I Scream You Scream...

Life-Changing Ice Cream

2010-04-20T21:01:00.000-04:00

When I heard about the new Ben & Jerry's flavors Peanut Brittle and Boston Cream Pie, I remember thinking to myself, "Eh, they sound fine, but I'm in no rush to get a pint. They don't sound like life-changing ice creams to me."

Then I tried them. Peanut Brittle is about a million times better than I ever expected it to be and I highly recommend it, but Boston Cream Pie is over-the-top. It will change your life. Here's the breakdown:

1.) The main ice cream flavor is actually Boston Cream Pie- it's not just some vanilla or sweet cream ice cream with a bunch of mix-ins. It's SO much better than that. It's BOSTON CREAM PIE FLAVORED ICE CREAM!!!! Brilliant.
2.) The cake chunks are denser and chewier than the cake typically used in a real Boston Cream Pie. This is an improvement. Holy cow. They are they perfect consistency- any softer and they wouldn't stand up to the ice cream and any harder and they'd feel dried out and old. Instead they are perfectly chewy, perfectly moist, just perfect.
3.) The custard-y filling is soft as if it was in the cake, not in a freezer. How do they make it stay soft and not get all hard and frozen? I don't know how they do it, but it's completely AMAZING!!!

Put all of those together and you have LIFE CHANGING ICE CREAM. No joke. Try it, you'll see.

Central Market, I heart you.

2010-01-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

I love Lancaster, PA's Central Market- it's the oldest farmer's market in the country, open year-round and offering an enormous selection of produce, meats, cheeses, and all sorts of prepared goods. It's fun just to walk around checking out the wares. This week, I had several incredibly simple and delicious meals thanks to the market. For starters, I made this delicious salmon:

The recipe was so simple, I'm not sure I'd even call it a recipe. I bought a half-pound(ish) fillet of salmon from Kathy's Seafood. Then I purchased a jar of Long's Cranberry Citrus Horseradish Relish (say THAT five times fast!) I preheated my oven to 450 degrees, then slathered half the contents of the jar of relish onto the salmon. I roasted the meat for 9 minutes, then turned the oven off and let it continue cooking for another 2 minutes. I pulled it out of the oven, portioned off enough for my dinner, packaged the rest in tupperware and then sat down to the feast pictured above. The rice is the Uncle Ben's boil-in-a-bag and the veggies were from one of those frozen steamer bags (both of these sides were given to me by friends who were moving and didn't want it to go to waste- yay for free food!) The thing about horseradish is that when you cook it, the stingy harshness goes away completely, but the tangy flavor remains. I have one word to describe this dish: YUM!

The following day I made a delicious lunch for myself that was a feast of flavor, in my opinion. I bought a fresh kaiser roll from Willow Valley, as well as smoked honey turkey ham and Canadian supersharp cheddar cheese (aged 4 years) from S. Clyde Weaver's, and finally horseradish mustard from Long's. It was a simple sandwich just bursting with amazing flavor. The ham was salty and sweet, the cheese was the sharpest I've had and the mustard added that extra kick that took the sandwich over the edge. A-MA-ZING.

I dipped some of the left-over cheese slices into the mustard. Delish!!! If you haven't tried Long's products, then get your booty over to the Central Market and do it. He grinds the horseradish on the premises at market. When you walk by his stand, the pungent aroma slaps you in the face and sometimes is even strong enough to make your eyes water just a bit.

Scrumptious Saturday

2009-11-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

We've started a new trend at work this Christmas- it's called Scrumptious Saturdays and I love it. It all started two weeks ago with Tabby's Spaghetti Pie, then continued last week with the Frizado's Chili and this week I've contributed that delicious Pumpkin Sausage Lasagne that I blogged about around this time last year. It's simple- one or two people bring the main entree, and everyone else contributes sides and dessert.

For anyone interested in the recipe for this amazing lasagne, you can find it on Rachel Ray's website here.

Starbucks Via Ready Brew

2009-11-04T12:20:00.000-05:00

So I finally broke down and bought a package of Starbucks Via- their new instant coffee. And guess what- it's delicious. I was running late this morning on my way to work- I had planned to go through the Starbucks drive-thru, but I didn't have time. Then I remembered that I'd purchased a package of the Italian Roast Via about a week ago and thrown it in my purse for just such an occassion. When I got to work, I made it and it was absolutely delicious. I think what's nice about it, too, is that you can make it stronger or weaker depending on your taste. I personally like really strong coffee, so I made it with the recommended 8 ounces of hot water, but if Starbucks is a little too strong for you, it would be easy to make it with a little extra water to tone it down a bit. Has anyone out there tried it? What do you think of it? Leave a comment!

Gelato di Babbo

2009-10-24T15:43:00.000-04:00

Shop Name: Gelato di Babbo

Location: Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA

Screams: 5

I FINALLY managed to get over to Gelato di Babbo's Euro Cafe in Lititz, PA today. I had the day off and no plans until the evening, so I decided to go for lunch. I'd heard from Kim, the owner, about the delicious panini sandwiches on the menu as well as soups and of course her famous gelato. My meal today was:

"Classico" Panini- Proscuitto with fresh mozzarella, basil and cherry tomatoes
Chocolate & Coffee Gelato

First, let's talk about the sandwich. The bread was sliced nice and thick and grilled to perfection- crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and not a bit of that greasiness that so often clouds a panini sandwich. I don't really like panini that are slathered in butter before placed on the grill- I prefer it dry and that's how they do it at GdB. Another note on the bread: it was so flavorful with a mildly sweet tone to it- really just delicious. It complemented the other elements of the sandwich perfectly- the salty proscuitto, the ripe tomato, the earthy basil- it all worked together really well. And it was all SO fresh. I watched Kim step outside to pick the fresh basil that she then put on my sandwich. It was amazing. Does it really get any more fresh than that? I don't think so.

After devouring the sandwich, I paused a moment and then surveyed the gelato case- the flavors of the day were Caramel Corn, Gingersnap, Rasperry Sorbet, Chocolate, Mint and Coffee. I sampled nearly all of them before selecting a small chocolate and coffee. They top it with a cute little wafer cookie- it's really adorable:

One thing that you just HAVE to understand about GdB is that the texture of the gelato is velvety smooth like no other frozen treat. It's silken texture is out of this world. I've never tasted ice cream or gelato like it. I don't know what her secret is, but it's working like a dream. As for each individual flavor, the best was the Caramel Corn- it had a nice popcorn-esque flavor, but sweet, almost like kettle corn. And the gingersnap was also delicious. I've had gingersnap ice cream and frozen custard before and neither one was very good. GdB's gingersnap was amazing. I'd order it in a heartbeat and recommend it just as fast.

The hours are 11-9PM Friday through Sunday- perfect for a nice weekend treat. Head on over this weekend if you can- I guarantee you'll enjoy it.

Isaac's

2009-10-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

I think that anyone living in the Lancaster area knows about Isaac's- their sandwiches are out of this world, don't you think? I've been there a couple of times in the last few weeks- once when my mom was in town, another time last night with coworkers- and it never gets old.

My favorites on their menu include the Phoenix (sandwich), the Ruffed Grouse (sandwich) and the Sonoma (salad). Their desserts are pretty tasty, too. Last night I had the Sonoma Salad with a scoop of the cranberry almond chicken salad. One word: outstanding. I think the last 3 or 4 times I've been to Isaac's that's what I've eaten and it never gets old!

One thing I really love about Isaac's is the pickled veggies you get before your meal. I had a piece of cauliflower last night and it has some kick to it. I'd never tasted picked cauliflower, but now that I have, I highly recommend you try it.

Sorry for the short post, (and for not posting much lately), but I've been focused a lot on my other blog: Style... the New Black. Visit when you have a minute and leave a comment so I know you came by!

Dinner

2009-08-29T20:30:00.003-04:00

I sometimes forget how much I enjoy cooking! I went to the Central Market yesterday and got some beautiful produce, cheese and other goodies. I wasn't sure of my plan for how to use it all, but I had a feeling it would be delicious. I wanted to make enough food to eat dinner tonight and also bring leftovers to work tomorrow and Monday. Here's my menu:

Green salad
Cinnamon chicken with apples
Maple dijon sweet potatoes
Lemon garlic mushrooms

I enjoyed my dinner so thoroughly, I thought I'd share my recipes with all of you. Enjoy!

Green salad:
1 large head green leaf lettuce
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup cubed extra-super-sharp cheddar cheese
Balsamic vinegar glaze & olive oil

I think y'all know how to make a salad- chop it up and toss it together.

Cinnamon chicken with apples:
3 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thin
1 granny smith apple, cubed
1 red delicious apple, cubed
1/2 small onion diced
1/4 cup apple juice
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper

Start by seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper, nutmeg and a generous amount of cinnamon. In a hot skillet, heat 1 T. oil and 1 tsp. butter. Brown each side of the chicken about 45 seconds. Remove from pan. Saute onion and apples, adding a little cinnamon and nutmeg (to taste). Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan. Once onion and apples have softened, deglaze pan with apple juice, return chicken to pan, cover and simmer until finished.

Maple Dijon Sweet Potatoes

3 medium orange sweet potatoes or yams
1 T. light dijon mustard
1 T. whole seed dijon mustard
1/2 cup real maple syrup
3 T. butter
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes and chop into 1/2- 3/4 inch cubes. Toss with mustards and maple syrup until coated. Make 3 "pouches" with aluminum foil and divide mixture between them. Top with salt, pepper and a pat of butter on each. Close pouches completely and place on a baking sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes or until tender.

Lemon Garlic Mushrooms

1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Italian seasoning or dried basil, oregano and thyme
1 clove minced garlic

In a sautee pan, heat garlic, then add mushrooms, lemon juice and spices. Cook until tender.

Ok, the mushrooms don't really go with the rest of the meal, but I had to do something with them, and this is my favorite way to eat them. They added a nice tart acidity to an otherwise sweet meal. The salad was AMAZING. The cheese was aged 4 years and so fabulously sharp. It was perfect with the tart cranberries, the crunchy almonds and the balsamic glaze. The sweet potatoes are so delicious, you'll never make sweet potatoes any other way again. The chicken I would do differently next time. I'd deglaze using chicken stock instead of apple juice- it was all just a little too sweet. Also, I was rather light-handed with the cinnamon and I think I'd change that as well. The cooking process seemed to mellow out the flavor too much or something. (Hey, I'm no Top Chef- don't expect me to know what goes wrong!) Also, the whole chicken dish needed more salt. I actually put some of the cheese from my salad on the chicken. It got all melty and made the chicken a LOT more tasty. The sweet potato recipe is from my mom, but the rest is my creation. If you try any of these recipes out, let me know how they turn out!

