Review: New Arctic Zero!

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Ice cream is probably my favorite dessert and I love finding ice cream varieties that are less heavy than the standard. Ice cream is delicious and the fully indulgent stuff is good now and then, but having regular ice cream daily can make me feel sluggish and weighed down, which is no fun at all.

Arctic Zero is a pioneer in the light, high protein ice cream alternative space, but for a while there they were edged out by Halo Top for tastiness - the original Arctic Zero creamy pints and even the newer chunky pints just didn't have the same creamy mouthfeel of full fat ice cream. No wonder, since they're more of a frozen protein shake. Still, when you're feeling less virtuous, it didn't quite hit the spot. The new Arctic Zero flavors, made with real cream and no sugar alcohols, do!

These pints are still better for you than traditional ice cream - they're mostly 360 calories per pint, with a few flavors just under that, and are lower in fat and sugar than traditional ice cream. They also come in plenty of delicious flavors!

I was most excited to try the Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies, Cookies & Cream, and Cookie & Brownie Dough pints, but the Toffee Crunch was a close second.



Bae was most excited for the Chocolate Chunk (because if anyone loves chocolate more than me, it's him), as well as the Mint & Chocolate Cookies.

Lastly, there's the Vanilla Bean - it's the lightest of the flavors, just 280 calories for a whole pint, and is a great, creamy base for milkshakes, topping for pies, etc.

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Review: New Flavors of Wink!

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There are three new flavors of Wink Frozen Desserts! They're all dairy free, vegan, nut free, soy free, gluten free, and generally allergen-free! It's one the tummy-friendlies desserts ever and I couldn't wait to try the three new flavors: 

There's S'mores, Strawberry Cheesecake (a new 100 calorie version of the one we already love), and Salted Caramel. They all sounded delicious, but especially the Salted Caramel - I'm such a fan of that flavor and was so thrilled when Wink announced that they're making one! Anyway, on to my review.

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Review: Wink Dessert Dark Chocolate

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There's a new flavor of Wink Frozen Desserts! 

It's Dark Chocolate (aka the best thing ever) and, like all other flavors of Wink Frozen Desserts, is a gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO vegan substitute for traditional ice cream. 

Whether you have an allergy, a plantbased diet, lactose intolerance (guilty), or a diet, Wink's Dark Chocolate Frozen Dessert works for you.

And it's sugar-free, too, for diabetics and health-conscious ice cream lovers alike!

But how does it taste?

I'm all about honesty in my reviews, so I'll tell you right off the bat that it has a much icier consistency than dairy- or most coconut- or soy-based ice creams. Think more along the lines of Italian ice, though not quite. 

If you let it thaw for a few moments, it scoops pretty well.

The chocolate flavor isn't as intense as I'd expect for dark chocolate, as you're probably not surprised to hear, given the relatively light brown color.

That said, it is sweet, without a weird artificial sweetener aftertaste, and it is chocolatey.

Especially if you're planning to make an ice cream sundae or ice cream sandwich out of it, or top it with syrup or other toppings, I seriously doubt you'll miss anything over the sugar, fat, and dairy packed traditional alternative.

If you don't have allergies or intolerances, normal ice cream can fit into a healthy diet as an occassional treat. For something sweet and cold for every day, or that you can eat a pint of without feeling bad, however, this is a great option!

What's your favorite ice cream brand?

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? It's probably cookies and cream or southern praline for me!

What do you look for in an  ice cream? Creaminess, lightness, and lots of mix-ins.

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Review: Halo Top Creamery Ice Cream

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Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved ice cream. 

Her very favorite ice cream of all time was Edy's Loaded Cookies & Cream Ice Cream. Her freezer was never without a tub and her wonderful mother always made sure to have some in the freezer when she came home for break from boarding school (because her mother was/is wonderful).

Then, one sad sad SAD day, Edy's discontinued their Loaded Ice Cream line. The girl experienced her first heartbreak and was inconsolable. 

But slowly, oh so slowly, she learned to love again. This time, she fell for Edy's Slow Churned Yogurt Praline Crunch. There were many delicious afternoon snacks, a toppling birthday ice cream cake she insisted on making out of her love, and infinite apples dipped into ice cream. Until...

...Edy's discontinued her love. AGAIN. The girl's faith in the ice cream industry was shattered. Alas! She was not meant to be allowed to keep a love. 

