Stone Ridge Creamy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

I'm just going to do a quick post for now, but I wanted to say we had some better success with the Strawberry flavor. It reminds me a lot of the Stonyfield farm strawberry yogurt my wife usually eats. I mean, I don't think I would buy this on purpose, but it's still respectable stuff and my daughter had no problem finishing her bowl's worth.

2011 Update: Stone Ridge Creamery has discontinued their line of tart frozen yogurt. Guess I'm not the only one who doesn't like tart.

It's ok to play with your food

It's been a long time since I had fun with ice cream, actually, technically, sometimes I forget to post my fun. Ice cream art is fun...but when you're media is melting quickly, and not real tough, well it doesn't always come out right. Today, may I present, the yogurt castle!

It's a vanilla yogurt castle with a Crunchy moat. Ice cream art is fun, but I need to learn to plan ahead more (especially with quick melting yogurt). The window's a bit big, and the castle door should be more official, but yeah, it was all spur of the moment.

Brandy New! Tart Frozen Yogurt from Stone Ridge Creamery

I mentioned I had a special package coming and here it is:

You may not even seen on your store shelves yet, but you will. Big thanks to Stone Ridge for letting me try before I buy, but there is a problem: I am totally the WRONG person to be reviewing these products. I just don't like tart yogurt. It seems like it's a good product, and I dig two of the flavor choices ( strawberry and pomegranate blueberry ), but I just can't get over the tartness. This blog has let you know that I definitely lean towards the sweet side of life, not too sweet ofcourse, but sweet is the way to go for me.

What flavor do you dream in?

Behold, the power of the internet!

Coney Island Waffle Cone


Black Raspberry Avalanche

I had totally forgotten about super premium Dreamery ice cream til, well, til today. It seems like an eternity since I've seen those artful pints in the freezer. Actually, I had to watch the ads a few times before the little light went on my head that reminded me I had seen these before. I had heard that the Dreamery line was gone, and I didn't question this since I can't remember the last time I saw it, but Dreamery still exists! Check out their website here. That's right, they live and currently offer *23* flavors. Funny, they have the old Edy's commercials on their website.

Before discovering their website today (Friday), I did an internet search for flavors yesterday (Thursday). This following history and flavor list is compiled from my random Google searches. It appears that flavors ran around 25% total fat and 40% saturated fat (plus 20%+ cholesterol).

18 original flavors - End of Summer 1999
Banana Boogie
Banana Ice Cream with peanut butter and chocolate flakes
Black Raspberry Avalanche (some press says Black Raspberry Parfait)
Vanilla and Black raspberry ice cream with black raspberries and dark chocolate chunks
Blue Ribbon Berry Pie
Rich Vanilla Ice Cream with Swirls of Boysenberries and Raspberries and Pieces of Flaky Pie Crust
Caramel Toffee Bar Heaven
Creamy Caramel Ice Cream with Mountains Chunks of Real Toffee Bar Pieces and a River of Caramel
Cashew Praline Parfait
Vanilla ice cream with pralined cashews and caramel and fudge
Chocolate Truffle Explosion
Chocolate Ice Cream with truffle chunks
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Rich Chocolate Ice Cream with Chunks of Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut Butter Swirls
Cool Mint
arctic white mint ice cream with fudge swirls, cool thin mint cookies and whole peppermint patties
Creme Caramel
Caramel ice cream with swirls of caramel
Cuppa Joe
Galactic Chocolate Swirl
like Rocky Road with a caramel swirl - replaced with Nothing But Chocolate!
Grandma's Cookie Jar
Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream Loaded with Chunks of Chocolate Cookie Dough
Harvest Peach
Vanilla ice cream with ripe, sweet peaches
Hot Chilly Chili
vanilla ice cream with a mole fudge swirl and spicy covered nuts
New York Strawberry Cheesecake
Cheesecake ice cream, swirls of strawberry and chunks of New York style cheesecake
Nuts about Malt
Chocolate malt flavored ice cream, swirls of fudge and chocolate-covered almonds
Sticky Bun
cinnamon ice cream with chewy sticky bun pieces, pralined pecans and raisins
Vanilla
vanilla ice cream


Fall 2000, five new flavors phase out five old flavors
Coney Island Waffle Cone
vanilla ice cream with a caramel swirl and chocolate covered waffle cone chunks
Chocolate Almond Bar
Chocolate ice cream with milk chocolate and white covered almond chunks and caramel.
Raspberry Brownie A La Mode
Vanilla ice cream with swirls of raspberries and chunks of fudgy brownies
Strawberry Fields
Creamy Strawberry Ice Cream with Bushels of Real Strawberries
White Out
Vanilla ice cream with a white covered pretzels and almonds and swirls of white fudge


