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.

Our squarish little friend is out and about. Again, nothing out of the ordinary here. We dug in and it's all pretty standard flavoring. Nothing groundbreaking here. Standard (i.e. non-Cold Stone Creamery) ice cream cakes tend not to taste all that different and this is no exception, except for one "small" fact.

This is a cross section of the cake and as you can see there seems to be some quality control issues. A Carvel cake has a very uniform layer of crunchy chocolate crumbs. The fudge layer here is an uneven mess. On the left, the fudge layer is pretty much non-existent. On the right, its a big solid mass that is just a pain to cut through. As you push down into it, it tilts up and rips the cake apart. I had to saw through the thing to get this picture for you. The fudge layer tastes ok, but there will be some technical difficulties as you hand out the slices. And yes, this cake may have been a fluke, but considering that I've never had a funked up Carvel cake, I'm going to hazard a guess that this is par for the Celebration course.

Please note: While I did have my suspicions before, Celebration Foods has confirmed they are the people behind Carvel Cakes. So, one has to ask, why the quality control issues?

Turkey Hill Ice Cream Movie Night Dynamic Duo

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.

Now my daughter is usually a huge fan of Turkey Hill, but she wanted no part of the Popcorn flavor. If you've read this blog long enough, you know she rarely turns down anything, but as soon as I said what I brought home she quickly responded with "that's disgusting".

Ok, here is what she is afraid of. On the left, you will see the distinct (yet mild) yellow coloring of the popcorn flavor. It smells like popcorn too. The green circle is one of their "candy coated" popcorn pieces. I cant say I really tasted any sweetness, so I'm not sure where the candy coating went. The blue circle is one saucy looking praline peanut. The other peanuts you see look pretty dry in comparison. I made the mistake of eating that saucy bit all by itself and found myself gagging on a wad of salt. Very unpleasant.

On the right side you see the vanilla with the caramel swirl running through it. Now, they said it would be "creamy" and they meant it. I'm not sure what you do to make caramel not freeze, maybe you crank up the salt content, but I love when companies do this because you get a cool sundae vibe because the caramel tastes more like a topping than a swirl. The swirl has a decent flavor to boot. The whole right side is just a nice take on a standard flavor, and in retrospect, I'm thinking it belongs on a brownie or something.

Now let's get back to our strange little popcorn friend. Overall I'd say the whole think tastes like the buttered popcorn you find in those Christmas tins from the mall or get from one of your company's vendors. I've never been a big fan of that kind of popcorn because it's never super fresh, and don't even get me started on how they don't make fresh movie theatre popcorn anymore even though they charge $5 a bag. Sorry, getting side tracked.

There is no arguing that this is popcorn flavor. Not sure how they did it, but there's no denying the flavor is popcorn, it just doesn't work for me. Maybe I would like it more if it tasted like fresh popcorn, but I don't think that would be enough to win me over. I just don't know what urge this flavor would satisfy. When have you ever wanted a bowl of popcorn with your ice cream? Maybe I'm just biased from a lifetime of eating pretzels with my ice cream.

I definitely don't want to discourage anyone from trying this because it not a bad thing. My only suggestion is to watch out for those rogue, overly salted peanuts.If you want something different, just give it a try and enjoy. I'll let you know if I figure out what the popcorn flavor should be paired with....

Oh, and my daughter did try -one- bite, and then she went back to enjoying the other half of the dynamic duo.

Wendy's Vanilla Bean Frosty Shake

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.

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

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

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.

Ok, back to the ice cream. What you see before you is maple ice cream with blonde brownie chunks and a maple caramel swirl. Your eyes went straight to that giant brownie chunk didn't they? It's ok, it's hard to miss. Now, not only does it look tasty, but it has a nice mild aroma of brown sugar. Mmmmmmm, I can't wait to dig in and see how many brownie chunks I can find!

You know what? I really like this ice cream! It is definitely very sweet, borderline too sweet even, but it is hitting the spot after 2 hours of clearing a foot of snow from the driveway. Funny thing is, I'm not even that big a fan of maple. Sure, I can't eat pancakes or waffles without syrup, but I go with Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth. I've spent my life with these two and whenever I've tried real maple syrup, I find that it's just not my style.

Wow, I'm having a little trouble stopping at the moment. I can't believe I've been won over by a maple flavor. It's very sweet, but it just goes so well with the excellent texture and quality of the Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I could easily finish off this container right now. The excuse I would use? I'm looking for brownie chunks! I can't resist a taste brownie chunk and these ones are quite good. They do vary in size, but they have a nice and somewhat chewy texture for something that's frozen. Chewy really isn't the right word though. I say chewy and you're thinking bad thing, but I mean it in a good way here. (if you can think of the right word to use, let me know).

I have been won over by the limited batch and I am very ok with that. Maple fans will love this and I'm guessing the majority of the rest of us will greatly appreciate it as well. The worst thing I could say is that part of me wishes there was a brownie bit in every bite, but hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Great job on this one, thanks for the snack!