And then she met Halo Top Creamery during a leisurely stroll through a Whole Food's freezer aisle. 

Halo Top Chocolate Mocha Chip:

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Review: Arctic Zero's New Pints!

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I was SO bummed when, after an absolutely gorgeous labor day weekend full of lovely strolls on perfect high 60s-low 70s days, the summer decided to make a return visit and burn me up with 90-something scorcher days.

So I was SO thrilled when a surprise package from Arctic Zero showed up on my doorstep! Exactly what I wanted to help me cool down on these hot days.

The Flavors:

The original creators of healthy, high protein, low-sugar and low-fat 'ice cream' are constantly coming up with new brilliant ideas and their Chunky pints are the perfect addition to their line! 

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Recipe: Chococonut Shake

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While you would expect the cravings for ice cream and milkshakes to be greatest in the peak of summer, when it's crazy hot, that's not always the case! 

I used to work at an ice cream shop and on the really scorching days, we saw just as little business as on the cold, rainy days. When it's too hot, something super sweet and rich isn't that appealing! It's those warm, but not hot, late spring or early fall days (like now) when we're in the mood for a cold and creamy treat. 

Yum!

Still, we all want to look our best and regular trips to the ice cream parlor aren't great for a healthy complexion. As a model, it's important that I eat a healthy, balanced diet that keeps my overall health (as reflected in my skin) optimal!

Behind the scenes at a recent shoot. Follow me on Instagram for live snaps!

I also just like feeling my best. 

But what if I told you that you can have it all? The above-pictured Chococonut Shake is plantbased, vegan, and sweetened only by vitamin-rich fruit and Born Sweet™ Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener. 

Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener is made with only real ingredients, extracting the sweetness found in Mother Nature's stevia plant to add delicious sweetness to this shake with zero artificial ingredients and zero calories. Find Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener in a store near you here!

Read on for the quick and easy recipe for my delicious and nutritious vegan Chococonut Shake!

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Craziest Ice Cream Flavors in New York City

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NYC is the city of everything. New York prides itself on being able to offer anything and everything you could ever want (and many things you probably never would) as long as you have the money and know-how.

Under the category of 'things NYC offers that you probably don't even want' are some pretty bizarre ice cream flavors.

Sure, they're unlikely to replace Caramel Praline Crunch, Cookie Dough, or Cookies 'n Cream as your go-to favorite (I'm still inconsolable about the discontinuation of Edy's Loaded Line, mostly because of the extinction of my beloved Loaded Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream).

But an unusual ice cream tour of the city could be a fun idea if you're visiting with kids or if you have guests from out of town!

Here's a (not ordered) list of some of the places in NYC offering the weirdest ice cream flavors:

OddFellows Ice Cream Co.

Okay, they have a few normal flavors. But they also have some pretty bizarre flavors on their rotating menu of homemade ice cream!

Flavors like Chorizo Caramel Swirl, Purple Rice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Foie Gras, and even a Tobacco, Smoked Chili, & Huckleberry are on the bizarre ice cream roster.

They really live up to their name!

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Heard of Durian - the enormous Asian fruit that smells so bad that you don't even want to stand near it, much less eat it?

Lucky you, you can get Durian flavor ice cream!



Because that's a good idea. Right?

Morganstern's

Don't be fooled by their long list of standard and even appealing flavors. 

Look a little harder.

Salt & Pepper Pinenut Ice Cream

You'll find what sounds like a HLB made it up (Chocolate Oat, anyone?), the downright peculiar (Salt & Pepper Pinenut) and even the politically incorrect Black A** Licorice.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato

Can't get enough of sweet potatoes?

Head to Il Laboratorio del Gelato for some Sweet Potato Gelato. Perfect for fall! 

Right?

Steve's Ice Cream

Are you secretly Bugs Bunny? Do you love adding veggies to everything?

Try the spicy Carrot Habanero Pepper ice cream!

Max and Mina's Ice Cream

The gourmet ice cream shop's flavors vary, but they don't shy away for the weird end of the spectrum.

They're known for having Lox, Babka, Corn, and more as flavors!

Sundaes and Cones

If you're craving some corn ice cream and it isn't on the menu at Max and Mina's, don't despair.

Sundaes and Cones has Corn Ice Cream on their menu, as well as Black Sesame, Ginger, and even Wasabi Ice Cream.

Would you try any of these?

What's the weirdest ice cream flavor you've ever tried?