3 new flavors - sept 2002
Banana Split**
vanilla and banana ice cream swirled with milk chocolate fudge, strawberries and bananas
Cherry Chip ba da Bing**
vanilla ice cream loaded with a jackpot of Bing cherries, chocolate chips and cherry swirls
Nothing But Chocolate!**
a combination of milk and dark chocolate ice creams with fudge brownies and thick, chewy fudge swirls (replaced Galactic Chocolate Swirl)


Not sure when these came in
Tiramisu
Tiramisu-flavored ice cream with pieces of coffee-soaked sponge cake and espresso chocolate swirls
Deep Dish Apple Pie
Cinnamon spice ice cream with chunks of apples, real pie crust pieces and swirls of caramel


summer 2003: Dreyers sells Dreamery (and Whole Fruit and Godiva ice cream) to CoolBrands so Dreyers (Edys) can merge with Nestle.

Dec 2005: International Franchise Corp. acquired Yogen Fruz and CoolBrands International's franchise division (that would explain why they have an office in Barbados)

Just to reiterate, Dreamery is not dead! I am going to contact them and try to get an official statement. I'll do my best to track some pints down and do some reviews.

Current Lineup: 2009 :
Banana Split
Black Raspberry Avalanche
Blue Ribbon Berry Pie
-Brownie Turtle Sundae
Caramel Toffee Bar Heaven
Cashew Praline Parfait
Cherry Chip ba da Bing
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk
Chocolate Truffle Explosion
Coney Island Waffle Cone
Deep Dish Apple Pie
-Fortunate Vanilla
-Give Me Smores
Grandma's Cookie Dough
Hot Fudge Sundae
New York Strawberry Cheesecake
Nuts About Malt
Raspberry Brownie A La Mode
Strawberry Fields
Tiramisu
-Triple Butter Pecan
-Ultimate Mudslide
Vanilla

How to build a treat box

During the quarterly state of the freezer address, you will notice there's always a large Skinny Cow box in the middle of the freezer. This is the treat box. It didn't take long for me to realize that saving treats in their individual boxes just wasn't going to work in the long run. If the treat box is somewhat empty, I will dump the entire box of new treats into it. If it's somewhat full, I may wait a bit. I know, it's not rocket science, but I wanted to share.

So, if you want to be prepared for any snacking emergency, I humbly suggest the following four groups of treats.
First, you need ice cream cones! There's a primal need that can't be satisfied by anything but ice cream in a cone.


Second, you need sandwiches! Now, this can adjusted based on your tastes ...or if you are like me, you can go with both a cookie based sandwich (not shown), a wafer based sandwich (far left), and something different (far right).


Third, you need popsicles! That's right, I'm not always in the mode for dairy, sometimes I just want something cold. I like to have at least one from Edy's in the box, but having a second choice is a good idea (whether it's a second Edy's flavor or possible another brand of popsicle).


Fourth = EVERYTHING ELSE! I know, I could go on forever, but the reality is it's a free for all of what tastes good to you. If you can't decide which ice cream bar to throw in, why not pick a mixed box.

So so so many choices. Now there is the danger of freezer burning a treat or two if you forget about them for say.....6 months, but overall, I love having the treat box and I wish I would have thought of it sooner. Diversity is the key, not just in flavors and textures, but thing of it from a caloric stand point as well. Sometimes you just want an 80 calorie treat. Other times, you may need to tide yourself over for awhile and you'll need a BIG treat.

Hood Ice Cream Maine Blueberry & Sweet Cream

Why do I bother? really....for the same price, I could have had some of the ever growing line up of Stone Ridge Creamery ice creams. It's my own fault, I had fun with berries and thought maybe Hood could crank out a half decent flavor. Well, I was wrong, I just don't like it. I'm sure some people will enjoy the cheap blueberry muffin taste, but I'm just not in the mood for it. Guess I was hoping for less blueberry and more sweet cream.

The picture shows just the blueberry ice cream on top, but as you dig down, you will discover swirls of sweet cream ice cream as well. Oh well, at least it's a low cal flavor.

Actually, I just had a flash back to childhood. When all else fails, bury it in chocolate until that's all you can taste. I really do hate to waste ice cream, but I'm not going to have any urge to eat this stuff ...I know, I know, I'm being harsh, it's just that I'm unamused and I want my $3 back.

