QUICK REVIEW: Dairy Queen Oreo Firework Blizzard

Dairy Queen Oreo Firework Blizzard

What is it?

July’s Blizzard of the Month, the Oreo Firework Blizzard does not include actual

How is it?

The classic Oreo Cookie Blizzard flavor serves as the night sky to the carbon dioxide based confectionary “fireworks.” The popping candy is abundant without seeming to come at the cost of the cookie mix-ins. Meanwhile, Uncle Sam-themed light red and blue “candy white coating” prevents premature detonation of the pressurized cores. Initially a bit odd to bite into, the almost squishy sheath is starkly contrasted against the crisp crunch of cookie bits and rock centers alike. Once the fuse is lit by puncturing the shell, the candies pop with aplomb.

Dairy Queen Oreo Firework Blizzard 3

Unfortunately, I prefer fireworks lighting the night sky to launching from my spoonful of ice cream. What begins as an interesting novelty grows tiresome by the bottom of the cup. To its credit though, the popping candy is more than just a marketing gimmick to elicit “oohs and aahs” from the crowd. The protective candy coating itself is infused with a delicious creme flavor. This is sure to please all of the crème loving Oreo “Twisters” out there, you know who you are.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I almost died bringing you this review. Well, the slick popping candy coating led to mild choking anyway. If you properly chew your treat rather than inhale it like Kirby coming off a 6-month juice cleanse, you should be fine.

Conclusion:

Dairy Queen Oreo Firework Blizzard 2

While the creme-flavored candy coating is delicious, I’d rather leave the accompanying explosions to the firework displays than my ice cream. For Oreo and Pop Rock lovers who don’t chase sparkler wielding kids off of their lawn like me, this may be a perfect 10.

Purchased Price: $3.39
Size: Small
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Small)  660 calories, 25 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 320 milligrams of sodium, 98 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 78 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

REVIEW: KFC Pickle Fried Chicken

KFC Pickle Fried Chicken

KFC’s Pickle Fried Chicken is the latest addition to their lineup of southern-inspired sauced chicken options. Described as “crunchy fried chicken covered in a delicious dill pickle sauce,” at first glance KFC’s Pickle Fried Chicken appears to veer closer to a Double Down-style stunt offering than the

As a Yankee from the Midwest who’s only occasionally traveled below the Mason-Dixon line, even I’m aware that the South can do some pretty creative things with pickles. Don’t misunderstand me, as a fan of all things salty, sour, sweet, and weird in various combinations, I wholeheartedly approve.

I’ll try your Kool-Aid pickles, pickled watermelon rind, and pickled pig’s feet. I can’t guarantee I’ll try them twice, but I’ll certainly give them the benefit of the doubt. It turns out Kool-Aid pickles don’t deserve that benefit, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

KFC Pickle Fried Chicken 2

So, if I’ll eat a koolickle, why am I skeptical of this chicken? It must be because my only experience with the chicken+pickle flavor combination is Chick-fil-A’s namesake sandwich, whose only adornment is dill pickle slices. It’s always left me a bit underwhelmed with its plainness.

I know. Boo! Hiss! Thrown Tomato! But pickles don’t seem like a substantial enough addition to elevate a fast food item.

I ordered a Pickle Fried Chicken Tender Basket, which comes with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a biscuit. I also got a Pickle Fried Chicken Little. (The mashed potatoes and gravy is school cafeteria-level, but the biscuit is fantastic.)

KFC Pickle Fried Chicken 3

Despite my skepticism, these tenders are very impressive. They’re juicy, and I’m pleased that the extra crispy chicken remained so after the 20-minute drive home. These aren’t heavily sauced, but the dill pickle flavor asserts itself well. It’s not a novelty flavor like I initially suspected.

Instead, the dill compliments the chicken and a slight vinegar tang cuts through the grease. Make no mistake, these are greasy, but when it comes to fried chicken, I consider that a feature and not a bug. Taking a bite with the accompanying pickles is peak-dill, and good enough that I wish KFC had given me more of them.

