Banana Nut Bread

My grandmother is one of the best bakers I know. She can make just about any cake or dessert just off the top of her head and it usually blows away the store bought stuff. I think this talent comes from the fact that she finds joy in what she does. She takes pleasure in thoughtfully and skillfully making something that she know others will enjoy. I believe this is why Blue Bell is just as good at what they do. How else could they have put the warmth and goodness of homemade banana nut bread into an ice cream?!

The new banana nut bread ice cream is a part of the "Holiday Favorites" line that's in stores right now. As I was perusing the freezer case this flavor caught my eye for two reasons, first banana nut bread is one of my grandmother's specialties; so, unfortunately, it's one of the things I miss out on living so far from home. And secondly, I was curious about how they were going to transform a classic like this into a viable ice cream option. Well, folks, they did it and they did it well!

Creamy banana ice cream with a healthy serving of banana nut bread pieces, roasted walnuts and a cream cheese frosting swirl running throughout. They did it right! Everything is perfectly balanced and the banana bread pieces are perfectly soft and chewy but not soggy!

5 out of 5 scoops for nostalgia and flavor integrity!

Ice Cream Party

We had an awesome time throwing our first Ice Cream Outreach party at the Neighborhood Services Council this week. The kids were so well behaved and truly a delight. We'll definitely be back very soon to share a little more Blue Bell with them! Check out the pics below for a recap of how the day went.

P.s. We opted for the Birthday Cake flavor in the individual cups for the kids and it was a hit. You really can't go wrong with vanilla ice cream loaded with chocolate cake pieces, sprinkles and chocolate sauce!

The first room decorated and set up for the kids

Treat buckets and a school bus full of cookies

The second room

The kids digging into their goodies

YUM!

Nothing's better than cookies and ice cream after school

Amy serving up the cookies to the kids

The kids showing off some of their goodies

If you'd like to volunteer or donate to the Neighborhood Services Council check out their website. www.nscikids.org

Pecan Pralines 'n Cream

So in order to do this review justice, I had to find out what a praline was, exactly. So according to Google a praline is :

• A smooth, sweet substance made by boiling nuts in sugar and grinding the mixture, used esp. as a filling for chocolates
• A crisp or semicrisp candy made by a similar process and typically consisting of butter, brown sugar, and pecans

Now that we have that settled, I can tell you that I’ve had other brand’s pralines ‘n cream ice cream before and Blue Bell blows them out of the water! The praline sauce is perfectly blended throughout the creamy vanilla ice cream. I taste a little hint of salt in the sauce itself which makes it that much better. I honestly can’t get enough of this flavor and neither can my husband. We really should have bought the half gallon, a pint just wasn’t enough to share!

5 out of 5 scoops for praline goodness!

Moo-llenium Crunch

I love nuts just as much as the next girl, but this is just nut overload. The caramel and chocolate chunks mixed into the vanilla creaminess were perfection, but then you throw in a triple nut medley and its just TOO much! My advice, pick one nut and call it a day (preferably the almonds).

3 out of 5 scoops for being nut-rageous

Pistachio Almond

The first time I had pistachio ice cream was at Baskin Robbins when I was about 7. Once again it was the green hue that caught my eye, and once I heard pistachio I was sold. Who didn't love pistachios as a kid; especially the red shells that left everything stained crimson, sorry mom!

As usual Blue Bell takes a classic and makes it just a little better with toasted almonds and extra creamy pistachio ice cream.

5 out of 5 scoops

Neighborhood Service Council

Later this month we'll be teaming up with Neighborhood Service Council to give some deserving kids an after school ice cream party! Thanks to my friend, and fellow blogger, Amy Blanchard for suggesting NSC and for getting us connected with such a wonderful organization.

Neighborhood Service Council is a non-profit corporation that provides free after-school activities, tutoring and summer day camp for under privileged kids in North Dallas. They even provide free transportation from local schools to the NSC activity facility each day! What an awesome program to help keep latch-key kids off the streets and out of trouble. If you'd like to get involved with Neighborhood Service Council visit their website for info about volunteering and donating www.nscikids.org

We're honored to have been given the opportunity to work with NSC and we look forward to sharing our first Ice Cream Outreach experience with you later this month, so stay tuned!!

Coconut Fudge

Coconut Fudge, you had me at hello! Although it took me 2 months for my local Kroger to grace their freezer case with your presence, this week my prayers were answered.

Deliciously creamy coconut ice cream laced with thick ribbons of rich fudge, nothing could be better...or so I thought. To my surprise and delight there was also shredded coconut mixed in! Well played Blue Bell, well played!

