I almost puked up the new Oreo Coolatta

[New for Summer 2012, returned for Spring 2014, returned for Summer 2015]

I try really hard not to be disgusting on this blog. I want it to be the kind of blog you can show your kids without fear of scarring them for life, or even for a few moments. However, even I have my limits and I literally almost puked up my Oreo Coolatta while coming home on the Mass Pike Friday night. (Note: The Chips Ahoy! Coolatta isn't much better)

Sure, he looks innocent enough, but evil lurks inside!

Friendly's Nutty Caramel Crunch Sundae Review

2016 Update: Now called Candy Bar Sundae

Ok, let's make this one quick, because frankly, that's all it deserves.

You see, I have a love-hate relationship with Friendly's Sundae Cups (formerly Friendly's Sundaes To-Go). I want to love them. Their cheap, their convienient, and they should be awesome because of what they are based on... but it's luck of the draw with these things, and this one is a loser.

Friendly's Nutty Caramel Crunch Sundae Ice Cream

nougat ice cream, topped with caramel & fudge, chocolate covered peanuts & chips

Haagen-Dazs Spiced Caramel Biscuit A limited edition ice cream review

Mmmmmm, ice cream for breakfast....  Ok, technically it was the second part of my breakfast, but it was still before 9AM. What can I say? I always get an urge for dairy on Sunday mornings! Usually I just make a tall glass of chocolate milk, but since the fridge is bare, I needed my fix another way.

That's were Haagen-Dazs comes in to play with their Limited Edition spiced caramel biscuit. If that sounds a little scary, then catch the description "for centuries, Belgian and Dutch bakers have perfected their traditional speculoos: crisp, buttery, sweetly spiced biscuits blah blah blah sugary, crunchy, cinnamon-sparked biscuit pieces blah blah caramel ice cream blah blah blah". Specaloos are a non-dairy, non-egg, non-nut cookie that we keep in the house (it's also made into a spread that I mentioned in this review). Speculoo is no Oreo, but it's a respectable cookie.

Rice Dream Chocolate Pie A non-dairy treat review

[By Nick] Did you know June is Nation Dairy Alternative Month? Yeah I had no idea up until a couple of days ago. What better way to celebrate this random holiday then by trying out a dairy free treat? Rice milk has been one of the only ice cream alternatives I’ve yet to try. Blame it on lack of opportunities or skepticism on my part but it just never seemed all that appealing to me. That’s all about to change because wandering through a health food store lead me to finding these Rice Dream Frozen Chocolate Pies. 

 I’m not really a fan of pies so I was about to put them back until I read their description. These are made up of chocolate rice dream that is sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies and then dipped in chocolate. Is it just me or does this sound like the dairy-free* version of the infamous west coast treat, the It’s-It? Being that I reside on the east coast, I’ve never tried an original It’s It before (send me some ;]), so I guess these will have to do. 

Wonka Chocolate Snowflakes Ice Cream Review

[New for 2012, retired April 2013] Ok, I forgot to have some Wonka mowing fuel this week (I was too busy inhaling Milky Way ice cream bars), but last week I finally dug into those supposed "melt in your mouth" flakes.

Can't wait to flip this puppy over

And enjoy some chocolate snowflakes.

Vanilla ice cream with Melt-in-your-mouth chocolaty flakes

Half price Sonic Summer Solstice Shakes on June 20th

We just finished watching the season premier of Suits and what did we see but a commercial reminding us that Sonic shakes are half price all day tomorrow, June 20th. You know, Sonic opens at 6 a.m..... I wonder if I could get one for breakfast?

So go ahead and get yourself a Sonic Shake tomorrow. They are open until midnight (or later in some locations) and there are currently six flavors available. The more common flavors are vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, but then Sonic goes and spices things up with Banana, Pineapple, and Caramel flavors. If by chance you don't make it, don't forget that shakes are half price after 8 p.m. (which is kind of the best time to get one when the sun is setting, there's a light breeze, you're hangin' with friends and family.... sorry, reminiscing)

To make sure you are excited for tomorrow, Sonic has shared a little gift card love with us. There's a $20 gift card in it for me (we haven't been there since we tried the Sundae Shakes) and then there's a $20 gift card for one lucky winner. To make my life easy, we're going to make this a facebook contest again. Go over to the second scoop facebook page and leave a comment on the Sonic Shake post. I'll let the contest run for a few days and then we'll pick a winner.

Update: Thea London is our winner! Congrats!

Life is a highway...

Life is a highway...

...I want to drive a Carvel car!

Click to zoom in

We saw these while wandering through Target today. It's a set of six Carvel inspired Hot Wheels "Classics" and they were tempting to buy... had they not been $4.49 a piece! What a rip considering regular hot wheels were on sale for 84 cents. Where do they get off charging that much?