KFC Pickle Fried Chicken 4

The Chicken Little is good, but a bit less impressive. The addition of bread and mayonnaise serves to mute the dill pickle flavor of which I’m a newly converted fan. By the way, why doesn’t KFC serve sandwiches on their biscuits? Their current biscuit would be perfect for a slider, and a more massive biscuit sandwich would be a real winner. I’ll take my royalty fee in coleslaw, Colonel.

After tasting KFC’s Pickle Fried Chicken Tenders and Chicken Little, the problem with Chick-fil-A’s sandwich becomes clear: not enough pickle. This is a limited time offer, so I recommend trying it before it’s gone.

(Nutrition Facts – Unavailable on KFC’s website.)

Purchased Price: $5.59 (Chicken Tenders Basket/$1.39 Chicken Little Sandwich
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Extra Crispy Chicken Tenders)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Chicken Littles Sandwich)
Pros: Well balanced dill pickle flavor. Crisp coating with juicy chicken.
Cons: Perhaps too greasy for some. Pickle flavor can get overwhelmed by bun and mayo.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Oreo Cookies

Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Oreo Cookies

Why isn’t the “Oreo of the Month” club a thing yet?

Instead of running out to stores and dropping four bucks every time there’s a new flavor, charge me a flat yearly fee and deliver these babies to my doorstep. Whattaya say, Nabisco?

I’ll assume the big-wigs there are reading this and nodding their heads. You can thank me when you’re all card-carrying members of the Oreo “Creme of the Crop” Club. (Trademark Vin, or Nabisco if they pay me)

Anyway, the most recent flavor to hit shelves is Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake. I assume everyone’s aware of the iconic ice cream bar, so I’ll spare you the history.

This isn’t the first strawberry Oreo. This isn’t even the first

I’ve always thought ice cream flavors should stay in the frozen section, but I had a good feeling about this.

Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Oreo Cookies 2

When I ripped open the package, I was immediately hit with strawberry overload. It was really nice, but I’d go so far as to say they might be too fragrant. Still, it made me want to dive right in.

Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Oreo Cookies 3

The cookie wafers are some of the best Oreo has put out so far. It’s a Golden Oreo with “strawberry flavored bits,” and it’s quite pleasant. They’re a little on the hard side, closer to Nerds than the crumbs on the Good Humor bars, but they definitely enhance the cookie.

Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Oreo Cookies 4

Limited Edition Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Oreo Cookies 5

The creme filling has a candy strawberry and vanilla flavor that I think may be a bit too sweet for some. While tasty, I can see it getting very cloying after a while.

So, these are great, but do they mimic the Good Humor ice cream bar well?

Yes and no. You’ll talk yourself into it, but without reading the package, I’m not sure anyone would ever realize this cookie is a Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Bar.

I don’t wanna put the kibosh on it, but I don’t think traditional ice cream flavors ever truly work at room temperature. Take away the cold refreshing aspect of ice cream and it loses its essence. That happens here, but you’re still left with a tasty strawberry Oreo.

I’ve joked about the overabundance of Oreo flavors, but I gotta give Nabisco credit. It’s done an excellent job realizing that changing the creme isn’t enough as they’ve bombarded us with new flavors. The bits of strawberry in the cookie here was a genuinely great idea. This might be the first time I’d consider eating the cookies without the creme.

This is a limited edition, so go get it. Let’s be real though; there are probably more strawberry Oreo variants down the pike. I’m hoping this is the start of the Good Humor partnership because Chocolate Eclair and especially Toasted Almond Oreo sound like winners.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fiber, and 1 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 10.7 oz. package
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: The cookie is one of the best they’ve done. Smells and tastes great if you can handle the sweetness. A beautiful partnership between iconic brands. The potential Oreo of the Month Club I just made up.
Cons: Not exactly like the ice cream bars. Strawberry bits are hard sometimes. Overly sweet. Limited edition.

REVIEW: Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks (2018)

In 2017, Blue Bunny introduced the Bunny Snacks line that features reduced fat ice cream bars with candy coatings and sandwiches. It debuted with four varieties — Chocolate Chip Cookie, Chocolate Vanilla Twist, Cookies ’n Cream, Salted Caramel Pretzel — all of which are still around.