Leola Freeze & Frizz

2009-07-20T21:22:00.002-04:00

Shop Name: Freeze & Frizz

Location: Old Philadelphia Pike, Leola

Boo's Rating: 4 screams

I went to the Freeze & Frizz last summer and thought it was pretty great. Today I went there again with my fabulous friend Christine. She got a twist with rainbow sprinkles. I got a "thick" chocolate shake. She seemed to really enjoy her ice cream cone and I was very happy with my shake. It was thick and creamy and plenty chocolate-y. And the coolest part? The straws are extra-wide and colorful. Fun! There is something about a roadside ice cream/fast food stand that sucks me in. There's definitely a certain nostalgia to them. When I was in high school, I spent a summer working at a roadside "Clam Shack." I forget the actual name of the establishment, maybe it was the Clam Box? I dunno. Anyway, the point is, I spent an entire summer sweating my butt off, serving ice cream, burgers, fried fish and slushies through a tiny little window. It was a dive right across the street from a local amusement park and at the end of the summer, I threw out all my work clothes because no amount of washing could get the stink of fried fish out of the fabric. Even now, 15 years later, I can't eat a fried clam without remembering that summer job. When I first started there, I was the ice cream girl. We had a few soft serve flavors and plenty of toppings including dip. You know- the melted chocolate that hardens when you dip the ice cream into it? Freeze & Frizz has it, too, which is another reason why I like it! Anyway, at the Clam Shack, there were three different "dip" flavors- chocolate, strawberry and caramel. For some reason, the only one that really worked was the chocolate. Something about the consistency of the other two never really worked. I can't remember how many times I'd dip a cone filled with ice cream into that strawberry dip and pull out an empty cone. No joke! Then I'd have to rush to scoop out the ice cream before it melted into the dip. It was always a mess! Hysterical!

Anyway, even without all the nostalgia, I love the Freeze & Frizz because they know how to make a good chocolate shake and that's what matters!

Olde Greenfield Inn

2009-07-17T16:02:00.003-04:00

Shop Name: Olde Greenfield Inn

Location: Greenfield Rd, Lancaster

Boo's Rating: 4 1/2 Screams

I have been going to the Olde Greenfield nearly every Wednesday for a while now and I think it's time to comment on it. Although I have never ordered ice cream at the Olde Greenfield, I have sampled many other tasty treats. My love affair with this lovely establishment began when I won a gift certificate at my company's annual Christmas party. I went with my good friend Amy to use it and we had a fabulous time. Turns out, Amy also performs at the Olde Greenfield. She's a fabulous jazz singer. Every Wednesday at the Greenfield, they have a series called "The Lovely Ladies of Jazz" and Amy performs as part of that series. Her trio varies slightly from week to week, but no matter whom she's hired to back her up, she always sounds fabulous. I'll admit, I'm a fan.

The menu is varied and Wednesday night also happens to be their "Wild Wednesday" special night, meaning the specials menu is chock full of wild game options. For example, this past Wednesday I sampled a bit of Kangaroo soup. No joke. It wasn't the most amazing thing I've ever tasted, but I have to admit, I sampled it largely so that I could say I'd eaten kangaroo in my life! Normally I stick with one of their seafood options. The salmon is often on special and it never disappoints. Recently I tried the diver scallops and it was one of the most delicious meals I've had in a long time. Certainly the most delicious I've had in Lancaster.

The prices are in line with the quality of food, but it's not the kind of place I can afford to eat at too frequently. (Let's just say I'd love to get another of those gift certificates!) Fortunately, they have a large selection of appetizers between $10 and $15 that are practically meals themselves. The crab dip is definitely one to try, as is the cheese platter (which is big enough for 3 people). As for desserts, I mentioned I've never ordered ice cream, but I have tried their creme brulee (delicious) and their flourless chocolate cake (outstanding).

The bottom line with the Olde Greenfield is that the whole package is one worth trying- the menu and the music will not disappoint. 4 1/2 screams is about as good as it gets where I'm concerned!

Samantha Harris on BROADWAY?!?!?!

2009-05-20T16:41:00.003-04:00

FIVE BLOOD CURDLING SCREAMS

Yes, that blog title is correct- today we're screaming for a BAD reason. I'm sorry if reading this has ruined your day. I know it nearly ruined my night when I heard the news last night. I was prefectly happy watching the season finale of "Dancing with the Stars." It's a guilty pleasure, I admit. Samantha Harris co-hosts the show with Tom Bergeron. To say he hosts circles around her would be an understatement. She is beyond terrible. I can hardly bear to sit through her awkward interviews with the performers. It's as if she's not even paying attention to what's coming out of her mouth or theirs!

My friends Brance and Betsy refer to her as "a poor man's Catherine Zeta-Jones." I used to laugh at this and even used the nickname myself, but lately I feel like I'm insulting Catherine Zeta more than Samantha Harris when I say it. Those two should not even be in the same universe. Ok, ok, I'm getting to the real story here. As I was saying, I was perfectly content, sitting on the couch, watching the season finale of DWTS, when Tom announced that his co-host would soon be starring on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago. I nearly fell off the couch. (For the full story, click on the title of this blog and you'll be directed to playbill.com.) Of course the first thing I did was text both Brance and Betsy. Betsy responded immediately, "You have got to be kidding me. I seriously just threw up," followed by "What has the world come to?" and "I really cannot believe this. It's disturbing and I can't get the horrifying visual out of my mind!" It's no secret that the recent revival of Chicago on Broadway is not much more than a revolving door of B-list celebrities, but this is an all-time low. Remember when Lisa Rinna played Roxie? I thought that was about as bad as it could get, but apparently I was wrong. (Other less than fabulous choices for the production: Ashlee Simpson (Roxie Hart, West End), Brooke Shields (Roxie), Harry Hamlin (Billy Flynn), Usher (Billy), Joey Lawrence (Billy), David Hasselhoff (Billy), and Kelly Osbourne (Mama Morton).

So what is wrong with Broadway today? So many great shows closed this past January, putting hundreds of talented performers out of work and yet Chicago continues to run, even with "actors" like Samantha Harris in the lead role.

When Brance finally responded to my text, it had a different tone than I expected. He responded by saying, "If poor man's Catherine Zeta Jones can be on Broadway, then there's hope for us all." True. It was hard to tell if his text was meant to be sarcastic or hopeful. (He's a professional actor currently living in NYC.) My cynical self would like to think, "Why not just pull people off the street and cast them in Broadway shows? It would be a lot more interesting, but the standards wouldn't have to change at all! But then again, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Poor Man's Catherine Zeta will blow us all away with her spot-on portrayal of the infamous Roxie Hart. I won't hold my breath, though.

Lemon Squares

2009-05-20T16:32:00.002-04:00

I mentioned yesterday that one of my earliest memories baking is a recipe for Lemon Squares. I used to make them ALL THE TIME. They were so delicious and tart- I could eat the entire pan myself.

I'm keeping it simple today and just giving you the recipe- no step-by-step pictorial today! Sorry! If you make these, let me know what you think of them. I've often thought of topping them with a meringue, or making them lime-flavored instead, or even a citrus blend with orange, lemon and lime. Delish!

Ingredients:

For cookie base:
2 cups flour
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup butter, melted

For filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup flour
5/8 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine ingredients for cookie base and then press into a 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine, sugar, baking powder and flour. Stir in the eggs, and finally the lemon juice. Pour mixture over the prepared crust and return to the oven. Bake another 30 minutes, until the bars are set. Cool completely before slicing and eating! Also, these are delicious with a scoop of sherbet. Very refreshing!

I'm still waiting for a comment with your favorite lemony recipe. It can be as simple as homemade lemonade, or something complicated and fancy. It can be sweet or savory- whatever you like! Leave a comment!

Lemon Cake

2009-05-19T15:55:00.020-04:00

One of my earliest memories of cooking as a child is baking lemon squares. I used to make them all the time and I'm sure it drove my mom nuts. I'll bet she had other uses in mind for the eggs used in the recipe and I'll bet she had to purchase a lot more flour and sugar because of me and that silly recipe. I even remember once I put the pan in the oven and then promptly forgot all about it and left to go swimming. About an hour later my mom came and found me with a blackened pan of lemon squares. Come to think of it, I think that may have been the last time I made that recipe. Hmmm...

As you can see, I'm continuing yesterdays lemon theme, but today I am going to take you through my process of baking a fabulous lemon cake from the Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine. I'm pretty sure I receive that periodical as a "bonus" gift associated with my Martha Stewart Living subscription and let me tell you- I love it. I'm not gonna lie to you- I've always been a fan of Martha. Even back in her prison days, I pictured her (as I'm sure many people did) making coordinating bedsheets and window treatments for her cell, teaching the other inmates how to maximize their limited cell space, and giving the cafeteria cooks tips on how to make that meatloaf nice and moist. Anyway, this particular issue included a recipe for a "Cake 3 Ways." It's a standard vanilla cake recipe with 2 different variations- one chocolate and the other- you guessed it- LEMON! I think sometimes people are intimidated by Martha's recipes, so I'm going to walk you through this one step by step, complete with pictures. (Haha- I say that as if I'm some kind of Martha Stewart recipe expert. If only!)

You'll need:

For cake:

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. sugar

2 sticks butter

2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks (save whites for frosting)

1 T. lemon zest

2 T. lemon juice

1 c. buttermilk

For syrup:

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1/4 c. lemon juice

For frosting:

3 egg whites

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. water

2 T. fresh lemon juice

As always, begin by preheating your oven. This recipe calls for a 350 degree oven. Next, you've got to butter & flour your cake pans. I'm not gonna lie to you- I use the Pam butter & flour spray for ALL my cakes and it works like a dream, plus it's a lot cleaner to use.

Next, in a medium sized bowl, sift together 2 1/2 c. flour, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder and the zest of one lemon. In a separate bowl, cream 2 sticks of butter with 3/4 cup sugar. I always use my KitchenAid stand mixer whenever I'm baking because it makes life SO easy. (Side note: I purchased my KitchenAid for the bargain price of $50 from an ex-boss and it was the BEST kitchen purchase I have EVER made.) Back to the recipe- the key to "creaming" butter & sugar is making sure that the butter is at room temperature- not too cold, nor too melty. This makes for a nice "creamy" consistency. Like this:
Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then alternate mixing in the flour mixture with 1 cup of buttermilk and 2 T. fresh lemon juice. Do not use the stuff from a bottle. Gross! Try not to overbeat the batter, and remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the ingredients are all incorporated well. Next, evenly divide the batter between your two 8-inch cake pans. Spread the batter out evenly or you could get some wonky cakes. Nobody likes a wonky cake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cakes are set. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. While the cake is baking, you're going to make a simple syrup infused with lemons. In a small saucepan, boil 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water.

Take a fresh lemon and slice it nice and thin and then add it to the water/sugar mixture. Simmer for a solid 25 minutes. Here's what makes Martha so brilliant. Not only are you infusing the simply syrup with lemon flavor, but you are SIMULTANEOUSLY making candied lemon slices! Brilliant.
After simmering for 25 minutes, remove the lemon slices and place them on wax paper. Aren't they pretty? They're pretty tasty, too. After you are done admiring your work, stir the 1/4 c. lemon juice into the syrup. Believe it or not, you're almost done. Once the cakes are done, turn them out on a wire cooling rack and let them cool a bit. Then, pierce the tops with a toothpick a whole bunch of times. While the cakes are still warm, brush the lemon syrup on top of each cake. The holes allow the syrup to get down into the cake. Yum! Once the cakes are cooled completely, make the frosting. This is where things got tricky for me. I had never made a frosting like this and I was really nervous to do it. I followed Martha's instructions to the letter and at first the frosting looked perfect. It's like a beautiful glossy meringue. Then, several hours later, it appeared my meringue frosting had "deflated." I have NO IDEA what I did wrong. It could have been anything. I'll probably try this recipe again just to see if I can get it right. According to Martha, you take the water, egg whites and sugar and in a "heatproof bowl" heat them over a saucepan of boiling water. Double-boiler-style is my guess. Anyway, you are supposed to stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 150 degrees. Then, beat the mixture until it forms stiff peaks. Mine looks pretty darn good, don't you think?
The picture really doesn't do it justice. I swear it looked EXACTLY like the picture in the magazine. Here it is on the first layer of the cake:

I have to admit, at this point, I was feeling pretty confident and sure of myself and this frosting. I finished assembling the cake and topped it with the candied lemon slices just like Martha did in her magazine. It sure is a pretty cake. I think I did a decent job making this cake and let me tell you- it was DELICIOUS. Even after the frosting deflated, it was still moist and refreshing and oh-so-lemon-y. It's a perfect cake for summer. Good job, Martha!

