Now that summer is over...

...it's time to get my butt back in shape! Too many margaritas, hot dogs, cookouts, and of course ice cream cones for me. Funny I was talking to a friend recently who said summer is her season to get in shape. You can be outdoors all the time, go for a quick run, do a triathalon (well not me!) and so much more than you can do any other time of the year. For me it's the opposite. Our weekends are so overbooked in the summer and we try to get in every ounce of sun with the kids that no time is left for me. So now I am kicking myself into gear and at bootcamp class at 6am three days a week. Problem though is...ice cream. Who knew that would be a problem!

So this week when I went to the grocery store I was strategic about my choices....portion control and sugar free. Seriously there are actually good options out there without having to suck on flavored ice!

I ended up bringing home two different options to see which I preferred and also know if I don't eat them my ice cream loving child will. Girl after my own heart! My strategy.... one option that was premium ice cream but in a small portion controlled size or go for quantity and choose a larger bar but one that is sugar free. My daughter and I had differing opinions of which would be our favorite. More on that later.

Here is is the ongoing question.....quality over quantity VS quantity over quality!? I always pick one way. And here is what I ended up bringing home....

Magnum Mini Classic
(1.85 oz bar - Box says serving size is 2 bars so I cut nutritional facts in half)

150 calories

10 gram fat

25 grams sugar

Klondike Krunch Sugar Free

(4 oz ice cream bar)

170 calories

10 gram fat

7 grams sugar 

Once again....drum roll please...my favorite hands down but doesn't mean I didn't like the other is the Magnum Mini. I take quality over quantity all day long on most things. The chocolate is thick and rich and totally satisfies my sweet tooth and the ice cream is super creamy. All I need is that little bit of something really good. On the other hand my daughter argued with me about Klondike being the better option. She loved the Krunch in the chocolate coating and for her the mini just seemed too small. She agreed the serving size is two. And what did she do...had another!

Review: Breyers, Klondike, Reeses, and Popsicle Treats

I have an apology. I love getting samples. I love sharing samples with friends. I then have a bad habit of taking a while to actually write about the samples.

It's not that I don't want to. I do. Here's the thing. This blog, though it's a passion of mine and Tina's, isn't a paid gig. While we love samples, they don't put supper on the table -- well, once in a while we like to consider ice cream our supper, but it can't be all the time! So long story short, it's a hobby for us, and sometimes (all too often) it gets put on the back burner and then sometimes a post gets misplaced until I find the photos on the camera. So Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle and Reese’s, thanks for the treats and sorry for the delay in this post.

A few months ago, the rep for Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle and Reese’s sent us some lovely treats. We broke open the treats during one of our monthly playdates with our daughter's friend Rebecca and her parents.

My favorites were the Breyers Blasts. As Breyers describes the line, the ice creams feature "delicious mix-ins from America’s best-loved candy and cookie brands blasted into every bite." I love love love Oreo ice cream. I usually get it in vanilla or cake base, but I actually really liked the new twist on an old treat with a chocolate base. So my favorite of the bunch was the Oreo Ice Cream.

Husband was a huge fan of the Whoppers Ice Cream. I don't think he was thrilled when the rest of us dipped into the carton -- less for him! As he tasted the first bite he said "It's like Whopper Ice Cream and then there are actual Whoppers in it." Deep, husband, very deep thoughts. But it was. It was a perfect marriage of a Whopper (or malted milk) base dotted with actual Whoppers.

Fifteen month old Rebecca also gave the Whopper's Ice Cream glowing reviews. As her mom said, "Rebecca, who only likes strawberry [ice cream] now officially likes malted milk ball [ice cream]...sans milk balls." So she liked the flavor, just not the chunks. Chunks might be a bit much for a toddler. Either way, Rebecca, who is most definitely a picky eater, chose to include Whopper Ice Cream into her discerning list of foods she will eat. Husband will be hiding that ice cream next time Rebecca comes to visit.

