I used to do all the planning for our trips myself. In recent years I got away from this and relied on a travel agent to help me. I guess I felt intimidated by international travel and thought that somehow travel agents could get me a better deal. Well, I recently broke up with my travel agent and it was the best thing I ever did.

Travel Agents Aren’t Free

Although you usually do not have to pay your travel agent directly (some agencies do charge a fee however), you are actually paying for the service. I was a bit shocked at how much I saved when I planned a trip on my own. For our upcoming trip, I was working with a travel agent who was farming the planning out to a travel service that has “relationships” with hotels in the area we are traveling to. I thought that meant I would get a better deal. Wrong. Before the break up, this service had almost completely planned my entire trip (based on my requests), so I had a list of where I wanted to stay and how much the service was charging me  in total (and no, I did not use them to get this list – they simply were unable to understand or accommodate the things that were important to us so I had to say goodbye even though the trip was nearly entirely planned and frankly I had to suggest most of the hotels on the list myself). I booked us at many of the places on this list and also choose some hotels that were much more expensive than the ones selected by the service (ants in the beds and rusty shower fixtures don’t work for me – part of the reason their service no longer was meeting my needs) and my total came in thousands of dollars less. Yes, that’s right. I still don’t know how this could be possible, but I assure you our hotels are nicer and we’ve saved a bundle.

Travel Agents Aren’t Picky

When you book through a travel agent, it’s unlikely they are going to investigate a hotel as carefully as you might. In fact, you can learn more from a site like TripAdvisor about a hotel than you can from your travel agent. Their job is to find the rate and meet your basic specs, not evaluate whether the staff is rude, how clean the rooms are, and whether the breakfast is any good. I relied on guidebooks and Tripadvisor to narrow down my choices and make my selections. When you use TripAdvisor, read all the reviews but also be sure to look first at the professional photos and then at the traveler photos. If the two sets of photos barely resemble each other, this is a red flag! These photos often will show you problems that will turn you off, such as dingy rooms, outdated decor, and unpleasant bathrooms.

I have a child who is uncomfortable flying, so airplane seat arrangements and positioning is absolutely key for us. Really, the only person who can truly book a flight for us while taking all of our requirements into consideration is me. We have been burned a couple of times and learned our lesson on this one, so travel agents weren’t of much help to me with flights.

Go to the Source

When your travel agent books you through a travel service, you’re two people removed from the action and it’s like a game of telephone. All of the information will be muddled by the time it gets to you.

The best way to book a hotel room is directly through the hotel in question. You can go back and forth with an agent about room size, size of bed, location of hotel, what exactly is included, etc. and still never really know what you’re getting. Email or call the hotel yourself and ask everything you need to know. You’re likely to get a better deal if you deal with them directly than if you use their main booking site. Even if you’re traveling to another country, you can still contact them yourself. We have found that email works perfectly well – they either translate it or have someone on staff who speaks English.

The best way to get the details on a flight is to talk directly to an airline. Use booking services to determine the cheapest flight then go to the airline yourself and ask all the questions you need to about seating, positioning, and comfort. Last summer we flew to Italy with metal boxes underneath the seats in front of us – they are part of the entertainment system. I have vowed never to let that happen again – we could not stretch our legs in front of us or stow anything under the seat in front of us. It was incredibly uncomfortable. The airline is the only one who can tell me if the seat I am considering has that issue.

Travel Agents Haven’t Been There

While a lot of travel agents are well-traveled and there are some who specialize in certain destinations they are very familiar with, it’s likely your travel agent hasn’t been where you want to go. Therefore, he or she doesn’t know where the ideal spot for your hotel is, how many days you should spend there, where the seedy parts of town are, and more. You can determine all of this yourself if you read guidebooks and web sites and get advice from people who have actually been there. It’s tempting to feel as though your travel agent is an expert, but unfortunately many are just experts at using booking systems on their computers.