5 out of 5 scoops for being worth the wait.

Ice Cream Outreach

At the beginning of this ice cream adventure my goal was to taste and review every flavor of Blue Bell before the end of October, its been really fun but recently I've wanted to do a little more with this blog than just post playful critiques. A couple of weeks ago I made a post about wanting to reach out to underprivileged schools/kids and give them a fun ice cream party.

Since then I have had a wonderful outpouring of suggestions for deserving schools or children's programs who would like to participate, which left me with an overwhelming urge to do more. So this is the new goal, give an ice cream party to as many school's/programs as I can for as long as I can and incorporate my experience into this blog. Financially this is no small feat, but God provides...and He already has in a BIG way! Don't worry, I'll still be writing Blue Bell reviews, but the underlying purpose will be to form an ice cream outreach!

This is sure to be a "sweet" adventure that I am thrilled and honored to take part in, if you're interested in volunteering just let me know! And if you know of an underprivileged school or children's program in the DFW area that would like a free Blue Bell ice cream party, let me know. We'll coordinate, decorate, and supply the ice cream and fixin's, all we need is cooperation from the school or program.

Dessert Trio

Dessert Trio, yes please! Blue Bell has once again hit it out of the park with this new flavor and just in time for National Ice Cream Month!! Creamy vanilla ice cream packed with chunks of soft chocolate chip cookies, fudgy pecan brownies, and moist chocolate covered cake pieces and a swirl of chocolate sauce. Sometimes Blue Bell gets a little over ambitious and puts just one thing too many into the recipe, but not this time. Everything was perfectly balanced and wonderfully blended. I can't even put into words how amazing this is (not to mention how quickly it vanished from my freezer).

Do yourself a favor, skip the pint and get the half gallon on this one!

5 out of 5 scoops for being just right...and then some!

Buttered Pecan

There's something comforting and homey about buttered pecan, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe its because it reminds me of the butterscotch candies my grandmother used to keep in her purse or maybe the flavor itself is so unassuming, simple yet satisfying.

Surprisingly its not as rich as you would think, which is a good thing because you can eat more of it! Yet, the flavor still has depth although I wouldn't have minded a candied pecan.

5 out of 5 for buttery texture and taste!

Mocha Madness

If there was such a thing as a breakfast ice cream, this would be it. The coffee flavor will wake you up better than anything at Starbucks! I must admit the pecans were totally unnecessary, but they didn't totally ruin the experience. I would definitely toss this in the blender with some milk and make a Mocha Madness shake to start the day!

4 out of 5 scoops for coffeeliciousness!

Caramel Kettle Crunch

I remember my first encounter with Caramel Kettle Crunch quite well. It was about a year ago and as I was perusing the freezer case this flavor caught my eye. If you know my husband you know that his one weakness is kettle corn, there's something hypnotic about the combination of sweet and salty popcorn that just turns him into a kid again! So when I saw this flavor I did what any good wife would do, I bought it ate a scoop or two and served him a big bowl after dinner. We both had the same reaction...AMAZING!!

I don't know how Blue Bell manages to keep the caramel corn crunchy and light but they do it and its lick your bowl good! The perfect balance of sweet caramel corn, vanilla ice cream and a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness!

I have yet to see this flavor this year, but I do hope its coming back soon!

5 out of 5 scoops for kettle corn perfection.

Mint Chocolate Chip

I have always had a thing for mint chocolate chip ice cream, as a kid I thought it was so much more sophisticated and "grown-up" than the traditional chocolate my friends flocked too. Not to mention that it was green and that was my favorite color back then. As I got older my love affair wit MCC continued but I always thought most brands skimped out on the mint which cheapened the experience. I guess Blue Bell read my mind because the minute you taste this ice cream you know the mint was the main attraction!

5 out of 5 scoops for extra mintiness!

Birthday Cake

The name of this flavor draws you in but vanilla ice cream with chocolate cake chunks and rainbow sprinkles just didn't really blow my candles out. The cake pieces were a little hard and chewy which had me chewing more than I care to when I'm having a bowl of ice cream, I wish the cake pieces had had the consistency of the 'nilla wafers in the Banana Pudding. And the sprinkles threw me off,in my opinion a swirl of icing would have been way more fitting.

Overall this flavor was just ehh so I give it a 3 out of 5 scoops.

Ain't No Party, Like a Blue Bell Party!

For the first time in months this afternoon, I opened my freezer and came to a cold realization... I have no Blue Bell in my freezer! I usually have at least half a pint waiting for me at any given time, but today is different and I must admit it makes me a little sad but its also inspired an idea.