On Second Scoop: Quality stuff, no denying it. If you love maple, go buy a few pints. If you want something sweet, go buy a pint. This one's different, but you should definitely try it.

Turkey Hill Ice Cream Strawberries and Cream

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!

Hmmmmm, I expected a lot more strawberries than this. I dug a bit further after this picture and the situation didnt improve much. I'm guessing they are all at the bottom.

We dug in and my daughter is really enjoying her bowl, but I'm not nearly as impressed. I was hoping for strawberries and cream, but what I really have is cream and strawberries. I can live with an uneven distribution of strawberry chunks, but the flavor is more mellow than I had hoped. The texture is nice, the quality is nice, but there just isnt' enough strawberry tang for me. Sure it beats being too potent or having some unpleasant artificial taste, but I set myself for one thing and was delivered another.

The strawberry bits are decent, but I wish there were more of them. If you manage to scoop a strawberry bit and not too much ice cream, the flavor ratio goes back in favor of the strawberries, so the whole bite will taste more like a traditional strawberry ice cream.

It says strawberries and cream, not strawberry, so I should have known I guess. Oh well, it's still a well made ice cream, it's just not made the way I wanted at the moment. I'm sure you will enjoy this IF you are in the mood for something mellow.

On Second Scoop: mmmm, nice mellow filling for an Ice Cream Sandwich.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup (66g) Servings Per Container 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 120	from Fat 50
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	9%
- Sat Fat 3.5g	18%
- Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 20mg	7%
Sodium 35mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	5%
- Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
- Sugars 12g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 4%	Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 6%	Iron 0%

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 Ice Cream Pistachio Pistachio

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?

So, this is what it looks likes up close. For whatever reason, I was half expecting it to have a green color, or at least a green hue, but it doesn't. There is a decent scattering of pistachios, and there is a smell that is hard to miss. The funny thing is, the smell reminds me of angel food cake crust. Actually, the taste kind of does to. I should admit something though. I almost spit out the first bite. It took me totally by surprise and I really wasn't sure what to do with myself. I did manage to proceed but the pistachio funk was having a cumulative effect on me. The base ice cream seems extra creamy which I'm enjoying, but the overall flavor is overpowering me.

I started mixing my ice cream with some Hard Pretzels at about a 1:1 ratio. It did a decent job of taking the edge off and the creaminess is a nice contrast to the crunchiness. I managed to finish an entire serving of this peculiar ice cream, though I don't see myself finishing this pint.

This ice cream is just so powerful and unique that I can't imagine that it is is a huge seller. You know, I'm never happy. Either a flavor is too bland or too powerful. If you love pistachios, you'll love this. If not, well, save your saturated fat intake for something you'll enjoy more.

On Second Scoop: Well, I called it, it's been 6 weeks and I finally had a few more bites of this flavor. It's not that it's a bad product, I just can't get into the flavor. I was ready for the funk this time, and part of me feels like I should not waste ...maybe I'll try again in another 6 weeks.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup (101g) Servings Per Container 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250	from Fat 150
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	25%
- Sat Fat 9g	45%
- Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 65mg	21%
Sodium 55mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 22g	7%
- Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
- Sugars 18g
Protein 5g
Vitamin A 10%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 15%	Iron 4%

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 ( Caramel Swirl Chunk )

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 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.

I'm very hungry so I can't wait to dig in. Snickers really satisfies and my growling belly needs filling. The first few bites actually make me think of Crunch 'n Munch. I take a few more bites as I examine my prey. There are several thin caramel swirls to be seen, and all of the big brown spots you see are coated peanuts. Unfortunately, those tiny brown spots you see are my beloved Snickers "Chunks" which have been blended into oblivion.

I like the way that tiny bits of Snickers add an overall mild snickers flavor to the base vanilla ice cream. However, I would appreciate it if they would go back when the mixing was done and actually add in some real Snickers chunks like they promised me on the label. Yes I understand that frozen Snickers chunks are quite hard, and probably a mild dental work hazard, but a promise is a promise. I want Snickers!

The caramel swirl is just fine. It's a fairly mild flavor by itself. I didn't really get an overly salty or artificial flavor from it. Ice Cream Texture is also good and way better than that funky stuff I found in Edy's MAXX. This flavor may have chunkless shortcomings, but at least it's made like a real ice cream.

At the moment I'm going to rate this one as decent, but not as good as I wanted it to be. Sometimes extreme hunger clouds my judgement a little, so I'll head into the second scoop expecting a serving that has more mild flavor than I had hoped for. Plus, I'll still be digging for Snicker Chunks, though I know I probably won't find any.

On Second Scoop: I went to reach for some tasty morning waffles and decided to have a few bites of Snickers instead. Problem is, I still don't really think it tastes like snickers. The base does have a mild snickers flavor, but if you get some of the swirl, you're easily transported to caramel land. There's not even a snickers after taste. Oh well, it's not bad, it's just not really Snickers.