Nutrition: 70g: 110 / 25-1.5 / 0 / 3

Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Froyo Review

I'm sitting here waiting for lunch to cook, and just a few minutes ago my belly was very empty. I decided to give it a small sample of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Froyo. I actually tried it a few months ago but somehow manage to forget to talk about it.


Like all the other B&J's froyos, this is respectable stuff. You'll know you're not eating ice cream, but at the same time, you aren't saddled with any unpleasant: no bitter or tartness. no strange aftertaste. no overall funk. It's just a quality product. The difference is the texture. It actually reminds me of that Smooth & Dreamy CVS I had a month ago. A commenter said it best when they described it as "frozen milk", not that ice cream isn't frozen milk effectively, but you still get the idea. It's just not creamy, but as frozen yogurt, you cant expect it to be.

Nutrition: 99g: 180 / 25-1.5 / 1 / 4

Haagen-Dazs Five Vanilla Bean

Let me say two things to start this off: Wow! and....eh?

Haagen-Dazs five vanilla bean ice cream

MISTREAT of the Week: Kemp's Frozen Yogurt Parfait White Chocolate Raspberry

Oh man, the other one wasn't a fluke, these things are just

AWFUL

DISGUSTINGHIDEOUS

oh, oh OH am I ever unamused at the moment. What have they done to this poor yogurt? do they let it spoil before they freeze it? I was ready to chalk the one from Walmart up as a fluke, but this one is from Stop & Shop and just as bad. My word, what have they done???? Such a waste because they sound so good: Raspberry frozen yogurt with white chocolate flavored chips.

AVOID THESE AT ALL COSTS.

Disclaimer: Apparently there is a trend towards "TART" yogurts, and I'm probably being too harsh, but to me, it has an unpleasant consistency and strikes me as spoiled, not tart.

Nutrition: 127g: 210 / 45-3.5 / 0 / 3

Treat? of the week: Skinny Cow Vanilla with Caramel Low Fat Ice Cream Cone

Well....at least the cone is crunchy...

...and...technically...the caramel does cover the (lack of) taste of the vanilla for the first few bites

but those are my only positive thoughts. What we have is a crunchy cone filled with bright white fluffy 'stuff' that is cold like ice cream but will satisfy very little of your craving for ice cream. It's a shame really. Skinny Cow is owned by Nestle, and it sure seems like they are using Drumstick technology to create a crunchy cone, but why waste this effort on such a flavorless filling. Seriously, it's not like vanilla flavor adds calories, and they aren't even using real vanilla, so you can't blame it on cost either. I guess I just don't get it, what's the point?

On Second Scoop: Yeah, I definitely won't buy these boring things again. The only excitement I found was that the last one had an oversized lump of chocolate in the bottom of the cone - tasted like a chocolate chip cookie.

Nutrition: 150 / 25-2 / 3 / 4 ( 3 weight watchers points )

Hood Wildberry Sherbet Review

Hood doesn't get a whole lotta love on this blog, mainly because they crank out low quality stuff for those on a tight budget. However, I like to be fair and check in now and then. Since I was in need of some sherbet, I decided to try Hood's Wildberry sherbet (which was on sale of course).
On the left is the raspberry, the thin strip in the middle is the blackberry, and on the right is the wild strawberry. My first few bites were of the strawberry and I thought "hmmm, this isn't too bad". I guess Hood can't mess up sherbet....or can they? I took a bite of the purplish blackberry and realized it was kind of flavorless. That's odd, but maybe that's why there is only a thin strip of the stuff.

Topping of the Week: Dr. Pepper Cherry Topping

Well, I will say this, they definitely nailed that Dr. Pepper taste. Actually, smells like Dr. Pepper too (ofcourse). I was always a Coca-cola kid, but I found Dr. Pepper to be a nice switch now and then, you know, maybe once a month.

I wasn't really sure what kind of ice cream to put it on, so it seemed like I should pick something fruity so I went with the last of the Turkey Hill Raspberry Chocolate Chunk. The combo was ok, but I'm sure a better mix can be made.

I'm quite surprised by how thick this topping is. I had to squeeze hard to get it out. I guess I had visions of soda spilling everywhere in my head, but that just wasn't the case.

If anything, this topping has me thinking about making a Dr. Pepper flavored milk shake. With this stuff and a quality vanilla ice cream, I might just have a tasty treat that would give a coke float a run for its money.

