Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Wayne’Swirled

Anticipation can be a tricky thing.  Sometimes that expectation can lead to disappointment.  Tons of kids have stories about less than stellar Xmas the result of not getting what they thought they were going to get. 

But the other side of the coin is anticipating the worst and being relieved when it doesn’t come to pass.  There have definitely been times I anticipated getting caught and was relieved when I wasn’t.  So, anticipation can go both ways. 

Which brings us to Ben & Jerry’s final SNL Batch; Wayne’Swirled

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Candy Bar Pie

I love New York.  I really do.  But one of the things I don’t dig is that limited access to ice cream flavor.  My grocery store, Pathmark, never stocks up limited edition flavors and rarely gets any new flavors.  It’s frustrating. 

Fortunately I’m visiting family for the holiday, which means I’ve got access to a wider selection of Ben & Jerry’s flavors, including the limited batch Candy Bar Pie.

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Two Wild & Crazy Pies

Just in time for the Fall we get a new flavor for Ben & Jerry’s line of SNL Batches.  And SNL Batches should be a great thing.  But much like some sketches on Saturday Night Live, the execution of some these flavors leaves a little to be desired. 

Gilly’s Catastrophic Crunch lived up to its name, while Lazy Sunday lived up to its inspiration. 

So, how will Two Wild & Crazy Pies stack up?

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Turtle Cheesecake

I used to work at a certain factory known for cheesecake.  It was quite the fun job.  One of the perks was getting “dead” cheesecake, which was cheesecake that wasn’t perfect enough to be sold to the masses. 

Basically I ate cheesecake every day I worked for a year.  Needless to say I’ve rarely eaten it since.  I’ve exhausted my appetite for cheesecake.  It’s done.  Over. 

Still, when I saw Turtle Cheesecake at the Scoop Shop, I knew I had to at least try it out. 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Coconut Seven Layer Bar

Coconut is one of those things that both seems awesome and not worth all the fuss.  I can remember as a kid, my family trying hard to open a coconut, which seems impervious to modern tools.  And result wasn’t nearly as refreshing as television had made it seem. 

Maybe it’s because coconuts pop up on televion and in films on deserted islands, where a protagonist is without food, so a coconut is much needed sustenance.  I’ve also found coconut water as a beverage to be a less than satisfying experience. 

So how would Ben & Jerry’s Coconut Seven Layer Bar ice cream measure up to my expectations? 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Lazy Sunday

I can remember going the Foothillls Mall and getting Häagen-Dazs with Ma Serpico.  It was fun, it was a treat and it was indoors.  I’m not really a fan of novelties or ice cream cones because they tended to be messy, especially if you’re a kid growing up in Tucson. 

And that’s why I rarely visit Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops; I’ve been conditioned to eating ice cream at home.  Still, when I heard they had SNL inspired flavors, I knew a visit was in my future. 

Lazy Sunday is obviously inspired by the classic SNL Digital Short of the same name.  Will the flavor go equally viral? 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Gilly’s Catastrophic Crunch

Regular readers here know that if there’s one thing we love at Fission Spaghetti Industries it’s a new flavor from Ben & Jerry.  Ice cream is pretty much a fixture here.  If there’s a new flavor, chances are it’s going to be reviewed here. 

But if there’s something that comes close, it’s the our love for Saturday Night Live.  We’re huge SNL fans.  In fact some of might call us SNL geeks. 

So you can imagine our joy when two of our favorite things combined via Ben & Jerry’s SNL themed flavors.  In honor of SNL’s 40^th anniversary Ben & Jerry’s will be introducing SNL themed flavors throughout the year. 

First up GIlly’s Catastrophic Crunch.

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Nutty Caramel Swirl

I’ll admit to having a collector’s mentality.  I like knowing that I’ve heard everything that a particular artist has released from demos to B-sides.  I like knowing that I’ve seen every episode of a television show, deleted scenes and all.  And I like knowing that I’ve tried every new Ben & Jerry’s flavor. 

Of course this means having to go to places like Target, Walgreens and Walmart.  Well, maybe not Walmart.  But even 7-11 has their own exclusive Ben & Jerry’s flavor.  Is Nutty Caramel Swirl worth tracking down? 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Jam Session

Expectations can be tricky things.  Sometimes expectations can lead to disappointment, particularly if things are overhyped or expectations are too high.  Other times expectations can be minimal, which leads to them getting exceeded. 

Which brings us to Peanut Butter Jam Session, a Target exclusive Ben & Jerry’s flavor.  I’ve already addressed my thoughts on “exclusive flavors” so today is all about the ice cream. 

Ben & Jerry’s Week – Rockin’ Blondies

I don’t care for exclusives.  I don’t like when albums have exclusive songs for different retailers.  I don’t like when comic books have exclusive covers for certain shops.  And I don’t like when ice cream brands have exclusive flavors for different stores. 

