Gaga Rainbow Sherbet

As a child, I never was all that crazy for ice cream. I mean, sure I loved getting it at ice cream stands during the summer, and I enjoyed the over the top flavors of Ben and Jerry's (what kid didn't?!), but it never held a special place in my heart. Sherbet,  however, did. My cousins and I shared some nearly every weekend, usually watching some of those (now) nostalgic TV shows of the 1990's, like Flipper.

So, yes, sherbet is definitely a fond memory of mine. But the problem is just that, it's mostly just a memory now. I may not have minded the flavors of sherbet when I was a kid, but now I tend to prefer high quality foods, and sherbet brands don't exactly focus on such matters. So at a recent trip to Whole Foods, I was pleased to notice Gaga. I was a little confused, since it referred to itself as "Sherbetter," and seemed to imply it was some sort of cross between Sherbet and Ice Cream. But, since it was being sold at Whole Foods, I chose to consider that a good sign (it's not like Whole Foods would be selling the mass produced sherbet items from the local grocery store, which tend to taste like chemical enhancements and artificial flavors that resemble anything but fruit).

There was a few flavor options, but I opted for the Rainbow (Orange, Raspberry and Lemon). It was priced at $4.99, which is pretty standard for pint sized frozen treats at Whole Foods (on the lower end, actually). As soon as I opened the pint, I noticed the pale (natural) looking colors swirled together, which I found reassuring. The taste was obviously the more refined version of sherbet  and you could really taste the citrus zests in the citrus flavors, as well as the fresh raspberry puree.

But sadly, it definitely didn't remind me of sherbet. It was definitely milkier than sorbet, but the consistency was more akin to frozen sorbet than it was anything else. It definitely was not smooth and creamy like sherbet, or ice cream for that matter. I wouldn't buy this item again, although the taste was pleasant, I'd prefer fresh sorbet personally. But this would be worth a try for those that want some sort of healthified sherbet replacement in their diet, or for kids.

Jeni's Pink Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt

I've recently gotten into the habit of always checking the Whole Foods freezers for Jeni's Ice Cream, before heading towards the checkout line. There's always at least one new flavor there, that I simply *MUST* try.

During my latest Whole Foods trip, this turned out to be  one of their newest flavors (at least new to me, it may be a seasonal item that returns yearly), Pink Frozen Yogurt.

One of my favorite sorbetto flavors is pink grapefruit, and whenever my favorite gelato shops offers it, I always have to have a scoop. But I've never really gave much thought to grapefruit anything beyond sorbetto, although I have momentarily pondered what a pink grapefruit gelato would be like. However, I'd surely never even pondered the idea of a grapefruit frozen yogurt.

I was instantly intrigued, and confused as to how it would work out. I was a bit worried that the tartness of a high quality frozen yogurt may be problematic with the sour of the grapefruit, but I was quite pleased with how the flavors melded together. The pink grapefruit flavor was authentically tart, which actually worked perfectly to offset the creaminess and slight richness of the frozen yogurt. It's definitely not the sort of flavor that citrus haters would enjoy, but it's definitely the sort of flavor that those like myself would go crazy for. I definitely will be buying this again, although next time I'd prefer to eat it during warmer months.

Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade

I love lemonade, but am always disappointed by the varieties that come out of a bottle at the grocery store. While shopping at Whole Foods, I usually buy one of their fresh lemonades in the refrigerated section, but during my recent shopping trip they were out.

While heading towards the checkout, I glanced upon a large display of the Santa Cruz lemonades, which were on sale for $2 each (which seemed like an amazing deal, especially considering the large size and the fact that it's organic).

I was pleasantly surprised when I got around to sampling the lemonade. I tend to love lemon drinks where the entire lemon is used, and this lemonade had a very similar taste. It doesn't taste like just the lemon juice itself, but you can also taste the lemon zest and natural oils, and the settling at the bottom was oddly comforting and reassuring to me. The lemonade had a great flavor, and is definitely the best lemonade I've ever had that came out of a bottle. I will definitely be buying this again (as well as trying their other flavors) and will stock up on many bottles if I see it on sale again for such a great price.