If you could create a bizarre new ice cream flavor, what would you create?

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WIAW #97

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This is a minimal words WIAW.

My first visit to Juice Generation in NYC the other day, to try their Tropical Acai Bowl and Collard-Wrapped Enchiladas (ate them separately). 

The enchiladas were amazing and super filling, stuffed with a spiced nut mix.

The little strip of nori was a quite touch.



They also had a creamy dip (not dairy-based) that really played off the sharpness of the raw onions in the salsa well.

From a recent trip to Wilmington, my first visit to a Brrrberry.

Let it suffice to say that I'm in love. And that I probably put every single chocolate/nut/cereal/cookie/cracker topping that they had on there - and let's not forget the hot fudge and caramel.

Healthy is about balance! And chocolatey, frozen, ooey gooey indulgences are just as much a part of that healthy balance as fruits and veggies.

A yummy green smoothie - simple: a large frozen banana, almond milk, a handful of spinach, some ice, and honey.

Absolutely delicious and so refreshing.

That one isn't mine (I'm vegetarian and only 20 - no law-breaking with underage wine consumption here) but a recent trip to Wilmington, NC introduced me to the shrimp burger. A fun idea, no?

Back to my eats, I made cheezy pasta (vegan, above, made with Daiya wedges) and microwave peach cobbler (hidden under vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, below) the other day. I'll have to share the recipes for both. 

The cobbler was really impressive for something I made in under five minutes in the microwave.

What's still on your summer to-do list?

Which recipe should I post first?

What are you doing in the fall?

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WIAW 86: And A Recipe!

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It's WIAW again!

After a week that started with a big, scary exam, I'm pretty darn happy that it's hump day. The weekend can't get here soon enough!

In the meantime, here are some yummy food photos, courtesy of WIAW!

The eats this week aren't all from one day, but I do have a pretty wicked recipe for y'all!

First, we'll look at a few tasty eats from the past week. 

Has anyone else been a bit confused by the heat wave? How did the temperature jump from 40 to 90 overnight?

And what happened to the lovely 60-70F spring days?? Can we please have a couple of those?

This taste of summer has definitely made me reach for summer foods, though - ice cream and smoothies, like the tasty shamrock shake above (mint and vanilla). 

But who am I kidding? I'm up for ice cream any time of the year, even (or especially?) in the dead of winter.

Anyone else love loading up on a bean-heavy rando-bowl at salad bars?

Chickpeas (and loner blackberries) for the win.

Just kidding, guys - there are more blackberries in there, somewhere.

When the weather cooled off a bit, I cooked a pasta dish. I hate cooking/eating hot food in the summer (I'm really bad at tolerating heat) so I should enjoy a few more hot meals before the weather gets (and stays!) hot for good.

Hopefully this summer won't be too torturous. I'll be in NYC again for most of it and NYC can really be a hot, sticky armpit sometimes. 

But a fun one, so I can't really complain.

Okay, so for that recipe I promised y'all. 

A custard-y dutch baby without eggs or gluten! It took a bit of tinkering, but now it's delicious - and protein packed to boot!

Blueberry Green Protein Dutch Baby (serves 1)

* 1 small handful spinach (~1/3 c. NOT packed)

* 1/4 c. milk

* 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

* 1 Tbsp. oil

* 1 package Betty Lou's Vanilla Whey Protein

* 1/8 tsp. salt

* 1 Tbsp. sugar

* 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

* 3/4 tsp. baking powder

* 1/2 c. blueberries

1) Puree the spinach with the milk in your blender until liquid. 

2) Add vanilla extract and oil to the milk-spinach mixture

3) Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. 

4) Add the liquid mixture to the dry mix.

5) Mix, don't overmix.

6) Add the blueberries.

7) Pour into an oven-safe oiled dish.

8) Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes, until set. It may end up taking less time in your oven, my oven is pretty dinky. 

Enjoy!!

The spinach adds a fun green color that I think looks really pretty with the blueberries, but it's optional. If you stick to a small handful, however, you won't be able to taste it!

What's the last recipe you've tried?

Do you prefer dutch babies or pancakes?

What are your go-to foods and drinks when it's hot out?

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Sundae Time!

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It's SUNDAE TIME!!!

Okay, so it's actually only Saturday.

But shhhh, we'll pretend.

Remember this?



It's the scrumptious Weight Watchers Ice Cream Candy Bar, a.k.a. one of my freezer section loves. Because I enjoyed it so much (and they did such an excellent job with this creamy sweet treat) I couldn't wait to try the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Ice Cream Sundaes.

