Whenever I'm asked the age-old question, "Coke or Pepsi?" I always have the same answer--Dr Pepper. It's been that way ever since I was a kid. Sure, I would choose Pepsi if there was nothing else, but I never really liked the flavor of Coke. Fortunately, Dr Pepper is frequently a choice at many fast food place that focus on one of the 'big two' soda, so I rarely have a huge problem. My favorite soft drink of all time just might be Dr Pepper's Cherry Vanilla flavor. It's just too bad that I haven't seen it in years, even if the website claims that the drink still exists. Anyway, when news broke that Bluebell was coming out with a Dr Pepper Float flavor, I was overjoyed. It would take a few weeks for the product to hit store shelves, so I started making plans of getting a pint to taste. Mostly, I was making sure that I could get it at a store close enough to home to prevent major melting. That's when I realized that only one store carried Bluebell anywhere in the area. I could've sworn I saw it in more than one location, but I guess I was wrong. Just last week, when I clicked on an article about the roll-out, I found out that this part of Kentucky wasn't even supposed to be part of the Bluebell distribution chain. So, I guess that makes my usual grocery store a unicorn of great proportions. (By the way, that store is the Pikeville Food City on Cassidy.) I planned my trip accordingly, checking that the ice cream was still in stock, getting everything else on my list first, and having someone get into the checkout line early while I picked up a pint from the back of the freezer. I quickly rolled the cart out the car and placed the pint into a freezer bag with another cold thing (more on this later). I drove safely but quickly back to my store to drop off a few things and pick up other stuff, and then I drove home with the air conditioner on all the way. I rushed to put the ice cream in the freezer immediately before going back out to the car for the rest of my things. The thin layer of frost was still on the pint, although the carton was a little squishy. I managed to wait until after dinner to try some, as I wanted the ice cream to firm up. The first thing I noticed when I got it out of the freezer was that there was a clear plastic window on the lid allowing you to see inside. Odd. Next, I had a hard time taking the lid off. Apparently, the freezer was super-efficient in refreezing the pint. While the Dr Pepper-flavored sherbet swirl was still a little soft, the vanilla ice cream portion was rock hard. I could barely scoop enough out for an even halfway decent serving, but it was worth it. The vanilla portion may have had a speck of vanilla been peeking through. It was a standard quality vanilla, but not the star. The sherbet was the maroon color associated with Dr Pepper and very soft. It takes just like the soda, with a slight metallic hint as well as a slight buzz similar to that of carbonation. Overall, the pairing did mimic the taste of an actual float. For a second serving two days later, I left the pint on the counter a few minutes before eating. While the sherbet was still fairly soft, the vanilla ice cream was unaffected. (Just a note on my refrigerator. It is almost an inch shorter than me, just of the many benefits of my current place that make me feel taller than I actually am. The freezer reaches down below my chest, causing me to have to bend down even to reach the top shelf in the main section. The thing is fairly deep too.) While the swirling could have been more equal, I still recommend the product. Now, I purchased another frozen product that day, Eggo Chocolatey Chip Banana Waffles. Years ago, Eggo used to make a banana bread variety which was my all-time favorite flavor, but it has been discontinued for some time. While similar products have been out before, this one came out quite suddenly. Normally, I don't like chocolate for breakfast. However, I do love the taste of chocolate and banana, which has caused me to break that rule a few times. (Best banana and chocolate pairing--Entemann's mini banana muffins with a room temperature partially melted Hershey's kiss.) I normally have strawberry jam with my waffles, as strawberry pairs great with both banana and chocolate, but I had my first bite without it. The first thing I tasted was a hit of cinnamon. Now, cinnamon is one of my least favorite flavors, just above mint and coffee. However, I can tolerate cinnamon in small amounts. I also could be wrong, but banana is paired with it in banana bread frequently, so who knows? The banana flavor was subtle, but there. The chips might only be flavored chocolate, but the did melt some in cooking. The two flavors balanced nicely, with the strawberry jam I added going very well with each. I've only had one serving so far, so I can't really reach a final verdict yet, but this could be put into my regular breakfast rotation if things work out.
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