Peanut Butter Cup

Last night I went into the store with FULL intentions of getting a flavor without chocolate. I read all the descriptions to each flavor and found this one that had no chocolate in the breakdown…. I was about 4 minutes from work this morning when I had a vision…PEANUT BUTTER CUPS HAVE CHOCLATE!!! I so failed in my mission. But the failures didn’t stop there.

Peanut Butter Cup Verdict:

You know when you have too much of something and you get sick of it after a while? Well that is this flavor in the first bite. I had fears that I would feel like a dog when you give them peanut butter…Licking, licking, licking. Damn, I was correct. Where’s my milk?

Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cups

I honestly wish I could blame someone on this flavor…where is Michelle and her bad recommendations when I need her? I love all things Reesee’s…the cups, the pieces and everything in between. This ice cream ISN’T one of them. It’s like the red headed stepchild in the family…you don’t really want to acknowledge it as part of the family, but you don’t have an option.

Where to start? UGH! First, the cups portions are too BIG. They literally took the mini cups, cut them in half and threw them in. While scooping the ice cream, well let me restate that, while attempting to scoop the ice cream I hit ever Gosh Darn cup and couldn’t scoop it. Now for future non-friendly scooping flavors: Don’t get between me and my ice cream, you’re red headed cousin almost got thrown across the kitchen. Okay, now they peanut butter ice cream…just WRONG! Stay in-between my PB&J sandwiches, my celery sticks and cookies…STAY OUT of my ice cream.

This week I have decided to include some commentary from my friend Roni. She eats the ice cream with me and manages my blog… “I guess I should give it a try even though I don’t like peanut butter. I mean this could make me like peanut butter.” * She takes a small bite * “Okay, I still don’t like peanut butter.” I died of laughter, I knew she didn’t like peanut butter, but give her an A for effort.

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Volun-Tirsmisu

From the moment I picked this flavor out of the frozen desserts section, I was unaware of the gem I had stumbled upon. When I went to cross this flavor off the list was when I realized one thing…IT WASN’T THERE. I didn’t know what to do. So my friend Veronica logged on the good ole’ Internet and got to the bottom of it. This is what she found, “Volun-Tiramisu and (mystery flavor for another week). Both are intended to promote volunteerism.” And are ONLY sold at Target. If I was paid in Ben & Jerry’s I will volunteer under most circumstances.

Volun-Tiramisu Verdict:

I am trying not to let all the excitement from finding this flavor impair my reviews. I get overly excited with the small things in life…ok, not all small things, but in this instance I am. I have to say that I am only fond of my families Tiramisu that comes from my grandparent’s kitchen…and some cousins. So I started with the normal interpretation of any Tiramisu…I smelt it. Yes, smell is a big factor. For me it allows me to estimate the amount of Rum and espresso. Too much Rum scares me because when I was 14 visiting family in Italy we had a rum soaked dessert. We thought it was just normal pastry. And since it was given to us (after multiple No Grazie) at the dinner table my cousin Phillip and I, 13 & 14 respectively, had no other choice then to attempt to finish it. Well we couldn’t. I literally was about to vomit all over the table…and after many pleas to our grandpa who wasn’t going to let us leave that table until it was done…he let us leave. We were even telling our grandpa that we would give them money for wasting food. He just kicked us out of the house and said, go, get out of here. We walked out with our head handing low and got the hell out of there before he changed his mind. And that memory will live with me forever…. as will all the memories on that trip.

Coffee Mascarpone Ice Cream with Coca Dusted Coffee Rum Lady Finger Pieces
Now the real tasting had to cross all those barriers before I could even think happy thoughts of it. Well I do have to say that I have had some B-A-D Tiramisu in my days. But luckily this was not one of them. Obviously they couldn’t give me the same texture that I so love, but they sure got the flavor. Some positive features where that they didn’t over soak the ladyfingers, and they WEREN’T soggy. I hate soggy ladyfingers…yuck! And the coffee flavor ice cream would have been great alone. I have to say, with the flavor, non-soggy ladyfingers and the message it brings I have to say, GOOD JOB!

I know for some it takes you out of your comfort zone by having to journey to a specific store to purchase this flavor…. but I say step outside the box and go to Target. You never know what the journey may bring you. And if you ever come across a rum soaked pastry, take my word, and RUN and run FAST!

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Cinnamon Buns

Earlier this week I stumbled across the Ben & Jerry’s Euphori-Lock…I have to say, it basically made my entire week. I no longer will have to worry about placing my pint in the freezer at home, because I can now safely lock it up and walk away. But my mom and sister told me, “Your lock can’t stop us…we’ll just go through the bottom of the carton”…Game on ladies.

