CELEBRATE the New Year with NEW! Confetti Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Hey, what's a better way to celebrate the New Year than with NEW! Confetti Fudge Ice Cream Cake from Celebration Foods. $9 sounds like a decent deal for 36 ounces of potential ice cream cake goodness, so let's dig in!

It's New Years Eve so let's keep this simple. What you see before you is Vanilla flavored & Chocolate Ice Cream - Chocolate flavored Crunch and Fudge Center and Creamy Whipped Frosting with an All-Occasion Decoration. Sounds like the usual stuff, though I'm happy to not see that blue Carvel frosting that stains whatever it touches.

Turkey Hill Ice Cream Movie Night Light Ice Cream Dynamic Duo

this flavor has been discontinued

I love when a major ice cream company takes a chance on a whacky flavor. I love it even more when I don't have to pay for said whackiness. That's right, I had a leftover Turkey Hill coupon that was set to expire 12/31/09 and I couldn't let it go to waste. Thankfully, the Shaws I was had a decent selection of Dynamic Duos and I've been meaning to give the Duos a second chance even since my bizarre run in with their PB Explosion.

Behold, Turkey Hill's movie night ice cream. The red side is the rather tame sounding Vanilla flavor with a creamy caramel swirl. The blue side is the much more ambitious sounding Popcorn flavor with candy-coated popcorn & praline peanuts. I know many of you haven't met Turkey Hill ice cream, but no matter what brands are in your freezer aisle, I'm guessing Popcorn flavor would get your attention.

Wendy's Vanilla Bean Frosty Shake Review

We've had some rough nights sleeping recently and I was in desperate need of an milkshake pick me up at lunchtime. Unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the highway so I was going to have to settle for a fast food milkshake ...remember when fast food milkshakes were the end all, be all it seemed? Yeah, those days are long gone.

Now I've already had Wendy's Chocolate Frosty Shake, so my expectations aren't exactly high as I decide to try a vanilla. To be on the safe side, I got a small.

I have my treat and it's time to dig in! As I go to taste it, I get a whiff of something strange ...must just be the cherry ...I take a taste. Nope, that smell isn't the cherry, it's the shake. It's kinda tingling. A bit unsettling. Yeah, it tastes like a mild cake batter actually. It's not even close to what I was expecting ...or what I wanted for that matter. I guess disappointing is gonna be my overall opinion on this one.

Consistency was fairly easy to drink, and it definitely looks cool with all the vanilla bean flakes everywhere, but if you want to be a funky flavor, you have to name yourself as such.

and no, don't think I'm going to bother trying to the strawberry flavor. (note: I did actually try it eventually)

Nutrition: 380cals / 90fat cals (10/6)

2013 update: Just did a quick check and this is off the menu

Merry Christmas!

 I had a nice big post all thought out in my head, but  it's going to have to wait a bit. The sentiment remains though, merry Christmas to all and i hope you enjoy your long weekend!!

Maybe Santa will put some ice cream in your stocking!

...no, wait, that's probably a bad idea

Update: It's the afternoon and my wife and daughter just finished fresh cookies for Santa. I couldn't help myself and decided to try and make another strawberry Christmas cookie sandwich, just like last year. It's kinda funny because last time I complained the Breyers Strawberry was dwarfing any sugar cookie taste. Well, the much more mellow Turkey Hill Strawberries and Cream is perfect between two fresh, warm sugar cookies. It was so good in fact, I made myself a second! I love Christmas cookies! Merry Christmas!

Ben & Jerry's Hannah Teter's Limited Edition Maple Blondie Review

[2009 Limited Edition] When we got in from the cold yesterday, rather than warming up, we jumped into the freezer and pulled out the very tempting Maple Blondie. One of our fellow ice cream fanatics was nice enough to send over an email that not only mentioned that  Maple Blondie is now available, but that her and her husband had split on how good it was. She thought it was great,while he thought it was just too sweet. Hmmm, sounds like we have some investigating to do.

Here is a very fresh container of Ben & Jerry's Hannah Teter's Limited Batch Maple Blondie Ice Cream. If you are wondering who Hannah Teter is, she's an 2006 Olympic gold medal snowboarder who is currently trying to raise $300,000 to provide a better life for the people of Kirindon, Kenya. Not only is she trying to save a child, or even a family, she's trying to help the entire community and I think we all wish her the very best of luck in reaching her goal.

