One must hide chocolate (or anything else you REALLY want - ie leftovers) in this house! I disguise mine in blue supermarket bags. No one ever looks in those!

I hoard chocolate as well! I'm a dark chocolate fan, and my Dad used to drive for Wockenfuss until he retired this past spring.
My parents sent me a large goodie box of all kinds of chocolate treats:
-chocolate breakup (which are thick triangle shapes of chocolate used to make other chocolate items, but most excellent eaten by itself)
-chocolate covered pretzels
-chocolate covered Oreos (they are to die for)
-chocolate almond bark

and perhaps one other treat that I devoured awhile back and forgot.

These were all dark chocolate, and all excellent.

I have a very good friend who lives in California and believes See's outdoes Ghiardelli in chocolate mastery.

A question: how long does chocolate last when stashed? And what is the best method of stashing it?

I understand your desire to eat only the best. Life is too short and calories too high to waste them on ordinary chocolate. I like Ghiardelli but Godiva is overrated. Really good dark chocolate is okay but I, too, prefer milk chocolate.

Welp, I'm inclined to I agree with your family that folks who prefer milk chocolate don't REALLY love chocolate.

Um, can you tell me where to find those LOVEly Moonstruck confections? They're too pretty for words!

Moonstruck Chocolate

PCB Rob--your post brought back memories. I grew up in California eating See's chocolates. Wonder how they would taste to me now? Must investigate!

PCB Rob, if you're going to be visiting the Baltimore area sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Sees has had a setup in the Columbia Mall for the last few years. Just pre-packaged boxes, so you can't pick and choose which you want. Yes, the ladies running the display dress in the white uniforms.

I just remembered that the Utz factory in Hanover has small bags of chocolate dipped potato chips which are quite good although if they used a higher quality chocolate they'd be even better.

I love Belgian chocolates which I used to buy from Fields - not sure if they still carry them or not. I don't think Godiva is overrated. I love Ghiradelli and I love Scharffenberger. I think a true lover of chocolates appreciates the different tastes and nuances of each kind. At times, such as with their dark chocolate bar with cranberrys, I even like Hersheys. Nestles is about the only chocolate I've ever come across that I just plain don't like. Especially those crunch bars. yuk.

RiE,
Yes, I am coming up for the Christmas holidays. I'll try to get over there and check it out. Thanks!

I grew up with Rheb's. I remember standing in line around the corner of the Wilkens Avenue store waiting for the Christmas candy for my grandmother.

Of all the great chocolate in/around Baltimore IMHO the best is Cacao Lorenzo Chocolatier in Lutherville. He also makes a "Charleston Praline" in the fall that is unbelievable. Uses almonds rather than pecans. OMG I wait all year for fall to come.

I worked for Wockenfuss in high school and college and nothing quite compares to fresh candy made the old fashioned way. Hershey's and the like are ok in an emergency but Wockenfuss is amazing...

dark chocolate truffles....dark chocolate covered pretzels....dark almond bark....the creams, chews, nuts....yum!!! I can still identify every single piece of candy in their box WITHOUT having to smush or bite it. :) happy to help anyone with that.

Oh and the chocolate stashing question...do not refridgerate chocolate. It is pourous and will take on the flavors of anything else potent in your fridge. It can last for several months stored in cool, dry places like a pantry. Certain things, like chocolate covered cherries have a differnt sort of shelf life. if you eat one too soon, the sugars will not have liquified yet and it will be a white sugary coating on the cherry. If you leave them sit too long, it also goes back to this form of sugar versus liquid.

Holly says "it can last for several months stored in cool, dry places"

Ha - who is she kidding. The head was gone from the rabbit before my DBF got in the car.

Thanks for the info Holly. My chocolates are in a cool dry place. A book case, to be exact.

Here is a chocolate tea product that my sister highly endorses. I just got an email from her today so I haven't tried it myself, but she loves it!
It sounds like the best of both worlds: tea and chocolate. What's not to like?