Now, if anyone can fill me in on what I did wrong with this frosting, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks! Enjoy!

Danielle's Pasta Salad

2009-05-18T15:54:00.002-04:00

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Or pasta salad? Hmmm....

I haven't been eating much ice cream lately, but I have been thinking about all those foods that seem to conjure up summer-time memories: grilled chicken, burgers & hot dogs, lemonade, ice cream cones, Popsicles, crisp salads with fresh veggies, summer squash, tomatoes fresh from the vine- the list goes on and on. Summertime foods to me are usually just simple, fresh foods with minimal preparation- food that just tastes good on its own and refreshes and rejuvenates me. Lemons are a delicious, juicy fruit that I like to use in all sorts of ways, especially in the summertime. This week I'll be posting recipes that incorporate this tasty fruit.

My very good friend Danielle taught me a recipe for pasta salad years ago and I still make it every summer. It's the most refreshing pasta salad and it's also incredibly easy to make. It took me a while to write the recipe down, so it may have changed a bit since the first time I tasted it, but I wanted to share the recipe as it is in my recipe box right now. The lemon juice and zest, mixed with the spicy fresh ginger and the mellow garlic make an amazing combination. One of the other great things about this recipe is that you can change it to suit your taste- more ginger, less garlic, cheese or no cheese, add chicken or grilled tofu- whatever you like. Also, it's just as delicious when it's fresh as it is a day or two later cold out of the fridge.

You'll need:
1-2 T. fresh ginger, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
1 box tri-color rotini pasta, OR whatever pasta you like
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
Cooked peas OR broccoli OR asparagus OR your favorite veggie
Fresh green onion, chopped
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

To Prepare:
In a large pot, cook pasta. Meanwhile, chop ginger & garlic. Place in a large bowl with lemon zest. Cook whatever veggies you plan to use. (I prefer blanching broccoli or asparagus so that it is still crisp.) Add cooked pasta and veggies to the bowl with the ginger, garlic & lemon zest. Pour 2-3 T. olive oil and the lemon juice on top and toss all ingredients together. Sprinkle the green onion and Parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately OR refrigerate and serve cold. Yum!

I promise this salad will NOT disappoint. Let me know if you try it. Also, let me know what your favorite lemon recipe is- I'd love to try it!

Rachel's Creperie and Cafe

2009-05-02T10:02:00.002-04:00

Shop Name: Rachel's Creperie and Cafe

Location: Queen Street, Lancaster

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

I've started to run out of ice cream establishments, so I'm expanding the blog to cover anything I feel like "screaming for," but I'll try to keep it food related. That being said, this blog entry will cover Rachel's Creperie and Cafe in downtown Lancaster. Ice cream? Nope. Crepes? Yup. Last weekend we had a serious heat wave- it was fantastic. I woke up early each day to the sun streaming in my face and I was out the door, dying to get some sunshine. I decided to have brunch at Rachel's since they have outdoor seating.

I should make a note here that I don't claim to be a legit food critic. I just happen to really enjoy food. Correction: I love food. Even weird food. I'll try just about anything once. Crepes are a particular favorite food of mine because I grew up eating them. My family is French and I remember both my mom and my memere making crepes when I was a kid. I had high expectations for Rachel's. The menu was pretty extensive when you consider that the main item is crepes. The have breakfast crepes that are kind of like omelets, except it's a crepe that surrounds the fillings. The have sweet crepes, savory crepes, veggie crepes, dessert crepes- pretty much any crepe you can imagine. On this particular day, they also had a roasted red pepper soup with Gouda, so I decided it would be soup & sweet crepes for me. I ordered the soup, an iced coffee and the "Tavern on the Green" crepes. The Tavern on the Green crepes are a pretty special combination, if you ask me. In my house growing up, crepes came with butter, real maple syrup, and maybe a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Simple. The Tavern on the Green crepes had fresh strawberries, brown sugar and sour cream. The combination was divine! Unfortunately, it needed to be, because the crepes were not. The crepes at Rachel's were, in my humble opinion, bland and dry. Crepes should be egg-y, and moist and so tender you can slice through them with your fork- no knife required. The texture of Rachel's' crepes wasn't quite right- they were too tough, and it was hard to cut them. In addition, the flavor wasn't anything to write home about. Maybe I'm spoiled- my mom and memere always made perfect crepes. I'm not saying I won't go to Rachel's again- the soup was outstanding, the coffee perfectly brewed and even though the actual crepes weren't amazing, the Tavern on the Green combo was spectacular. I gave Rachel 3 1/2 screams. (Not bad considering what a crepes snob I am!)

And even though mom will probably kill me for doing this, I'm going to post the family crepe recipe:

Gelineau Family Crepes:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 well-beaten eggs
2/3 c. milk
1 Tbl. melted shortening

Mix all ingredients well. (A buzz in the blended works.) To prepare: Pour enough batter into a HOT greased pan to just barely cover the bottom. Tilt the pan to cover with batter. Work quickly, turn when just set and cook the other side. Don't over cook. Roll out of the pan and place on a warm dish or in the oven set on warm. Use up all the batter and serve with maple syrup and butter. Note: This batter is best made the night before. At minimum, refrigerate one hour before cooking.

Another great crepes recipe I've found is of course from Martha Stewart. Her recipe is almost a tutorial in how to prepare perfect crepes, so I'll include it as well. (Although, mom says it's sacrilege for me to prepare any recipe other than the family one, so you'll have to make these and tell me how they are.)

Martha Stewart Basic Crepes Recipe:
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 cups whole milk (room temp), plus more if needed
3 large eggs, room temp
5 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into medium bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be consistency of heavy cream. Add more milk if needed.
Heat an 8 or 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 Tbl. of batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute.
Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use spatula to unfold, or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

If you're intimidated by the idea of making crepes yourself, then head over to Rachel's and enjoy the fruits of their labor. (And may I suggest the Tavern on the Green crepes?)

Carmen & David's Creamery

2009-03-21T12:25:00.006-04:00

Shop Name: Carmen & David's Creamery

Location: Prince Street

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

Wow! It has been a looooooong time since I posted a blog, but I have to be honest- there weren't many ice cream stands open over the winter months. A while back, I saw there was an ice cream shop opening up on Prince Street and I decided it would be my first blog of the new season. I had high expectations for this place- while they were renovating the space and preparing it for the grand opening, the windows were covered with brown paper and the brown paper was covered with quotes all about ice cream. It was impressive how many quotes they managed to have. After seeing that, I knew that this was going to be a first-rate ice cream shop. Some of the quotes included were:

"Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone."

And

"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."

And

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first."

And

"Always serve too much hot fudge on hot fudge sundaes. It makes people overjoyed and puts them in your debt."

Once they opened their doors, they kept these clever quotes as part of the decor- they are on the napkin dispensers! Adorable! The whole shop is painted in bright green, yellow and orange- it's very lively and colorful. In addition to the bright, friendly decor, Carmen & David have made their shop totally GREEN in the environmental sense. Their supplies are all biodegradable, so you don't have to feel bad about using 4 or 5 of their colorful sample spoons! (I used 3 myself and NO I am not ashamed to admit that.) The list of flavors is impressive and every one of them is homemade. I sampled several that day, along with my fabulous staff (pictured below): Autumn, Laura and Vanessa.

All of the flavors I sampled were delicious- the ice cream itself was very creamy and flavorful. I ended up settling on a shake made out of mocha chocolate chip, which was my favorite of the flavors I sampled. The shake was a little thin- I like them so thick that they are hard to get up the straw. In New Hampshire, we call them a "frappe." A frappe has lots of ice cream, milk, flavoring and it's shaken together to the consistency of a Wendy's frosty, but you consume it through a straw, not with a spoon. Yum. The shake at Carmen & David's was really flavorful, but I think they need to work on getting the consistency a lot thicker. All four of us really enjoyed the ice cream, so I gave Carmen & David's Creamery 4 screams- one for each of us. Not bad for such a new shop. I'll definitely be back there over the summer months to sample more flavors!

Chestnut Hill Cafe

2008-10-21T12:10:00.002-04:00

Shop Name: Chestnut Hill Cafe

Location: West Chestnut Street, Lancaster

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

This past weekend was the Fall Artwalk in Lancaster- it's a fun event, basically like a First Friday concept, but it's all weekend long. A lot of the galleries have special exhibits and tasty snacks as well. It was a perfect fall day to be walking around town and we decided to end our day at the DogStar book store and the Chestnut Hill Cafe. I had heard rumors that this new cafe serves ice cream and I was not disappointed. That is, until I found out that it's Coleman's Ice Cream. As you know (if you read my blog), Coleman's is one of my least favorites in town. Chestnut Hill had quite a few interesting flavors that I had not seen in Coleman's store including a Mango ice cream. I asked to taste just a sample of it and it was pretty bad. It had a really strange flavor and the texture was bizarre- it was kind of gritty, like sugar crystals that had not dissolved. Strange. Anyway, because the mango was kind of terrible, I opted for a safe flavor- mint chocolate chip. Once again, it was under-whelming. The flavor was so-so- nothing too amazing. For now, I'll keep Coleman's ice cream rating the same as last time- 3 1/2 screams.

Dairy Queen

2008-10-14T22:11:00.007-04:00

Shop Name: Dairy Queen

Location: Columbia Ave, Lancaster

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

On Monday evening, I met up with some friends of mine for an ice cream outing- Jill and her kids Noah and Neve. We had plans to go to Scoops Ice Cream in Mountville- it's close to where they live. Unfortunately, the only day of the week that Scoops is closed is MONDAY!!! Bummer! We were already in the car, so we decided to just drive until we found ice cream. I couldn't disappoint Noah and Neve! The first place we found was the Columbia Ave Dairy Queen, and I actually thought that was a great place because it's the time of year when their famous Pumpkin Pie Blizzard is available! Yay! Noah ordered a chocolate ice cream on a cone. Neve opted for the vanilla in a cup and Jill (their mom) ordered the vanilla ice cream on a cone with the chocolate dip. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the DQ invent the concept of the "dip?" Genius, don't you think?

I, of course, ordered the pumpkin pie blizzard. In my memory it was so deliciously pumpkin-y, but this time, it was a little disappointing. I remember lots of pumpkin flavor, but this fell short. It tasted mostly of vanilla, with bits of pumpkin pie filling & crust. Not the best pumpkin flavor I've ever tasted, to be honest. But the DQ will always have a special place in my heart, even if their pumpkin pie blizzard isn't the best. I upped their current rating to 3 1/2 screams just for having pumpkin flavor available. Neve and Noah seemed to enjoy their ice cream quite a bit, although I wonder how much made it into their mouths. Most of it seemed to end up on their faces.

