Dunkin Donuts Mountain Dew Coolatta

[New for 2011] Having only gotten around 4 hours of broken sleep because of my poor sick daughter last night, I decided a midday sugary pick me up seemed in order. Sure I could go with my favorite strawberry coolatta, but  why not try something new?

Here is the new Mountain Dew coolatta. It kind of looks like half frozen lemon-lime gatorade.... kinda taste like half frozen lemon-lime gatorade too, just with some extra sweetener.

Easter Sundae with Cadbury Creme Eggs and Breyers Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Happy Easter everybody! It's Easter time and I know in general that America has more than it's fair share of awesome ice creams, but there will always be certain things that we just can't get our hands on. The U.S. just  doesn't have a decent way to celebrate... or do we? My wife joking said I should make a sundae with a Cadbury Creme Egg. Hmmm, sounds like a challenge to me!

Breyers Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

caramel ice cream with caramel swirls

Klondike What the Fudge? Brownie Review

[New for 2011, discontinued by 2013] What the fudge is up with this review? That's what I wanted to know. I had written a couple paragraphs and a fluke made them all go bu bye. I tried a second sandwich and wrote again but still didn't finish the review. I had my third and final treat today and the point of this treat finally came to me, so let's get this mess started.

Here it the awfully named "What The Fudge? Brownie" in yet another terrible Klondike marketing decision, much like mancave and pervert pants pete or whatever it was called. At least the flavor department has their act together on trying to create what should be a decent treat. These ice cream brownie sandwiches are artificially flavored vanilla light ice cream with a chocolate fudge core, sandwiched between a chocolate brownie.

Chocolate Malt Ice Cream with Milky Way

[New for 2011] I know that the first Mars flavors didn't really impress me, but when I heard about the three new 2011 flavors, I still got excited none the less. What can I say, I'm a sucker for candy bars!

I love how on the top of the container it says "REAL Ice Cream". The exact description is Chocolate Malt ice cream, smooth caramel and chocolatey chunks. Should be good right?

Roba Dolce Champion Chocolate Chunk Gelato

Roba Dolce started in 2005 as a small gelato company on just a handful of Rhode Island supermarket shelves. There all natural line caught on and they are now on more than 7000 shelves. In late 2010, they signed a 5 year deal to become the official frozen dessert of our local and beloved New England Patriots. The announcement stated "The agreement gives Roba Dolce, a leading producer of authentic premium Italian gelato and sorbetto, the rights to use team marks as part of a new Patriots product line coming to retail this spring. Roba Dolce will also benefit from sales of their product at Gillette Stadium, where old-fashioned serving carts are located in the concourses."

What does this all mean? and why should you care about the Patriots and that pretty boy Tom Brady? I understand, I really do, everyday that man tries to sell me a watch I can't afford... oh who am I kidding, New England loves Tom Brady.

Anyway, sorry. I ran into Walgreen's hoping to score one of the new Mars ice creams, but instead my eye is caught by a pint of ice cream with the Pats logo on it. How can this be? You can't even say super bowl anymore without being sued from 17 different angles. Well it turns out that Roba Dolce has used their new  partnership and turned their 900ml tubs into Patriot pints. Well, faux pints anyway... stupid 14 fluid ounces.

Dark Chocolate Chunk has become Champion Chocolate Chunk gelato. Coconut has become Kickoff Coconut gelato. Mango is Midfield Mango sorbetto. Pistachio is now Playoff Pistachio gelato. And there was one more....

Look, I know the idea of a local company making a deal with a local team is nothing new, but what I do like is that they've gone ahead and used this an excuse to jump to the pint size... well, not that jumping to the (faux) pint is something new either. At least $3.59 ain't too bad.

Magnum Double Chocolate Bar Review

Now I haven't said this in a year and a half, but you need to grab your car keys right now and head to the nearest freezer aisle. I don't care what time it is, I don't care if you aren't hungry, you need to get to the store right now. These magnum bars aren't just good, not just great, they are amazingly fantastically divine pieces of ice cream greatness.