Bolthouse Farms - Thousand Island Yogurt Dressing

I first fell in love with Bolthouse Farms about 5 years ago, when I discovered their line of high quality juice blends. My love only continued to grow throughout the years, as I fell in love with their newer juice selections. And then finally, my love hit its peak, when I discovered their new yogurt dressings. I love creamy dressings, but can rarely find any that I like. Standard shelf stable ones tend to have a strong aftertaste to me, and I hate the ones laden with mayonnaise or corn syrup, nevermind the bizarre chemical enhancements so frequently used.

I first sampled Bolthouse Farms Thousand Island dressing about three years ago, and quickly became obsessed. Not only did I love the dressing as it was (low in fat and calories), I didn't just consider it a healthy substitute, I considered it my ideal substitute. There wasn't a single Thousand Island dressing that I preferred, which one might find strange considering the obvious differences in a high fat dressing and a yogurt based dressing.

Eventually my local grocery stores began to run out of the Bolthouse Farms dressing regularly, and I hadn't seen them in nearly a year. So I was thrilled to see them being offered at my local Whole Foods. So thrilled, that I grabbed a few bottles to have on hand (knowing full well that a refrigerated dressing would only last a few months compared to a few years). What can I say? The panic of not seeing it for another year convinced me that I could find extra uses for it.

Sadly, something tragic happened. The Thousand Island dressing was not the same. It seems that Thousand Island dressing with only 70 calories per serving (compared to 200+) was not enough for Bolthouse Farms, and they decided to continue to "healthify" their yogurt dressing line to bring the calories down more. The taste was nothing like I remembered. A light, tangy version of Thousand Island, is now replaced with a thick gloppy dressing with a flavor that is hard (if not impossible) to love. Instead of the classic Thousand Island flavor I remember so well, the new dressing tastes like....Well, tomato soup. Cold, gelatinous, tomato soup.

How Bolthouse Farms manages to believe that Tomato Soup yogurt dressing will ever be able to replace their former, glorious Thousand Island dressing, is beyond me. And quite frankly, the fact that anyone thinks this replacement is acceptable for the sake of a lousy 30 calories per serving (the new version is 35 calories per serving) is utter rubbish. AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vosges Haut Chocolate - Tarte Caramel

During my most recent trip to Whole Foods, my father kindly pointed out a small box of what he called "gourmet caramels." As everyone in my life knows, I'm a (bit more than a) tad obsessed with all things blood orange. In all honesty, I didn't even look at the package before throwing them into my cart (after all, my father already said those two magical words....Blood orange).

The small box of caramels is actually made by the well known Vosges Haut Chocolate brand, which is known for its innovative chocolate creations. The caramels are Blood Orange with Campari, and are enrobed in dark chocolate, then sprinkled with Hibiscus powder. I happen to love Hibiscus as well, and loved the fruity and floral combination of the blood orange and hibiscus, which was enhanced by the bitter dark chocolate contrast. The blood orange caramel was extremely high quality, as was the dark chocolate.

I was really pleased with the first caramel I ate, but lost interest after the second one, and gave them to someone else to finish off a few days later. Don't get me wrong, they were definitely interesting and tasty, but once I realized that the small box of four cost about $10, I couldn't get over the guilt I felt for eating them. I happily would have bought one to try at a Vosges store, but felt like they should have been improved a bit (or included more) for that price.

Jeni's Ice Cream - Orchid Vanilla Macaroon Sandwich

I've never really been a fan of ice cream sandwiches. But this is most likely due to an utter lack of quality ice cream sandwich products (at least around here). Thankfully, it seems that Jeni's Ice Cream has started to encourage this little niche to start expanding. At a recent trip to Whole Foods I noticed the Jeni's Ice Cream Macaroon Sandwiches, of which I've only ever heard good things.