I'm not sure the '57 Buick fits in, but whatever, it's all good.... except the price.

This has nothing to do with ice cream, but I was excited non the less.

Oh, and yesterday I was at whole foods. I pick up some on sale gelato and a special pair of west coast surprises (no, not Its-It), but I saw a few other things that caught my attention.

These don't say new, but I've never seen these two flavors of Oikos Organic Nonfat Greek frozen yogurt before. Peach Mango seems somewhat standard for a yogurt, but the Super Fruits certainly made me giggle a little. It's a high flying mix of Pomegranate, Raspberry, and Acai. That's right, my buddy raspberry worked his way in between two mega, ultra, super duper fruits.

Whoa! Are those "new" flavors of Julie's gluten free ice cream sandwiches? Hey, don't go, bear with me. Check out those flavors: Carrot Cake with Ginger Cookies and the other is Cherry Cheesecake. Hehehehe, now those are some mighty sandwiches! (the other one is the older lemon yogurt with vanilla cookies). I was very tempted to try these. I wish they were individually wrapped or had a mixed pack.

Ok, off to finish up a few reviews. Have a good day!

Skinny Cow Slimited Edition Mmmmocha Truffle A low fat ice cream treat review

[By Nick, 2012 only] Ever since my experience with Gelati-Da, I’ve had a serious craving for coffee ice cream. I had originally set out to find Blue Bunny’s Cup o’ Coffee Cake but to my disappointment they were all sold out. Feeling defeated, I went to exit the ice cream isle when out of nowhere the word new caught my eye. Skinny Cow Slimited Edition Mmmmocha truffle bars? Being a fan of puns and enjoying other truffle bars, I knew I had to pick these up.

It looks like Skinny Cow’s marketing department took some classes from the Ben & Jerry’s folks. Slimited is almost ingenious while Mmmmocha seems to be a stretch to me. I would’ve gone with Mooocha but that’s just my humble opinion. Though the inclusion of a coffee bean for the ‘o’ is pretty clever in itself.

Happy Gary's Day!

I just wanted to take a minute to wish you all a very Happy Gary's Day!

"Umm, Dubba, It's Father's Day"

Yes, I know that, I was at the father's day brunch, so I know what day it is. Thing is, it's a weird day for those of us lacking a certain positive parental role model. Thankfully, sometimes someone steps in to fill those shoes. In my case, his name is Gary.

He's not so much a father figure as he is a friend, mentor, and guardian angel. When I was trying to land my first full time job, he got me a job at his company. When that company fell apart, he found me another job at his new company. And even when I tried to ditch him for a start-up that fell apart, he got me my job back. I never thought I was deserving of this confidence in my abilities, but he never gave up, never wavered in his faith of me.

This is more than him being the best boss ever. This is him always being in the right spot when I needed someone to show me the way. The teenage years are confusing when you don't have a dad around. If I needed advice on anything, he was there. My wife teases me that I'm his fourth kid. I even remember telling him I had a girlfriend but I didn't know how to tell my mom. He told me honesty was the best policy, and he was right. (That girlfriend would be my wife someday)

I don't remember exactly when it was, but he taught me a philosophy that I live by to this day. Hopefully I can convey it to you. We were trying to fix a computer and the conversation went something like this.

Gary:  Ok, give it a try
Me:  Well, what if I break it?
Gary:  If you break it, we'll fix it, no big deal.

That may sound simple, it may not even seem like advice, but when you are a kid with no confidence, this was a turning point for me. From that moment on, I feared less and trusted myself more. Oh sure, I've broken plenty of crap along the way, but Gary was there to help me fix it. The man has the biggest heart I know of. Even when I was cranky or being a jerk, he was still watching out for me and helping me through the mess. In time, I learned to keep calm and focused. Now when stuff breaks, people freak out, but I'm the one sitting there going "we'll fix it, no big deal".

So, to this great man who has bought me more blizzards and hot fudges sundaes then you can possibly imagine, I say thanks. You deserve a day because I know you'll never let me repay you for all you've done for me... I mean that literally, I've tried, he won't let me pay him back.

Taste of Inspirations Pomegranate & Blueberry A Greek Frozen Yogurt Review

[By Nick] Serious question, are pomegranates still trendy or have we moved on to the next super fruit? The pomegranate has to be the health food equivalent to bacon. It seems like we’ve combined it with just about everything possible. Now I like the taste of pomegranates but just like my feelings toward bacon, it’s not that special.

Taste of Inspirations Pomegranate & Blueberry Greek Frozen Yogurt

Some kind of Brownie Sundae from Burger King A non-baconated treat review

You know, BK must be loving all the attention it got this week. I mean, the new bacon sundae was on NPR's morning edition for crying out loud. I then get out of my car, walk into work, and everyone is debating the merits of bacon and ice cream. We firmly had the usual two camps of "this is awesome" and "that's just crazy"... oh alright, I admit it was fun to hear a little ice cream banter at work.