Cinnamon Buns Verdict:

Zia Shawn recommended this weeks flavor to me and I wanted to say thank you from the get go. We spent A LOT of time over at her house growing up and have a lot of fond memories at their home… I have to say that one of my fondest memories with Zia Shawn would have to be when I was around 15-16. She took my cousin Krissy and I to the mall and I remember we were sitting in the back seat of their van driving through the parking lot when all off a sudden she rolled down her window. As we looked out across the parking lot we saw kids around our age walking with their pants sagging way too low for Zia Shawn’s liking. Out of the blue she yells out the window, “Hey boys, pull your pants up!” That’s all it took for me an Krissy to quickly slide down in our seats and pray we could just get out of there. Love you Zia Shawn!

Caramel Ice Cream with Cinnamon Bun Dough & a Cinnamon Streusel Swirl

I can only compare this to the mall phenomenon of the “bakery” known as CinnaBun. It’s difficult to walk by that place anytime I walk by the food court because the smell of the warm-gooey frosting, flowing down the sides of a cinnamon bun is heavenly.

After I ate more of the ice cream I was able to compare it to my favorite cereal growing up…Cinnamon Toast Crunch. My favorite was after I finished the cereal, I got to drink the milk that had all the cinnamon sugar that came off the squares. And when I want to indulge, I do still fancy myself a good ole bowl on Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Ok done going down memory lane, the final verdict.

I have to say, if you removed the Cinnamon Bun Dough this would be the perfect flavor. My one and only complaint about the bun dough would have to be the granulated sugar that got stuck between your teeth after eating it. I did enjoy it, but I feel like I need to go brush my teeth now because I know my dentist wouldn’t be happy. If you are not a big sugar person I would stay clear. For some it may be too sweet…and honestly, I will eat it again, but after just that one scoop I have a stomachache from all the sugar. But the Caramel Ice Cream with the Cinnamon Streusel Swirl is amazing on its own. Unlike the cookie dough, where that’s the highlight in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, I would have to say that the Cinnamon dough doesn’t follow in its footsteps. I can manage to easily eating 3 at the most.

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Half Baked...

This morning was one of those mornings where I thought to myself…you know what, this is going to be a great day. I know, how giddy. So there I am standing in the checkout stand and the guy in front of me is asking about getting cash back. I heard $120.00, and thought he must have some good plans for tonight. Then after he gets his money back I hear the change machine drop change…I was a little confused… the cashier then preceded to hand him a dollar. This fool wanted a $1.20 back in cash. I was just speechless and dumbfounded. Now it’s my time to check out and the teller tells me, you’re the first to buy ice cream this early in the morning…. It was 7:20am and it was ice cream, not alcohol. I could have a worse addiction.

Half Baked Verdict:

Thinking back about the incident at the checkout stand, and eating this ice cream, I don’t think I was the only one “half baked” this morning.

Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Creams with Fudge Brownies & Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Half Baked puts a twist on the traditional Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough…Well I love the new twist of an outdated combination. I enjoyed CCCD, but I will officially be divorcing the “old” and be adapting to the new version of a classic. And I am not going to lie; I favor brownies in a lot of different desserts, and it’s necessary to include brownies with a name of Half Baked. And the cookie dough, it ACTUALLY tastes like the cookie dough that I use to eat out of the bowl when my mom made homemade cookies.

Once again, I find myself praising a great flavor. The one thing I have to say about Ben & Jerry’s is that they don’t skimp on any incidents. When they say brownies, they mean BROWNIES, and when they say cookie dough, they put chunks of cookie dough in there. After having ice cream that includes good-sized portions of incidents, I may never go back to that crap that makes you salvage through the ice cream looking for any form of chunks. This carton may find itself in my freezer when I am in times of need and stress.

Oh and before I forget…. this carton may NOT make it home tonight. I am not making any promises to my family members who wait patiently for me to bring home my newest flavor.

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Chunky Monkey

Well this week I had a mission when I walked into that grocery store…and it was my next victim of the Ben & Jerry’s family. This weeks flavor was recommended from my friend Veronica. And knowing Roni so well, I was a little surprised when she recommended this flavor. To know Roni you would know that she has amazing taste in food and desserts, but her likeness to Banana is VERY limited. Banana, Peanut Butter and lemon all have that love/hate relationship with her.

Chunky Monkey Verdict:

I like all the ingredients in this carton…I like bananas, fudge and walnuts…it’s kind of like an ice cream Sunday in a 1-pint jug. And who doesn’t love the All-American Sunday?

Banana Ice Cream with Fudge Chunks & Walnuts

First, and foremost, I can’t complain about this at ALL. The texture, flavoring and just simplicity of the whole idea was a home run. Banana can sometimes be extremely overwhelming, but the tone of the flavoring was kept to a minimum and it truly tasted like you were eating a banana. And once you added in the fudge chunk and the walnuts, it tasted just like you were eating banana nut bread. And I know banana nut bread; my mom makes amazing banana nut bread. We will sometimes let the bananas get too ripe to eat just so she has to make some. She is a smart woman, I am sure she has caught onto our schemes by now.

If you are looking for a refreshing cold treat on a hot summer night I would recommend going to your local grocery store, walking directly to the freezer section and picking up a carton. But do use caution, all those flavors may spark a little bit of curiosity and you may be walking out with multiple flavors.
Thanks Roni for a great selection this week. And I should have known not to be surprised when you suggested this flavor. After all, you have good taste. But then again, I wouldn’t expect anything less from an amazing baker. I have been fortunate enough to have MANY of her creations over the years, and lets just put it this way…THEY’RE AMAZING.