I totally get it from a business standpoint; you give retailers an exclusive flavor and they in turn give you prime real estate in the store.  It’s part of the business of snacking.  But I don’t care for it. 

Which brings us to the Target Exclusive Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Rockin’ Blondies. 

Ben & Jerry’s Week – Salted Caramel

Some people feel that the salted caramel trend has jumped the shark.  It’s everywhere and if you’ve got a line of snacks or treats and you don’t have a salted caramel flavor, then you’re probably working on one. 

Personally I don’t have a problem with the trend.  I’ve found that, as a flavor, salted caramel tends to be one that’s nearly impossible to mess up.  The spectrum generally bottoms out on “good” and maxes at “stellar.” 

So where does Ben & Jerry’s new Core Salted Caramel line up? 

Ben & Jerry’s Week – That’s My Jam

I like when ice cream brands try something new.  I was a huge fan of the Haagen-Dazs’ Reserve line (particularly the Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream and the Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet) and their Gelato like is pretty good too.  So when I heard that Ben & Jerry’s was doing the whole “Core” thing I was very intrigued. 

Of course when you’ve got a trusted brand and ice cream, expectations are going to be high.  So, does That’s My Jam live up to the hype and expectations?  I’ll be honest; That’s My Jam is one of the most perplexing flavors I’ve ever encountered. 

Ben & Jerry’s Week – Peanut Butter Fudge

I’ve decided devote this week to new Ben & Jerry’s flavors.  I did this for a couple reasons.  Firstly, there are five new flavors sitting in the freezer (four “Core” flavors and one exclusive). 

Secondly, I totally flaked on Music Week last month, but I did have a week devoted Amazon’s new pilots.  So I figured that I’ll try to have a different “week” every month, at least for as long as I can do it. 

But back on topic; today we look at Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Fudge. 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Hazed and Confused

It’s that time of year again; new flavors from Ben & Jerry.  I’m usually pretty pumped because a) I dig ice cream and 2) I like trying new things.  It’s the most wonderful time of year. 

This year’s new Ben & Jerry’s flavors all share a theme by way of a new branding; Core.  Basically, each pint has a “core” running down it’s center.  There are four new flavors, with Karamel Sutra joining the Core line. 

The first flavor we looked at; Hazed & Confused. 

Taking A Bite Outta Mine

photo via Wikipedia

By this point anyone reading this blog should be well aware that I’m a huge fan of ice cream and frozen desserts in general.  They make up the majority of our Monday Munchies features.  I dig putting that stuff in my mouth. 

But something happened to me on Monday that shook me to the core.  It jostled my faith in humanity and really caused me to question where we are as a society. 

This is my story. 

Monday Munchies – Steve’s Sweet Corn & Blackberry Preserves

This is what an empty container looks like

Obviously I love ice cream.  I’m pretty sure at least fifty percent of Monday Munchies have been ice cream related.  Ice cream is almost part of my daily routine.  But I’m also a fan of corn. 

I love corn the way Bubba loves shrimp.  I love popcorn.  I love corn on the cob.  I love kernels.  I’m even cool with it as an component of succotash.  My family roots goes back to Iowa, so corn is in my blood. 

Naturally seeing a sweet corn flavored ice cream got my engines flowing. 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Truffle Trifecta

Yeah, I know; I update sporadically at best.   I almost feel like I should apologize for that, but I’m not going to.  I’ve had an interesting year, to say the least, and honestly this place hasn’t been a pressing concern. 

That said, when I see a new flavor of ice cream, you know I’m going to offer up my thoughts on it.  And since I recently moved to a new neighborhood with a Walgreen’s just around the corner, I realized an elusively exclusive flavor was within my reach. 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Nougat Crunch

You know how they say that every seven years you’re a brand new person because that’s how long it takes for every cell in your body to be replaced?  No?  Well how about the idea that you should try new things because your palette grows?  Well, I believe both. 

There was a time when I wouldn’t have dared to try Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Nougat Crunch.  But those days are far behind me. 

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Limited Batch Piña Colada

Image via One Second Scoop

The summer has finally arrived.  It’s at the very least warm out, if now downright hot.  Which means it’s the perfect time for some ice cream. 

Of course as anyone familiar with Fission Spaghetti already knows; it’s always a perfect time for ice cream.  But there’s something about the summer that makes ice cream even more refreshing than usual. 

In honor of the season Ben & Jerry’s have release their latest Limited Batch flavor, Piña Colada.

Monday Munchies – Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Peppermint Crunch

The funny thing about doing Monday Munchies is the little revelations.  Case in point; my lack of love for chocolate has come up a few times in the past.  It stems from my upbringing in Tucson. 

Y’see Tucson is mighty warm and chocolate tends to melt.  And I’m not the type of guy who cares for a messy snack. Thus I tended lean towards fruity candy like Skittles and Starburst. 

But that's the thing; the past really does inform the present.  

But a new Ben & Jerry’s flavor is a new Ben & Jerry’s flavor.