What Do You Do When You've Had One of THOSE Days?

Yes, Some Days, You Need THREE Cartons

So, today has been one of THOSE days.  You know, the ones where nothing seemingly goes right?  AKA, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  Truthfully, you don't need anything to actually be or go wrong to have one of these days.  But if you're having one of THOSE days, everything can feel like its going wrong.  Small things like a mannerless lady stealing your parking spot that you've been waiting for with your signal on (you know who you are and karma will find you!) or perhaps your professor called on you and you felt like an idiot in front of all your fellow MBA classmates (it never feels good to momentarily appear to be the dumb one amongst geniuses).

Anyhoo, like I said, it was one of THOSE days.  So, I took life into my own hands and did something about it.  I have a few guilty pleasures in life.  Prepare to judge - I know you will - and frankly I don't care.  I will still love these things.  Taco Bell, a childhood favorite, always brings comfort (although, I curse them for taking away my beloved Chilito.  P.S. if you find a Taco Bell that still serves these - tell me!  I will fly pretty much wherever!).  I also find solace in my UGGs (judging again), and general TV watching (killing brain cells always makes a day better).  However, at the end of this long, rainy day, (did I mention one of my windshield wipers stopped working?) I chose to stop at the grocery store.  And bought some Ben & Jerry's.  Soothing my woes in ice cream.  Didn't you know that Ben & Jerry found a way to contain sunshine and happiness?

I had recently found the elusive new flavor, Flourless Chocolate Cake (I had to scour several Walmarts to find this sucker - so I bought three) but I decided a day like this required more. I needed B&J's Boston Cream Pie and while I was at it, might as well try their new Milk & Cookies.

I dove into the Milk & Cookies first.  It's described by B&J's as, "Vanilla Ice Cream with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl, Chocolate Chip & Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies."  I think its always a good sign when you peel off the lid and immediately see "texture."

Check my swirl!

Yum, I could SEE the Chocolate Cookie Swirl already!  This was the only flavor my husband was interested in (and you thought I was a pig and going to eat all three by myself?  So wrong - I'm eating all three, minus a bite or two).  The cookie swirl was like a very finely ground Oreo.  The two cookies were a bit tougher to scout out.  But I finally found them.  No getting away from me, you yummy ice cream bits.  The cookie pieces (both chocolate chip and chocolate chocolate chip) were good but I was in no way wowed by this ice cream.  The ice cream base was not creamy enough.  Perhaps they were attempting a "skim" milk version of Cookies and Cream.  There is just no "oomph" to this ice cream.  Good but I'd rather leave my stomach space to the next.

I'm worth the wait

Ohhhh, my heart just did a little leap!  Okay, I'm trying to be patient and tell the story, but I can't be.  This ice cream was soooooo worth the multiple ventures into crazy land, aka, Walmart.  Pictures cannot possibly capture the creamy, fudgy deliciousness of this ice cream.  B&J's courtesy description, "Chocolate Ice Cream with Pieces of Flourless Chocolate Cake & a Chocolate Frosting Swirl."  YUM. YUM. YUM.  My day just got better.  The ice cream base is creamy, chocolatey, and the perfect dark chocolate balance.

Ribbons of frosting and chocolatey goodness

The frosting swirl (which I was unsure of - I don't really love frosting) is more like a thinned ganache and is subtle throughout.  But the flourless chocolate cake - whoa.  Crunchy, chewy perfection.  Amen.  Heaven on a spoon.  Buy it.  You won't be sorry.  You'll be sorry if you only buy one.  And Ben & Jerry's?  You guys had better permanently add this or I shall be forced to buy several freezers for my garage.

See the cake?  It's hiding but its definitely there

Finally, my evening finished with a few bites of Boston Creme Pie.  By this point I was feeling so much better.  But, why not?  It's been haunting my crave taste buds ever since I ate it the first time.

Go Sawxs!  Makes me laugh everytime.  If only all of B&J's packaging were so comical.

So, if you're having one of THOSE days, what do you eat?  Personally, it depends on my mood, what's available, and the severity of that day.  But, do tell, what makes it all better for you?

Shiny New Product Review: Ben & Jerry's Boston Cream Pie Ice Cream. Go Sawxs!

I've fallen off of the wagon.  My attempt to eat a little healthier went right out the window after I found out that I'd been accepted into the 2010 NYC Marathon and after I read about Ben & Jerry's new flavors.  One of them in particular I was giddily willing to throw my healthy eating out the window for - marathon or not.  Serious Eats did a review on the new flavors which is where I learned of them.  They also reviewed some new limited edition flavors, one of which is Flourless Chocolate Cake - a Walmart exclusive.  YUMMM!  (the YUMMM is for the ice cream not for Walmart - I know some of you were going to go there - so I stopped you, okay?)

Was the promise of potentially melty delicious ice cream enough to draw me in to Walmart?  If you know me, you already know the answer.  Duh - I'm known for a few things (or at least I used to be). 

1.) Eating entire cartons of ice cream in one sitting (and I don't mean Ben & Jerry's sized)

2.)  Eating straight out of the carton (it saves dishes!)

3.)  Picking the best parts out (brownies, cookie dough, Oreos)

I don't do one of those anymore.  You can guess which.

So, I ventured to one of the local Walmarts in search of a creamy, cool treat.  Alas, the fabled flavor of Flourless Chocolate Cake was not there.  However, Boston Cream Pie was.  And while not a pie lover, I am a Boston Creme Pie lover (its really not anything like pie). 

Here are my discoveries (I should totally be paid for this - its like an expedition.  There's danger, wild animals, and either disappointment or an unearthment of something incredibly life changing.) 

First off, the packaging is wicked awesome.  It has a picture of Paul Reveah (the guy on the horse) and a cow saying, "Go Sawxs!"  The cow is even holding a four leaf clover on another part of the carton.  Go Irish!  How can you not love it already?  Boston Cream Pie is described by Ben & Jerry as:  "Boston Cream Pie Ice Cream with Yellow Cake Pieces, Fudge Flakes & Swirls of Pastry Cream."  I was definitely excited by the prospect of cake - not as sure about how pastry cream would translate into ice cream.   

Here Goes.

The pastry cream was a little sweet but overall good.  If you don't know what pastry cream is, I'll tell you the poor man's version - vanilla pudding - and if you don't know what vanilla pudding is, I can't help you but maybe a therapist can help you leave your house once in a while.  The cake pieces were divinity and deliciousness.  I wish there were more - but carefully added so as not to overdo the cake/ice cream ratio.  They were spongy and made me think of buttery pound cake.  I will tell you my one true criticization (remember? I make up words).  The "Fudge Flakes" just don't do it for me.  When I've eaten Boston Cream Pie in Boston I don't remember eating little bits of hard chocolate.  Ben & Jerry apparently need to travel a bit more.  It shouldn't be too hard.  Boston is not all that far from Burlington, Vermont (did I mention I've been to THE Ben & Jerry's?  I even have an official ice cream scooper from there).  I realize it might be scary to venture down south where they shave and shower but still, they should find out what the real stuff is.  Especially, because you don't want to anger Bostonians.  They're a rough crowd.  And you definitely don't dare to defile a Boston delicacy by doing it improperly. 

Boston's Ben & Jerry's Tea Party

  Ben & Jerry, if you are listening.  Please add CHOCOLATE GANACHE.  That is all.  Oh, and I'd eat it again.