While I wasn't a huge fan of the What the Fudge? Brownie Sandwich, the rest of the gang was. "It's like soft cookies, except they're soft when frozen. It's magic!" "The right combination of gooey and gooey." "Double gooey -- so good!" "Gooey goodness." "Like gooey brownies right out of the oven except their cold." 'Nuff said.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups fantastic. Ice Cream is fantastic. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups + Ice Cream = Super Fantastic. Quote of the evening: "Where's mine?!...oooooooooh!"

The Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome Popsicles weren't shared that night because I think we reached our limit on treats! But, I tried those on my own. They brought back fond memories of fifth grade, where Jolly Ranchers were the candy of choice that year. I'm not a huge popsicle eater (I prefer ice cream when I go into the freezer for a frozen treat) but these popsicles made me happy in taste and in memories!

The samples I got in the mail didn't disappoint and I certainly felt like hostess of the year as I brought the treats to the table! Thanks Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle and Reese’s!

P.S. This isn't really relevant to this post, but as I was gathering the links for this post, I saw this little thumbnail of a sundae that looked super yummy. The I followed the link and there were lots of little thumbnails of sundaes that look super yummy.

Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

I looooove ice cream sandwiches. Actually I just brought home some Klondike 100 Calorie Ice Cream Sandwiches tonight. Okay so I am feeling guilty after a weekend of binging on vacation so I had to do the lo cal option but I must admit they are quite good. When I am craving chocolate but want ice cream too I think a sandwich is the perfect solution. I know everyone loves the Skinny Cow sandwiches but if I had to choose I'd go with Klondike's Slim-a-Bear sandwiches all the way. I think the ice cream is smoother and creamier but believe me I'd never turn down either. Regardless....its a good excuse today to grab a sandwich...an ice cream one that is.....and celebrate!

Oh...and if you didn't see the fab article in last month's Woman's World...we at Scoopalicious scooped about ice cream sandwiches and a fun option we truly think is unique and yummmmmy! 

What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar Variety? Video Contest

Ok, so I have never been a fan of Adam Carolla but he got even lower on my list when he dissed Click and Clack of NPR's Car Talk by saying his new car show would be better than theirs...as if!

Anyway, but I do love Klondike bars and I would love to see our Scoopalicious readers make better videos than his in Klondike's summer video contests. Hey, wouldn't it be cool if Click and Clack entered themselves?! Yay, East Cambridge neighbors!

Anyway, I digress...

There are three different contests to enter, staggered over the course of the summer.

• Pack the Car (through June 23) -- win a new SUV
• Grab the Remote (starts June 30) -- win a 3D home entertainment system
• Ball Toss (starts July 31) -- win a "tricked out" game room

I have to say that because the announcer announces the contest as "a celebration of the average man doing average things in an above average way..." and actually, the contest is called the Everyman Challenge, the whole campaign seems a little "guy-centric" but we assure you any ice cream afficianado whether man or woman has what it takes to win! Especially our readers!


You can also head over to the site to view and vote on your favorite videos.

Not sure I should enter the contest since Adam Carolla is one of the judges and he now knows I am not a fan, but you can still should enter and win the cool prizes so we can brag for you!..

Either way, I need to go grocery shopping right about now, and I might just have to pick up a yummy Klondike Variety while I am out! I am already a huge fan of their sandwiches...

We need your scoop on these scoops!

Here's the thing: I have three coupons for free Good Humor, Breyers, Klondike, or Popsicle products...they expire at the end of March and I need your help!

Be one of the first to volunteer in the comments section (be sure to include your email address so I can contact you for your mailing address) and I'll send you a coupon.

Your end of the deal? Review your product. Send me a quick email about your feedback on what you chose and how you liked it. Send a picture of you or your friends and family enjoying the treats if you want! We'll post your review and picture for the world to see!

Thanks much!

Taste Testing: Popsicle/Klondike Products

Are you ready for another "What Husband Did With The Dry Ice?" Here is Photo Essay Number Two. The cool people at Klondike/Popsicle contacted Tina and I asking if we would be willing to test some of their products..."of course," we said!

Keep reading until the end for a chance to test your own ice cream novelties!

