even “appeal” to him, no matter how nice the design of the pouches are.

Anyway, I bought this from iHerb. I doubt that you can find this in Singapore. We don’t really like to mash our fruits into purees. In fact, I think a lot of Singaporeans think that mashed up fruits is downright disgusting. I believe this is more of an American thing. One man’s poison is another man’s meat I guess.

Made with 100% real fruit. One box contains 4 pouches. Each pouch about 90g.

Well, they have taken real organic fruit and made purees that you can eat right out of the pouch. Mashups have all the goodness of fruit without any of the prep. They are great for tossing in the lunchbox and just as enjoyable at home. They like to think of them as an easy squeezy way to eat fruit. The Plum Promise is that they contain only the yummiest foods to inspire a joy of eating. Their stuff are always certified organic. There is no genetically modified ingredients. No high fructose corn syrup. No trans fats. No artificial flavours or preservatives  And their packaging is BPA free. Which is all good and dandy. But what about the taste? Nobody likes to eat healthy food if it tastes like crap.

Some nutritional information for you. Please enjoy reading something which most people don’t even know it exists.

The ingredients are organic apple puree, organic concord grape juice concentrate and organic pear puree.  All organic stuff!

Hmmm….that is an interesting idea. My nephew might even like it – put the pouch in the freezer to enjoy a slushy treat.

The back of the box. I don’t know why but I forgot to take photos of the actual pouch. I must be getting old and forgetful. The thing which is the most important, I forgot completely about it.

There is nothing interesting in the taste of this little squeezy thing. It does taste a little like grapes but I think the other fruit purees in the mix makes this taste a little weird. But then it could that the concord grapes is not that sweet. Thus there is a need to add some sweetness, which is where the pear puree comes in. However in my opinion, grapes, apples and pears shouldn’t mix.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a $10 discount for $40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a S$5 for anything less than $40.

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This is my nephew’s favourite candy. He loved it so much that nearly every day, he would ask whether there is any remaining “stock” of this candy. And thus for poor me, there is a definite need to store a few packs just in case. You know kids right? If they don’t get what they want, they get moody and angry. Anyway, I bought the sweets from iHerb. The taste is actually not too bad. I had expected it to be the kind that is extremely sweet and you will get sick of it after a while, but surprisingly it is pretty flavourful. Just my kind of candy. The texture is a bit different from those gummy bears which we have in our local supermarkets. Softer and a bit more sticky. Well initially I didn’t like the texture as well. But I guess it grows on you. At least it is made with real fruit juice.

A bit expensive for a candy (or fruit snacks). And we are talking about one that is brought from the United States. About USD6 per pack. Comes with just 5 pouches only. Each pouch about 23g only. But then this is one of the best sellers on iHerb, so I guess the taste agrees with a lot of people. It certainly agrees with my nephew. The fact is I would rather him go crazy over this candy then the other candies from the local supermarket, made from god knows what.

Made with Goodness?? No artificial flavours, synthetic colours or preservatives. Good. Made with real fruit juice. Good. Their organic ingredients are grown without using persistent pesticides. Good.

Gently tug ears to open? Cute.

Organic tapioca and organic fruit sounds good to me. Remember this is a naturally gluten-free fruit snacks.

Go get a free “think organic” sticker! 100% DV of Vitamin C per serving. It is vegan and gelatin/gluten free.

Check out the ingredients – organic tapioca syrup, organic cane sugar, organic tapioca syrup solids, organic white grape juice concentrate, pectin, citric acid, ascorbic acid, colour, natural flavours, sodium citrate, organic sunflower oil and carnauba wax.

Made in USA!!! Certified organic by this Oregon Tilth.

One small pack for you to enjoy. Even though it might be slightly more expensive than most other candy (found on iHerb), it is definitely a better alternative for your regular candy. And it is certified organic to boot. If you are giving your kids a treat or something, try this. They have lots other flavours as well. Good luck shopping at iHerb!

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a $10 discount for $40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a S$5 for anything less than $40.

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For people with thinning hair! If you are starting to see your hair thin out for whatever reason, it is time for you to try new products. And this claims to have an “thickening” effect on your hair. I actually like my hair thin but as you get older, this “thin hair” will become more apparent as you start to bald. For guys of course. And it certainly makes you look much older. That is why a lot of old folks like to dye their hair black, so it looks “fuller” and overall, there is a “younger” effect. You might wonder whether my hair is thinning out or not. Well, it is not. Thank the gods. I bought this because it seems to be a very very popular product on iHerb. Yes, the place where tree huggers hang out and buy stuff online. I would like to see what all the fuss is about. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I am not someone who is that interested in my appearance and if I look neat, it should be fine by me. But I am guessing there are quite a number of people out there (read: you) who are very concerned about how they look. Well, you can be a salesperson or a manager or whatever, I am not judging. You are just vain.

One bottle of thickening shampoo.

More sustainable? I am guessing the ingredients are made from products that are gathered from more sustainable process or something like that. Tree hugger talk. Anyway, this is Biotin B-Complex Therapy. Fortified with biotin, saw palmetto, wheat protein and vitamin E for an energized scalp and thicker, fuller hair. Contains 70% organic content. The rest are gathered from the drains outside?

Reading the ingredients list gives me a headache. No seriously.

What this does – helps build body in fine, thinning hair. Stimulates scalp to encourage hair growth. Cleans and nourishes hair from follicle through entire shaft. Strengthens hair strands. Boosts volume so hair feels thicker and software. If you don’t know how to use shampoo, you are probably some alien somewhere.

Made in the USA! I honestly don’t know whether to trust products made in the USA. Sometimes it seems that they do have very high standards. Sometimes it seems that the big companies are like going all out to abuse their power and start poisoning everyone they can find with their modified nonsense. I honestly don’t know.

My iHerb Referral code is MLD668. Use it to get a $10 discount for $40 and above for your first order. Or use it to get a S$5 for anything less than $40.

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