I scream

Last night the gang was about to head out for boardwalk pizza for dinner when it suddenly struck me that it was burger night at the Purple Parrot.

The Purple Parrot usually sells a full pound burger for $13.50 but on Mondays they're half price. That's right - $6.75 for a full pound hamburger cooked any way you like it with a toppings bar! You can add as much or as little lettuce, tomato, bacon, raw onions, sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, cheese, mayo, ketchup, and mustard as you like to your giant burger. I knew this would be a big hit with the big eaters staying with us this week.

I was correct. All 8 of us ordered the giant burgers, though several couldn't finish them. The burgers tasted great and we enjoyed the great 80s music coming from the bar area.

Afterward we strolled down the boardwalk and the kids played a couple games at the arcade, winning a Rasta Banana, and then we decided to get ice cream for dessert.

For many years I've been a Kohr Brothers soft-serve purist. There are some things, like soft serve, that simply don't need improving. For years I've gotten soft-serve cones there, until Thad & Steven introduced us to The Ice Cream Store. Its not that we hadn't seen it before - we'd walked past it 1,001 times - but had never gotten ice cream there. Thad told us about the exotic, borderline insane ice cream flavors they offer and got us hooked. So we took the family to The Ice Cream Store.


Here's just a short sampling of some of their ice cream flavors:

• bacon
• beer
• motor oil
• Lucky Charms
• Mountain Dew
• booger
• better than sex
• dip your fries
• the ice cream your parents warned you about
• garlic amaretto chip
• Elvis impersonator
• looks like Viagra
• King Kong
• junk in the trunk

and many more!

David got booger with better than sex and the ice cream your parents warned you about. Spouse got salted caramel with pistachio and chocolate addiction. I got cake batter with Reese's cups and chocolate addiction.

It was absolutely amazing!!

Not sure you'd like these wacky flavors? Well, there's no need to take a risk - just ask for a taste. The staff is happy to give you a little taste of any flavors you want to try. I tried the bacon ice cream but thought it tasted like vanilla. I was really surprised that I liked the beer ice cream so much!

We really had a fun night with the family on the boardwalk.

We all scream for ice cream

It should come as no surprise to those of you who know me in person (and via this blog) that I am a bargain hunter. I love getting things on sale, or even better, on clearance. I often try out less expensive store brands to see if I like them as well as the name brands, and when I do, I buy the store brands. I even buy my aluminum foil, ziplock bags, and trashcan liners at the dollar store!

But there are somethings that I will not do 'on the cheap'. Ice cream is one of them.

I'm not an ice cream snob; I just know what I like. To me there is a huge difference between brands of ice cream. Flavor and texture are key components.

My 1st choice will always be Breyers.

As the container advertises, its 'All Natural', and I believe I can taste the difference. Its simple: milk, cream, sugar (plus real fruit, chocolate, nuts, etc.). No gums, fillers or stabilizers. I feel it has the best taste and texture, hands down.

When I'm feeling a little wild and crazy I'll pick up some Ben & Jerry's. They have a ton of exotic flavors, my favorite being Chubby Hubby, which consists of pretzel nuggets that are filled with peanut butter and covered in fudge, nestled in a vanilla malt ice cream base swirled with fudge and peanut butter ribbons. I know, right???Although it has nothing to do with my love of Chubby Hubby, I thought it was neat that Ben & Jerry's temporarily renamed it "Hubby Hubby" when Vermont (Ben & Jerry's home) legalized same-sex marriage.

And when I've had a hard week and want an ice cream with a little 'kick' I choose Haagen-Dazs Rum Raisin.

I cannot even TELL you how good this stuff is. The raisins are soaked in rum before being tossed into the ice cream, so the raisins are plump and juicy - not hard and shriveled. I have been known to eat an entire pint in a single sitting, despite its creamy richness. I'm surprised Paula Deen hasn't come up with some kind of bizarre dessert with Haagen-Dazs Run Raisin as its prominent ingredient. I mean, she did make bread pudding with Krispy Kreme donuts and fruit cocktail!

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "What about Edie's, Turkey Hill, Blue Bunny, and Hershey's?" And my response is "Ummm, no."

I really dislike Edie's because its texture is gummy. You just know when you're eating it that it isn't really ice cream. And when it melts it doesn't turn into a liquid; it turns into a nasty glob.

I don't like Hershey's because of its texture, too. Its fluffy, and ice cream is not supposed to be fluffy. Its like eating frozen cool whip, which is made of oil. Gross.

There have been a few occasions when I've strayed to lesser brands. Around Christmastime a local company produces egg nog flavor ice cream so I've purchased and enjoyed it. Once or twice I may or may not have been seen with Blue Bunny Birthday Cake ice cream in my cart, but that would only be for the medicinal treatment of a bad case of the blues, followed shortly thereafter by deep, thorough regret.

Bargains are great, but in my opinion there are some things that are simply worth the money. Ice cream is definitely one of them!

Crush du Jour: Ricky Berens