What?

I am posting this article from wnbc.com because it is just WRONG! It made me laugh, though. I have to tell you all that if any ice cream manufacturer decides to use human breast milk as part of their recipe, I will NOT be reviewing it here. You're on your own with that! Anyway, here's the article:

VERMONT -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace cow's milk they use in their ice cream products with human breast milk, according to a statement recently released by a PETA spokeswoman.
"PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.
PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health.

"The fact that human adults consume huge quantities of dairy products made from milk that was meant for a baby cow just doesn't make sense," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Everyone knows that 'the breast is best,' so Ben & Jerry's could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch to breast milk."
In a statement Ben and Jerry's said, "We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child."
Read PETA's letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
September 23, 2008
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Cofounders
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc.
Dear Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield,
On behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I'd like to bring your attention to an innovative new idea from Switzerland that would bring a unique twist to Ben and Jerry's.
Storchen restaurant is set to unveil a menu that includes soups, stews, and sauces made with at least 75 percent breast milk procured from human donors who are paid in exchange for their milk. If Ben and Jerry's replaced the cow's milk in its ice cream with breast milk, your customers-and cows-would reap the benefits.
Using cow's milk for your ice cream is a hazard to your customer's health. Dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies, constipation, obesity, and prostate and ovarian cancer. The late Dr. Benjamin Spock, America's leading authority on child care, spoke out against feeding cow's milk to children, saying it may play a role in anemia, allergies, and juvenile diabetes and in the long term, will set kids up for obesity and heart disease-America's number one cause of death.
Animals will also benefit from the switch to breast milk. Like all mammals, cows only produce milk during and after pregnancy, so to be able to constantly milk them, cows are forcefully impregnated every nine months. After several years of living in filthy conditions and being forced to produce 10 times more milk than they would naturally, their exhausted bodies are turned into hamburgers or ground up for soup.
And of course, the veal industry could not survive without the dairy industry. Because male calves can't produce milk, dairy farmers take them from their mothers immediately after birth and sell them to veal farms, where they endure 14 to 17 weeks of torment chained inside a crate so small that they can't even turn around.
The breast is best! Won't you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching from cow's milk to breast milk in Ben and Jerry's ice cream? Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President


Can we all say it together? CRAZY!!!!

New Zealand Ice Cream

Hey Folks, I want you to know that this is a VERY special blog. We have our very first review from our own overseas correspondent, Mr. Brance Cornelius (more on him later). We hope to be receiving ice cream reviews from the far east over the next couple of months as he tours with the Broadway Asia production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" starring Lea Salonga. Check out the show here: http://www.cinderellaonstage.com/

And now for the review:

Shop Name: New Zealand Ice Cream

Location: Xi'an, China (just across from the Bell Tower)

Corn's Rating: 3 1/2 screams

Well, ni hao ice cream fans, it's the long awaited ice cream taste testing in Xi'an, China, at a New Zealand ice cream store. Bare with me. My Australian friend, and castmate, was eager to share his NZIC knowledge with us and I was happy to tag along for the experience.
Okay, now for the experience. The staff of about 3 college aged kids were extremely friendly and very eager to help us. Although only one spoke English there was plenty of laughing and giggling. After all it's ice cream, a funny subject. After perusing the selection, I chose the popular flavor: Hokey Pokey. Okay, it wasn't popular but I like to think that ice cream named after a widely successful dance craze, often performed on roller skates, has some popular appeal. And I like to pick my ice cream based on funny names and color, (even though my all time favorite is simply, Vanilla) I digress. I ordered 2 scoops (for 28 RMB or yuan, about 4 US dollars-a little pricey for ice cream in China, but since it's "New Zealand Ice Cream" I like to think that it was imported!) That's 2 scoops of Hokey Pokey in a cone, but alas, they were out of cones. Hmmm? Must have been a big cone day here in Xi'an. I settled for a cup and enjoyed the 'cream (if ya catch my slang). It was great, much like a butterscotch with not too much butter and just enough scotch! Would I go back? YES! Would I try a new flavor? YES! Would I like to pay less? HECK YES!
Quickly after the group received their orders the staff wanted to pose for pictures with us crazy Americans and token Australian. Being the actors we are, we were happy to oblige; "anything for the press" is what I say!
Hopefully in the upcoming weeks I will be able to report on the numerous ice cream desserts found in the freezer of side street vendors. We are currently living in a tourist section of Xi'an (not just for foreigners, but Chinese tourist as well) and the choices are plentiful and a bit odd... Pea Ice Cream or Corn Ice Cream? Until then...

