Possible 2010 Candy of the Year: TJ's Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits

Seriously, I'm beginning to think I'm one of those people who have some crazy magnetic/electric field thing going on, because it seems that there's always something going on these days. First it was my computer, then my camera, then back to the computer, then the camera and now, the computer again. Hence, my lack of posts and also the future lack of pictures until I get this situation straightened out.
As a reward for your patience, though, I'm about to reveal my latest find that is so wonderfully crunchy/salty/sweet, so chocolatey good that I think this is very definitely a contender for the 2010 Candy of the Year.
Yumsters, may I present to you...
WAIT! Where have they gone? I just went to the closet to get the bag and it's not there. This is not a good sign. Methinks Mr. Goodbar has been in the pantry again. I can't even tell you how sad I will be if I find out they are all gone.
"They" are Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits. (And just to confirm, yes, I just fished the empty bag out of the garbage.)
The description says, "Our Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits are a crunchy mix of almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, pistachios and sweet toffee. They're kettle cooked in small batches, then dipped in rich, dark chocolate and sprinkled with just a touch of Fleur de Sel, for a superbly sweet and slightly salty treat."
I mean, honestly, does it get any better than that? These babies have everything I look for in a candy: smooth chocolate (not too sweet, not too bitter; it's 60% cacao), nuts and salt. If I recall correctly, they were about $3.50 or so for a 7 oz. bag. Kinda pricey, but so worth it.
Like I said, I have no pictures due to the alien chip that's been implanted in my wrist, but they're every bit as lumpy delicious as you'd expect. Run, don't walk to get these. In the meantime, I'm calling Mr. Goodbar and telling him he'd better stop at TJ's on his way home, if he knows what's good for him.

Awww, Nuts!

First it was peanuts, now it's pistachios. Be sure to check out the list of recalled products at the FDA website.

Disappointment at Trader Joe's

The last couple of times I've been to Trader Joe's, I've noticed they've really scaled back on the samples. Can't say I blame them; people get all wacky when they see free stuff. TJ's was probably losing money hand over fist by giving out mini cups of coffee and cookies. Some samples, however, would've stopped me from making my last two purchases that bombed. The first was a box of pretzel nuggets covered in chocolate and topped with white nonpareils. They looked so good, but unfortunately, the pretzels had a kind of stale taste to them. They didn't have that fresh "snap." But my niece Sarah enjoyed them when we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean. Of course, that movie was so darn long she probably would've eaten chocolate covered cat food just to fend off the hunger.
Today I bought the second bomb: dark chocolate covered pistachios. I love dark chocolate. I love pistachios. But together, oh no, they do not work well. Pistachios just don't have a substantial enough texture to hold up to the chocolate, and their smoky undertones don't jive with the bitterness of the chocolate. (In fact, I can almost see comparing them to the Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar-- smoke and chocolate don't mix, in my book). I know TJ's has a policy where you can return anything you don't like, but I'm not that type of person. I'll just pass along the rejects to the next unsuspecting guests.