The ice cream came on Friday, September 5 in a
HUGE box that was probably 3x2x2 feet.
Clearly Ernie the pup was unphased.

I opened it to get my samples into the freezer and
was I glad that I had. The big cooler that was
holding the ice cream was cracked on the top.

The ice cream seemed still frozen, but
unfortunately for Husband, it looked
like a lot of the dry ice had melted away.

First things first. I pulled out the styrafoam cooler I got from our first sample of ice cream cupcakes and poured the dry ice. No boohooing for Kevin. The smaller cooler was brim to the top with dry ice, which means Kevin ended up with more than he had the first time he played with the dry ice from my ice cream samples.

When Kevin arrived home, what we really needed to do was clean because his parents were coming within hours...as I was folding laundry in the other room, I hear an excited Kevin and walk into the kitchen to see this:

Sink filled with dry ice. Wait...

That smoke/steam/whatever it is
looks pretty cool falling over the counter.

Yes, we need to zoom out. The floor is so covered
in dry ice "smoke" that Kevin has to quickly find Ernie
in the haze and pick him up so he doesn't suffocate.
(Ernie is fine, but probably wondering
why he moved in with us)

Ah, yes, it was all over the house...into the dining
room in this picture (Did I mention the in-laws
were due from Arizona in an hour and
the house clutter still needed to be picked up a bit?)

Here is our romantic, steamy
photo of the products in the dry ice.

So, how did we like the treats? Um, yum!

So to the left is an image of the Slim-A-Bear line. The package we got contained both French Vanilla and English Toffee. I was a little hesitant because these are a lower fat treat, with only a hundred calories, but Husband and I were pleasantly surprised with the taste. The French Vanilla were pretty much the original Klondike Bar on a stick and the English Toffee was a sweet surprise -- I loved the toffee ice cream with the chocolate shell that had little chunks of toffee in it. Husband and I shared tastes of each of the bars, because we knew dinner with in-laws was soon approaching and we didn't want to ruin our appetites -- oh, but we really easily could have. These were good! It was all we could do to keep from diving into the freezer. Later on in the weekend, Mother-in-law, who had mentioned she'd like to see some low fat treats on our blog, tested them was also pleasantly surprised. These are definitely on my running grocery list -- a great treat for when I am craving ice cream but still trying to recover from the fatty ice cream from I Scream 2008 (more to come on that in a future post...)

The other product we tested was Cookies & Cream Popsicle Ice Cream Shots. These were so much fun. While I chose to eat mine out of the carton with a spoon, Kevin put his in a beer stein (we don't have any shot glasses) and "drank" them down. The flavor was good. The ice cream (that's the white shots -- the brown ones were cookie pieces) was super frozen and less airy than regular ice cream and kind of squeaked in your teeth. It seemed much colder than regular, scoopable ice cream, but maybe this is because every time I took them from the freezer I dug in without letting them soften/melt a bit. I don't know if this is the Popsicle/Klondike treat I would choose from the freezer section regularly for myself (though I am sure it would be quite a hit with kids so I'll keep that in mind when I have 'em!) but I can see myself once in a while picking out these little shots to mix the ice cream consumption up a bit!

We'll look forward to Tina's follow up post on this subject -- she got some different products in the mail and I'm interested to see what she thought.

Bonus: Who invented the popsicle and at what age? Email us at scoopaliciousblog@gmail.com by Monday, September 22 for a chance to win a coupon for a free package of any Breyers, Popsicle, Klondike, or Good Humor Product.

What would you do for a Klondike Bar? Video Contest

Only 12 days to get in your video of what exactly you would (or maybe wouldn't) do for a Klondike bar. It's simple..have fun and show the world what ice cream will make you do. And what's even better you could be $100,000 richer because of it. Check out the site, there are some really creative folks out there or crazy people just really passionate about the yummy Klondike bar. Or not sure you want to get in front of a video you could also win $25,000 for just viewing and voting on your favorites.

I know, being ice cream obsessed you would think we would have our act together and have a video to share but not yet. Stay Tuned! But in the meantime enjoy these fun clips in the running to take home the cash.