Happy Tracks

My good friend Amy B. is guest blogging about one of her favorite Blue Bell flavors this week. Here's what she has to say about Happy Tracks:

I grew up eating Blue Bell Ice Cream. When we are offered dessert at a restaurant, my father-in-law always advises the waiter that “We have a half-gallon of Blue Bell at home in the freezer.” It’s true. Blue Bell is just as satisfying as any dessert in a restaurant due to their creative combinations.

Happy Tracks is Blue Bell’s classic vanilla ice cream with dark fudge swirls and chocolate peanut butter cups. This ice cream is full of flavor- the dark chocolate fudge swirls and peanut butter cups are a dangerous combo… you’ll wish you had a bigger bowl!

I totally agree with Amy, I couldn't get enough of Happy Tracks! This was the first flavor I tried at my recent Scoop-a-palooza at Pokey O's, and it did not disappoint. The ice cream itself was great but the peanut butter cups stole the show, when you pair creamy peanut butter and rich milk chocolate you can't go wrong!

5 out of 5 scoops for perfect pairing.

Homemade in the Shade

Homemade in the Shade is the PERFECT ice cream to make a brownie sundae with...which is exactly what I did last night! Rich vanilla ice cream with thick chocolate fudge ribbons running throughout. I love that the fudge isn't too sweet, which is a great balance with the vanilla. Its a simple flavor with wonderful depth.

5 out of 5 scoops for flavor balance.

Update: I honestly cannot get enough of this flavor! It may be new favorite...sorry Orange Swirl

June Rotational Flavors

Century Sundae - Gold Rim
Our most popular ice cream, Homemade Vanilla, swirled with caramel and chocolate sauces, a whipped topping and diced maraschino cherries.

Cherry Vanilla - Brown Rim
Maraschino cherry halves mixed into a smooth, creamy vanilla ice cream.

Coconut Fudge - Gold Rim
A tasty coconut ice cream with delicate flakes of coconut and a rich chocolate fudge swirl.

Fudge Brownie Nut - Gold Rim
Dark chocolate ice cream with chewy fudge brownie pieces and tasty pecans, almonds and walnuts.

Homemade in the Shade - Gold Rim
Our top-selling Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream combined with a swirl of rich, chocolate fudge sauce.

Nutty Chocolate - Brown Rim
A rich chocolate ice cream loaded with milk chocolate-coated pecans, dark chocolate-coated peanuts, white chocolate-coated almonds and roasted walnuts.

Peaches & Homemade Vanilla - Gold Rim
A mouth-watering combination of juicy, ripe peaches and our famous Homemade Vanilla ice cream.

Pineapples & Homemade Vanilla - Gold Rim
Our popular Homemade Vanilla ice cream mixed with juicy chunks of sweetened pineapple.

Southern Blackberry Cobbler - Brown Rim
Creamy ice cream with a luscious blackberry flavor combined with flaky pie crust pieces and a blackberry sauce swirl.

Southern Hospitality - Brown Rim
Our famous Homemade Vanilla with chunks of pineapples, roasted pecans and a strawberry sauce swirl.

**Strawberry Cheesecake - Gold Rim
Rich cheesecake ice cream with succulent strawberries and swirls of delicious, strawberry sundae sauce.

Summer Berries - Brown Rim
A very berry-licious flavor! A refreshing, citrus ice cream mixed with strawberries, blueberries and swirls of raspberry and blackberry sauces.

Pokey O's Review

So thanks to Pokey O's and Susie O, I have tried 12 new flavors and I'll be posting my reviews over the next few days/weeks. But first I want to review Pokey O's for those who have never had the privilege of going.

The minute you walk in to Pokey O's you can't help but feel like a little kid again. You're greeted by an ice cream counter boasting 15 flavors of various Blue Bell treats, bakery fresh gourmet cookies, and a freezer case full of decadent ice cream cakes! Just a couple of blocks from SMU, this gem is strategically placed next to a Barnes & Noble and a Starbucks...the perfect place for a mom to take the kids after a weekend soccer game or a weary college kid to unwind between finals.