The sandwich consists of two macaroons, which are actually more akin to French almond macarons (not the coconut macaroons you were most likely thinking of). The two macaroons are perfectly made, but since they're filled with a disc of ice cream (the best vanilla bean ice cream I've ever had, mind you), they literally melt in your mouth as you bite into them. Very similar to classic macarons, but no dry texture because of the ice cream. It also has a small amount of Blackcurrant Jam in the center, which I thought added a lovely, fruity taste. The blackcurrant jam only complemented the other flavors, and didn't overpower the vanilla flavor, as blackcurrant so often does.

This was (obviously) by far the best "ice cream sandwich" I've ever eaten. And that's probably why it cost around $7 (that and the fact that it has to be brought to the local stores all the way from Ohio). Although this is about twice as much as one might pay for two boxes of standard, grocery store ice cream sandwiches, I still think it's justified as a once in awhile treat. After all, it's around the same I would pay for two scoops of gelato at the local gelato shop, and the ice cream sandwich is quite large (could easily be halved for two servings). I will definitely be buying this again, and I can't wait to sample some of the other flavors from Jeni's macaroon sandwich line.

Red Jacket Orchard - Blackcurrant Apple Juice

After my first taste test of a Red Jacket Orchard juice (Joe's Summer Blend, which was delicious), I decided to try another juice product from the orchard at my latest shopping trip to Whole Foods. While browsing through the assortment, I quickly noticed a blackcurrant apple juice. I love blackcurrant, but it's hard to find blackcurrant anything in the United States, and I've always had a weakness for blackcurrant juice (Especially Ribena), so I was thrilled to see it.

I didn't even make it to the car before opening the bottle, and was immediately pleased with the selection I made. The blackcurrant flavor is far from weak in the drink, but really blends nicely with the apple juice to help cut down on the tartness, while preventing the drink from being too sweet (which I find to be a personal concern with many apple juice drinks). I think this is a great drink for anyone that likes blackcurrants, but also a great way to introduce people to blackcurrant, since the flavor doesn't come on too strong in this drink. I will definitely be buying this again.

Jeni's Ice Cream - Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk

I first discovered Jeni's Ice Cream about three years ago, a few months after reading a review of their ice cream shop online. Shortly after reading the review, I heard a few other references to Jeni's, and I decided to give in and order some of their ice creams online to try (Jeni's is located in Ohio, and I am regretfully located nowhere near there).

I've always loved ice cream, but standard flavors just don't do it for me anymore, and it's hard to find more unique offerings in the area that I live in. So, after falling in love with Jeni's unique twists on more basic flavors, I began to regularly place an order through their website once every year.

But, considering how often Jeni's offers seasonal and limited edition selections, once a year just did not seem to be enough. And as fantastic as their ice cream is, paying $12 to $14 for a pint adds up, especially when you have to buy several at once for delivery, and need to add shipping and handling charges on top of that.

So when I discovered that Whole Foods now carries some of Jeni's ice creams, I was beyond thrilled. Not only could I buy their standard flavors when a craving hit, I could buy their seasonal selections when I found something interesting, without having to buy several other pints just to have it delivered.

On a recent trip to Whole Foods, I noticed Jeni's new Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk flavor. It was clearly Jeni's way of adding a unique twist to the classic Strawberry ice cream, and I knew I had to try it. And boy was I glad that I did. Not only does the buttermilk add a lovely tang to the taste, it also adds a unique creaminess. And as for the strawberries, I now fully understand why people claim that roasting strawberries helps to bring out their flavor. I've never had strawberry ice cream with such an honest and intense strawberry flavor, which complements the buttermilk perfectly. I definitely suggest that anyone that loves strawberry ice cream gives this Jeni's flavor a try. (I also suggest that brownie lovers add a scoop to their next fresh from the oven brownie. You can thank me later!)

