Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Dark Chocolate Bliss on a Cold, Rainy Night


Last night Jeff and I had an ice cream run. We needed it because we had not left the house in two days. So, just before the store closed, we ran in, grabbed our ice cream and drove home in the wind and rain.

He grabbed his usual pint of Ben & Jerry's and I grabbed my favorite naturally sweetened ice cream line made by Luna and Larry's called Coconut Bliss. They make the most fantastic coconut ice cream I've ever had. I've written about them before, but my taste buds made me promise to write something again this morning.

I chose Dark Chocolate, which I have not had in a long time. It was the sweetest, most decadent surprise. The last pint of Coconut Bliss I finished off was Strawberry Lemon Love. The strawberry flavor was incredible and creamy, but the lemon was a little icy and tasted quite sour. Normally lemon is my leading lady, but I could do without this version. It just didn't seem to have the oomph that I've come to enjoy in this line of ice creams. I found myself diving for strawberry in an ocean of sour lemon.

The dark chocolate is either pure heaven on earth, or my palate has become so jaded and needy that my opinion does not count. Eating no white refined sugar or corn syrup has changed the tolerance of my taste buds quite severely. It's a good thing for me, but when it comes to being a good judge of sweetness and flavor, I'm not the one to ask. Anything with a drop of honey makes my taste buds happy and satisfied. It was only a year and a half ago that my taste buds would not shut up unless I got them drunk on huge amounts of sugar: cookies, donuts, candy, chocolate and cake to name a few of my old favorites. Although I've always been a fairly good judge of flavor, since last year when my palette adapted to smaller amounts of sweetness, I've had to acknowledge that a sugar-free tongue is not the right judge in a sugar-laden world.

It's been a dark and rainy spring here so far in the northwest. Day after day of cold gray skies, rainy outbursts and spittle. No sunshine. So, it was a special moment last night when I experienced joy from a delicious spoonful of dark chocolate coconut ice cream. Jeff agreed to stay up late to watch Casablanca for his first time which added to the thrill. My favorite movie....my favorite ice cream....I felt like a kid again. Isn't the psychology of desserts a strange and mysterious thing?

Dark Chocolate Coconut Bliss Ice Cream Ingredients: Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water, Guar Gum), Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Fair Trade Cocoa, Organic Fair Trade Vanilla Extract

Casablanca: Not only is this romantic drama set during World War II, it was filmed during World War II. One of the best films ever made. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_(film)

7 comments:

Being Robinson said...

Hmmm, funny you find my blog on a day I rant about my sugar demon. I guess I have had a love/hate relationship with sugar off and on. My version of 'limit' and 'moderation' are hot and cold. I either gorge or abstain all together. I am addicted to caramel machiattos, that is a constant! I've done one 'cleanse' and by the end of it my cravings were gone. So I don't know, good question.

OH and the answer is, on some days, yes steal from a blind guy, maybe not a kitten. Baby's... yeah, probably.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting! I appreciate it. Stop by anytime and enjoy the reading.... chirp (that's a cricket noise)...... :) And amazing feat you have taken on, no sugar. That's incredible.

Simply...Gluten-free said...

This is my firstvtime to your blog. Congrats on going a year with no sugar.

Lori said...

Wow I haven't seen this ice cream, but I'm going to have my eye out for it. It sounds amazing! You described it so well, maybe too well. Now I want ice cream! :)

Kim said...

Oh man, i need that ice cream. I have been scared about how I will deal with this summer and no ice cream. The nearest place I can buy it is about an hour away...so I'll have to go with a cooler and some dry ice and stock up.
I am going to go for...well, I think forever without sugar. I am so extremely addicted.
you may remember, I went 6 weeks without sugar...well, after the 6 weeks, I fell right back into old habits. I eat sugar for emotional reasons. It would make me sick to my stomach, but I kept thinking I needed/wanted it. I just can't keep doing it.
So, I will be coming here for lots of support as I embark on this sugar free journey.
Any thoughts on making fruit jam without sugar?

My Year Without said...

Fair Weather Runner-
Oh, why did you have to mention caramel?! That is one thing that I have not been able to find naturally sweetened. I miss that sugary, buttery flavor.

I'm in the same boat. Gorge or abstain. I'd rather not deal with those gorges anymore!

Simply Gluten-Free-
Thanks!

Lori-
I would be surprised if someone didn't like this ice cream. I've even tested it on people who eat white sugar regularly and so far it has had nothing but rave reviews!

Kim-
I would love to be here for you as you begin your lifelong journey without sugar. At some point you will wonder why you ever ate sugar. I remember those times I would stuff my face with sugary no-no's trying to fill the emotional void. It's bad news.

Going without sugar has a sort of Zen quality to it. You are forced to deal with situations/feelings instead of drowning them in milkshakes and so forth.

My main tip for you before you begin to go without sugar is to STOCK UP ON NATURALLY SWEETENED goodies! This will make a world of difference. Keep 10 pints of this coconut ice cream around and never let yourself run out of naturally sweetened items in your kitchen.

Beware, however, that even naturally sweetened items contain calories and some people have a tendency to overdo it with them, too.

I'm excited for you! If I can do this, YOU can!

Unknown said...

Thanks for commenting on my blog and I am so glad to find yours. You are truly inspirational and your advice is really helpful too.

I've decided to start with a week of no sugar, since that seems more manageable. Baby steps, right? :)

Thanks again!

xoxo
Nina

Amy said...

Casablanca is one of my favorites, too. It reminds me of one of my favorite professors. He taught Geography 101 and there was a Casablanca trivia section on one of our exams (not extra credit; the answers really counted!).