Turkey Hill Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream Review

Have you ever tried doing the grocery shopping at 7 in the morning? yeah, I haven't. Sure I've run in for a quick snack, but I've never tried to plan a weeks worth of eating at 7AM, long before my brain has had a chance to warm up and think straight. Well, with the impending snow storm set to keep us home bound on Sunday, I decided to run to the grocery store before the day got started.

I was doing surprisingly well until I got to my favorite section. I hadn't even had a real breakfast yet and it's 20 degrees outside, how am I suppose to pick what flavor I want? I decided to go down the last few aisles and then come back. Thankfully, an idea struck. This early morning trip got me in the mood for some simple: strawberry ice cream. Problem is, I think I've already tried strawberry flavors from Breyers, Haagen-Dazs, and Blue Bunny. That leaves Hood (yuck), Friendlys (too local), and Edys (it is buy one get one free). Hmmmm, wait, Turkey Hill! It's been too long since I've had one of their flavors. Perfect!

Ahhhh, Turkey Hill's Strawberries and Cream. I hope it's as good as their excellent Black Raspberry ice cream. It had been an hour since the Tofutti testing, so let's dig in!

Tofutti Premium Milk Free Frozen Dessert - Vanilla

It's been a long time since I've had the misfortune to try a non-dairy dessert, but for the good of all the people who can't have dairy, I offer up my horribly biased opinion of Tofutti.

That's right my fellow ice cream lovers, there is Tofutti in my freezer. As the name implies, there is Tofu in this treat, but don't fret just yet. The dessert is actually water, sugar, corn oil, corn syrup solids, soy protein, TOFU, cocoa butter, etc etc. So tofu is just part of the equation and not the whole thing. The good news here is there is no brown rice syrup and no tapioca syrup.

Now there are 6 flavors in all, though the Shaws I went to this morning only had the Vanilla flavor. We cracked open the container this afternoon and it looks kinda weird. It's a little disconcerting but no matter, we need to investigate.

I took a big spoon and tried a bite. Hmmm. I took a second bite. Hmmmm. I dumped a few small spoonfuls into a tiny bowl and began to dig in. It's weird, very weird, but it's way better than that So Delicious junk. It has a very potent smell, but it matches the taste. The best way I can describe it is that it tastes like frozen vanilla cake batter. And it's not mild either, it's a full on, full tilt, full throttle, pedal to the metal, batter flavor that is assaulting my senses.

Hmmmm, maybe that is the Tofutti plan. You are so thrown off by the flavor that it's hard to focus on texture and creaminess. It makes sense really. At least they are trying, and that's always appreciated.

It's no ice cream, but I'm curious to see how a few bites will taste after I've had more time to reflect on what I've tried. We'll leave the final verdict to the second scoop.

Ben & Jerry's Pistachio Pistachio Ice Cream

So, were you wondering what these are?

Well, it's hard to keep a secret when the title of the post tells you what they are - These are two pistachios I found in a pint of Ben & Jerry's Pistachio Pistachio Ice Cream. I guess they say it twice because you will find both brown and green pistachio's in the ice cream... Ok, I just made that up, but it's not like I know a lot about pistachios. The first time I ate a pistachio was just a few months ago when I tried some funky blend of Planters nuts and there were a few mixed in.

So, here is a freshly opened container. Now I have to ask - what in the world was I thinking when I bought this? Sometimes when I'm strolling down the freezer aisle, I am just so hungry that I'm willing to try anything, and this flavor proves it. Oh well, it's Ben & Jerry's, how bad can it be?

Is this the definition of Irony?

The following was served at our lunchtime meeting about our health insurance:

French Fries

Onion Rings

BBQ ribs

BBQ Wings

Spicy Wings

and washed down with

Soda

that's it. No rolls. no salad (not that I eat salad really). nothing on the table that wasn't either fried or covered in some kind of spicy sauce. Some of us don't want heartburn for the entire afternoon.

and where's the ice cream to finish it all off? or at least a cookie!

Breyers Snickers Ice Cream

Ahhhh, another lovely horrible day in New England. There's nothing quite like waking up, shoveling, going to work, coming home, shoveling, and finally getting to eat dinner around 8 pm. Problem is, I'm in no mood for cooking ...so I'm having ice cream for dinner, woo hoo!

I haven't had any Breyers on the blog in awhile, so a few shopping trips ago I picked up their official take on Snickers Ice Cream. I've had the awesome Snickers Ice Cream Brownie, and nothing beats a Snickers Ice Cream Bar, but it's time to taste test some mass produced Snickers Ice Cream.