Nutrition: 2 Tbsp-42g: 130 / 0 / 0 / 0

Kemps Caramel Cone Crunch

I haven't seen any full size Kemps containers at Walmart, or any where else for that matter, but now and then I do spy "snack cups" (for lack of a better word). Let's just hope this little guy is better than the Yogurt one.
The good new is this is a respectable little treat, even though it has suffered a bit of freezer burn (as you can see at the top of the picture). It's one of those middle of the road treats that may not knock you off your feet, but it satisfies your cravings. The caramel was were I like it, not too potent and not too weak. A nice touch is the fact that the cone pieces are on top, and there are some in the middle. At just a dollar, this was definitely tasty enough that I would pick up other flavors if I saw them.

Nutrition: I tossed the container before I wrote it down (oops), I want to say it was 23% total fat, and 45% sat fat. (maybe 260 calories?)

Treat of the Week: Nestle Lil' Drums Drumstick Review

This week's treat is a 10 pack of Nestle Drumstick Lil' Drums.

You get two flavors in a box with 5 lil' cones of each flavor. My box has Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Cookie Dough. They are a minor 2.25 fluid ounces a piece that clock a mere 140. Despite being frozen dairy dessert, they still clock the high saturated fat content of their bigger brothers.

Rescooped: Haagen-Dazs Milk Chocolate five ice cream

Hard to believe it has been almost 3 months since I first tried Haagen-Dazs five. As you may remember, I had a painful experience with the brown sugar flavor. It was so bad that I don't believe I gave the milk chocolate flavor a fair shake. So, now, with those other reviews a distant memory, I go in for the rescoop (courtesy of free coupons from HD).

I was hungry and dinner was a good half hour away, and this can be one of the best times for a small bowl of ice cream. I take a few bites and it's not bad. I take a few more bites, and, I'm just not impressed. I take a few more bites and this flavor just can't win me over. I don't know what it is. Maybe I keep expecting to be knocked off my socks like before. I feel like I should be blown away, but I'm not.

It has lower calories than the regular HD stuff, but that just isn't enough for me. The flavor just doesn't satisfy the basic chocolate desire in my brain. I feel bad because I can't elaborate more. I'm going to take everyone's suggestions and try some of the other flavors. I still have hope for the this line, so we'll see what happens.

On Second Scoop: Don't get me wrong, it's not that this is a bad product, but I think it should be renamed cocoa, not milk chocolate. My experience with cocoa is that it has a dry nature, and that comes across here. I'm sure plenty of you will love it, it's just not for me.

Edy's Tangerine Outshine Fruit Bars

Yes, it's the never ending quest to try every Fruit Bar flavor, and why not, they're always tasty and all natural...and low cal. Oh yeah, 3 reasons to try yet another flavor: Tangerine.

circa 2012 packaging

The flavor is actually quite tangy like the lemonade ones. I'll make up a number and say that it's maybe 70% as potent. Flavor is respectable and definitely not a straight orange flavor. I like them, but grape is still my favorite.

2013 Update: These are know called Tangerine Outshine Fruit Bars

Dairy Queen Brownie Batter Blizzard

Dairy Queen's Brownie Batter Blizzard History
Original debuted in 2004
 June 2009 Blizzard of the Month  (When I reviewed it)
  September 2010 Blizzard of the Month
   June 2011 Blizzard of the Month
     2015 Fanniversary Blizzard >> July 2015 Blizzard of the Month

Funny that my 300th post is from the same company that was the subject of my first official review. I don't get to hit DQ once a week anymore, but it's still nice to stop, especially when it's all of us packed in the car.

So the blizzard of the month is made with real fudge brownie pieces with double chocolate brownie batter blended into vanilla soft serve. Like last month, you wind up with a white and brown treat rather than the solid brown treat they show in the picture. This is easy enough to fix by stirring, plus it helps balance out the flavor.

Overall, I like this month's blizzard. I'm sure you'll think even better of it if you are dying for a chocolate fix because this blizzard is as chocolaty as they come. Actually, it's borderline too much. I was ok with it since I was in the mood for chocolate, but my wife was a little put off. We still enjoyed them (me more than her), but be warned.

I was actually surprised by the brownie chunks as well. I had a brownie earthquake sundae a long time ago and the brownies they served me that day totally ruined it for me. However, here the brownies are sliced thin and get the texture just right: pleasantly chewy, not to hard, and definitely not soggy.

Technically, we have a third positive vote for these blizzards as well. My daughter regretted her blizzard choice after seeing how chocolatey ours were, so I gave her the rest of mine and started finishing her peanut butter cup blizzard. Tasty, but at the moment, the brownie batter one wins.

