Ice Cream Crazy!

I am back from the beach, and unfortunately, my vacation is completely over. This break was just what I needed. At long last, my creativity has finally returned! I've been struggling with creative block for what feels like the better part of a year now, which is incredibly scary when you work in a creative profession. I see it as a sign that my depression has well and truly passed again. Yay! Now I feel refreshed and ready to tackle a whole slew of exciting new projects. I'm inspired and bursting with energy. This rocks!

A few weeks ago, the wonderful people at Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss sent me coupons so I could try two of their delicious pints and review them on my blog. I've already tried their Vanilla Island, and it's definitely my go-to flavor when I need a sweet, creamy pairing for apple pie or fudgy chocolate brownies. As soon as the coupons arrived, I headed to my nearest Whole Foods and picked up Chocolate Peanut Butter and Cherry Amaretto. I also picked up a pint of Tempt's Coffee Biscotti to try. I couldn't wait to dig in!

The first flavor I tried was the Chocolate Peanut Butter. Let me just preface this review with the fact that I am a peanut butter addict. I cannot make a jar of peanut butter last longer than a week, and if it's a jar of PB&Co's White Chocolate Wonderful or Dark Chocolate Dreams, I'm lucky if I can make it through the weekend. Needless to say, I was thrilled to try this flavor. I heeded the recommendation the packaging to let the ice cream sit out for a few minutes before serving. It's so much easier to scoop. My first spoonful was just chocolate ice cream, and I was surprised by just how rich it is. I usually prefer my chocolate to be sweeter, but in my next bite, I hit a glob of peanut butter. The smooth salty peanut butter mixed with the rich creamy chocolate was totally amazing. It was hard not to eat half a pint then and there!

Eager to try the Cherry Amaretto, I was a little disappointed by the flavor on my first bite. I was expecting a strong cherry flavor after the richness of the chocolate in the Chocolate Peanut Butter. However, after a few bites, I really started to enjoy the subtleties of the almond and vanilla flavors swirled with chunks of real cherry. This is definitely a more sophisticated flavor, and perfect for a warm spring evening.

Next up, I tried Tempt's Coffee Biscotti ice cream. I can't stand the taste or smell of coffee drinks, but coffee ice cream is a whole different story. One bite of this creamy bitter-sweet ice cream flecked with chunks of chocolate biscotti, and I was in non-dairy heaven. This new dessert catapulted itself into the top spot on my favorites list.

I wasn't planning on trying any more ice cream for this post, but I stopped at a different Whole Foods right before vacation and found a pint of Luna and Larry's Pineapple Coconut. I have a giant pineapple tattooed on my left arm, so yeah, I couldn't pass this one up! And after taking my first bite, I was soooo happy I did pick it up. Oh my goodness, this flavor is divine. Pina colada in ice cream form! The texture and the flavor are so perfect. The pint lasted three days in my hands. Oops!

It's so exciting to be trying all these new non-dairy ice creams, and I especially love the ingredients in all of the Luna & Larry's flavors. Everything is organic, natural, and sweetened with only agave. Coconut milk is an awesome form of healthy fats, too. I'd definitely recommend trying any of their flavors; you're sure to find one that you adore.

And to help you discover your favorite flavor, I'm giving one lucky reader two Luna & Larry's free pint coupons. All you have to do is leave a comment about your favorite ice cream flavor by midnight next Monday (5/10/10).