Well...   I went to BK and all I got was some poorly made Brownie Sundae sans Bacon. I mean, I won't argue that it's pretty awesome looking with those brownies sticking out, but there was no site or sign of bacon-y goodness on the BK menu (and in their defense, I did not ask since I was in a terrible hurry). So, I settled on something that was new as of the end of last year. That's right, I sat there patiently waiting for my plain old boring sundae while a man on a giant rock in the middle of the pacific un-frighteningly enjoys his Bacon Sundae. That's not right... or something. I mean, I'm happy Marvo got one, but don't we all deserve bacon?

Actually I wouldn't be complaining had my sundae actually been made decently. Would it kill them to heat my brownie? And for that matter, it's called HOT fudge for a reason. I don't even know if I should call this one a "double brownie sundae" since there are two brownie chunks, or is this supposed to be the "Oreo brownie sundae" because I sure don't taste any Oreos.

Uggg, have I mentioned the hot fudge was real room temperature fudge? At that temp, it wasn't very tasty. It was strong but the flavor could have been much better. I want gooey sauce on my sundae, not thick and potent. (note: apparently BK never puts the hot in their hot fudge). The brownies were decent, neither spectacular nor awful. Somewhat heavy, not too gooey or oily, or to dry. I guess unremarkable would be the word.

This sundae really only had one thing going for it : it was HUGE! As the manager handed me the sundae I was shocked at how big it was. I realized that this would have been more than enough to fill me for lunch. It's gigantic and explains why it's over 500 calories.

Verdict?  I expected a lot more
Buy Again?  Not on my to-do list

Win a Free Engraved Ice Cream Scoop!

Time for a history lesson:

We all know Zeroll, we just don't know we know Zeroll. See, in 1933, Sherman Kelly developed and patented the infamous Zeroll ice cream scoop. It's the one with the liquid in the handle that transfers the heat from your hand to the scoop to help keep it defrosted.

The company was officially started (in a Toledo, Ohio garage) in 1935. I had no idea that this non-mechanical scoop also creates a bigger looking scoop, meaning less ice cream in every scoop - something that saves scoop shoppes money. You can read more here.

So why the history lesson? Because the other day, Zeroll left a message on my facebook wall telling me about a little contest they are having. If you comment on this Zeroll wall post, you will be entered to win one of 5 personally engraved ice cream scoops. All you have to do is share a nice memory of your dad.

Right now you have a 1 in 2 chance of winning, so what do you have to lose?

Blue Bunny Naturally Chocolate Vanilla Swirl A Frozen Yogurt Review

[New for 2012] One of the fundamental problems with any blog is putting stuff into context. I can't control which of hundreds of reviews you are going to land on, I can only do my best to write each review as if it's my first in the hopes that whoever finds the review will understand whatever it is I am trying to babble.

Let me say it another way. Somebody landed on an old Kemp's froyo review and was offended that I picked on what they buy every week. Look, we all enjoy whatever we enjoy. I'm not saying you can't. If you like something that's fine, it's great really, leave a comment and let us know how you feel. It may be my blog but your opinion matters too. Sure, "it's the best ever" is a comment, but how about "the low fat nature mixed with a huge assortment of flavors makes me happy". See, now I understand your side of the story plus I can make an intelligent response like "yes, these factors are both true.... but have you tried blue bunny froyo yet?"

You see my friends, one of the reasons I was hard on Kemps is not because they were trying, they probably have the biggest froyo flavor range around, but there are better choices out there. One choice in particular has been revamped this year. I've enjoyed BB Vanilla froyo, so let's see what's next.

This is new Blue Bunny Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Naturally Frozen Yogurt. That's right, Blue Bunny has gone completely natural for their frozen yogurt and these review friendly pint sized containers are available all across the country at Wal-mart, Shaws, and other various grocery store chains.

Skinny Cow Strawberry Cheesecake A Low Fat Ice Cream Review

[By Nick, discontinued before 2013 season] I will never understand why cheesecake has such a following. I mean come on, it’s an okay dessert but definitely not something that deserves a restaurant devoted to it. I guess I just don’t appreciate cheese in my desserts. I’ve never liked cannolis, which being Italian is practically considered sacrilegious, and tiramisu has never done it for me either. Putting my bias aside, I saw this little single serve container of Skinny Cow Strawberry Cheesecake and thought “what the heck?” and decided to give it a shot.

I’ve only tried one kind of cheesecake ice cream in the past. Walgreens makes a store brand strawberry cheesecake and I’ll admit that I found it to be pretty good. Hopefully Skinny Cow will continue my positive run into the cheesy ice cream world.