Ski Queen Gjetost Cheeese

Whenever I go to Whole Foods, I like to try a new variety of cheese. On a recent excursion to the cheese section, I noticed this red block of cheese, and was immediately intrigued. It was priced at $4.99, and I'd never heard of Gjetost cheese before, but since I tend to love Goat Milk cheese of every variety, I wasn't too concerned.

After arriving home, I quickly looked online to find out about Gjetost, and to see what suggestions I could find for using it. Wikipedia says that Gjetost (more commonly known as Brunost) is a caramelized Scandinavian whey cheese, made from a mixture of both goat and cow's milk.

Wikipedia also stated that Gjetost is traditionally used at breakfast, and is most commonly toasted on bread. When looking at the cheese, I noticed it actually looks a lot more like caramel, and nothing at all like cheese. After adding some slices to bread, I toasted it until it bubbled slightly. The cheese has a taste that really can not be compared to any other cheese. It does in fact taste like a combination of (both cow and goat) dairy cream and caramel, and was delicious over a slice of cinnamon swirl bread. It also tasted fantastic over white bread with cinnamon and sugar, or cinnamon and honey. I could also see this working well in many desserts, and can't wait to try some melted over a slice of pear pie. The only concern I have is the size, Whole Foods does not offer a variety of sizes and considering how little you need of this cheese, those with a small or single household would most likely struggle to use this entire block of cheese.

Liberte Meditterranee Yogurt - Coconut

At a recent trip to Whole Foods, I noticed the line of Liberte yogurt. I enjoy trying new yogurts (of high quality), and tend to try one new brand each time I go to Whole Foods. As a fan of coconut, I decided it was a safe choice to try, before sampling anything more exotic.

The Liberte line offered a full fat line, and a low fat line, so I decided to try the full fat version first. The yogurt is not quite as thick as Greek yogurt, but has a rich creaminess that is unlike American yogurts. The full fat line uses whole milk, but heavy cream is also added, which brings the fat up from 5% milkfat (for standard whole milk yogurts) to 8%. This brings the calories up to to 240 for a 6 ounce container of yogurt, and 22% fat.

The yogurt was beyond anything I could have imagined. It was almost as though whole milk yogurt, cream of coconut, and whipping cream, were all blended together until the mixture had the perfect consistency. The yogurt had a great coconut taste, and the richness of the cream made it seem like an extremely indulgent dessert, even though it still falls under the category of being "healthy."

Halfway through the yogurt, I decided to save the rest for later. This plan didn't quite work out though, since my dog eagerly snuck over and inhaled the rest of the yogurt, when I wasn't looking. I will DEFINITELY be trying the rest of the Liberte line in the future (and buying more coconut for both me and the dog) and will also be sure to see how the low fat version compares. 

Red Jacket Orchards - Joe's Summer Blend

Recently, my local Whole Foods began to carry a line from Red Jacket Orchards. They had about 8 different juice blends and ciders being offered, but I decided it would be best to try one, before convincing myself that I simply *must* try them all. While looking over the flavors, I noticed one called Joe's Summer Blend. Intrigued, I grabbed the bottle, and didn't think much else of it.

When I arrived home, after chilling it for a few hours in the fridge, I grabbed the bottle to try a small glass. The flavor was rather straightforward, a high quality apple juice blend, with some lemon. It was rather sweet, so out of curiosity I looked at the ingredients to see how much sugar was used. None. In fact, the only two ingredients were apple juice and lemon juice.

It's official, I'm in love. The juice blend is a brilliant cross between apple juice and lemonade, with the sweet apples taking the place of the standard sugar or sweetener. Suddenly, Summer Blend makes perfect. Sadly, the juice is already sold out for the season, and most likely won't be returning until next spring/summer. But I will definitely be trying the other Red Jacket Orchard juices and ciders while awaiting its return. As for the price  $2.99 for a 32 ounce bottle actually seems to be on the lower end for Whole Foods, especially when taking into consideration the quality and taste of the juice.
                    