So here it is, Snickers Caramel Swirl Chunk Ice Cream : Vanilla Ice Cream with SNICKERS Chunks (cough)yeah right(cough), Caramel Swirl, and Coated Peanuts. I just noticed something. Descriptions always say chocolate coated peanuts or chocolaty coated peanuts, this just says coated peanuts. Maybe they ran out of room to write on the container.

It's Monday Night....

Do you know where your spoon is? If I had my way ...and 2 free hours a night ...and about $30 bucks a week, I would post a new review everyday. Oh, it would be exciting, though I wonder if I would crave the stability of a regular treat in my diet?

Well, it's Monday night and right now I'm debating cracking open a fresh container of ice cream, or keep things simple with my old friend the strawberry Sedona. I took a little break from these but I'm back to being addicted to them. I've bought a box during each of my last 3 trips to Walmart (the only place I know to get them).

Some nights I'm just too tired to start something new. I know if I review it too late, my brain will be mushy and I won't remember enough, I might not be critical enough. That's when something like the Sedona comes in. Light and fluffy yet very satisfying...

...reminds me of what's on at ten o'clock actually. I'm a big fan of Castle. It's a "light" detective show compared to something darker like "Homicide: life on the street". Technically it's also feels a bit light because there is no major arch behind the show (unlike the most excellent show Life). There is the detective story which makes you think, and that's good for you (like granola and yogurt). Then there are the fantastic characters (and actors) with the awesome Nathan Fillion in the center of it all. The whole show is very satisfying and leaves a smile on your face, just like the Sedona.

Ok, it doesn't hurt they turn to ice cream now and then on the show either.

That cinches it, I'm going to go have one right now!

Molli Coolz! Cookies & Cream SHAKER

It's funny how the internet works. Sure, a positive review should make us want to run out and grab that treat, but shouldn't a negative review have the same effect? Sometimes it does, but it's no guarantee. Case in point: Phoood's review of the Molli Coolz thick & creamy milkshake SHAKERS. The reviewer is quiet harsh. How can an ice cream product be the worst thing he's ever reviewed? I've eaten some nasty (stuff) in my day, and I can think of a lot worse things than a faux milkshake.

Ok, so here it is. I apologize it took so long to actually get them on the blog. Now I haven't even opened the container yet but I can tell the ice cream bits are all stuck together. Step 1 is to shake them loose. Makes sense, let's run with that.

Might be hard to see, but it's all broken up. I did cheat and sample the mix to see if it tasted like normal ice cream balls. Yup, pretty much the same unamusing funk to it.

Step 2 is to pour in the milk. Now they are kinda sneaky on nutrition facts by adding 6 ounces of skim milk. As an ice cream addict, do you really think I have skim milk in my house? Of course not, but I do love our local organic 2% milk. mmmmmm. ice cold milk. Milk goes in. You can fill it to at least the "Xtra Thick" line, or give it just a bit more milk for a "Creamy Thick" shake. To be as fair as possible, I filled it to the middle of those two marks.

Now "SHAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT" (their words, not mine). It says 30 seconds but it was longer than that. You'll know when to stop (you can peak if necessary).

Step 3 is ENJOY, but let's ponder on this view for a moment. The milkshake describes itself as "The UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS Shake-It-Yourself Milkshake!". Yeah, if you have to YELL at me in caps, I know something is up. It goes on to say it's "the best shake you've ever had. BELIEVE IT!" There they go with the yelling again. I've had the best milkshake ever, I even wrote about it the day I started blogging. They think they can top that? That's a mighty bold prediction.

Ok, let's see if Phoood.com was right. I decided to go as authentic as possible and used a straw. Doh, shake is still a bit to thick. A bit more shaking and I'm ready to go. It's decent, I definitely wouldnt' call it the worst thing ever. The funky frozen ice cream bits wind up giving the whole thing a bit of a watered down taste. I can't imagine actually using skim milk because it probably would be awful, but with 2%, it's not bad. As long as you shake it enough, the cookies & cream flavor is evenly distributed, and the texture is decent.

It's not the best milkshake I've ever had by about 3 miles, but I definitely won't throw it in the trash, especially since I just spent a buck fifty on it (usually $1.99). Once I stopped eating it, there was a bit of a funky after taste that I didn't appreciate. Not a deal breaker, but definitely unnecessary (probably related to the overall watery taste of the treat).

