A Good Ice-Cream

Forrest and I have fallen into somewhat of a chocolate-malt habit as of late. It's our little treat after the kids are in bed (providing they aren't woken by the sound of the blender.) However, I must confess that I am somewhat of a snob when it comes to ice-cream. I am very particular about the quality, and so many (if not all) of the ice-creams found in grocery stores are loaded with fillers and artificial colors and flavors. Anyone who's had homemade ice-cream knows that ice-cream is supposed to taste really good, and can attest to the difference between homemade and store-bought. However, I can not justify pulling out the ice-cream maker in April, so we have settled for the next best thing: Trader Joe's Super Premium French Vanilla Ice-Cream.

The ingredient list:

cream
milk
sugar
egg yolks
natural vanilla flavor
carob bean gum
guar gum

Not sure about the carob bean gum and guar gum, but I love that the first four ingredients are cream, milk, sugar, and egg yolks. This is as darn near close to homemade as you'll get.


The other thing I love about this ice-cream is that it is a "true" half-gallon. If you pick up the carton you'll notice that it is heavier than most half-gallon ice-cream containers. Other brands fill their ice-cream with air, which creates a fluffier consistency but yields less ice-cream per container. Trader Joe's ice-cream, on the other hand, is dense and rich and gives you more bang for your buck. At $5.99 per half gallon it's a little bit of a splurge, but worth it every time. Who says you have to wait until summer to enjoy the simple goodness of pure vanilla ice-cream?

Oh, and just for good measure, I'll share my recipe for chocolate malts:

4-5 scoops good quality vanilla ice-cream
small amount of milk (adjust for creaminess)
2 heaping Tablespoons Carnation brand Malted Milk powder
Generous drizzle of chocolate syrup (sometimes I'll add caramel as well)

Blend until smooth (makes 2.)

Trader Joe's Favorites

I was trying to re-create a delicious salad I picked up at Nugget Market the other night, and while shopping at Trader Joe's (a much friendlier alternative) I came across these Italian marinated feta cheese cubes. They were so delicious atop my fresh farmer's market greens paired with a little red bell pepper, some pitted kalmata olives, and a snippet of fresh dill. Topped off with Trader Joe's Tuscan Italian dressing, this salad hit the spot.
Any salad ideas you'd like to share.........?

And some of last week's favorites:

Ginger snaps

Just the right amount of sweetness, and I am sure kids love them.

Dorot frozen herb cubes in garlic, basil, and cilantro
Stick them in your freezer, then simply pull out and defrost one pre-portioned cube and you have fresh herb flavor for your cooking.

Pre-made pizza dough.
We all love homemade pizza, but the dough is usually the most time-consuming part. You could also use this dough for cinnamon rolls, crazy bread... the possibilities are endless.

Honey Whole Wheat Pretzel Sticks.
So good to have on hand for snacking, and I think they are only $1.99 per bag. I'm still waiting to try these with that delicious peanut butter cream cheese!

Trader Joe's Favorites

Since we all love Trader Joe's, I had the idea to start doing weekly "Trader Joe's Favorites" posts. I first discovered Trader Joe's about 8 years ago while living up in Washington, and we have since become regulars. Although I shop there often, it seems their inventory is changing in such a way that there are always new treasures to discover. My hope is that some of you can chime in and share your favorites as well!

What we've been enjoying this week:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread
This is so delicious and can be an accompaniment to many items- bagels, pretzels, crackers, fruit- the possibilities are endless.

Sprouted Wheat Bagels
These pair very nicely with the strawberry cream cheese, and have always been a favorite in our family. They are also delicious toasted with plain cream cheese or butter, and they make excellent pizza bagels. As most of us know, sprouted wheat provides many more nutritional benefits than traditional wheat.

And as a treat...
Fudge Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies
At $4.99 per dozen, these cookies are somewhat pricey, yet decadent in flavor. You can find them in the freezer section. Just defrost them on the counter for an hour or two before you are ready to eat them, and keep them refrigerated thereafter. The filling is like a rich chocolate ganache. They were quite a bit smaller than I expected, which is probably a good thing otherwise I would've stuffed myself on them. They are the perfect bite-sized dessert.

Have a favorite? Do share...