There are 10 varieties of Smart Ones Smart Delights Sundaes and, since I don't do Weight Watchers (or diet at all), I was much more interested in the ooey gooey sauces drizzled over the creamy, toppings-sprinkled ice cream than I was in the fact that the ice cream is low-fat or that each sundae is light enough to fit into most diets as a daily treat.

No, I was far more interested in the fact that these sundaes tastes sinfully, creamily, deliciously decadent and come in such delightful varieties as Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Key Lime Pie, Toffee Bar, Turtle, and (my first choice to try) Peanut Butter Cup.

There are four cups in each pack and they come in these individual single-serve packets. While that's not terribly environmentally-conscious, it is quite convenient and great for anyone with portion-control issues. The plastic seal is on nice and tight, so there weren't any ice crystals forming underneath (I hate ice crystals on my ice cream, it breaks up the delicious creaminess).

There's also, as you can see, plenty of chocolate sauce and mini peanut butter cups. The sauce isn't liquid, since it's frozen on with the rest of it, but it isn't hard either. Instead, it's sticky and chewy, like a really soft caramel - it's great against the super-creamy ice cream.

The mini peanut butter cups taste just like Reese's and aren't hard, either, even straight out of the freezer. The flavors of everything are great - it's sweet, creamy, indulgent, chocolatey, and delicious. And the ice cream sits atop of a chocolate cookie crust!

This is really delicious and I'd definitely buy it again. My only issue is that the serving is pretty small but the sundae is so delicious that you want more! But they have to get those nutritional stats to satisfy the calorie-conscious masses somehow, no?

It's always the right time for a yummy sundae :)

What's your favorite type of ice cream sundae? I think it's hot fudge brownie or turtle for me...

Do you prefer ice cream sundaes, ice cream novelties, or scooped ice cream?

What's your favorite brand of ice cream at the moment?

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I Scream for Blue Bunny Ice Cream!

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I'm an ice cream lover, but it feels like its been a while since I reviewed a new ice cream on the blog.

Let's rectify that, shall we?

Though we've seen Blue Bunny around a lot, something about the packaging just never really called out to me as much as the other brands - so I'm pretty sure this is my first time trying their ice cream!

I picked out four varieties at Harris Teeter.

While there are some questionable flavors (like the bright blue birthday cake) there are also a lot of really tempting looking ones! I had trouble settling on just four, but there's only so much ice cream that one girl can buy at once ;)

I decided to go with the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie:



the Mint Chocolate Chip:



the Peanut Butter Panice:



and the Vanilla:



They seem to be a bit more budget-friendly than other brands, at least if you're not taking sales prices into account. They cost the same as other tubs, but instead of the usual 12 servings, they have 14 - an extra 2 scoops without an increase in price.

The ice cream is on the softer side, comparable to Edy's or Breyer's, and doesn't take a long time at room temperature to be scoopable. The convenience of this is definitely a plus for busy college students and busy professionals, who just don't have the time to spend ages prepping a snack each night. I put the cartons on the counter and they were ready to scoop less than five minutes later.

The ice cream seems a bit hit-or-miss. Three of the four flavors were really delicious, but the vanilla just fell short. I expected it to be made of the same base as the other ice creams, but I don't think it was. While all of the other three flavors were creamy, with a great rich texture, the vanilla was not very creamy. It wasn't exactly icy either, but it just wasn't very creamy. The vanilla flavor also wasn't very strong, though I must mention that they also have a 'homemade vanilla' flavor (it may or may not be better, I haven't tried it).

But I really enjoyed the other three flavors a lot and would definitely buy them again! 

My favorite is the Peanut Butter Panic, which is sweet and creamy with the perfect pairing of peanut butter and chocolate in just the right proportions. The ice cream base is also peanut butter flavored and it's rich and indulgent!

The Mint Chocolate Chip is very refreshing and not artificial tasting. The chocolate pieces aren't too hard and they break up the minty, creamy goodness delightfully.

The White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie is also really tasty, with soft pieces of melt-in-your mouth cookies with sweet, tasty chunks of white chocolate. I would have liked more mix-ins in the ice cream, but I'm also crazy about textures and love having a TON of mix-ins.

What's your favorite brand of ice cream?

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Do you like more mix-ins/toppings or more ice cream?

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