Do I agree with Phoood's diagnosis? No, not really. It's not the best milkshake ever, but it's not total garbage either and I'm glad I tried it. Ice cream is about having fun, and attempting to shake your way to a tasty treat is something I had to try at least once. Even one of their commenters suggested the possibility that the reviewer didn't quite prepare the treat as intended. However, with all that said, if Molli Coolz wants to send over the others for testing that's fine, but other than that, I don't forsee trying the other flavors any time soon. Well, not without a B1G1 free deal anyway.

Bonus Material:  Tempted to try this treat but you need something to kill the urge? Just watch the advertisement for Shakers, it should make you sufficiently queasy and ruin your appetite.

Nutrition Facts (before Milk)

Serving Size 1 container (113g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250	from Fat 120
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g	18%
- Sat Fat 6g	30%
- Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 35mg	12%
Sodium 98mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 30g	10%
- Dietary Fiber 6g	24%
- Sugars 23g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 6%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 10%	Iron 0%

I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Have you heard the news? I hadn't, not until the ride home Tuesday night anyway. Basically, whenever a blogger gets something for free, and "reviews" it, we need to disclose that it was free. I put review in quotes because that is the problem. Are companies buying bloggers' love for the positive press? One free sample could turn into thousands of new customers, how can you argue with that logic? My favorite line of the articles I read today was the use of the term "clogger" = a blogger with rubbish opinions who blogs merely to get free stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I love free stuff and I look forward to the day when this blog stops digging a hole in my wallet. I'd love nothing more than for the ice cream companies to realize that sending me free samples is good publicity, even when I'm not so kind to their product.

I can be honest, there is the temptation to be a little gentler when someone sends you a free product. If you bash it too much, you're not going to get anymore. Take the Ice Cream of the Month Club. I did not pay for this service and if that wasn't clear, I'll try to make it more so in the future. I've got two kids and I can't justify spending $50 a month of four small containers of ice cream. However, my ice cream loving contact at Amazing Clubs has hooked me up and the monthly samples are greatly appreciated. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see he's hoping to increase his internet exposure, but at the same time, he risks a less-than-flattering review.

I will also admit that I hoped to be more in the loop by now. There are no other active frozen treat websites out there so I thought I'd be a shoe in for the place where companies want to announce new products. Well, not just announce, but sample. I don't really believe in talking about a product unless I can try it (though I may make an exception if it sounds really, really good).

Sure, there are other review sites that dabble in ice cream, but I'm doing my best to create a home that is well focused on that dessert we all love. I do get samples from time to time, but it really is just a small portion of what goes on here, and sample ice cream isn't cheap. Even when I buy what's on sale at Shaws or pick something up from "evil" Walmart, I'm still spending a fair amount of money to keep the blog going. Don't get me wrong, I'd still be buying ice cream without the blog, but my dessert budget would be a little more reasonable than it is right now.

I will never say no to free samples, in fact, I have a deep freezer in the basement waiting to be filled with tasty treats. However, until the day that happens (and you'll know it when it does), this blog will continue to be financed by my wallet.

OK, consider that the disclaimer, I'll have to copy part of it over to the About page to make it official, as well.

Stay tuned for more honest opinions!

Edy's / Dreyer's Butterfinger MAXX Ice Cream Review

[discontinued after 2013]

"live" blogging  = doing some typing while I'm eating (instead of all at the end)

I just made myself walk the 3/4 of a mile to the gas station to see what they had for Edy's ( Dreyer's ) MAXX flavors. I was in no mood for mint, wary of the drumstick, and just not ready for peanut butter chunk. I grabbed the Butterfinger MAXX, handed over my $2.99, and headed back to the office.

photo courtesy of Dreyers

Edy's Limited Edition Slow Churned Hot Cocoa

It's time for another seasonal treat, this time from the folks as Edy's ( Dreyer's ). Now, as this was a weekend treat, we had to earn it by endlessly searching for a Christmas tree. As always, I combined being too picky with going to all the wrong places. In the end we wound up getting an "adequate" tree who I need to remember to water when I get home.

So I brought the tree inside, got it positioned, watered, and ready for action. With that done, it was snack time and I knew just what I wanted. Now Edy's has a few seasonal flavors out right now, but Slow Churned Limited Edition Hot Cocoa was the one I knew I had to review before it disappeared. (I know it's been out for several weeks, but I'm not sure when exactly they will stop making it). Side note: While Eggnog and Peppermint have both regular and slow churned versions, hot cocoa is limited to just slow churned.

Here it is, Hot Cocoa: (hot cocoa flavored ice cream with marshmallow bits). I expected Starbucks Hot Cocoa Ice Cream to taste like hot cocoa, but was disappointed. Let's see if Edy's can do any better.