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S'mores

Sometimes I want ice cream on Fridays, and sometimes I want to indulge on Thursdays. Well this week I wanted to start my weekend a little early. Yes, I still have to work tomorrow, but we are almost there. When I saw this flavor my first thoughts flashed back to my visit with my cousin Jen and her AWESOME family in Swansea, Massachusetts…Literally a jump and a skip across the Rhode Island state border. Even though I was only there for the night, and the following day, they sure did treat me to a lot of delicious treats. I do have to say that my favorite memory was when we were roasting marshmallows and making s’mores with my little cousins James and Lukas. Lukas kind of abandoned the whole s’more making process and just attacked the chocolate while carrying a marshmallow in his hand. I think he figured, if I have parts of the s’more in my hand I could eat all the chocolate I want. Lol. But even when Jen went in the house to clean up she specifically told Steve, her husband, no more chocolate for Lukas. Well your secret is safe with me Steve, and I wont tell her you allowed him to have more.

S’mores Verdict:

Where to start? S’mores are a universal campfire treat…Just the basic ingredients of a marshmallow, a square of chocolate slammed between two graham crackers halves. Roast the marshmallow to your own preference of tenderness and let the chocolate melt….MMMM good. It’s gooey, messy and just a remembrance of childhood.

Chocolate Ice Cream with Fudge Chunks, Toasted Marshmallow & a Graham Cracker Swirl!

I LOVE Chocolate so when I opened the container to find that it was chocolate heaven I was super stoked to jump in. I do have to give a fair warning, if you aren’t fond of chocolate, on chocolate, on chocolate I would pass this in your freezer section. And after a previous flavor, Karamel Sutra, which was truly “chocolate overkill” this was over board too, but I LOVED it. Was it the flavor that we have all grown to love? Sadly it wasn’t…It was missing the marshmallows and the graham crackers. I know they were in there, because the labels said so. But give me a break; those fools need to put more marshmallows and graham cracker swirl in. Occasionally I would get a taste of the graham cracker within the chocolate, and I enjoyed it, but the marshmallows were completely absent. MORE MARSHMALLOWS & GRAHAM CRAKERS!

Minus the “missing” ingredients, I would allow myself to get lost in this carton anytime I needed chocolate in my life. Ok I lied, I would allow this carton a home in my freezer anytime it found its way into my grocery cart.

Thanks Jen and Steve for the great memories. And even though I know Lukas probably doesn’t remember who I am anymore…. and I know this because after his nap and bedtime I had to treat the kid like he had amnesia. He acted like he had never seen me before. So we would start with a high-five and go from there. And I am sure James remembers who I am, because he got to camp out in his brothers room when I took over his room for the evening.

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Pistachio Pistachio

Well this week marks a special week in the office world at work because it marks our managers ump something birthday. The only stipulation with the flavor this week was that it COULDN’T include chocolate. She doesn’t eat chocolate. So I had a flavor in mind and handed over the list of flavors to my co-worker to choose the flavor of the week. And go figure, the flavor I had picked she picked too. SWEET!

Pistachio Pistachio Verdict:

I have been anticipating this flavor because I fell in love with the pistachio flavor when I was 14 and went to Italy for the first time. I realize that NOTHING compares to pistachio gelato, but I always love trying to find something that comes close. My addiction is luckily limited due to the lack of gelato creameries in Southern California. If there were I would be in BIG trouble, because when I was there a few years ago we had no issues have gelato multiple times a day. And yes, I would always include a scoop of pistachio on the pile of goodness. I think I need to make a trip to Italy just for it now. And we completely know where the gelato creamery is in Roma…. right down the alley from the Trevi Fountain. If you are ever in the area it is called Blue Ice.

Starting this week I am going to include the description on the carton because a few weeks back when I did Karamel Sultra, I mistakenly stated it was vanilla ice cream, when in fact it was caramel flavored…. My bad.

Pistachio Ice Cream with Lightly Roasted Pistachios…. I was sold at lightly toasted nuts. With the first bite I was in heaven, and wanted more. The mixture of the pistachios, which were full and not chopped, was great. I wanted more, but the more I ate the more overwhelming the pistachios came. I luckily only had a regular size scoop of it this week. I am not discounting the flavor because the nutty flavor was a tad much, I would actually like to try it with a mix of vanilla. I think the mix would calm the nutty taste and be a great compliment for my pallet. Hell, I will even just eat the pistachio flavored ice ream without the pistachios. It was so good. Will I be having this again, yes! I love pistachios, so I will be returning to this again.

Upon final review, it doesn’t come close to pistachio gelato, but it’s a good find for the need to fill that void. My heart still belongs to the gelato version. It has had a hold of my heart since I was 14 and hasn’t let go yet. I love you pistachio gelato, and we will meet again.

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