Jill seemed to enjoy her ice cream, too, and was nice enough to share it with Neve and Noah who just weren't satisfied with just ONE serving! I guess those kids LOVE their ice cream. (Which is probably one reason why I like them so much! Any friend of ice cream is a friend of mine! lol)

Coleman's Ice Cream

2008-10-10T14:23:00.004-04:00

Shop Name: Coleman's Ice Cream

Location: Rt. 340, Lancaster

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

You may or may not remember, but Coleman's was one of the first ice cream establishments I reviewed for this blog and they did not receive a very high rating. Actually, they are currently the lowest rating in the history of this blog. On Tuesday, my company bought the entire production staff ice cream at Coleman's, so they had the opportunity to change their rating with me. And change they did. First of all, they have pumpkin ice cream right now, so that alone earned them an extra point. Second, the day we were there, they had a special sundae called the Apple Dumpling Sundae. I made the decision to replace the vanilla ice cream on the A.D.S. with their pumpkin ice cream. It was a perfect fall combination. Once again, the ice cream itself had a lot of ice crystals throughout, which as you all know is the biggest no-no for me, but the pumpkin flavor was really delicious, so I decided to ignore the ice crystals as much as I could. The apple dumpling was ENORMOUS, so the sundae was actually a little embarrassing to order, especially since almost everyone else got a small cone. I was the over-indulgent one with my giant sundae, but I don't care because it was a real treat. There was some sort of caramel sauce all over the dumpling that made it even more delicious, but I really can't stress enough how good the pairing of apple dumpling & pumpkin ice cream was. Seriously. Look into it.

Overall, the sundae and the pumpkin ice cream boosted Coleman's rating to a solid 3 1/2 screams, which is much more impressive than their previous rating. Good job, Coleman's! I'm pretty sure that everyone really enjoyed their ice cream that day and I even saw some other interesting flavors including a carrot cake flavor that looked pretty tasty. And even more exciting are the hilarious pictures I captured of the crazy staff I work with. Enjoy!

DOVE

2008-10-09T12:19:00.002-04:00

Shop Name: Dove Ice Cream

Location: Your local supermarket

Boo's Rating: 5 Screams

Now that I have managed to visit MOST of the ice cream establishments in the Lancaster area, I figured it wouldn't hurt to survey some of the ice cream available in your basic supermarket and/or convenience store. First up: Dove Ice Cream. I was craving chocolate in a BIG way one night, so I drove to the Giant Supermarket and bought a pint of Dove's "Unconditional Chocolate" ice cream. I had never tried Dove ice cream before, so I figured, "Why not?" I took it home, popped open the pint and just about DIED. Did you know that Dove covers the top of their ice cream pints with a layer of CHOCOLATE GANACHE?!?!?!?! I have one word to describe that idea: GENIUS. The ganache is so smooth and velvety- I literally ate all of it before feasting on the actual ice cream. Let's talk about the ice cream now. It was some seriously RICH chocolate ice cream. It had swirls of dark chocolate as well as chocolate chunks throughout. And much like Ben & Jerry's standard, every bite had a bit of the mix-in. And that, my friends is what has earned Dove's Unconditional Chocolate 5 Boo Screams. Congrats, Dove. You rocked it. I would even go so far as to say that this flavor rivals my long-standing favorite chocolate-y chocolate ice cream: Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie. I would not go so far as to say that it's better, but I would say that they are on an equal standing. And that's saying a LOT.

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I'm starting to expand the topic of this blog beyond ice cream & gelato to anything worth screaming about. I've already covered an amazing pumpkin lasagna recipe, and I'll probably stick with pumpkin-related items for a little while, but I'm always open to suggestions. What do you scream for? What fabulous food should I try? Please leave suggestions in the comments section and I'll do my best to accomodate. Thanks for reading!

Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna

2008-10-03T21:04:00.003-04:00

Shop Name: Betsy's Kitchen

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Boo's Rating: 5 Screams

Since this blog is called "I Scream You Scream" I figured it didn't HAVE to be all about ice cream. Although I will try to keep it in that area as much as possible, I thought it just wasn't fair that there were so many other delicious eats that I wasn't covering simply because they didn't fall into the ice cream category. Since fall is here, I'm constantly reminded of one of my favorite flavors of all time- Pumpkin. Let me tell you this: I scream for Pumpkin and you'd better, too! I love pumpkin bread, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin chili, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin ice cream (of course), and now I love pumpkin lasagna.

I recently drove across the state to visit my friend Betsy in Pittsburgh. Betsy shares my love of all things pumpkin and for the occasion, she conjured up the most delicious lasagna I have had in a good, long time. It does not have a tomato sauce, the sauce is what contains the pumpkin and it's actually made with milk. Click on the title of this blog and you'll be directed to the recipe, courtesy of the Rachel Ray show. I'm usually not a big fan of Rachel Ray. Her voice drives me bonkers. It didn't bother me quite so much when she was just a host of "30-Minute Meals" on the Food Network, but now she has that terrible talk show where she's just AWFUL! Stick to cooking, Rach!

Ok, so despite my issues with the queen of tight-shirts, she's got a winner with this pumpkin sausage lasagna. It has that perfect fall flavor that you want at this time of year and the pumpkin pairs beautifully with the sausage. Betsy actually opted for turkey sausage and I have to wonder how a pork sausage would have done. The turkey sausage was so mild and of course not nearly as fatty as a pork sausage would have been, but overall I feel her choice of sausage was flawless.

What I'm trying to get at is that this could quite possibly be life-changing lasagna. I don't know if I'll ever want a traditional lasagna again- this one was THAT delicious! Congrats, Betsy on your amazing culinary accomplishment. The recipe earned 4 Boo Screams! Why not 5? Well, I think the fault actually lies with Rachel Ray. I think the recipe could use some more veggies. So really, the recipe is what got 4 screams. Betsy, you earned 5 screams for your stellar execution.

What?

2008-09-24T20:28:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-08T23:24:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-06T12:50:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-05T08:29:00.002-04:00

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.

Sweets for Sweeties

2008-08-22T18:46:00.004-04:00

Shop Name: Sweets for Sweeties

Location: Paradise, PA

Boo's Rating: 3 Screams

I was on my way to Philly the other day and I remembered that there is an ice cream shop on Rt. 30 on the way, so I figured I'd stop to check it out. Turns out, Sweets for Sweeties is primarily a candy shop. I'll have to go back sometime to try their homemade candies. In the meantime, I decided to sample their Moose Tracks, one of my favorite flavors. Turns out, they serve Turkey Hill ice cream, which I've already sampled and covered in my blog on Willow Valley at the Central Market. However, I hadn't sampled that flavor. It was okay. Not great, not terrible, just okay, hence the 3 screams.

Now for the exciting part: Soon I Scream You Scream will join the 21st Century with a real VIDEO BLOG!!! OMG!!! So exciting. My friend Mike and I went to the Jigger Shop in Mount Gretna and soon all the details will be available via vlog!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

Haagen Dazs

2008-08-13T12:06:00.004-04:00

Shop Name: Haagen Dazs

Location: Park City Mall

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

Ok, I think we all know that Haagen Dazs is pretty high standard ice cream, so it's no surprise they've got a high Boo Rating. I try not to go to the mall if I can help it, but my job pretty much requires that I end up there pretty often. I figured that since I had to be there, I might as well make the most of it. Turns out, there are at least 3 different ice cream establishments within the mall that I will now attempt to visit on my next few work-related outings to the mall.

The man at the Haagen Dazs counter was so friendly and offered me samples without making me feel guilty. I tried the coconut pineapple first and let me just tell you, it was DIVINE. I almost ordered it without any other samples, but then I saw- out of the corner of my eye- Brownie a la mode. Wow. I tasted a sample and fell in love. I ordered a kiddie size on a sugar cone. No, that's NOT a typo. I actually went for the sugar cone, even though it wasn't homemade and even though I have serious issues with sugar cones. (See my first blog entry for details.) Anyway, the ice cream was REALLY expensive- I paid $3.08 for a kiddie size scoop and it was definitely that. "Tiny" might be a better description for the size. Normally I don't even consider the cost, but I was a little blown away by the cost-to-scoop size ratio in this particular case. While I was considering what flavor to order, the very nice man behind the counter explained to me why Haagen Dazs is so delicious. He said that it has absolutely NO AIR in it. Almost ALL ice cream has air in it because it's continuously stirred while it freezes and the air in it is what makes the texture so great. Apparently, keeping the air out of the ice cream makes it really rich. They're not lying. Haagen Dazs ice cream is nothing if not rich.

Anyway, I have to say that my issue with sugar cones was proven right yet again. I was almost done eating the cone when a bit of brownie a la mode dripped out the bottom and onto my pretty pastel pink dress. DAMN! At least I was in the mall. I hopped over to CVS, bought one of those Tide-To-Go pens and tried my best to get it out. (Why they ever stopped making Shout Wipes, I'll never know. But that's another subject for another blog.) Fortunately for Haagen Dazs, their sugar cone was especially delicious, or the mishap might have upset me a little more than it did. The cone had a strong amaretto flavor to it that made it a little more sophisticated than your average sugar cone. Delicious!!!

Overall, Haagen Dazs earned 4 solid screams. Impressive.

The Brickyard

2008-08-12T10:16:00.003-04:00

Shop Name: The Brickyard

Location: N. Prince Street

Boo's Rating: 1 Scream

I want to be very clear that the Brickyard is NOT an ice cream shop. It is a sports bar and restaurant that happens to have ice cream on its menu. Their menu boasts an "ice cream du jour" which is whatever the chef feels like making that day. My meal prior to dessert had been pretty much terrible, but I want to be clear that the meal is not what was judged in determining the number of "screams." I ordered the crab-stuffed flounder. The waitress had recommended it pretty highly and I'm not gonna lie, it sounded delicious. The flounder came with a mango salsa on top of it with sides of rice, green beans and salad. I was really looking forward to this meal, but something went wrong in the kitchen and they turned my flounder into fish jerky. Seriously. It was awful and completely inedible. The sides were good, but not good enough for me to not send the dish back to the kitchen. I was still hungry, so I decided to order dessert and that's when I saw the "ice cream du jour" on the menu. Without even asking the flavor, I said, "I'll take it." When it came, it looked fabulous. The waitress informed me that the flavor of the day was Kahlua-strawberry-cheesecake. Doesn't that sound AMAZING? It was SO not. I know I'm always saying that busy ice cream needs to be sufficiently busy. Well, the Brickyard took that philosophy WAY too far. There was hardly any ice cream in the ice cream. It was ALL strawberries and the occassional chunk of bland cheesecake. Aside from the main problem of actually being just a bowl of strawberries, the Brickyard had another issue. They didn't chop the strawberries very small, so when mixed into the "ice cream" (I put it in quotes because I think they're abusing the term), the strawberries just ended up frozen solid. Eating one was like biting into an ice cube. Not good. And as for the kahlua? The flavor was non-existent.

I think I'm actually be generous by giving them any screams at all. The reason they get a scream is because I'm assuming their plain vanilla and chocolate ice creams are good enough to earn at least that. Also, since I sampled the ice cream du jour, it's fair to say that it might never be on the menu again. (We can hope, at least.) However, after the fish jerky and frozen berries experience, you'd have to pay me to go back to the Brickyard.

