Moose Tracks. The first I ever saw of it was in my local Tom Thumb grocer’s freezer section. The fiance informed me that it was a legitimate ice cream flavor, but I was rather bewildered by the number of options. I finally settled on taking home Extreme Moose Tracks by Safeway Selects…fudge, chocolate, and more fudge! No surprise that the gallon container I purchased didn’t last a week in my fridge.
So where did Moose Tracks come from and get its funky name? A Google search turned up the home site for Moose Tracks and Denali Flavors, who apparently makes ice cream products for several major grocery retailers. In their FAQ it states:
Like many brands, Moose Tracks is not meant to be a description of the product. Just like “Tide” is a brand that doesn’t describe that the product is a detergent or “Snickers” doesn’t describe a candy bar, Moose Tracks isn’t meant to describe the product it represents. It’s simply a brand name.
How was that name created? It was developed as a cute, quirky, fun name that would generate curiosity and interest in the product. This was then translated into our logo that includes both the moose (head) as well as the tracks (footprints) of the moose.
A crawl of their site reveals 11 combinations of Moose Tracks (including my Extreme Moose Tracks), 5 of which are limited availability. In Texas, Moose Tracks ice cream is branded by 4 different big-name grocers, so it won’t be too hard to find at the neighborhood store!
I possess fond childhood memories of this rare and delightful treat: ube and macapuno ice cream. Ube is a purple yam while macapuno is the flesh of a “mutant” coconut. Together, ube and macapuno make for amazing desserts, cakes and muffins among them. Memories of its mild nutty/starchy flavor and the beautiful color combination of purple and creamy white–it is food porn-worthy material! I imagine that I can count the number of times in my entire life that I’ve indulged in this treat on one hand–and it is not nearly enough! Next on my list of rare Filipino ice creams to revisit: corn ice cream.
Cookies and ice cream seem to be a natural pairing…the ubiquitous cookies-and-cream ice cream is proof. (Not to mention cookie dough ice cream!) When I spotted Dreyer’s latest entry into this subgenre, I just knew I had to try it. My all-time favorite Girl Scout cookie is the Samoa…and every year I’ve indulged on several boxes during the cookie-buying season. This year, I’ve managed to scrape by consuming only 2 boxes (mostly in one sitting)…so I needed a Samoa fix–badly.
I discovered Dreyer’s (Edy’s in some markets) Limited Edition Girl Scouts® Samoas® Cookie Grand Ice Cream in the freezer section of my local Central Market, and I took it home and devoured it. It’s Samoas® Cookies in Caramel Ice Cream with Fudge, according to their website blurb. Normally, I’m not a caramel fan…but the caramel complemented the Samoa cookies perfectly, which in turn was punctuated by the occasional drizzle of fudge…and the combination is addicting. According to their site, this is only available from January to April, so I consider myself lucky snagging it here in mid-May.
I have to profess admiration for the folks at Blue Diamond. They have come up with some daring tastes in their Bold flavored almond products. One particular standout which has me running down to the local drugstore regularly is their Wasabi and Soy Sauce flavored almonds. Yes, I was initially skeptical…but after being unable to stop popping these things, I can safely agree with them–what a great combo. Affecting and addicting!
I also sampled their Jalapeno Smokehouse almonds, and while it had a distinct mildly spicy-smoky taste, it doesn’t grab me as much as the Wasabi/Soy Sauce flavor.
I’ve found a wonderful juice/tea bar in North Plano that serves a delicious and refreshing mango drink. The frozen smoothie hits the spot for these warm spring days. I can’t get enough of it…and as much as I would love to try their other concoctions (guava anyone?), I can’t say no to a good Mango Blend. Thanks to Cassis Exotic Tea and Drinks for bringing the mango smoothie closer to home. I’ve now become a regular. (Oh, and don’t miss their occasional Egg Custard Tart specials!)
