Schwan's Part Deux

I'm sitting here watching the rain pound down outside. (Is this now only a tropical storm and not a hurricane? Either way, it's quite a show, Mother Nature...) I'm craving ice cream. What's new? Unfortunately, I am not sure Schwan's delivers this quickly and I'll bet they aren't even delivering in this weather...I'm particularly craving Schwan's Loaded Waffle Cone Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream.

Back in June we got an email from Schwan's asking if we'd like to try some samples of their new summer flavors. Of course. I'd never heard of Schwan's before but Husband had. I think it's from Minnesota and that's why he is familiar with it. A quick check to their "history" page confirms I am correct:

It all started back on Tuesday March 18, 1952, when 23-year-old Marvin Schwan packed up his beat-up 1946 Dodge panel van with 14 gallons of his family's signature ice cream with a plan to deliver it to rural families in western Minnesota...

It has happened more than once than we have gotten samples from somewhere I have never heard of and Husband was familiar with them because they were a Minnesotan company. 

A couple of months ago, we got a package from Schwan's Home Delivery. They sent the ice cream cake that Tina wrote about and two cartons of ice cream.

I digress. So anyway we got a carton of the aforementioned Loaded Waffle Cone Peanut Butter Swirl ice cream as well as “Monkeying Around” Banana ice cream, "the winning flavor from [their] Facebook contest last summer." 

I liked the Monkeying Around, but I am not a huge huge fan of banana ice cream, and even the chocolate covered bananas and graham cracker swirl could convince me that it was going to be a favorite. Husband really liked it though, as did a friend who is a huge banana anything fan.

For me I was taken by the Loaded Waffle Cone Peanut Butter Swirl. I loved the peanut butter swirls and the fudge covered cone. I love in ice cream how the peanut butter hardens but isn't too hard...The fudge surrounding the waffle cone kept the cone from getting too soggy, as can be a problem with once-crispy mix-ins. And "loaded" it was. Schwan's does not skimp on the mix-ins.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed to be the polite daughter-in-law and tell my father-in-law he could finish the Loaded Waffle Cone Peanut Butter Swirl. But I was a great daughter-in-law, let him finish it, and I hope I get brownie -- er, um, ice cream -- points for that!

Since it's delivery, it seems like their prices are a bit on the higher side than you might find for a carton you'd buy at the store, but c'mon -- ice cream delivered to your door?! I think it's worth the extra buck. I'll definitely be hitting up Schwan's again sometime in the near future. 

Storm's letting up. Do you think they'll deliver in this wind!?

Smucker's Giveaway

I'm not going to lie. I love getting mail. Any type, as long as it's not junk mail. I love postcards and packages, letters and magazines. One of the added benefits of blogging is that you get things in the mail -- samples, treats...

I didn't know this when we started or we would have gone with something more mailable. Ice cream can be quite expensive to mail! I'm only kidding. I wouldn't blog about anything else AND quite honestly, we have been super spoiled with the samples and giveaways we have gotten.

The latest was a super cool basket of goodies from Smucker's. What's even cooler (no ice cream pun intended) is that they have offered an additional basket for one of our lucky readers.

The giveaway package will include: 

• Set of four premium ice cream dishes
• Smucker’s ice cream scoop
• New Smucker’s ice cream toppings varieties including spoonable Blueberry Topping and Microwavable Hot Caramel Topping and our classic Microwavable Hot Fudge Topping
• $75.00 gift certificate to Cooking.com to purchase whatever additional ingredients you need
• Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk and other ingredients to make homemade ice cream – it’s easier than you think!
• Recipe booklet full of ideas and coupons to help you celebrate every moment this summer!

(Estimated retail value: $125.00).

My basket just arrived Wednesday and I haven't had a chance to play around with any of the recipes on their main site or their Facebook site, but I can't wait to try a Chocolate Overload Sundae: "Rocky Road ice cream topped with Smucker's Marshmallow Topping and a generous portion of Smucker's Microwaveable Hot Fudge" (#6 on the list here on smuckers.com). I also love blueberry and I want to try making some ice cream with a blueberry swirl.