Rosie's

2008-08-06T08:55:00.004-04:00

Shop Name: Rosie's

Location: Somewhere near "the Buck"

Boo's Rating: 2 1/2 Screams

I was SO excited when I first walked into Rosie's. I was with Mindy and Alex (a.k.a. "The New Guy") and we'd just had a relaxing afternoon kayaking on the Susquehanna River. We were very hungry and Mindy suggested Rosie's because we could get dinner AND ice cream (for my blog, of course). When we walked in, I saw a sign listing all sorts of exciting flavors- mango, pineapple, strawberry, mocha cappuccino, raspberry, etc. I was SO excited to try some of them because they were ALL soft-serve and I'd never had many of those flavors in soft serve. After scarfing down a seriously good burger, I went back in to get some ice cream. I ordered the mocha cappuccino in a plain cone, as did Alex. Mindy opted for a chocolate/vanilla twist with chocolate dip. I also got chocolate sprinkles. I asked the girl behind the counter if I could taste a spoonful of the mango and she flat-out refused saying it's not possible. Hmmm... you just lost a couple points, Rosie. Then, she handed me my ice cream. It was a generous portion, but that's about all I have to say about it that's positive. Their idea of "mocha cappuccino" ice cream is a barely perceptible swirl of flavor on the edges of a swirl of vanilla ice cream. That is how ALL their special flavors are achieved. I'm sorry, Rosie, but I feel misled, deceived, and dare I say it? Lied to. You should explain somewhere in your signage that all those special flavors are actually just vanilla ice cream with a tiny glimmer of a different flavor. Seriously, after the first lick around the cone, the mocha flavoring was pretty much gone. And since I'd been so foolish as to order sprinkles, I really didn't even get to taste the mocha flavoring. It couldn't have been that good, since the chocolate sprinkles completely overpowered it. The vanilla ice cream was pretty bland and I didn't feel like eating it all, but I felt a responsibility to taste the cone. I scraped most of the ice cream off the top so I could take a bite of the cone. It was fresh, at least. There was a cute little dog with a Red Sox collar on (go Sox!) who I befriended while we were there. He enjoyed the rest of my cone, or at least he appeared to. I gave Rosie 2 1/2 screams because it's pretty bad when a dog enjoys the cone more than me.

P.S. Sorry for the poor description under "location" but I have NO idea what street Rosie's is on. It is definitely close to "the Buck" and probably about 10 minutes from "Lock 15" if that helps.

Pine View Acres Dairy

2008-08-05T08:42:00.004-04:00

Shop Name: Pine View Acres Dairy

Location: New Danville Pike

Boo's Rating: 3 Screams

Pine View Acres Dairy was .... ok. I would probably not drive out there again just for their ice cream. It was good ice cream, but far from the best I've tasted. I ordered a scoop of Oreo on a cone. At first I was really excited because I looked at the scoop and there was an ENTIRE OREO COOKIE poking out. For busy ice cream that would have been impressive, if it weren't for the fact that the cookie I saw was just about the only cookie in the ice cream. Once I'd eaten the cookie, it was as if I'd ordered a cone of vanilla. Shame on you, Pine View!

Fortuntately for the dairy, there were a lot of other flavor options, all homemade. Vanessa ordered a scoop of pineapple coconut ice cream and her review was that while it was delicious, the pineapple chunks were a bit too large. It was, however, quite busy. I believe she said she would prefer the coconut ice cream at the Lapp Valley Farm, which we visited a few weeks ago.

The good news about Pine View is that they also have a small convenience store where they sell their fresh milk (in bags, fyi). You can also walk around to visit the cows, as pictured above. I'm starting to think Vanessa will only go ice cream blogging with me if there are farm animals to pet. I personally think she's got an obsession with cows, but I could be wrong. For me, I'd rather NOT smell manure while licking an ice cream cone. However, that did not effect my rating- I gave Pine View a very fair 3 screams.

Boo's Vanilla Ice Cream Making Adventure

2008-07-30T23:18:00.003-04:00

Shop Name: Boo's Home

Location: Greenland Drive

Boo's Rating: 2 1/2 screams

In honor of National Ice Cream Month (July), I decided to try to make my own homemade ice cream. I did a little bit of research and discovered that nearly every ice cream recipe ends with the words, "Pour mixture into ice cream machine and follow manufacturer directions." Hmmmm... I don't have an ice cream machine, and I don't think I want to invest in one, so what to do? I looked into other methods and found they're all pretty much the same concept. The "ball" method, the coffee can method, the double-ziploc bag method, etc. I didn't really want to use any of those methods because they all involve ice mixed with rock salt around the ice cream mixture, but they all said it created a soft-serve consistency. I wanted real hand-dipped consistency. One website I found said that you can actually pour the ice cream mixture into a shallow dish or tupperware and stir it with a hand mixer or spatula every half hour to 45 minutes. Bingo! Now that I'd found the least expensive method (no machines or rock salt to track down and purchase), I set about finding a good recipe. I didn't find one that really worked for me, so I pretty much used one as a guide and then altered it a bit. After that, it was off to the freezer for my ice cream. Unfortunately, after only 3 hours of chilling my ice cream in the freezer, it was not yet at the right consistency and I had to go to work! NOOOOO!!! I think if I had spent a couple more hours babysitting it, the consistency would have been better. I'll have to try it again on a day where I have more free time. I think the flavor of my ice cream was spot-on. It's got a really strong vanilla flavor. The consistency, however, is not so fabulous. If I were to be served ice cream at a local shop that was the consistency of mine, then that shop would probably only get 2 1/2 screams at the most. I'd like to say that my fabulous flavor would be enough to boost the score up a bit, but I'd be lying. I'm a harsh critic and I can't get all soft just because of my ego. So.... 2 1/2 screams for me. Sad, I know. I'm currently letting my ice cream warm up and soften a bit and I'm going to try to whip it up some more with a hand mixer to try to get rid of some of the ice crystals. Even if I don't, it's still a respectable first attempt at making homemade ice cream and it's definitely edible. Not only is it edible, it's pretty delicious.

In case you care, here is the recipe I used to make my homemade ice cream:

Ingredients:
4 c. half & half
2 c. heavy cream
15 egg yolks
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 vanilla bean

In a saucepan, combine cream with half & half. Score the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds and add both seeds and pod to the cream mixture. Slowly heat to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL!!! While the cream mixture is heating, combine the egg yolks and the sugar in a mixer and combine. After heating the cream mixture, remove the vanilla bean, then temper the eggs by slowly adding about half the cream mixture. Pour the egg and cream mixture into the saucepan with the remaining cream and heat until the mixture thickens (about 170 degrees). Run your finger down the back of the spoon and if it leaves a clear path, the custard is ready. Cool the custard and then pour into a 9x13 baking dish, or similar sized plastic container. Every 30-45 minutes stir the custard with a hand mixer or spatula until it reaches the right consistency. Yum!!!

Lapp Valley Farm

2008-07-23T20:58:00.005-04:00

Shop Name: Lapp Valley Farm

Location: New Holland, PA

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

It was quite a drive out to the Lapp Valley Farm, but it came highly recommended by several locals, so I had to get out there. It is definitely a farm- there are cows and everything. Unfortunately, it smells like a farm, too. The good news is that the farm smell stays outside and when you're in the ice cream shop, all you can smell is the delicious scent of homemade waffle cones. I'm starting to think I might have to start another blog about the homemade cones around here! Lapp's homemade cones are definitely different from the SCS&C's cones. They're lighter and the flavor isn't as strong, but they are totally delicious. Autumn made the comparison to the flavor and texture of a pizzelle, and I think she's right about that. Although, I think a pizzelle traditionally has an anise flavor and these cones did not. The texture was almost exactly the same, though.

Along with Autumn, Jeffrey and Vanessa (a.k.a. Beanie) also came along for the trip to Lapp's. You can see how friendly Beanie got with the cows in the picture above. Lapp's not only has cows, but also peacocks everywhere. Also, Beanie got really friendly with a bulldog that was wandering around. Lapp's is definitely an animal-lover's ice cream destination. They also sell milk, cheese and butter and you can even go to the drive-through to order those things! I bought a huge piece of farmer's cheese and I can't wait to snack on it!

Ok, now for the ice cream. I sampled the butter brickle flavor which was basically vanilla ice cream with toffee bits mixed in. It was good, but I didn't want to eat a whole cone full of it. I also sampled the coconut (at Beanie's recommendation) and it was also really delicious. It was chock full of coconut shavings. Delish. In the end, I opted for a homemade sugar cone with chocolate almond ice cream. It was actually really disappointing because after tasting the other two, I had high expectations for the chocolate. Unfortunatelly, the chocolate flavor was barely there at all. It was like eating sweet cream ice cream with a hint of chocolate mixed throughout. Not good. The quality of the ice cream is clearly very high- it's really smooth and creamy, but the chocolate flavor was SO disappointing! It's good for Lapp's that I sampled the other two flavors, or their rating might have dropped. Taking all things into consideration, I had to give them 3 1/2 screams, certainly a respectable rating.

Turkey Hill Ice Cream

2008-07-22T12:24:00.005-04:00

Shop Name: Turkey Hill Ice Cream

Location: Central Market, Lancaster City

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

I was pleasantly surprised to see a booth selling ice cream at the market today. How did I ever miss it? I guess I just don't usually visit the bakery stands at the market. My bad! My bags were full of fruits and veggies and some uber-yummy manchego cheese when I saw a sign that said "Sample cones: $0.50" Umm.... perfect!!! I asked for a sample of cookies & cream. The lady behind the counter pulled out the tiniest little cone you've ever seen! It was about 2 inches long! So cute! She scooped a bit of mint chocolate chip and I was like, "Oh, I wanted cookies & cream..." Oops! She was super sweet about her mistake, though and gave me both samples for the price of one. Can't let ice cream go to waste now, can we? Anyway, the ice cream was decent. It was pretty much your basic grocery-store variety. No complaints, but also nothing spectacular. However, I think their "sample cone" is a brilliant concept. I sometimes feel guilty if I ask to taste a lot of different flavors, but the fact that you pay a nominal amount for each sample makes them totally guilt free! Overall, Turkey Hill got 3 1/2 screams.

Strasburg Country Store & Creamery (SCS&C) PART TWO!

2008-07-21T21:16:00.003-04:00

Shop Name: Strasburg Country Store & Creamery

Location: Main Street, Strasburg

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

Yes, it's PART TWO for the SCS&C. I said in my first review of this place that it was good enough for me to go back, so I did. In my first review, I forgot to mention one of the best things about the SCS&C- the smell. I forgot how when you walk in, you're nearly knocked over by the amazing sweet smell of the place. I asked what it is and the lady at the counter told me it's their homemade sugar cones. There's a little room in the middle of the store with all these waffle-maker-looking things and they seriously make their own homemade sugar cones! I had to try one. I was so focused on the cake cone on the first trip, I didn't even consider getting a sugar cone. They should be advertising these sugar cones by shouting from the rooftops about them. They are delicious! And I am not usually a fan of sugar cones. They almost always leak and they're a lot harder to eat because they usually crack and then you risk ice cream spillage. Problem? I think so.

I ordered a kiddie sized scoop of oreo cookie ice cream on one of their homemade sugar cones. It was a fabulous scoop of ice cream and the cone was delicious. I also asked for a sample of their pumpkin ice cream. Kudos to the SCS&C for offering that flavor in a month other than September or October. AND it was great. I'm a sucker for anything pumpkin flavored- pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin chili, pumpkin soup- I love it all. Their pumpkin ice cream didn't disappoint. That combined with the fabulous oreo cookie/sugar cone combo upped their Boo Rating to 4 screams!

Gelato di Babbo

2008-07-20T12:38:00.002-04:00

Shop Name: Gelato di Babbo

Location: Eastern Market on King Street

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

This will be brief because all I have to say is: "Get your butt down to the Eastern Market on King Street and try this gelato!!!" It's all homemade with local ingredients and it's insanely delicious. Apparently it's also being sold by the pint in at least four local supermarkets. I sampled three flavors- coconut, dark chocolate and mulberry merlot and all three were delicious, but the mulberry merlot was FIERCE. I could eat that flavor all day. Gelato di Babbo, you're high in my ratings with 4 very loud screams.