Boo here: I'd like to thank Corn for his eloquent ice cream review. I think he's got quite a knack for it, and I'm sure you're looking forward to his next review as eagerly as I am. Visit again soon, everyone!

The Jigger Shop

Shop Name: The Jigger Shop

Location: Mount Gretna, PA

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

Ok, crazy ice cream fans, here it is- the long awaited VIDEO BLOG!!! (For those in the know, the term is "vlog." OMG, I feel so technologically savvy.) Ok, a couple of weeks ago, my friend Mike and I traveled across the many roads and farmlands of PA to the lovely village known as Mount Gretna. Since starting this blog, at least 4 separate people have HIGHLY recommended the Jigger Shop. I quote, "You've got to go and have Jigger." The only problem was that it was in Mount Gretna! It's not even in Lancaster COUNTY, much less Lancaster city. I felt torn about driving all that way just for ice cream but people persisted and so I relented. Fortunately, there was an art show in Mount Gretna, giving us the perfect excuse to drive all that way. I mean, if it's only for ice cream, that's a little weird. If it's for ART and ice cream, that's totally normal. At least that is my logic. (I'm not gonna lie, though. I did seriously consider driving out there just for the ice cream. Common sense stopped me, but my taste buds fought the good fight.)

First, the art show review: I really enjoyed it. It was not so large that you couldn't cover it in an hour or two. They had a good variety of artists, some with really unique media choices. It was NOT your basic Home Goods or department store landscape paintings and photographs. The artists at this show all had an interesting point of view and that's what I liked about it. I even bought some art from an artist named Philip Singer. You can see his artwork here: http://www.psingerart.com/

His work is very surreal, but also very beautiful. I was an instant fan. Unfortunately, the painting I bought is not on his website, so if you want to see it, you'll have to visit me. (Especially all of you New England folk.)

Ok, on to the ice cream. The Jigger Shop only earned 3 1/2 screams because while the ambiance was absolutely charming, the ice cream was just okay. It didn't blow my mind. As you can see on the video, both Mike and I tried the "Jigger" and found it to be okay. Nothing mind blowing. So, I think that when people recommend the Jigger Shop, they're really recommending the experience, not so much the ice cream. And the experience is a good one- the seating extends outside on this porch that has the trees coming right through it. You feel like you're eating in the middle of the woods, which you kind of are. The trees provide a lot of shade as well, perfect for a hot summer day.

Here is the youtube link to the video of our Jigger Shop experience. (I know I said I feel all technologically savvy, but I can't figure out how to put the video right on this page. I'm so pathetic.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivhi6k6Kp2w

Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard

Shop Name: Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard

Location: Park City Mall

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

I was once again in the mall for work, and decided to sample another ice cream establishment while I was there. Kohr Brothers has a stand in the center of the mall, so as I walked from the JC Penney hall towards Boscov's, I stopped and sampled some of their frozen custard. As far as I know, the difference between ice cream and custard is the amount of eggs in the base. I could be wrong. Anyway, frozen custard usually has a consistency similar to soft serve, but it's a little more thick and rich. This particular custard stand had only a few flavor options and combinations. Solo flavors included chocolate, vanilla, orange sherbet and peanut butter. Twists included chocolate & vanilla, orange & vanilla (to make a creamsicle- yum!) and chocolate & peanut butter. I tasted a small sample of the orange sherbet and it was heavenly, but in true Boo form, I opted for a plain cone with a twist of chocolate & peanut butter. Maybe it's because I haven't had ice cream in a few weeks, but it was SO delicious that I wished I'd ordered a larger size. The flavors were perfectly balanced and the texture of the custard was rich and creamy. Yum. Overall, Kohr Brothers earned themselves a respectable 4 screams. I remember last fall (long before the start of my blog), I got a cup of their pumpkin spice custard. At the time, I think you could twist that flavor with a cinnamon custard, which I didn't opt to do. Their pumpkin custard was delicious then and I hope they bring it back this fall.