In 2018, the ice cream brand rolled out four new Bunny Snacks varieties — Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Hazelnut, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Mint Chocolate Twist.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bunny Snacks

Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks Strawberry Cheesecake

The snack features cheesecake-flavored reduced fat ice cream topped with strawberry sauce and graham cracker crunch bits covered with cream cheese-flavored coating and drizzled with strawberry flavored ribbon.

I reviewed a Pop-Tart that has half-strawberry filling and half-cheesecake-flavored filling. Combined they didn’t taste like strawberry cheesecake because they lack the tanginess the dessert has. I bring up that Pop-Tart for two reasons:

  1. The strawberry sauce on this Bunny Snack reminds me of the strawberry Pop-Tarts filling.
  2. This has the tang I wish the Pop-Tart had.

Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks Strawberry Cheesecake 2

Some of you might think the tanginess comes from the cheesecake-flavored ice cream, and some of it does. But most of it is from the white cream cheese-flavored candy shell. That combined with the strawberry filling and drizzle creates a recognizable strawberry cheesecake-like flavor. The graham flavor isn’t noticeable, but the pieces add some crunchiness. However, most of the texture contrasting the ice cream come from our tangy friend, the candy shell.

Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks Strawberry Cheesecake 3

Even though there’s reduced fat ice cream and it doesn’t have a strong flavor, everything around it hides those facts. Overall, Strawberry Cheesecake Bunny Snacks are sweet little treats.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 90 milligrams of potassium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bunny Snacks

Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks Chocolate Hazelnut

This bar has chocolate hazelnut-flavored reduced fat ice cream with a hazelnut fudge ribbon dipped in a chocolaty coating and hazelnut pieces drizzled with a chocolatey coating.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bunny Snacks 2

If someone slapped a Ferrero Rocher sticker on this bag’s Blue Bunny logo, gave it to me, and I tried one of the treats, I wouldn’t question the label and think these are from Ferrero Rocher. The questioning would begin after wondering why they’re not wrapped in gold foil.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bunny Snacks 3

Even the texture of the bottom is as light and easily crumbly as a Ferrero Rocher’s chocolate coating. Yes, it has reduced fat ice cream, but as I found with the other two candy-coated varieties, the layer and toppings do an excellent job at hiding the fact it has less fat. This one was my favorite of the bunch.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 90 milligrams of potassium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Vanilla Fudge Brownie Bunny Snacks

Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks Vanilla Fudge Brownie

This bunny snack features vanilla-flavored reduced fat ice cream topped with a layer of brownie batter and brownie brittle pieces covered in a milk chocolatey coating and candy drizzle.

Vanilla Fudge Brownie Bunny Snacks 2

The viscous brownie batter and crunchy brownie brittle pieces give the treat a flavor that’s richer than milk chocolate. But the fudgy brownie and vanilla ice cream combo, while darn good, didn’t get my taste buds jumping with excitement as much as the other two candy-coated Bunny Snacks.

Vanilla Fudge Brownie Bunny Snacks 3

If the other two didn’t exist, I probably would’ve liked this a bit more. But since Blue Bunny is giving us a number of Bunny Treat options and not everyone will buy all of them, I’d recommend the other two before this one.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 170 calories, 90 calories from fat, 11 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 95 milligrams of potassium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 gram of protein.

Mint Chocolate Twist Bunny Snacks

Blue Bunny Bunny Snacks Mint Chocolate Twist

This one isn’t candy-coated like the others. Instead, it’s an ice cream sandwich that features mint reduced fat ice cream with a fudge swirl inside that’s between two chocolate chocolate chip cookies with a green candy drizzle. I have to admit after all the candy-coated goodness of the other three this one is less exciting.

Much like I don’t read instructions before putting together anything, I didn’t read the front of the packaging before eating this, so I didn’t realize the two chocolate wafers are two chocolate chocolate chip cookies. But they sure didn’t feel like cookies. They have the same soft texture as what slapped on an ice cream sandwich.