There are no doubt many kids all around DFW who don't have the privilege of having a scoop of their favorite ice cream for dessert or a cool treat on a hot day. Some of my fondest memories from childhood include running to the ice cream truck with my friends or getting a sundae at the local ice cream shop with my family. It might sound silly, but ice cream is a simple pleasure that I take for granted. So I have a proposal to make: I will set aside $3 (the average cost of a pint) for every review that I post until August 22 to help raise money for a back to school Blue Bell ice cream party for an underprivileged school here in Dallas. So far I've written 18 reviews so that's $54 in the fund...not a bad start!

Honestly can you think of a better way to kick off the school year than with a surprise ice cream party? I can't!

If anyone would like to get involved please let me know by posting a comment. If you have ideas on how I can organize this event, a school who is deserving, or you want to volunteer your time or resources...let me know!

Cotton Candy

I love love love Blue Bell's Cotton Candy ice cream and who wouldn't! Its sweet, creamy, and unmistakably cotton candy...or is it Krazy Kookie Dough? To tell you the truth these two flavors taste exactly the same, but I'm not mad, with 66+ flavors you're going to have some overlap at some point right. I'm just glad its one of the good flavors :)

Honestly, it tastes like someone mixed a big bag of cotton candy into a pint of rich Blue Bell vanilla ice cream aka pure heaven!

5 out of 5 scoop for cotton candiness!

Summer Berries

Oh Summer Berries I wanted to like you, I really did! I read your description and I just about melted. You sounded delicious, but unfortunately you fell a little flat.

Something is just missing... actually I think its just off balance. The ice cream itself was refreshing, with a light citrus flavor and berry pieces running throughout. If they had stopped there, this flavor would have been 5 out of 5, but they added in thick swirls of raspberry and blackberry sauces and truthfully this was just a bit too much. It threw the balance off, it went from light and refreshing to flavor overload and texture confusion.

Either give the ice cream more depth of flavor and richness OR take the berry sauce swirls out! Please.

3 out of 5 scoops for being mostly good.

Cake Batter

To the naked eye Blue Bell's Cake Batter ice cream looks like vanilla, but once you taste it there's no doubt about the flavor! It's absolutely delicious and they captured the flavor perfectly. Its 100% cake batter goodness minus the scolding you get for licking the bowl. The only downside is that its so rich that you probably won't want more than a couple of spoonfuls..

5 out of 5 scoops for flavor integrity

Chocolate Peanut Butter

This is one of the flavors I tried at Pokey O's and I must say it is one of my least favorite of all time. For such a fun flavor it tastes like its taking itself way too seriously. The peanut butter swirls are a little oily and the sharpness of the flavor attacks the palate. Overall, its lacking something that makes it fun and whimsical, maybe the PB should have been creamier or better yet it should have been smooth, creamy peanut butter ice cream with swirls of rich milk chocolate fudge!

I give this flavor 1.5 out of 5 scoops for leaving me with a frown instead of a smile.

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.

May 2011 Flavors

There are 12 flavors in the May rotation, here are a few I'm especially looking forward to trying:

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

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

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

Chocolate Mud Pie

Chocolate Mud Pie is yet another new flavor from Blue Bell, and so far they've all been homeruns...except for this one. Although I can't say its my favorite flavor, its not bad. Rich chocolate ice cream with swirls of whipped topping and fudge sauce and pieces of mixed nut shortbread. I actually love everything about this flavor EXCEPT for the shortbread pieces, they were a little too dry and crunchy. I wish they had been more soft and chewy like the vanilla wafers in the banana pudding ice cream.

I give Chocolate Mud Pie 4 out of 5 scoops for classic dessertiness.

Krazy Kookie Dough

I love that Blue Bell has put a fun, updated spin on a classic! Krazy Kookie Dough is nothing like the typical cookie dough ice cream we all know and love. First, the ice cream itself is bright yellow and cake batter flavored, though it had notes of cotton candy as well *bonus*. Secondly, the cookie dough bits are substantial chunks of neon colored sugar cookie dough! On first sight it looks like a tub of communal Play-doh, but once you dig in there's no mistaking the fact that its pure Blue Bell bliss!! I see this flavor being served at kids' birthday parties for many years to come :)

5 out of 5 scoops for originality and creative use of color.

P.s. This flavor actually reminds me of Superman ice cream. Most of you won't know what that means, but trust me its amazing!

