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