Dr. Praeger's Spinach Littles

As cliche as it may be, I like cute foods. There, I said it! And I do not believe that cute foods should only be served to children. So at a recent trip to Whole Foods, I noticed these spinach littles, and figured I would give them a try. I like spinach, in almost every variety, and figured what could the harm be in giving these a shot. And yes, they are cute and easy to eat, which are added bonuses.

Not long after buying these, we had guests over, so I decided to quickly cook some of these with chicken fingers, for some simple and quick finger foods. We served both with a few dipping sauces, including ranch, ketchup and honey mustard.

I wasn't sure what to expect for taste, but they really just tasted like spinach with a bit of starch and onion. The consistency was pleasant  and the shapes held together well. Everyone liked them with the different sauces, but I preferred them with the ketchup  I would most likely not buy these again (unless having young guests over), but I did enjoy them. I would definitely suggest anyone that has kids at home gives them a try, however, and think they would be a really great addition to packed lunches.

These spinach littles have no saturated fat, no cholesterol, and are low sodium, so needless to say they are quite healthy. They also only have about 22 calories each. The box comes with about 18, and the box was priced at $3.99. They are also gluten free, making them a great option for children with any gluten sensitivities.

Wallaby Yogurt - Mango Lime

As a child I absolutely loved yogurt, but as I got older things changed. Around the age of 20, my taste buds drastically changed, and suddenly those artificial flavors sickened me. Suddenly, standard grocery store yogurt didn't do it for me. And back then high, quality yogurts and Greek yogurts weren't yet readily available at the grocery store, so for a few years I went without yogurt.

And then I discovered imported yogurts, farm fresh yogurts, and Greek style yogurts, and everything changed. Not only did I love yogurt once more, but I had a whole new appreciation for it. I then began to try a large assortment of yogurts, and soon stumbled onto Wallaby Organic at Whole Foods, a yogurt line that refers to itself as "Creamy Australian Style."

I can't say I'm familiar with Australian style yogurt, but the consistency is actually eerily similar to most standard American grocery store brands. However, unlike those yogurts, there is never any separation to be seen. The Wallaby yogurt line offers fruit on the bottom flavors, as well as flavored yogurts. They offer a great selection of flavors, including several non-standard fruits (at least when it comes to yogurts). I recently tried the Mango Lime, which had an excellent flavor that reflected both fruits nicely, sweet with a lovely brightness from the lime. The individual yogurt cost $0.99 (the standard price is $1.19 but the yogurts are regularly on sale for $0.99). Although this may be rather high for an individual yogurt, I think it's worth the extra quarter or two, and will continue to buy the Wallaby yogurts.

Julie's Organic Blackberry Sorbet Bars

I've seen Julie's Organic ice cream at a local grocery store in the past,  but I'd only ever noticed standard flavors like vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Personally, I tend to prefer fruit flavors, or more exotic flavors and blends, which is a major factor in why I shop at so many specialty stores like Whole Foods. So on a recent visit to Whole Foods, I was pleased to see a large selection of more unique offerings from Julie's Organic, including these Blackberry Sorbet Bars.

As a fan of blackberries, I instantly grabbed a box to take home and try. After arriving home, and sticking them in the freezer for a bit, I decided to enjoy one for dessert. After taking only a small bite, I instantly regretted not grabbing several more boxes. Most sorbet products that aren't made fresh, have a very grainy texture. But these had none of that, and were perfectly smooth and creamy, like a cross between sorbet and gelato, so much so that I honestly expected to see some dairy listed in the ingredients. The blackberry flavor was also pleasantly strong, which is no surprise considering that the natural ingredients only consist of blackberries, cane sugar, and a variety of natural (and organic) stabilizers.

The sorbet bars were also a good size, which I didn't expect after reading that each bar had only 60 calories. The box comes with 4 sorbet bars, and cost me $3.99. Although this is on the higher end for a frozen treat, I enjoyed these as much as I would a small cup of sorbet at the local gelato cafe (which would cost me over $3), so that helped to justify the price. I will definitely be buying these regularly from now on, and I can't wait to try some of Julie's other products.