This cup is definitely a winner and a failure.

Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche A Low Fat Ice Cream Bar Review

[By Nick] I don't know about you guys but I crave ice cream on a daily basis. Now I know it wouldn't be too good for me if I eat the premium stuff every day. To satisfy these craving without expanding my waistline, I've tried many different frozen novelties. Sure some novelties are just as bad for me but there are certain brands marketed towards the "health conscious". This leads me into reviewing...

Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Bar

Friday Night Fight Milky Way VS Milky Way Ice Cream Bar

[New for 2012] Wow, talk about a bizarre coincidence. All week long I've been planning a special Friday night fight. Then, out of the blue yesterday I get an email asking me if I want to come to the Milky Way Ice Cream Bar unveiling.... out in California! Ahhhh, it's a little too far to drive overnight, but with any luck, the tour bus will make it's way to the East Coast before the summer is through (see the press release at the bottom of this post). It's been a year since the last fight, so let's get this party started!

In the brown trunks, we have the original and still beloved Milky Way Bar. Clocking in at 58.1 grams and 270 calories chock full of rich chocolate, creamy caramel, and smooth nougat. This fellow will turn 90 years old next year, yet has outlasted many of his rivals.

Wonka Chocolate Chipper Chip Ice Cream Review

[New for 2012, retired April 2013] When I was talking with Dennis the other day, it was bringing back a lot of memories of various lofty goals that I had when starting this blog. One of these "fundamentals" was suppose to be balance. The balance of work and breaks, chores and play.... saturated fat and exercise. I'm not exactly ready for a dirt nap, but that doesn't mean I don't have to balance out the premium ice creams with a little bit of work to burn it off. To be a little more specific, I've been using these Wonka pints as mowing fuel. Some before or some after, it doesn't matter, it's all good and tasty (and rewarding).

This was my fuel from last week... wait, hold on...

Wonka Chocolate Chipper Chip

Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Potato Chip Bark and Swirls

(I know, it looks like peanuts, but bear with me)

It's a brave new world

Wow, 2012 certainly has been a time of change for the blog hasn't it? First I finally join Facebook. Then, I actually trust someone to be a writer on the site and now I've gone ahead and let myself be a guest on a podcast. See what happens when you don't sleep? You do all kinds of crazy things.... I'm teasing, I'm teasing.

All these changes are good things I think, but I am looking for your feedback and constructive criticism. Please leave a comment and be honest about what you think, as long as you don't hurt my feelings, then I'll just be sad.

A treat mentioned in the podcast

photo courtesty of Awesome HQ

Ok. A big thanks to Dennis of Dennis Has a Podcast for inviting me to be a guest on his show. You can grab the MP3 from his site or download the show from iTunes. Just think, you can listen to ice cream talk while going to work, walking, riding a bike, cooking dinner, anything. It's a whole new way to get involved with the wonderful world of frozen treats.

Dairy Queen Turtle Brownie with Pecan Blizzard of the Month

[New for 2012] That's right, June 2012 blizzard of the month is the brand new Turtle Brownie with Pecan blizzard. Some of you might be thinking "hey, that sounds oddly familiar?". Well, you are partially right. January 2010 gave us the Turtle Pecan blizzard which had the same base ingredients except now we've got brownies in the mix.

So here is the official view.

And here's my treat from Monday! 

Schwan's Triple Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream Review

[New for 2012] To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the very first Schwan's ice cream delivery, Schwan's has released a limited edition flavor. I haven't personally tried the service yet, but I know one of my neighbors gets a delivery every week, so there's an endorsement right there.

As fair warning, I got this sample for free. If you want to try it, it's #302 on the Schwan's website.

Schwan's Triple Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

A blend of white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate ice creams

loaded with white and dark chocolatey chunks

Double Chocolate Klondike Bar A Treat Review

[By Nick] In my ongoing attempt not to review something Dubba already has or is going to do, I’m led to review one of my new standbys: The Double Chocolate Klondike Bar.

I have no idea when these were released but I got my first taste of these last year and have placed these into my ice cream novelty rotation (yes I have a rotation, don’t judge me). What could possibly make chocolate better? Double up the chocolate of course!

Babcock Hall Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Review

[By Nick] As we continue on this ice cream source odyssey of mine, we take the flavor less traveled, mint. Well in my case anyway. Just like coffee, I just recently started acquiring a taste for mint. Also like coffee though, it has to be a team player and not try to dominate everything. If I want to taste some potent mint, I’ll just use some Listerine. Today’s pint is brought to us from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Babcock Hall Mint Chocolate Cookie.

Is it just me or does the idea of your college having its own ice cream plant seem surreal? If I knew that was possible, I think that might have influenced my decision of what school to go to. I guess if it’s spectacular ice cream, I could always just transfer.