Treats Creamery and Cafe

2008-07-18T14:20:00.005-04:00

Shop Name: Treats Creamery and Cafe

Location: Market Street

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

Treats Creamery is definitely a special place. First of all, it's located inside the Quilt and Textile Museum in downtown Lancaster. If you have not been to this museum, you really should go. The ladies there are so knowledgeable about not only the quilts, but the history of the building as well. They are SUPER sweet, too. The price of admission is a mere $6- a bargain, really. The museum also has a gift shop and of course, the creamery & cafe.

Today I sampled the pistachio ice cream on a cake cone. It was absolutely delicious. The ice cream was rich and creamy and full of WHOLE pistachios! Yum! I am forever looking for really delicious pistachio ice cream, and this was some of the best I've ever had. Seriously! The creamery also offers about a dozen flavors of ice cream, sundaes with lots of different toppings, shakes of all kinds, and light lunch options including soups, sandwiches, wraps and salads. I'll have to go back there sometime for lunch! Not on Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, though, because with it's location so close to the Central Market, it's hard to resist heading there as well! Overall, the creamery scored an impressive 4 screams. You can bet I'll be back there soon!

Waterhouse Country Store- Gifford's Ice Cream

2008-07-13T13:35:00.004-04:00

Shop Name: Waterhouse Country Store

Location: Windham, NH

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

Waterhouse Country Store serves Gifford's Ice Cream, which is fairly common for many ice cream shops in NH. For a small "country store," there were MANY flavor options, too! I love the names of a lot of the flavors, including the one I tried- "Wicked Good Chocolate." You can't get more New England than that! And how was my ice cream? Wicked good, of course! It was rich and creamy, and the cake cone was fresh. Delicious! Overall, they earned 4 screams. It was wicked good, for sure.

Udderly Delicious

2008-07-12T23:42:00.013-04:00

Shop Name: Udderly Delicious

Location: Lincoln, NH

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

I know, I know- 4 screams? For real? Yes, for real. Udderly Delicious is not only utterly delicious, but the shop is a hoot! You can see the mayhem I created trying to get a candid photo of the employees with my cone (I particularly like the girl diving into the cash register to avoid being in the pic). As you know from my Oregon Dairy blog, I LOVE the cow hats on the ice cream shop employees. But that's just the beginning of the greatness at Udderly Delicious. It's a little tourist-y, but there were a bunch of locals there as well, so I won't brand them a "tourist trap." Having side-stepped that landmine, Udderly Delicious didn't cease to impress. For starters, they have LOTS of flavor choices. Among those choices? GRAPENUT. Raise your hand if you've ever had Grapenut ice cream? That's what I thought. Not too many of you, right? It's basically vanilla ice cream with Grapenuts cereal mixed in. You either like it or you don't. I remember summers at home as a kid, pouring Grapenuts cereal on top of my ice cream and then sitting in the living room, watching TV, hoping I'd get to stay up just a little later! Anyway, as for the ice cream, it's a surprisingly delicious combination. It's a rare find, even for NH ice cream shops so U.D. gets mad props for having it on the menu.

"What else makes them great?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you. They also have an ice cream sundae bar. Uh-huh. You read that right. An ice cream sundae bar. See?

Totally awesome, right? Well, guess what else is awesome? Made-to-order ice cream cookie sandwiches. Also, free chocolate sprinkles (jimmies) for kids! Check it out:

I'm no kid, obvi, so my sprinkles weren't free, but I ordered them anyway, on top of my chocolate ice cream on a cake cone. (Side note: U.D. called it a "cake" cone, too- more evidence that it's the correct term.) So, forget about all the extras like ice cream sundae bars and made-to-order ice cream cookie sandwiches because even without all that, the ice cream was delicious. Rich and creamy, it didn't disappoint. Good job, U.D. You get 4 very loud screams. Holla!!!

Here's one last picture of Kevin & Melanie, my friends who joined me for this tasty blog trip.

P.S. One more SUPER COOL thing: The U.D. had brownies for sale that were GIGANTIC!!! My only vacation regret is that I didn't try one.

Chelsey's Ice Cream

2008-07-11T08:53:00.008-04:00

Shop Name: Chelsey's Ice Cream

Location: Campton, NH

Boo's Rating: 3 Screams

Chelsey's Ice Cream is located inside Chelsey's "A Wicked Cool Country Store." At first I thought Chelsey's would be a total tourist trap, but it was actually a fabulous store! It was full of really cute decorative items as well as NH souveniers and all kinds of stuff. (Even a jewelry-making station- perfect for the kids on a rainy day.) Inside Chelsey's Wicked Cool Country Store was Chelsey's Ice Cream. The saleslady on the store side convinced us to try it with her description of the "Belgian Chocolate Dip." Mmmmmm... delicious! Unfortunately, the only ice cream flavors available were chocolate and vanilla soft serve. They had lots of "Flurrie" options, which my friend Melanie tried. Bonus points for Chelseys- they let her combine TWO different Flurrie flavors- Butterfinger AND Snickers. Yum! Melanie's Flurrie was LOADED with mix-ins, which we know for busy ice cream is really important. I tried vanilla ice cream dipped in (are you ready) Dark Belgian Chocolate. Holy cow. It was the most delicious ice cream dip I've ever had. I don't know if it's just their dip recipe, but the coat of chocolate on the ice cream cone was SO thick! Most dips you can just lick right off. This dip required me to bite into it in order to get to the ice cream underneath!

Unfortunately, with only 2 flavor options, I can't really give Chelsey's the highest rating. What they had was good, but really it was all the exciting options you could ADD to your ice cream that made it good. The ice cream itself was pretty much your basic soft serve. So, 3 screams it is, Chelsey.

Raymond's Frozen Custard Ice Cream

2008-07-11T00:56:00.009-04:00

Shop Name: Raymond's Frozen Custard Ice Cream

Location: Raymond, ME

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

OK, this place had some seriously delicious ice cream, or rather- frozen custard. I asked what makes it custard and was told that it's the use of egg yolks that makes it custard and not ice cream. Hmmm... interesting. But let's be honest, the only thing I really care about is how delicious it is, not necessarily HOW it gets to be so delicious, right? Right.

I was with my family while sampling this place. I ordered chocolate (of course), my mom got white chocolate mocha and my stepfather Mike got gingersnap. More like gingercrap if you ask me! Just kidding. I have to admit, when he ordered that flavor, I was like, "WHAT?" Who orders GINGERSNAP ICE CREAM? I guess when there are flavors like chocolate or white chocolate mocha or strawberry, it's just the LAST flavor I'd think to try. To be fair, it tasted EXACTLY like gingersnaps, but without any crunch and I think that's why I didn't like it. I like the whole package with those snappy little cookies, but when you take away what in my opinion is an essential element, it's just not the same. But enough about that- I know you're wondering why I know so much about an ice cream flavor I didn't even order. I make it my responsibility to taste as many flavors as possible when reviewing an ice cream establishment and I must admit, I am shameless in that respect. I will ask the clerk at the counter for several "samples" before making my flavor decision. If friends and/or family join me at an ice cream shop, I make them give me a taste of what they ordered. You know- for research.

Ok, so enough about gingersnap. My mom's selection- white chocolate mocha- was AMAZING, as was my chocolate cone. The texture of the custard was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! Most frozen custards I've seen are soft-serve, but this seemed to be hand-dipped. It was still pretty soft, compared to your basic hand-dipped ice cream, but still oh-so rich and delicious. The only problem I found with Raymond's was the fact that they only had 8 flavors to choose from. But even so, 4 screams is pretty stellar.

Blake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream

2008-07-10T11:57:00.006-04:00

Shop Name: Blake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream

Location: Manchester, NH

Boo's Rating: 4 1/2 Screams

The picture really covers it all. Let's be honest, whoever decided to dip a cake cone in chocolate and then also dip into chocolate sprinkles is a genius! I haven't had New England ice cream in quite some time and my first cone back didn't disappoint. Blake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream was never one of the places I frequented when living in NH, but now I really regret that. I ordered the Triple Chocolate Ecstasy on the type of cake cone described above. It was so delicious and rich that I couldn't even eat enough ice cream to get down to the cone! I ended up getting a dish and scraping almost an entire scoop off just so that I could taste the delicious cone I'd ordered! The ice cream was so rich, so chock full of chocolate-y goodness, I was in complete ice cream heaven. Hence, the 4 1/2 screams rating.

As you all know, I've been on vacation in New England for the past 10 days and just returned last night. My next few posts will cover the 5 ice cream establishments I visited over that vacation. I really meant to visit more shops, especially the ones I remember being my favorites growing up, but we know what they say about the best laid plans, right? Anyway, it really got me thinking about different ice cream shops in different places. In the spirit of National Ice Cream Month, I'd like to hear from all of you about your favorite ice cream shop. Tell me what makes it great- the ice cream, the employees, the atmosphere- whatever it is that makes it your favorite. It doesn't have to be in the Lancaster, PA area- it can be anywhere. Wherever it is, I want to hear about it!

Coming Soon....

2008-07-06T21:02:00.007-04:00

I know that all four of you who read this blog are waiting with eager anticipation for my big "NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH" blog entries. However, I am currently away on vacation and am not blogging regularly. (I prefer sitting in the sun and shopping.) However, I have kept up my ice cream research while on vacay and will post those shops as well. Coming soon are:

Blake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream
Manchester, NH

Raymond's Frozen Custard Ice Cream
Raymond, ME

Chelsey's Ice Cream
Campton, NH

Udderly Delicious
Lincoln, NH

Gifford's Ice Cream (at the Waterhouse Country Store)
Windham, NH

I'll be back soon! In the meantime, please leave a comment telling me your favorite ice cream shop and location and I'll make sure to visit as many as I can!

Dairy Queen

2008-06-29T00:28:00.009-04:00

Shop Name: Dairy Queen

Location: Columbia Ave

Boo's Rating: 2 1/2 Screams

Ok, I'm gonna be straight with you- this wasn't my first trip to a DQ. One of my favorite treats of all time is an Oreo Blizzard. Today, I decided to order the new Xtreme Chocolate Blizzard. It's made with chocolate ice cream, brownie bits and chocolate chips. Delicious, right? Well, I'm thinking they didn't follow the recipe quite right at the DQ today. Mine was clearly made with a vanilla ice cream base and the amount of brownie bits and chocolate chips was shameful. DQ, I expected better from you! It was such a disappointment that I might call it a fluke and give the DQ another shot a little later in the summer. But for now, I'm afraid the Boo Rating is 2 1/2 screams.

Freeze & Frizz

2008-06-24T09:18:00.009-04:00

Shop Name: Freeze & Frizz

Location: New Holland Pike

Boo's Rating: 2 1/2 Screams

I think the Freeze & Frizz is better for BBQ or burgers than it is for ice cream. They have a handful of softserve flavors, and some shakes and malts, but that pretty much covers it. They do have one thing going for them- the dip. I sampled the chocolate soft serve in a cake cone with chocolate dip. It brought me back to my childhood. Also, it's always impressive when they dip the cone perfectly. When I was in high school, I had a job serving ice cream and the dip was the hardest thing to master. Especially the strawberry dip. Anyway, their ice cream was okay- nothing too spectacular. The dip was exciting in theory, but not that delicious in practice. I'd probably rather have chocolate sprinkles. Just in case you're interested, the Freeze & Frizz also has the pretzel cone. It appeared to be the same manufacturer as the pretzel cone at the Willow Street House of Pizza, so I didn't feel the need to try it again. Although, maybe I'll go back sometime and have them dip the pretzel cone! That sounds delicious!