Ciao Bella Prickly Pear Sorbet

I first fell in love with Ciao Bella's products about 5 years ago, when I placed an order for an online specialty foods market, which offered some of their original line. I had ordered one flavor of gelato, and one of their sorbets. Both products were far superior compared to my small town (technically city) area in New England, where local shops only offered standard ice cream flavors, and flavors like M&M and Lime Sherbet were still considered modern and exotic. And as for gelato and sorbet, forget it.

Thankfully, times have in fact changed around here, and we even have our own gelato and sorbet shops. But I still like to pick up some of the unique flavor offerings of gelato and sorbet when I shop at specialty shops and Whole Foods. So when I noticed the Prickly Pear Sorbet, I just knew I had to try it. Price be damned.

And speaking of prices, at $4.99 for a pint, the price wasn't as outrageous as some of the gelato and sorbet section of Whole Foods, but still fairly high. However, for those that are more patient that I am, Whole Foods regularly does deals for Ciao Bella's line where two items can be purchased for between $5 and $7, bringing the price for each pint to between $2.50 and $3.50 (comparable to standard grocery store prices for similar and often lesser products, not bad at all!)

When I returned home, I immediately stuck the pint in the freezer for an hour, then curiosity got the best of me. After glimpsing at the straightforward ingredients (Water, Prickly Pears, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Lime Juice, Pectin, Natural Flavoring.), I was even more intrigued. I absolutely LOVE the taste of prickly pear, but usually when I find it listed in juices and frozen treats, it's overpowered or diluted by other fruit flavors. That was surely not the case with this sorbet. The prickly pear taste was strong and pure, and the lime juice only complemented the flavor, and did not at all distract. 

The sorbet was the best frozen sorbet I've ever had, and even though the texture was not as fine as freshly made sorbet at the local shop (no frozen sorbet ever is), the flavor more than made up for this fact. I will definitely be buying this sorbet again, and after great success using it in smoothies and adding it to sparkling juice, I can't wait to continue to experiment with this flavor. For my fellow prickly pear lovers, I highly suggest you get to your nearest Whole Foods immediately (or whichever store in your area happens to carry this Ciao Bella flavor). 

CP Shrimp Wonton Soup

At a recent trip to Whole Foods, I quickly noticed a special display in the seafood section, which showcased many boxes of CP Shrimp Wonton Soup. I've always loved wonton soup, so I figured it would only be fair to give it a chance.

After about a month, once the weather began to chill, I finally felt like having some soup for lunch and decided to give it a try. I followed the straightforward instructions for the soup (add water to the included bowl, heat for 3 to 4 minutes in the microwave), easy enough. I didn't have much faith in this frozen soup, mostly due to my lack of faith in frozen seafood products  so my expectations were surpassed, but truthfully only slightly.

The broth for the soup was extremely bland. It wasn't as salty as I feared it might be (which seems standard for frozen soups of any kind), but it also had a lack of any sort of flavor. I also noticed there was really no spice to be seen (unlike in the photo), or at least that was the case with my bowl. However, the wontons had a perfect consistency, and the shrimp had a decent consistency that was only borderline rubbery. They also had a lovely taste, which was surprisingly sweet.

The price listed for the item was $3.50 (which was one serving with 5 large pieces), but it was on sale for $2.99. The price seems fairly standard for Whole Foods, but at a grocery store would seem like a bit of a ripoff. I also found that many wholesale stores and some grocery stores sell this in a 6 pack for around $10 (which actually would be a fairly good deal, in my opinion).

Overall, the wonton soup was nowhere near the quality of one you would receive at a Chinese or Thai restaurant, but was superior to what one would expect for a standard grocery store product. Overall, I would not buy this product again, and I would only really recommend it to those that absolutely love wonton soup, and would like to have some to keep on hand for when a restaurant visit is simply out of the question.