Mint Chocolate Twist Bunny Snacks

But because they’re chocolate chip cookies, every so often my molars will mash tiny chocolate chips. However, there’s another texture level in the wafers cookies. There’s a grittiness that feels as if there are sugar granules in them that provide micro crunches with every chew. I guess they make up for the cookies’ lack of crunch.

The ice cream has the right amount of mint flavoring. It’s not going to make you think you brushed your teeth, but it’s also not light enough that the cookies overpower it. There’s a delicate balance between the two parts that make for a pleasant treat. But without the candy coating, it’s a bit basic compared with the others in the line. However, that does help make it a bit more waist-friendly than the others.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 sandwich) 150 calories, 45 calories from fat, 5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 95 milligrams of potassium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 gram of protein.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples from Blue Bunny months ago. And only now I’ve gotten around to writing this review. Sorry, Blue Bunny. Receiving free samples or feeling sorry that it took so long to write this review did not influence my review in any way.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Special Stash Phish’s It’s Ice…Cream Ice Cream

Ben  Jerry s Special Stash Phish s It s Ice Cream

Ben & Jerry’s Special Stash Phish’s It’s Ice…Cream and caramel malt ice cream, a caramel swirl, fish-shaped fudge pieces, and almond toffee bits, which I’ve mentally filed away as a mix-in I’d use if I ever become a late night talk show host and Ben & Jerry’s asks me to develop a flavor.

Like the previous Special Stash variety, Marshmallow Moon, this was a finalist to become a pint sold in stores but got beat out by another candidate. In It’s Ice…Cream’s case, it was in the running to become the band Phish’s flavor back in the mid-90’s, Phish Food. While the it finally ended up seeing the light of day, it’s only available at Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops and online store in limited quantities.

How limited?

Well, to give you an idea, here on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there are ONLY 50 pints available for the entire island. So is it worth hunting down at a price that’s more than what you’d pay for a regular pint of Ben & Jerry’s at your local grocery store?

Short answer. YES!

Long answer. READ ON!

Ben  Jerry s Special Stash Phish s It s Ice Cream 2

The caramel combo of the ice cream and swirl might seem like caramel excess, but I don’t find that to be the case because the ice cream base isn’t berating my taste buds with flavor. The gooey caramel provides all the buttery goodness and I’m fine with that.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I very much enjoyed the almond toffee bits and there were a lot of them in my pint. They add a thunderous crunch that contrasts the creamy ice cream and the sticky caramel swirl. But the thing about them is that I don’t think of almond toffee when I chew on them. Instead, it’s like eating a crunchy sugar cone.

Ben  Jerry s Special Stash Phish s It s Ice Cream 3

And this leads to why I’m so fond of this ice cream. When I get all the ingredients into one spoonful, which happens a lot, it’s as if I’m eating the perfect Drumstick ice cream cone bite — creamy ice cream, caramel topping, the fudge fish are like the nugget of chocolate at the bottom of the cone, and the almond toffee’s flavor and crunch is like fresh cone.

I not only love this ice cream, but I also love the artwork on the container, which was drawn by Phish’s legendary illustrator Jim Pollock. Sure, I’m 100 percent positive a future dream of mine will involve an anthropomorphic fish, but the art gives it a small brand look to it, making it stand out among Ben & Jerry’s other pints.

On paper, It’s Ice…Cream seems so simple, but, I can’t stress this enough, the almond toffee takes it to another level. This flavor is special and worth seeking out.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample from Ben & Jerry’s. This did not influence my review in any way. I know. I know. It totally reads like I’m in Ben & Jerry’s pocket, but I really did enjoy this pint.

(Nutrition Facts – 1/2 cup – 290 calories, 140 calories from fat, 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Almond toffee pieces are awesome; for some reason, they remind me of a sugar cone. Eating all of the ingredients in a spoonful tastes like the best Drumstick bite, and there are a lot of spoonfuls like that.
Cons: Caramel malt ice cream flavor isn’t that noticeable. The pint’s artwork may end up in your dreams. Limited supply. Only available at Scoop Shops and the online store. Costs more than other Ben & Jerry’s pints at the grocery store.

Scroll to Top