In the end, the F&F gets 2 1/2 Screams, but I'll definitely go back sometime to try their BBQ.

TCBY

2008-06-22T11:04:00.009-04:00

Shop Name: TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt)

Location: Hempstead Rd.

Boo's Rating: 2 1/2 Screams

I have fond memories as a young girl of going to TCBY with my father. When those shops first started springing up all over the place, we'd drive down there after I'd finished school for the day and get a sweet treat. He was really into it- my dad's got a sweet tooth that I think I inherited. They had so many flavors of yogurt back then! It was all the rage because of the frozen yogurt low-fat recipe. I think there was even a Seinfeld episode about it. I was a little disappointed in the flavor selection at the Lanc TCBY. They only had chocolate and vanilla, and of course, the twist. For hand-dipped ice cream there were 8 flavor options total. In all fairness, the TCBY is a small counter in a gas station, but I don't think that's an excuse for only 2 flavors of frozen yogurt!!! As I was leaving, the girl behind the counter said that next week, there would be other flavor options. Maybe they'd just run out and were waiting on a shipment. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they could have 4 or 5 more yogurt flavors.

I sampled the hand-dipped chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles on a cake cone. (Side note: I bow to the infinite wisdom of the Lancaster, PA ice cream establishments in regards to this breed of cone. Three of you have now referred to the flat-bottom plain cone as a "cake" cone. No coincidence, methinks.) The ice cream was creamy and delicious and the flavor was great- very chocolate-y. Also, the girl behind the counter was very smart in her scooping technique. All too often, the ice cream scooper will just mash the scoop onto the top of the cone and you have to hope that the ice cream melts down into it. This girl was brilliant- she scooped a smaller ball of ice cream and then filled the inside of the cone with it. GENIUS! After that, she topped the cone off with a larger scoop. I was really impressed with her mad scooping skills and the delicious ice cream. It was all ruined by the stale cone, though. As soon as I bit into it, I knew it was over. TCBY, I'm afraid you're past your prime, so you only get 2 1/2 screams.

Gigi's Grill

2008-06-19T09:14:00.007-04:00

Shop Name: Gigi's Grill

Location: 896 Near the little "Sight & Sound"

Boo's Rating: 1 Scream

All I have to say is don't bother. I can list the flavor options for you: Chocolate, Vanilla and Twist and also Sugar free Vanilla, Sugar Free Raspberry. Yes, you can clearly see from the picture of crazy Mindy that they have plain cones and chocolate sprinkles. Too bad my cone was so stale it even had a weird taste. They get ONE scream for not ruining the ice cream and the chocolate sprinkles. HOWEVER, if you want a decent burger & fries, they've got a great menu of diner-style food. Just get one of their pies for dessert instead of ice cream.

In other news, next month is National Ice Cream Month, so please feel free to comment with your favorite ice cream in the Lancaster area because next month I'll be hitting it hard. I'd especially like to hear about unusual flavors, or something that makes YOUR favorite ice cream shop special.

Willow Street House of... Pizza???

2008-06-18T19:53:00.005-04:00

Shop Name: Willow Street House of... Pizza?

Location: Willow Street (duh!)

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

I know you think I'm crazy, but this place was recommended to me by a local. She read my Bruster's blog and said that the H.O.P. will be my "answer to a raspberry ice cream cone." Who am I to turn down an ice cream recommendation from a local? I googled directions to the place and Monday afternoon I set out to sample. Too bad the Willow Street House of Pizza is closed on Mondays! DENIED! It's a good thing I'm persistent and not easily deterred. Tuesday afternoon, I drove back out there. It was right around lunch time and there were a few people dining on some delicious looking pizzas and subs. I might have to visit again for lunch sometime. Around the corner from the pizza counter is the ice cream counter. The raspberry flavor is actually a soft serve, which I haven't reviewed yet in the Lanc area. I sampled just a small taste of it and it was so creamy and delicious that I made it my choice of the day. The H.O.P. has chocolate, vanilla and raspberry soft serve as well as a half dozen or so hand-dipped ("hard serve") flavors.

However, the most exciting thing about the H.O.P. is their menu of cone choices. Yes, they have "cake" cones and of course sugar cones, but they have something else I've never seen in all my 29 years. They call it a "pretzel cone." Ok, take a minute and recover from your excitement- I know I needed to when I saw it one the menu. The lady behind the counter had no information regarding the pretzel cone, so I really had no choice but to try it. You know, for research! Don't you agree that it's a completely BRILLIANT idea? Because of their saltiness, pretzels are the perfect food to pair with sweets! Here is some evidence:

Take 5 candy bars
Chubby Hubby ice cream
Chocolate covered pretzels

Need I say more? Well, even if I don't need to, I will. I can't believe I had never encountered a pretzel cone before! It really seems like pure genius to me and after tasting it, I think it's got real potential. I ordered the raspberry soft serve in a pretzel cone and the combination started out AMAZING. The salt on the outside of the cone was perfect with the ice cream- every lick was absolutely delicious- the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I was disappointed when I bit into the cone, though. The texture was really hard, but not in the crisp pretzel-like way I had anticipated. It was very difficult to bite into the cone and the flavor of the cone was nothing like a pretzel. I think that if someone really set their mind on making the perfect pretzel cone, they could possibly move on from there to world domination. I'd like to suggest chocolate dipped pretzel cones as an option as well for anyone who pursues this amazing invention. This area has cornered the market on perfect pretzels, so I'm sure there's someone around here who can make it happen. If you know anyone in the pretzel business, please have them contact me. This could be the next great development of our time.

OK, enough about the pretzel cone. All in all, the H.O.P gets 3 1/2 screams because their flavor choice was limited, and while the raspberry was rich and creamy, it didn't blow my mind. If they had a better pretzel cone and more flavor choices, they'd really up their rating in my book.

Strasburg Country Store & Creamery (SCS&C)

2008-06-17T23:07:00.010-04:00

Shop Name: Strasburg Country Store & Creamery

Location: Main Street, Strasburg

Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

I found a coupon in my "Hospitality Days" Coupon Book for the Strasburg Country Store & Creamery. Too bad when I got there, I forgot to use it. Oh well. I guess that means I'll have to go back sometime soon! And I probably will. I googled the SCS&C and found out it's a bit of a tourist attraction. It's a cute little country store filled with your typical Amish-town souveniers, books about the Amish, quilted pot-holders, bonnets, etc. There is also a rather large selection of candy- everything from full-size bars to bulk candy, formerly known as "penny candy." The ice cream parlor has a selection of a little over a dozen ice cream flavors, with the option of adding "mix-ins" on their frozen stone. Trendy, right? You'd think so, but the shop itself is SO cute and homey! I totally fell in love the minute I walked in. It feels like you're stepping back in time with the iron tables & chairs, the bucket full of ice & bottles of sasparilla, the chalk board menu, and all sorts of chotchkes and decorations that take you back to another era. Even the staff behind the counter are wearing black and white striped oxford cloth shirts with white collars, black "Colonel Sanders" ties and black newsboy hats. I am not lying when I said I fell in love. I don't even care that it's all meant to manipulate the tourists into spending more money!

On to the ice cream. SCS&C also has the "cake" cone! I asked the girl behind the counter if it's a regional thing to call it a "cake" cone. She said she'd never heard that term before working at the SCS&C. I'll keep investigating that term. Maybe someday I'll get to the bottom of it. I sampled a flavor called "E.T. Special" on a cake cone (duh). It's vanilla ice scream with lots and lots of Reeses Pieces mixed in. I asked why it's called "E.T. Special." Once again, the salesperson was not much help, but then I seemed to recall something in the movie "E.T." and how E.T. loved Reeses Pieces candy. It all makes sense, right? Maybe the girl behind the counter is too young to remember that small detail from the movie. (SCS&C you just lost points for making me feel old.) The ice cream was rich and creamy and CHOCK FULL of peanut butter pieces. YUM! The overall experience earned the SCS&C a total of 3 1/2 screams. I'll definitely be back later in the summer, even if I don't have a coupon.

Bruster's Real Ice Cream

2008-06-15T18:26:00.010-04:00

Shop Name: Bruster's Real Ice Cream

Location: Columbia Ave.

Boo's Rating: 4 Screams

Happy Father's Day, folks! My father lives 400 miles away, so I spent my day deliberating where to go for my next ice cream cone. The choices in Lancaster are getting rather limited. http://www.bigyellow.com/ told me there was an Edy's on Hempstead Rd. The interwebs lied. Either that, or I drove past it without seeing it. Instead, I ended up at Bruster's Real Ice Cream on Columbia Ave. It was such a perfect summer day- not too hot, but hot enough where an ice cream cone is the perfect refreshment.

I was really excited to see that they have a flavor called "Purple Dinosaur" listed. Where I'm from, we've got a flavor called "Purple Cow" that I haven't seen around here. It's basically black-raspberry ice cream with white chocolate chunks. Get it? Purple cow? So I thought Bruster's "Purple Dinosaur" was going to be something similar. I asked about the flavor at the window, and was sadly informed that "Purple Dinosaur" is nothing more than vanilla ice cream with a whole lot of purple food coloring. Gross. Not to mention really disappointing. There were a lot of other interesting flavors listed on the board including one I'd never seen- Chocolate Oreo. I had to have it. Who doesn't love Oreo ice cream, right? And CHOCOLATE Oreo? Delicious, right? Holla. I asked if they had plain cones and the girl at the window said they had sugar cones and "cake" cones. "What's a cake cone?" I asked. She brought one over the show me and lo and behold, a "cake" cone" is a flat-bottom plain cone! HALLELUJAH!!! Bruster's is the FIRST place on my ice cream quest to serve them! Whoo-hoo!!! I could barely contain my excitement. I ordered a single scoop of the chocolate oreo on a "cake" cone. The flavor was fabulous- nice and chocolate-y. And the texture was totally different from any other ice cream I've ever had. It was light and fluffy, almost like the texture of mousse. I usually like my ice cream really thick, but the light airiness of this was actually really nice. And it was CHOCK FULL of oreo cookie bits. The only complaint I have is that the "cake" cone was actually really stale. Maybe because they call it a "cake" cone, people don't know what that means and instead order a sugar cone, so the "cake" cones end up sitting around getting stale. I dunno. Either way, the stale cone and the food-coloring filled ice cream knocked Bruster's down a bit to a total of 4 screams, which is still a stellar rating.

Friendly's

2008-06-14T12:52:00.009-04:00

Shop Name: Friendly's
Location: Lincoln Highway
Boo's Rating: 3 1/2 Screams

Who hasn't been to a Friendly's? Who's never experienced a "Happy Ending Sundae" or a "Jim Dandy?" This post is very straight-forward because I think you've all "been there, done that" where Friendly's is concerned.

Ice Cream Selection: Good

Ice Cream Quality: Good

Topping Selection: Good

Let's be honest. Friendly's is pretty darn good. I'm not saying I'm shouting from the rooftops that it's the best thing to ever happen to ice cream, but it's not too shabby, right? Decent flavor selection, good quality ice-cream, lots of sundae options. And who doesn't love the way they make the smiley face on the ice cream with the cone on top so it looks kinda like a clown? No happier ending than that, my friends. But what's the best thing about Friendly's? When you order a Fribble, you get the glass full of milk-shake goodness with a side of- that's right- milk shake goodness! It's like you get two Fribbles when they bring over the glass filled with Fribble alongside the metal Fribble mixer cup with the "left-overs." You know how sad you feel when you're done eating something delicious? Well, with the Fribble, you get to delay that sadness by one entire glass-full of milk shake. And you're so full of sugary, ice-creamy milk-shake when it's over that you're really not that sad. You're satisfied.