Orange Swirl

Once again Blue Bell has brought me back to my childhood, this is a classic orange creamsicle in a tub! Just like the ones we used to run to the ice cream truck to get, the kind that would end up running down your arm in a melty mess if you didn't eat it quick enough. The reason creamsicles have been a summertime staple since the dawn of time is because sometimes ice cream alone can be a little heavy on a hot summer day (especially in this Texas heat)...but sherbet mixed with ice cream can be so refreshing!

Blue Bell's Orange Swirl has just enough vanilla ice cream mixed in with the orange sherbet to give it depth and a creamy richness, but its also light enough to have at an outdoor BBQ on a 100 degree day and not feel like you have to drink a gallon of water to wash it down.

This is flavor gets 5 out of 5 scoops for classic summertiminess!

Ps. Blue Bell, if you're reading this, can you make this flavor in the half-gallon size please? If only for the summer months, I bet you won't regret it!

Banana Split

I have just tasted a flavor that I do not care for, I guess it was bound to happen someday. The ice cream itself was creamy and delicious as usual, but there were just too many add ins. Swirls of fudge and strawberry syrup, diced cherries, nuts, chopped bananas and pineapple. Personally I could have done without the pineapple and the strawberry syrup, or even better, replace the strawberry with caramel!

Anyways, I get that they were going for a fully loaded banana split but I have to give this flavor 3 out of 5 scoops, its just too busy for my liking.

Rocky Road

There's no mistaking this classic, chopped toasted almonds and mini marshmallows all in dark chocolate ice cream. The highlight of this flavor is the depth of the cocoa, its perfect! The marshmallows literally melt in your mouth and the almonds are crunchy not chewy or soggy like other brands. But chunks of dark chocolate would really take it over the top...*hint hint Blue Bell*

Rocky road has always been a flavor that reminds me of being a kid, but this one is decadent...a childhood favorite all grown up! 5 out of 5 scoops for flavor refinement.

Breaking News

Breaking news from my good friend (and fellow Blue Bell enthusiast) Amy Blanchard: Kroger has Blue Bell pints 4/$5!!

I will definitely be stocking up this weekend and have a whole batch of reviews for you next week, so stay tuned ;)

Strawberry

As a kid I was severely allergic to strawberries (and berries in general) so as with most things that are off limits I craved it that much more. At about the age of 18 I decided to throw caution to the wind and give strawberries a whirl just to see if anything had changed since childhood, sure enough it HAD! Somehow, my allergy had disappeared. The fruit that used to make me break out into a rash and make my throat close up, was no longer a threat. And for this reason alone I favor strawberry ice cream over any other run of the mill flavor. But Blue Bell does it best, not only do you get the rich and creamy ice cream we've come to expect but you also get big chunks of sweet frozen strawberries too!

5 out of 5 scoops for fruitiness

Butter Crunch

When I picked up this flavor I thought it was a play on butter pecan, but boy was I wrong...it was even better! Butter Crunch is basically Butterfinger ice cream. At first blush its basically chunks and bits of imitation Butterfinger in vanilla ice cream. But its so much better than that because of the signature Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. The richness of the ice cream really makes the candy bar pieces taste even more decadent.

5 out of 5 scoops for richness of flavor

Banana Pudding

This is the flavor that started my Blue Bell love affair. 3 years ago when my husband introduced me to his parents for the first time his mother had just whipped up a batch of her famous banana pudding. I must admit I have never been a pudding fan, but out of courtesy to my future in laws I decided to try a small bowl...which led to a big bowl and a big smile on my face! When we moved to Texas I figured my banana pudding days would be limited to family reunions and then I found this in the freezer case!! Angels descended and harps started playing, it was every bit as good as my mother in laws version but it was ice cream, which made it a little better!

Rich banana ice cream with a whipped topping swirl and chunks of chewy vanilla wafers.

This flavor gets 5 out of 5 scoops for creaminess and a bit of nostalgia.

The Blue Bell Review

Since moving to Dallas, TX last year I have fallen in love with Blue Bell Ice Cream. I guess I was deprived for the first 26 years of my life, because I had never even heard of Blue Bell! Well now I have some catching up to do...between now and October 1, 2011 I will try every flavor of Blue Bell Ice Cream available and write a review on each one. According to Wikipedia Blue Bell offers 66 tantalizing flavors, from the standard (mint chocolate chip and rocky road) to the more obscure (Southern Hospitality and Century Sundae). Some of these flavors are offered year round and some are seasonal. The seasonal flavors could be the tricky part but hopefully it won't be an issue.

Feel free to follow my blog and let me know what your favorite flavor of ice cream is!