I Digress...

Two years ago I was going through a dark time in my life and really needed to do something significant to pull myself out. Thus, my quest to try every Ben & Jerry’s flavor was born (I’m kidding about the dark time, but do absolutely believe B&J is a good cure for the everyday blues!). Since then, I’ve tasted 37 flavors and have 35 empty pints in my cupboard to prove it (an ex-boyfriend got to keep half a Vanilla Heath…jerk… and my Mom threw out Choc Macadamia).

Here is a list of every pint I’ve cleaned out, in alphabetical order. It goes without saying a Top Five list ensues, plus a few additional anecdotes for your ice cream consuming pleasure.

Completed:
American Dream
Banana Split
Cake Batter
Cherry Garcia
Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Chocolate Macadamia*
Chubby Hubby
Chunky Monkey
Cinnamon Buns
Coffee Heath Bar Crunch
Creme Brulee
Dublin Mudslide
Everything but the...
Ginger Snap
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Half Baked
Imagine World Peace
Karamel Sutra
Key Lime Pie
Magic Brownies
Maple Blondie
Milk & Cookies
Mint Choc Cookie
Mint Chocolate Chunk
Mission to Marzipan
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk
One Cheesecake Brownie
Peach Cobbler
Peanut Butter Cup
Pistachio Pistachio
Pumpkin Cheesecake
S'mores
Strawberry Cheesecake
Triple Caramel Chunk
Vanilla
Vanilla Heath*

To Do:
Chocolate (too boring, no chunks! Wait for sale!)
Peanut Brittle (New!)
Dulce Delish (New!)
Mud Pie (New!)
*need pint

This challenge would be pointless without a Top 5 List. The list is easy:
1. Cinnamon Buns: No words. No words...
2. Mint Chocolate Cookie: This is cookies’n’cream but with a minty twist. The Oreo cookie chunks are monstrous and the minty flavor is just so darn… refreshing.
3. Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie: There’s something so satisfying about this flavor. The cookie chunks are chewy and plentiful while the oatmeal bits create an unusual and pleasing ice cream texture.
4. Mission to Marzipan: I didn’t know what Marzipan was before I tried this flavor. I’m still not too sure, but my mind’s eye sees lakes of cinnamon-y swirls and, again, chunks of cookie.
5. Cookie Dough: Good old fashioned cookie dough! I actually held off on trying this for a long time because it’s so… typical. But B&J nail it. It’s far more than your average cookie dough ice cream. Such a delightful surprise.

Random Anecdotes:
-There are three flavors I have given up on halfway through and washed out with water: Cherry Garcia, Pistachio, and Mint Chocolate Chunk (not to be confused with Mint Cookie!). I do NOT understand the Cherry Garcia following. Boring. Not worth my calories. Ditto for the others …my calories are simply better spent elsewhere.

-If you haven’t picked up on it already, I love CHUNKS. The more gobs of cookie, chocolate, swirl, nuts, peanut butter stuffed pretzel, you name it – the better. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by Vanilla. There. I said it. I liked Vanilla. It has a very pleasing texture and vanilla itself is quite soothing. Not sure I’ll buy it again soon, but I definitely happily finished the pint.

-I once bought another pint of Cake Batter because I forgot I had tried it already. Not good.

-There were FOUR new flavors at Safeway yesterday (Meltdown on Aisle #3): Mud Slide, Milk & Cookies, Dulce Delish, and Peanut Brittle. At one point I had three in my basket, but ultimately walked away with M&C. Serious Top 5 Potential here.

-It’ll be a warm day in the Sunset District before I start the FroYo and lowfat line. Sorry. I’d rather have half the serving of the real stuff.

And THAT is the scoop!