I know I should set the story up here but I can't contain myself, these things are just that good. I'll admit that the classic magnum bars weren't that impressive at first, but the frozen food master said I needed to try the double chocolate and oh was he right. This thing is pure genius. Never in my life have I experienced such a unique shell that really is pure chocolate bliss. Here, check it out:

Now look at the bar. It looks like ice cream in a chocolate sauce and around that a chocolate coating. It seems different, but straight forward. However, read the description: chocolate ice cream dipped in a chocolaty coating, chocolaty sauce, and Belgian milk chocolate. Having trouble visualizing? let me help.

Ben & Jerry's Volun-Tiramisu A (Target Exclusive) Ice Cream Review

[New for 2011, Retired 2014] I cant help myself. When I hear there is a new flavor, I have to go look for it immediately (or at least the next day). I zipped over to Target at lunch to find the two new Scoop It Forward flavors. First I found a ton of last years volunteering flavors. I kept looking and then I finally found just a few pints of the terribly named Volun-Tiramisu hiding at the top. Bummer, no Peanut Butter World.

time for some live blogging

(feels like it's been forever since I tried this)

Ben & Jerry's Volun-Tiramisu Ice Cream

Here it is: Coffee Mascarpone Ice Cream with Cocoa Duster Coffee Rum Lady Finger Pieces. I'm pretty sure that's the most robust description I've ever seen on an inclusion (mix-in). I don't know about you, but all I see is Tsunami when I read the label.

Ben & Jerry's Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream

[2017 Update] Picked up a pint this fall to grab new pictures. I enjoyed it and all, it's just never been my thing really. Original review is after the jump.

Ben & Jerry's Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream

red velvet cake ice cream with red velvet cake pieces

& a cream cheese frosting swirl

Oh man, this free IttiBitz App is terrible!

I am a very firm believer that you get what you pay for, meaning I should expect nothing from a free iPhone app, but man, this one is just terrible.

Here's level one from the IttiBitz® Ice Cream Fun Factory (built with GameSalad). All you have to do is slide the bowl back and forth with your finger and try to catch the IttiBitz that are falling. To spice things up, you have to avoid catching the mint (green) IttiBitz. Sometimes the bitz bounce off those little grey circles/pins and go off in a different direction... oh the excitement!

Decisions I question:

1. Why are there only 3 levels? Why not have a level for every flavor, and then you could show the real product at the end of the round.
2. Why is there a 30 second time limit per round? Boring! give me a number to catch instead.
3. Why is this game horizontal? The balls bounce too quick in this short space. I'd much rather see a vertical game with a smaller bowl.
4. Why can't you control your cup by tilting? that would be more challenging and more fun.
5. Why can't you fail? There is no thrill of victory without the agony of defeat!
6. Why must I be connected to the internet to play? The game loads, but the level won't start without it.

I'm sorry, but this game is horrendous. It feels like it was made by someone who just didn't care. Why put in half the effort? I mean, the little pins don't even change between the three rounds, how lazy is that? What a wasted marketing opportunity. It feels like this game was made in under an hour.

Better free ice cream game apps: Scoops & Spread the Love

Whoppers Breyers Blast FDD Review

[New for 2011, discontinued by 2013] Alright, I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. The good news is that this taste just like Whoppers.... the bad news is that it taste just like Whoppers....

Breyers Blasts! Whoppers Frozen Dairy Dessert

Whoppers mini malted milk balls with a fudge swirl 

in malted vanilla flavored frozen dairy dessert

New to the U.S. - Magnum Ice Cream Bars

Well I had been waiting to try the new Magnum ice cream bars since there are so many treats out there (and in my freezer) right now, but reading reviews from Delish and Freezer Burns made me realize that I don't want to be late to this particular party. So, at lunch I headed to Walmart knowing that I could be sneaky and pick up a single serve Magnum. It's not the best investment at $1.78 for one when you can get $3.28 for three, but it will prevent me from eating more than my fair share.

Now my plan was to start with almond, but they only had classic and double caramel as single serve options. Hmmm, to be fair to Magnum, I really should try the original first, and then we'll go from there.