Nick's 2015 Fanniversary Thoughts: Looking over Dubba's thoughts, I don't think things are the same as they were 6 years ago. This blizzard was chocolately for sure but far from being too much. You can still taste the vanilla from the soft serve here and there. This might be due to them not using a "double chocolate brownie batter". Well they could still be using the same thing but decided to ditch the name. Whatever the case, this isn't a chocolate overload by any means.

The brownies aren't thin like Dubba mentioned either. They're slightly smaller than dice and in the majority of spoonfuls. They're more chocolatey than the ice cream mix and are some of the moistest brownie chunks I've encountered in a frozen dessert. These are definitely fresher than what you'll get at most DIY soft serve places and chewy to boot.

This blizzard definitely gives me hope for trying more of them in the future. The consistency of the soft serve was far better this time around. While it might not be something to go out of your way for like most of these treats aren't, if you're craving a chocolate brownie fix and a DQ is near by, give this baby a shot!

Verdict?  Chocolate fudge brownie fix on the go
Buy Again?  If I had a DQ near me, sure

Extras: Mini Angel Food Cakes

The funny (and great) thing about this blog is that when I go to the grocery store, I'm always trying to think of new items to try for the blog. Well, I was passing through the bakery section when what do I see but a four pack of mini angel food cakes. Shaw's was selling them as if they were muffins. I've been thinking about trying angel food and ice cream, so it was easy enough to justify picking up these little guys.

Here they are

Cut out the center and add in some ice cream (packed tight)
(I went with Strawberry since I've had strawberries and angel food before)

Can't forget some fresh all natural whip cream

Can't forget some sprinkles

I've had better angel food, but once you mix it all together, it makes for a really nice treat. Actually, it's fairly healthy since angel food is fat free, and I used low fat Smooth and Dreamy Strawberry ice cream.

AICC-4: Whole Fruit Raspberry Sorbet

Hey! guess what? I still don't like sorbet! I'm just an old fashioned milk and sugar kinda guy. I just don't get sorbet. I just don't find it pleasant. It's not as sweet and creamy as ice cream, yet somehow less enjoyable than a frozen ice type treat. I assume this is quality sorbet, though who knows since I'm not sure I've ever seen generic sorbet. At least the container was sealed to keep it nice and fresh.
I'm half tempted to try and turn this into a smoothie or shake type project (maybe mix it with milk and some Turkey Hill Cold Churned Raspberry). Couldn't hurt, especially since I know I won't eat it otherwise. Oh well.

Update: I tried the "milkshake" idea ...it didn't work. Oh well.

Nutrition: 120 / 0 / (1) / 0

If only for the day

Yesterday, I randomly brought up ice cream at work and low and behold I find out that one of my coworkers use to be a freezer operator! sounds boring, but check out the definition. That's right, he use to make ice cream!! How cool is that?! No, it's not as glamorous as designing the flavors, but still, who wouldn't want that job for a day just to learn how it's done.

He mentioned that ice cream is about 10 times as tasty when it's first made. I guess that's why ice cream companies try to stay somewhat local...or very cold.

Babcock Hall Orange Custard Chocolate Chip Review

Ahhhhhh, now this is the kind of product I expect from an Ice Cream Club. I can freely admit I was afraid of orange custard, i mean, seriously, an orange flavored ice cream type product? that just seems wrong. I've seen Edy's Swiss Orange before, but I couldn't imagine it tasted very good. Like so many other fruit based flavors, I was sure it just wasn't meant to be.

Babcock Hall Orange Custard Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Well, consider my opinion swayed. I don't love it, but I do like it, and I really appreciate what it is: a well made ice cream with a pretty unique flavor. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: most fruit flavors need to be mellow. Please don't bombard me with something equivalent to eating a real orange, and PLEASE don't let it be an artificial taste. I want just a bit of smooth orange flavor, something mild (and we've got just a hint of an orange aftertaste here, nothing crazy).

The chocolate chips go nicely as well. They could probably back off the chips a little bit, maybe 15%, and let the orange speak out a bit more than it does. This isn't a deal breaker though, because overall, they go together nicely.

So, I like it. I wouldn't put it on my shopping list week after week, but it's always nice to try new things, and this one definitely qualifies.

Nutrition: 72g: 170 / 80-5 / 0 / 3 - (56mg cholesterol)

Ben & Jerry's Limited Edition Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road

The two best ways to get in my fridge are: NEW! - or - LIMITED EDITION

What we have right now in the freezer is a pint of the limited batch of Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road with ingredients picked by the only and only Sir Elton John. (Sorry, had to link, but it explains where the name comes from).