It's a busy time of year, so we don't need you to make recipes but we do want your opinions and ideas. What sounds good to you? What frozen treat would you make with your winning prize pack? Would it be something of your own creation or one of the ideas from the Smucker's website?

Let us know what ice cream treat you would make with your prize pack. Leave us a comment by Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST for a chance to be a winner. Winner will be chosen at random. You MUST include your email address. You can either leave it in your comment or email us at scoopaliciousblog@gmail.com. Unfortunately, we have learned from past experience that even though blogger asks for your email address in the form, there is no way for me to access it. If we do not have your address, we unfortunately cannot award you the prize.

Good luck!

SONIC: And the Winner is...

The entry period has closed for the SONIC gift card and fun straws giveaway. I was thinking of using random.org, but decided to go old school, put the names in a bucket and have my one year old choose the winner...So, Jenn, Julian, you can thank Violet! Congrats!

(9/5/11 Update: I didn't have Jenn's email and she didn't get back to me so I picked the next winner using random.org...and Julian was the winner! Congrats Julian!)

SONIC Sundae Shakes: Tested

The whole family took a trip to SONIC on Saturday afternoon to use our gift card that the folks at SONIC sent us. It's a great date-with-a-baby spot since all potential tantrums take place in the car, not in a restaurant surrounded by others who really don't care to hear screaming. Lucky for us, we didn't have any tantrums. 

We did have some yummy Sundae Shakes though. I had hot fudge and Husband had the strawberry. We both were happy, though Husband felt the shakes weren't particularly "sip-able" (as they are advertised) until they have melted a bit. Husband is a bit impatient. But then again, they were good, so it made sense he was impatient. It was, as appropriately named, just like a sip-able soft serve sundae. Very familiar and very refreshing and fun to drink!

We did just get word that the Sundae Shakes are there for a limited time -- so you'll have to hurry on over to try them. We also got word that the next SONIC treat to arrive on the scene will be Pumpkin Pie Shakes. Um, yes, sister Arianna (of Librarianna and Real Art Ways Archivist fame -- yeah, I am kinda proud of my sister's new profession as a librarian), this news is for you.

There's still time to enter the giveaway so you can win a SONIC gift card -- to try the Sundae Shakes, the Pumpkin Pie Shake, or anything your SONIC heart desires!

OK, now tantrum awaits, so I have to jet. More soon!

SONIC Sundae Shakes & Giveaway

SONIC contacted us a couple weeks ago about their new Sundae Shakes, offering to send both a lucky reader and us at Scoopalicious a $20 gift card to SONIC as well as some super fun drinking straws.

Here's how they described the shakes to us since we have yet to try them:

• Available for a limited time in three delectable flavors: Turtle, Classic Hot Fudge and Strawberry Dream.
• 100% sippable (no spoons necessary!) and served in a new metallic cup.
• Made with SONIC’s Real Ice Cream.

The weather is perfect for a drive-in treat, but with a teething daughter who hasn't been sleeping too well, we haven't gotten a chance to head up north to our nearest SONIC to try them.

But that shouldn't keep us from sharing our good fortune with one lucky reader.

For a chance to win do one (or more) of the following by Wednesday, August 24th, at 11:59 PM PST:

• Comment on below on which flavor you'd like to try most (one chance)
• Like Scoopalicious on Facebook and let us know you did! (one chance)
• Like SONIC on Facebook and let us know you did! (one chance)
• Send a friend (or friends) over to like Scoopalicious on Facebook and let us know. (One chance per added friend.)
• Send a friend (or friends) over to like SONIC on Facebook and let us know. (One chance per added friend.)
• Repost this post on Facebook or your blog -- yep, let us know... (Two chances per post, I am feeling generous!)

Whew!

Happy SONIC!

Note: Please leave your email address in case you win. If you don't want to post it here, you can email us at scoopaliciousblog (at) gmail (dot) com.