Another Sucre Shop Giveaway

Last week I was looking in a box of stuff that still hasn't been unpacked since we moved in January. I know, I know...if I haven't used it yet, I probably don't miss it or need it. But here's the thing: opening the box was like getting a birthday present! I found two packs of Sucre Shop vintage style ice cream cups!

I remembered that the amazing and awesome Brooke of Sucre Shop had offered to send them to me back in November but I was actually at the hospital delivering my daughter when she sent them so they got packed away in the move.

We used them the other day at a dinner party and they were a hit with the kids and the adults alike -- especially the adults who had ten fewer dishes to do! Note we even used Sucre Shop's cute spoons -- my two year old had been dying to use them!

You too can use these cute ice cream cups! Enter to win the second pack of ten cups that I uncovered... a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, enjoy, and thanks for the cool prize, Brooke!

P.S. The sprinkles in this picture are the best I've ever had. Check back for a posting about those sprinkles!

Hood's Greek Frozen Yogurt

As I mentioned in our Scooper Bowl post, a month or so ago, the folks at Hood sent over some samples of their new Greek Frozen Yogurt.

What a treat!

Before tasting it, I was weary about the Double Chocolate Chip. I like chocolate yogurt, but never as much as fruit yogurt. I was very pleasantly surprised once I tried it. It was so good!

To me, honey and Greek frozen yogurt are a given. Honey and Greece just go hand-in-hand in my mind. I'm not sure why. Is Greece known for its honey? I don't know. But never mind that. I wasn't surprised buy the honey but the Honey Vanilla was my least favorite. Maybe it's because I don't actually love honey. This one was very honey-y! But this isn't to say it was bad. I enjoyed it. It just wouldn't be my "vanilla" of choice if faced with a variety of vanillas. But if I were offered it, would I turn it down? Never!

My favorite though? I brought the Raspberry Granola over to a friend's house when our kids had a playdate. What a mistake. As a good guest, I couldn't take the leftovers home. But I wanted to! The granola crunch was perfect paired with the raspberry swirl. (On a related note, I hate when my posts make me want to go out right away and buy the product in question...)

Lucky for me, as I write this, I still have an unopened quart of the Hood Greek Frozen Yogurt that I was able to bring up from the basement that I can review on the spot. Just a hit of the "soften ice cream" button on my microwave and we are good to go. (Yes, my microwave does have a "soften" button and ice cream is option number 2.)

Anyway, verdict is in: though I would have preferred to have the Raspberry Granola sitting in my freezer, the Blueberry that I just softened is quite good. It's refreshing. I have to admit though, it pales in comparison to one of my favorite flavors: Hood's Maine Blueberry and Sweet Cream. It's not the poor Greek Frozen Yogurt's fault -- Hood just already had a blueberry frozen treat that can't be topped!

A couple of years ago we were getting a lot of samples of tart frozen yogurt. I wasn't a huge fan. But this Greek frozen yogurt is something I can get on board with. It's rich, creamy, and sweet (not tart!) as I like my frozen treats to be. Hood's Greek Frozen Yogurt is definitely a treat and something I would most certainly buy again. Thanks, Hood!

P.S. While on the Hood site to link to their products, I got a little distracted by a giveaway so I went ahead and entered. I hope I win! I love Hoodsie Cups! I love the taste and the fond memories of kids bringing them in for their birthdays in elementary school, complete with wooden "spoon"!

Scooper Bowl 2013

The all-u-can-eat ice cream event raised almost $300,000...wow!

We did it again. We fought crowds a couple weeks ago in order to test flavors at the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl this year. And that we did. Between the two of us we had 32 scoops...ouch. Almost a little embarrassing but hey its our duty and it was worth every bite!

Each brand has four flavors to choose from and its all you can eat!

First of all, I have to get on my ice cream soap box about Scooper Bowl etiquette  Common sense? When you grab your ice cream or ice creams turn around and keep walking. I don't say this to be rude, but the place is so crowded that it just makes sense to clear out so more people can get in. People seem to linger by the tents, which just makes a crowded area even more crowded. Oh and the poor Moms with strollers...we empathize....it is barely impossible to get a stroller. But enough about that...

Bethany & Tina live at Scooperbowl. 

I think we both agreed that the flavors really weren't that exciting this year. Lots of the expected...Mint Chocolate Chip, Oreo, and Chocolate. The past years seemed to bring on new and a few more interesting flavors. But really this is a fundraiser and for an awesome cause so at the end of the day who cares! It's all good. But here are some thoughts: 

Bethany: 

Whenever I think Edy's, I think of one of my mom's favorite commercials: the dog high-fiving his owner over the promise of Edy's. (I could only find the Dreyer's version of it, but as I understand it, Dreyer's is the West Coast brand, and Edy's is the East Coast brand.) Anyway, Edy's Tropical Rainbow Sherbet was worth the Edy's high-five.) It was light, refreshing, and super creamy.

I liked Friendly's Celebration as well. It was a party in a cup!

While I have already given a rave review to Ben and Jerry's Liz Lemon that was another favorite, as well as Hood's Raspberry Granola Greek Frozen Yogurt (stay tuned for this review as I got some more flavors mailed to me from Hood and I was pretty impressed!).

Tina: 

Ok so I have to admit now that I am writing this a couple weeks later not much stands out but their were a couple I know I would go back for. I really liked Hood's Double Chocolate Chip Greek Frozen Yogurt. It was very creamy and I loved the chocolate chips in it. I also have to agree with Bethany on Friendly's Celebration. I am all about Cake Batter these days and I loved how this actually had cake pieces in it. And lastly Byrne Dairy's Green Monstah made a lasting impression. Interestingly they don't list Green Monstah on their site. I think they might have made that name up for the Boston occasion (they are NY based) so I think it really is their Grasshopper Pie. I love anything mint so that was a keeper as well.

All in all it's a can't miss event that we look forward to every year!

Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day!

Wow...its been a long time since we last posted especially as we head into the most important season for ice cream :). We've been finding quick info on Facebook has been a fun (and manageable honestly) way to share what's going on in the ice cream world and have been pinning like crazy to our Pinterest page. Check us out there and you'll find some great recipes to use for your next summer party.

So today is National Ice Cream Day and after still having an ice cream coma from Boston's Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl, the all-you-can-eat ice cream festival for an awesome cause, it's hard to even think about ice cream (8 brands @ 2 flavors each=32 cups....hard to even admit!) but there is some great chocolate ice cream out there that we'd be remiss not to talk about on National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. One flavor that caught me by surprise because it was frozen yogurt was Hood's Double Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt. So creamy and the chocolate was super smooth. I myself loved it. And then there was Friendly's Forbidden Fudge which was rich and creamy. Loved that one too.

I don't have my own recipe to share but I do love this one from Food Network's Alton Brown, and so does everyone else as you can see by the 5 star rating. Enjoy and Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day!



Chocolate Ice Cream
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Serves: 1 1/2 quarts

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, approximately 1/2 cup
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
9 ounces sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions
Place the cocoa powder along with 1 cup of the half-and-half into a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Add the remaining half-and-half and the heavy cream. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine. Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for 4 to 8 hours or until the temperature reaches 40 degrees F or below.

Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Serve as is for soft serve or freeze for another 3 to 4 hours to allow the ice cream to harden.

Which Flavor Melts Faster?