Cut Out the Extras You Don’t Want

When you book a trip yourself, you book only what you want. The travel services who have booked our previous trips were always adding in tours, meals, and passes we didn’t want and didn’t need. I always weeded these things out, but somehow the pricing never really reflected those removals at the bottom line. It is also much more inexpensive to arrange your own transportation. Yes, it’s cute to get off the plane and have someone holding a sign with your name on it, but chances are you can find the taxis yourself, and you’ll pay MUCH less. It’s nice to get a printed itinerary that lists everything you want to do and everywhere you want to go, but you’re paying someone to book those things for you. Book it yourself for much less and type up the itinerary yourself. You can book “skip the line” tours online directly through the place you are visiting or using an online booking service and you avoid paying the middle man.

Trust Your Own Judgment

In the past I accepted some hotel bookings I had questions about because I felt as though the travel service must know something I didn’t. I was wrong. The hotel that I worried was possibly too far from the center of the city was actually an ungodly walk. The hotel that looked a little dated online had beds from the Stone Age (when they were made of rocks, apparently) and extremely outdated fixtures. The limited options I was given for tours was too limited and I would have been better booking it myself with a guide who offered exactly what I wanted. I’ve learned to listen to myself.

Not a Bash on Agents

None of this is meant as a bash on travel agents. I know and respect several, but have learned that for the most part, I do better when I take things into my own hands. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do your own research, definitely use a travel agent or travel service.

I used to do all the planning for our trips myself. In recent years I got away from this and relied on a travel agent to help me. I guess I felt intimidated by international travel and thought that somehow travel agents could get me a better deal. Well, I recently broke up with my … Read more →

Before

I often feel like the buns I get for sandwiches or burgers are just too big. They do sell thinner buns called Sandwich Thins, but since I’m gluten free those don’t work for me. What I do instead at home is to cut the middle third out of my buns (you can freeze this and use it for stuffing or breadcrumbs).

In restaurants, when you get a bun that is already sliced, I cut a little less then half off the top and bottom halves and put them back together.

Not only does this make them easier to eat, but it cuts your calorie count.

After

I often feel like the buns I get for sandwiches or burgers are just too big. They do sell thinner buns called Sandwich Thins, but since I’m gluten free those don’t work for me. What I do instead at home is to cut the middle third out of my buns (you can freeze this and … Read more →

Admit it. You’ve stuck hotel shampoo, conditioner, and lotion into your suitcase as you were packing (and maybe a shower cap and sewing kit too). I’m guilty as charged on this one too! It’s not exactly stealing – I paid for the room, right? But then I bring it home and stuff it to the back of the bathroom closet and it never sees the light of day again.

My planned usage for these goodies is always:

a) It’s nice to have some back up products in case I suddenly run out, and

b) They are convenient for packing if you want to bring toiletries on a trip.

Honestly though, they mostly just sit in the back of the closet, taking up space. I’ve hit on a great solution for these.

Donate them to a women’s shelter, homeless shelter, or veteran’s hospital. Toiletries are desperately needed items at these places and will be welcome donations.  Note that domestic violence women’s shelters do not advertise their locations, so you can’t just drop off your donations at the shelter. Check their web site for an administrative site where donations will be accepted.

Admit it. You’ve stuck hotel shampoo, conditioner, and lotion into your suitcase as you were packing (and maybe a shower cap and sewing kit too). I’m guilty as charged on this one too! It’s not exactly stealing – I paid for the room, right? But then I bring it home and stuff it to the … Read more →

Some of the beautiful blooms I found within our resort on St. Martin.

Some of the beautiful blooms I found within our resort on St. Martin.    

Did you ever feel as though maybe your doctor, your child’s doctor, and the companies that sell you products for your child don’t always have your best interests at heart? I think we’ve all had at least twinges of these feelings from time to time, and if you’ve had a bad experience with a doctor or hospital, you might feel very strongly about this.

