Summer and Ice Cream

I can't think of any dessert better in the summer than ice cream. We crank out a few tubs of the homemade frozen treat, but, for the most part, our ice cream comes from the supermarket. Our brand of choice is Blue Bell, from "the little creamery in Brenham, Texas."

Take The Tour

We went on a tour of their production facility in Brenham a few years ago. If you get a chance, take the tour. It's great. I love manufacturing and production tours where you get to see containers whizzing along at warp speed. The only thing lacking is a musical background. I suggest something like the Gayane Suite, for orchestra No. 3: Sabre Dance by Grieg. If you get a chance, take the tour. At the end, you get a free scoop of any ice cream flavor they have.

New Flavors

We've been treating our taste buds to a new flavor each week. Oh, but they've got some fabulous taste treats this summer. Here are the results of the Reeves family taste tests.

Happy Tracks

Vanilla ice cream loaded with chocolate-coated peanut butter cups and a dark chocolate fudge swirl. This wasn't as fabulous as I thought it would be, but daughter loved it.

Butter Crunch

I first bought this in the small town near our weekend home. The teen girl cashier saw it, rolled her eyes, and said: "Oh, my God! This is to die for." Guess what? She was right. This vanilla ice cream loaded with chunks of crunchy chocolate peanut butter candy, i.e. Butterfinger candy bars, is a winner with all of us and our guests to whom we served it. Highly addictive and absolutely delicious.

Southern Hospitality

Creamy and fresh tasting, this contains their Homemade Vanilla and has chunks of pineapples, roasted pecans and a strawberry sauce swirl. Very good. Also a winner, but not superior to Butter Crunch.

Coming Attractions

This week I plan to try either Groom's Cake or Summer Berries. Groom's Cake is a blend of chocolate ice cream with chocolate cake pieces and chocolate coated strawberry hearts, surrounded by swirls of strawberry sauce and chocolate icing. Summer Berries is a citrus ice cream mixed with strawberries, blueberries and swirls of raspberry and blackberry sauces.

Since Blue Bell has DSD (Direct Store Distribution), their ice cream is available only in states they can service in this way. I hope you're fortunate enough to live in one of the 17 states they serve.

Takeaway Truth

The one thing Blue Bell lacks is a breakfast ice cream. It's morning as I write this, and I find I'd like a scoop with my morning coffee.