Oregon Dairy

2008-06-13T15:07:00.009-04:00

Shop Name: Oregon Dairy

Location: Oregon Trail... ummm, I mean Pike
Boo's Rating: 3 Screams

Visiting the Oregon Dairy was a lot like playing Oregon Trail as a kid. I hopped in my covered wagon (AKA 2002 Toyota Prius- whatevs, they have like, the same emissions, dude) and Laura followed behind in hers. Laura was the first person to join me in my quest for the perfect Lancaster, PA ice cream and I think it's safe to say she'll be begging to come along again. Especially since she survived this trip without getting dysentery. (Which is more than can be said for the average Oregon Trail game.) Anyway, we traveled along Rt. 30 to the Oregon Pike. After losing several oxen to the journey, we finally arrived at Oregon Dairy where oxen are abundant, so I wasn't too sad over the loss of mine.

Let me just say that this place is HUGE. It was seriously crowded, and let's be honest- that's always a good sign for a food-service establishment. Oregon Dairy is far more than just your basic ice cream stand. It's part grocery store, part farm, part tourist trap, part restaurant, part ice cream parlor, part-- well, you get the picture. After wandering around a bit, we asked for directions to the ice cream portion of this farm-themed monstrosity. Upon entering the ice cream parlor, I was fairly impressed. The selection of ice cream flavors was pretty large. The poor kids working the counter have to wear cow-print baseball hats, and that upped the entertainment value of the O.D. significantly. They let me sample a couple of flavors, so I tried to keep my sarcastic remarks about their uniforms to myself. I tried a sample of peach cobbler ice cream and their choco fudge before deciding on the chocolate peanut butter with a plain cone. YAY for plain cones! Laura had the same flavor and we both agreed that on a hot summer afternoon, it really hit the spot. But if I were to be really critical, I'd have to say that all the flavors I sampled were pretty run-of-the-mill. The chocolate base of the chocolate peanut butter was pretty average, and as much as I love that combo, the peanut butter swirl totally overpowered the chocolate ice cream. Also, since the chunks of PB were so large, it made the choice of a plain cone as an ice cream vehicle kind of difficult. It would have been more suited to a cup, but I guess we can call that poor judgement on my part.

I recommend it as a place to bring the whole family- there are tractor rides and giant cows and all sorts of fun things. Overall, I gave the Oregon Dairy 3 Screams. It would have been more, but Laura nearly drowned as we tried to ford the river.

Cold Stone Creamery

2008-06-12T20:19:00.009-04:00

Shop Name: Cold Stone Creamery
Location: Park City
Boo's Rating: 2 1/2 Screams

Cold Stone is the franchise that brought the "frozen stone" concept to the masses. If you like your ice cream busy, this is definitely a place to try. I personally feel that Cold Stone is highly over-rated. People RAVE about this place, but I have to admit, I just don't get why. First of all, the mix-in concept is hardly new. DQ's been serving the Blizzard for years, am I right? Just because it's mixed on a stone and not in a cup, people think, "OMG! This is amazing!" But let's break it down, ok? In order to have a good cup of busy ice cream, one must first start with high quality ice cream. Just because you're adding a bunch of stuff to it doesn't mean it can be crap. Cold Stone's ice cream is run-of-the-mill at best. The flavor is average, the texture nothing special and the mix-ins can all be found at your local grocery store. In other words, "I'm over it."

NOTE 6/16/08: It has come to my attention that ALL Cold Stone Creameries in Lancaster, PA have been closed. No word yet as to whether or not they will open anytime soon. No big loss, if you ask me.

Maggie Moos

2008-06-12T09:20:00.006-04:00

Shop Name: Maggie Moos

Location: Fruitville Pike

Boo's Rating: 4 1/2 screams

Yes, you're reading that right. 4 1/2 screams. 5 is the highest rating you can get. Ben & Jerry's is the standard for a 5. That basically means super rich ice cream with full (almost intense) flavor, and perfect creamy texture. For busy ice cream, it means all of the above with one added requirement. EVERY bite must have the mix-in. Busy? Means BUSY. Ok, that being said, Maggis Moos is gonna rock my world this summer. It was so delicious that I'm inclined to stop my search right here at blog #3 and declare a winner, but that wouldn't be fair, so don't worry- I'll keep sampling ice cream as long as there are ice cream stands I have not visited. But when I want a REALLY AMAZING cup of ice cream, I'm heading down to Fruitville Pike and going to Maggie Moos.

For anyone who has never been to Maggie Moos, it's a frozen-stone concept: plain ice cream flavors with many mix-in options. The possibilities are endless, right? Right. Many people think the whole "frozen stone" concept is new, but we've been seeing these types of shops since the 80's. It wasn't until Cold Stone & Maggie's that the concept became so widespread. Gotta love the franchises, huh? And yes, Maggie's IS a franchise, HOWEVER, they make their ice cream fresh on the premises every day. And they do a darn good job of it. I entered the Maggie Moos on Fruitville Pike earlier this week. The salesperson was extremely friendly and explained the whole concept to me of choosing an ice cream base and then choosing mix-ins. I was skeptical. Often, these types of frozen stone places use cheaper, lower quality ice cream because they're gonna mask it with all the mix-ins. Not Maggie Moos. I asked to sample a taste of their dark chocolate flavor. It was so incredible, I almost decided to order it plain! The flavor was out of this world- so chocolate-y and rich! The texture was velvet-smooth and super thick. It was heaven on a spoon. I decided that since I'd tasted it plain, it was ok for me to add some mix-ins to my final order so I opted for peanut butter and peanut butter cups. I ordered the smallest "kiddie" size available and have never regretted it more. Next time I'm getting the largest size they have. And making no apologies for my indulgence, either! I would have licked the bowl if it were socially acceptable.

So, with such a rave review, why only 4 1/2 stars? Well.... they don't have plain cones- only sugar cones. Sorry, Maggie Moos. Hook me up with a plain cone and you've got a perfect score. Until then, 4 1/2 screams it is.

Rita's Italian Ice

2008-06-10T11:33:00.008-04:00

Shop Name: Rita's Italian Ice
Location: Lincoln Highway
Boo's Rating: 3 Screams

I gave Rita's a decent rating because the "water ice" is flavorful and the frozen custard is creamy and delicious. But let's be clear, kids- it ain't no ice cream stand. I asked some locals where they go for good ice cream and they sent me to Rita's, so I tried it. Imagine my surprise to find NO ICE CREAM on the menu. Frozen custard is pretty good, though. I'd never had it before moving to PA, and for those of you who've never experienced it, it's like an extra-thick, really creamy soft serve. Yum. I sampled a "gelati" with vanilla custard and raspberry ice..... more on that later.

Rita's "Italian Ice" is often referred to around here as "water ice." That seems strange to me. Isn't that kind of redundant? Anyway, the ice at Rita's has more of a slush consistency. I'm used to Italian ice that's a little more solid, and much smaller ice crystals. You know the kind- it comes in a little paper cup and you scrape the ice with a little wooden spoon! To each his own- I'm not here to critique ice. Also, Rita's always has a sugar-free ice flavor so yay for that.

What bothers me about Rita's is their "gelati." I hate to break it to you, but pouring slush over frozen custard in NO WAY resembles gelato, and changing the last letter of that word doesn't fool anyone. Let me sum it up: Slush by itself, tasty. Frozen custard by itself, also tasty. The two together: Not so tasty and also not gelato. I was surprised that they don't even mix the two. I think if they did, it might give it a consistency more in line with gelato. Instead, they just pour one on top of the other! Weird, right? I guess some people like it, or it wouldn't be on their menu.

So, in the end I gave Rita's 3 screams. They lost points for not actually serving ice cream, but flavor and consistency of their products (when served separately) is pretty good. I'm not taking points away for the whole gelati argument since it's really up to the patron to decide whether or not they want to combine ice and custard. Also, even though I'm not a fan, obviously some people are and my beef with Rita's is more the misleading naming of the treat.

Coleman's Ice Cream

2008-06-09T14:37:00.007-04:00

Shop Name: Coleman's Ice Cream
Location: Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster
Boo's rating: 2 SCREAMS

Coleman's Ice Cream was the first stop in my quest for the perfect ice cream cone in Lancaster, PA. First, some background history: I'm a transplant to the Lancaster area and it's been a rocky transition for several reasons, but that's a subject for another blog. In an attempt to feel more connected to the area, I hopped on the interwebs in search of information about some local spots. What I found was pretty disappointing. Lancaster claims to be a tourist destination, and the locals are pretty fiercely loyal to the town, so I figured there would be all sorts of informative websites. How wrong I was. While I may not be up to the task of creating such a website, I am fully capable of finding Lancaster's best ice cream and documenting it for anyone else who might be interested.

I mentioned I'm a transplant to Lanc and that's relevant for several reasons. I can be totally unbiased in my opinion of these ice cream establishments because they are all new to me. Also, I'm originally from New Hampshire. This may not seem relevant, but trust me- it is. We Granite-Staters are nuts for ice cream. Actually, that's not fair- it's really a New England thing, not just New Hampshire. From the trendy coast of Cape Cod to the backwoods of Maine and everywhere in between you can find some serious ice cream stands. Ben & Jerry's hails from Burlington, Vermont and Blake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream has been a NH staple since early 1900. The bottom line: New Englanders know our ice cream.

Now on to Coleman's. This ice cream stand was the first one recommended to me. I asked a room full of Lancaster locals, "Where can I get a great ice cream cone around here?" Two people answered that Coleman's was the place to go. So I went.

It was a very hot Thursday afternoon last week. I was on my way to work and decided to stop and grab a cone. Upon entering the store, I saw the flavor selection left a little to be desired. The most exciting flavor on hand was a cappuccino based ice cream with cinnamon & toffee mixed in. Total, there were less than a dozen flavor options. I decided on a plain cone with a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of coffee. Busy ice cream is great- who doesn't love a pint of Moose Tracks or Phish Food? But in testing ice cream flavor, plain is best. Both were disappointing at Coleman's. Both flavors were very sweet, but the chocolate flavor was barely noticeable. Also, in the case of both flavors, the creaminess was constantly interrupted by rather large ice crystals in nearly every lick. Not cool. A good scoop of ice cream should be creamy and thick with absolutely NO ice crystals.

The one plus with Coleman's is the fact that they offer plain cones, which are by far the best vehicle for ice cream. Sugar cones are tasty and the crunch is nice, but they ALWAYS leak. Same goes for Waffle cones. I hate having to wrap the bottom of my cone with napkins in order to avoid dripping. Plain cones have no leakage problems- whether flat bottom or traditional cone-shape. Flat bottom plain cones are my fave because of how the ice cream melts into the cone grid at the bottom of the cone. While you eat the ice cream on top, the ice cream inside softens the inside of the cone just enough to make it chewy, while the outside remains perfectly crispy. YUM!!!

In conclusion, Coleman's seems like a nice place to bring the family on a hot summer night. With picnic tables outside and very affordable prices, it's a good choice for a treat with the kids after dinner. Is it the best cone in Lancaster? With nothing else to compare it to, I'm still confident in saying, "No, it's not." I give it 2 out of 5 "screams."