Finally, a true second scoop of Late Night Snack

[Born 2011, Left us 2013] I inadvertently started a bit of a debate about whether clusterfluff or late night snack would be the break out hit of 2011. I think clusterfluff had a bit of an advantage as I was in my native environment (my car in the shaws parking lot) while with late night snack I was sitting in the NBC studio cafeteria. Now I did try to be fair by snagging a second serving of late night snack at the press release, but I just wasn't awestruck like some seemed to be. Oh, it definitely wasn't bad, it's a fine flavor, but it wasn't the best ever either.

Well, I just had my first pint sample and it's definitely growing on me, though technically I did cheat. See, as I was scooping, I saw this great big puddle of salty swirl. I immediately scooped it up and gave my taste buds a nice caramel coating. The swirl is definitely salty, but salty like chips not salty like a salt lick. This trick helped cement the caramel flavor in my mind so that it carried through my entire serving, something that did not happen at the press release. Mmmm, this second scooping definitely went better, though I seem to be stuck with a bit of a salty chip aftertaste with a hint of caramel.

Santa Cruz Organic Raspberry Chocolate Syrup

Well happy 119th anniversary of the first print record of the ice cream sundae! wait, what? Yeah, there is a small debate going on about what today means to sundaes, but all I know is that it's an excellent time to mention something that's in our fridge.

This is Santa Cruz organic raspberry chocolate flavored syrup, and I picked it up from Whole Foods awhile back because I do love raspberry. Throw in the fact that it's organic and it seemed like a shame not to try it.

The first word that comes to mind? POTENT. This stuff has a potent smell as well as a potent taste. It's smells like a raspberry fudge truffle or some other sort of infused treat. I guess I expected a cleaner taste from something organic but I don't think I have the power to discern this from any other artificial syrup, it's just too strong. It didn't even really finish nicely. I was stuck with the aftertaste for awhile yet the whole treat experience wasn't even really satisfying.

So, this will cover pretty much whatever you put it on. I've used this twice and I tried to be more careful the second time, but even then I put on too much. Next time I would probably save this for some black raspberry ice cream, and probably throw in some chocolate chips for crunch. This stuff definitely needs something to break it up.

Note: Just for the fun of it, I tried mixing it into some milk. BIG MISTAKE. It was terrible, ewww.

Ben & Jerry's bonaroo BUZZ Review Now B&J's Coffee Caramel BUZZ

Background: In 2011, bonnaroo BUZZ made the jump from scoop shop only to a pint container. In 2012, at the end of the bonnaroo music & arts festival, this flavor became Coffee Caramel Buzz. The flavor has now been cancelled and will not make it in to the 2015 non-GMO lineup.

Look, I'm not going to lie to you and act like I had some delusion that I would love this flavor. At best, I hoped to not hate it because I just don't like coffee ice creams. The good news is that this flavor does not taste like coffee....

The bad news is I really don't like this "unique" combo of Coffee & Malt Ice Creams with Whiskey Caramel Swirls & English Toffee Pieces. Sound weird? Tastes even weirder. My wife said something like "that doesn't even sound good". Yeah, she's right. Sure, I like caramel and toffee, but in this particular combo, it's just not enough for me.

April 2011 DQ Blizzard of the Month Caramel Toffee Cookie Review

Alright, I was teasing about the bacon in my blizzard, but I wasn't joking about going to DQ today. In fact, I was pretty excited to see the new blizzard of the month.

Ahhhhhh, nothing I appreciate more than DQ taking the time to make us a unique blizzard of the month. Our potential new friend is Dairy Queen Caramel Toffee Cookie Blizzard which is toffee cookie pieces* and toffee-caramel blended with a creamy vanilla soft serve. (*Cookies contain ground almonds). Look at that nice beige color suggesting a nice caramel flavor, or how about the crazy amount of bits everywhere.

Oh yeah! A new month means a new blizzard!

I love that there is a DQ that's easy to hit at lunchtime! Forget my sandwich, it's a new month and that means it's blizzard time! Now I was pretty frightened when I heard Denny's has a new Maple Bacon Sundae, but now that DQ has come out with the new Maple Bacon Blizzard, I may become a convert. The new blizzard is brown sugar cinnamon crunch coated bacon bits blended with maple syrup and creamy vanilla softserve. Kudos to DQ for a truly unique blizzard, nice job!

I'm going to have to give in and give it a try at lunch, wish me luck!!
[FYI: this was an April Fool's joke]