On the road again

hehehehehe, not me, I'm talking about the blog called "Eating the Road". I'm fairly new to it myself having only just seen it for the first time a few weeks ago. On my first read, I left the blog with a smile as they have discovered a very unique use for flowcharts. Well, I got an email today letting me know there's a new one up and I agree that we can all appreciate this one: What Should I Eat - Freezer Aisle Edition (flowchart). Be sure to check out the other flowcharts when you are done (they are listed near the top of the post).

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.

Well, it's time to pick one up and do my own taste test, it's the only way to be sure.

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 whole 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 do 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 continued 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 Butterfinger MAXX ice cream

"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.

No cone required.
No bowl necessary.

RIP OFF the lid,

GRAB a spoon

and JUST DIG IN!

Those are their words on the side, not mine. My little pint also reads Vanilla Ice Cream with Nestle Butterfinger Candy Pieces and a Peanut Butter swirl. I don't know if it will be as tasty as that DQ Butterfinger blizzard I really wanted, but you don't know 'til you try.

Crack open the container. There's no seal, so the off-white ice cream is fully exposed with little orange butterfinger bits everywhere. Lots of bits is a good sign, but where are the chocolate ones?

I see the peanut butter swirl in the middle, so let's dig into that. Yup, definitely peanut butter, but the swirl thickness varies so it's not super potent. I dig into a thicker spot. It's a nice respectable peanut butter, no complaints on the flavor. It's also not too salty or dry.

Ok, I've downed 1 of 4 servings and I've only had one sizable butterfinger bit, the rest are quite small. The ice cream has melted a bit from the walk back (even though I brought my lunch bag and ice packs), so I tempted to keep digging and looking for more bits. I occasional hit a chocolate one, but overall this ice cream seems to be about the Butterfinger's insides.

ugggg, it was way too easy to eat 2+ servings and now that I've sat for a few minutes, I'm feeling a bit too full and I might need to go for another walk. Overall I have enjoyed my experience, but I'll probably stick with Edy's Loaded Butterfinger next time I need my Butterfinger fix. This ice cream is decent, but I'm not basking in it's glory or anything like that. I guess the thing that gets me is the lack of chocolate. Butterfinger is about crunchy peanut butter with a complimentary chocolate shell, but I'm just not feeling the chocolate here

Now that I've had MAXX, you would think I would understand it's place in the world, but I really don't. My first assumption was that it would be loaded with Butterfinger bits "TO THE EXTREME MAXX", but it isn't. Well, technically it's loaded, but when those bits are itty bitty, it's just not the same.

Is MAXX meant to compete with H-D and B&J maybe? At 30%, it's got a fairly high saturated fat content like those other 2, but it's not like the ice cream was exceptionally rich, thick or creamy. The texture was kinda funky actually. Not chewy, but not quite right either.

I'm trying to find a press release or pretty much any official speak about MAXX but I'm not having much luck.... I always get confused when a product line isn't even on the manufacturer's website.

Flashback: Who remembers Butterfinger BBs?

On Second Scoop: Well, it wasn't hard to finish off the last third of this container. This is a decent little treat with a mild butterfinger taste. The peanut butter stays in the shadows and only once on my second scoop did I get a bite that tasted more like peanut butter than like butterfinger. I also only hit one more butterfinger bit and it was maybe pee size. Maybe the fat content is based on more butterfinger bits and this is actually the healthier version ....yeah, probably not.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup (74g) Servings Per Container4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 210	from Fat 100
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	17%
- Sat Fat 6g	30%
- Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25mg	8%
Sodium 90mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 24g	8%
- Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
- Sugars 18g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 4%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 6%	Iron 0%

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.

 

Right off the bat, things are looking better. There are those infamous Edy's marshmallows everywhere. Call me a kid, but hot cocoa ain't hot cocoa without marshmallow. Those plentiful editions are more than enough to make me anxious for my first bite.

I dig in and overall it's surprisingly good. The marshmallows are chewy like they always are, and they taste a bit off like they always do, but they are better than nothing (I'm looking at you Starbucks). I don't know if I would describe the base ice cream as hot cocoa, though I will admit to getting a little bit of a Swiss Miss vibe from the whole thing. It's basically milk chocolate flavor as you would expect. I still don't feel that HOT cocoa is a fair label for any ICE cream, but this ice cream has a secret weapon.

The best part of this ice cream? 30 fat calories per serving, so it's easy to justify plopping 2 or 3 servings in your bowl. We cracked this open on Sunday and as of last night we've (mostly me) have gone through about 10 of the 12 "servings" in the container. Yes, it's rubbery like most of Edy's slow churned flavors, but hey, it matches the marshmallows! wait, that wasn't nice, but honestly, I am more forgiving of Edy's reliance on chemicals when they manage to nail down a very respectable flavor. It's not awesome, it's not the best ever, but when you're still feeling loaded down from turkey day, a tasty light flavor like this is just what you need.

Don't expect the moon on this one, and be ready for the texture, but I'm having way too much fun finishing this one off not to recommend it to everyone.