Even though I went to Pokey O's to taste the ice cream, the real star was the cookies! Big, moist, cookies chock full of crunchy nuts, rich chocolate chunks and much more. They have all of the classics like chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia and snickerdoodle; as well as quite a few new favorites like white chocolate cranberry, maple pecan, and fudge nut brownie. After my tast-athon I was sent home with a big bag of "brokey Pokey" (which is a variety bag of broken cookies) and let's just say it didn't make it home! Kudos to the Pokey O family for coming up such a creative way to use the broken cookies that can't be used for ice cream sandwiches.

Anyways, if you find yourself in Dallas and you're searching for a delicious sweet treat, stop by Pokey O's...you won't regret it.

P.s. If you get there and you're a little overwhelmed by all of the amazing options just ask for a "Susie O" which is an ice cream sandwich made with 2 fudge nut brownie cookies and a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream!

www.PokeyOs.com

Ice Cream Cake Case

Grasshopper Ice Cream Cake

Gourmet Cookies

Just a few of the flavors

Yelp!

Thank you to all of my fellow Yelpers who recommended the next flavor I should taste and review: Tin Roof. Tin Roof has an immense fan base and I want to jump on the bandwagon myself, but it looks like its not in rotation right now. So, I promise all of my Yelp family that I will review Tin Roof, as soon as it becomes available again...until then keep the suggestions coming!

Pokey O's

There are about 19 weeks left in my challenge, and I have about 54 flavors to go. So I'm facing an issue when it comes to my Blue Bell review challenge...too many flavors and not enough time. At the rate I'm going I would need to taste and review 2-3 new flavors per week from now until October 1st. Its not impossible, but I have an idea to make it a little more interesting. Enter Pokey O's!

Pokey O's is a cookie and ice cream shop here in Dallas featuring 15 Flavors of Blue Bell ice cream, that you can order by the scoop or sandwiched between their fresh baked, gourmet cookies. I plan on visiting Pokey O's this Saturday and hopefully getting a scoop or two of each of their flavors (if my wallet is willing). This Scoop-a-palooza should help push me over the hump a little.

I'll report back next week with the new reviews and about my first Pokey O's experience!

Southern Blackberry Cobbler

Blue Bell you've done it again, all aboard the nostalgia train! When I was a little girl Sunday dinners were a big deal in my house. My mother would spend the whole day in the kitchen putting together a feast of comfort food. Roast beef, baked macaroni and cheese, vegetable casserole, cornbread where just some of the staples. My sister and I would set the table and all of the dishes were served up...all except one. Pie! On Sunday afternoon while the meal was simmering, my mom would go to a local bakery and pick up a fresh baked pie. After the meal was done we'd clear the table and then get a slice of pie a la mode. Which brings me to Blue Bell's Southern Blackberry Cobbler.

Lightly flavored, creamy blackberry ice cream with a swirl of rich blackberry sauce and flaky pie crust pieces. The ice cream itself is delicious, creamy, and perfectly fruity and the pie pieces were soft on the outside and crumbly (almost crunchy) on the inside. If I were going to a dinner party and it was my job to bring the dessert, I would forgo making or buying a pie and just bring a half-gallon of this instead!

5 out of 5 scoops for living up to the Blue Bell slogan, "tastes just like the good old days"

Cookies 'n Cream

Since I couldn't find ANY of the May rotational flavors at my local Kroger this week (yes Kroger #528 I'm talking to you) I was forced to go with a classic. Blue Bell's Cookies 'n Cream stands apart from other brands' cookies 'n cream because you get nice, big chunks (as well as small bits and pieces) of chocolate sandwich cookies. In one scoop I got almost a whole cookie, still intact! Yet, no matter how big the chunks are, they're melt in your mouth soft and chewy. Although I was hoping to review Coconut Fudge or Southern Blackberry Cobbler this week, I can't be mad with a bowl of cookies 'n cream in my hand!

5 out of 5 scoops for big, soft cookie chunks!

P.s. According to the Blue Bell website, Blue Bell invented this flavor. So they get 5 scoops and a cherry on top for originality.

Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla

This is a toned down version of Strawberry, and we all know how much I loved that one! This flavor is pretty much vanilla with a hint of strawberry flavor. There are ample amounts of strawberry chunks but its not overwhelming, so its still rich and smooth. There's not really much to be said other than that!

5 out of 5 for delicate flavor.