Jennifer Margulis sees a pattern in all of this, and she wrote a book called The Business of Baby to investigate exactly what’s going on. (Disclosure: I did the index for this book, which allowed me to read it very carefully and is how the manuscript came into my hands. Please note I was not asked to write a review nor was it a condition of my creating the index. I don’t think Jennifer even knows I am writing a review). The book offers some very shocking facts.

Did you know it makes more financial sense for your doctor to do a C-section than to help you deliver vaginally?

Can you believe that the U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in developed countries?

Would you have imagined the U.S. has higher infant mortality rates than Scandinavian countries?

And did you know that the baby wash used in most hospitals has a laundry list of chemicals in it, including formaldehyde?

Ever wonder what happens to your baby’s foreskin after a circumcision? You probably didn’t know it’s often sold (for profit!) and used in beauty products and other surgeries.

Your prenatal vitamins? Full of chemicals.

Did you know medical students are taught to treat birth as an illness, not a natural process?

Did you know that many experts believe vaccinating a baby before one year of age is not only pointless, but dangerous, and that the infant’s immune system is not developed enough to actually make use of the vaccine? The list goes on and on.

Margulis did extensive investigative reporting for this book and even traveled to Scandinavia to find out why they do birth better. Her revelations are eye-opening. She displays a health care system that focuses only on profit.  She shows us how far our birth and baby health care system has gone awry – pushing women and children into situations that are unhealthy for them while financially benefiting doctors, hospitals, and corporations. Her complex web of interviews with doctors, midwives, nurses, parents, and researchers paints a fairly grim picture of the options available to women and families in the U.S.

Margulis is out to make her point in this book – that point being that pregnancy, birth and infant care are overmedicalized, endangering women and children. If we took a step back and allowed the process to be less medical and more natural, she believes we would have better outcomes and healthier moms and babies. She does not lay out the opposing  argument for you, so this is not a balanced take on the topic, but instead is one written from a very passionate viewpoint.

That being said, no matter what your feelings are about this topic, this is a very important book to read. You’ll be shocked, you’ll be angered, and you’ll start to think about how the system may have manipulated you without you even knowing. Even if you question Margulis’s conclusions, the evidence she presents will make you think and begin to wonder if your best interests have been pushed to the side in the race to make more and more money.

And maybe all of this will make you think about what the alternatives should be. Margulis is a proponent of midwives, homebirth, and breastfeeding, and suggests we need to reduce ultrasounds in pregnancies, change the vaccination schedule, and rethink what well baby care ought to be. Some of her views might shock you, but others might hit home. This book is going to start a national conversation about our preconceived notions about pregnancy, birth, and baby care. You want to read it so that you can form your own opinions.

Did you ever feel as though maybe your doctor, your child’s doctor, and the companies that sell you products for your child don’t always have your best interests at heart? I think we’ve all had at least twinges of these feelings from time to time, and if you’ve had a bad experience with a doctor … Read more →

I’ve been plowing through a lot of books lately. Here are some that I’ve gone to bed with (ooh la la):

Six Years by Harlan Coben: I prefer the Myron Bolitar series that Coben writes, but I’ll read pretty much anything the man produces. I was vaguely confused through this book though because it felt like it was a very similar to story to something else I’d read, which I still can’t put my finger one. Coben is great with suspense as always and the twists and turns will keep you turning pages as the narrator decides to track down the love of his life six years after she suddenly married someone else. He learns she might be in danger yet no one will give him a straight answer – there’s a big cover up in place and it seems everyone is involved. I was a little displeased when the entire story came to light (I wasn’t quite buying all of it), but it was still a good read.

Night Moves by Randy Wayne White: I’m a long time fan of the Doc Ford series, partly because it takes place on Sanibel Island, Florida, one of my most favorite places in the world.  In this story, Doc Ford sticks close to home for his adventures, tracking down some lost US planes that may have crashed in his neck of the woods years ago. The story moves at a pretty good pace and of course his side kick Tomlinson is in full goofiness throughout. I admit to being a bit annoyed at how women are always falling all over Doc Ford. In this story he grows closer to one woman and begins to think about settling down. No surprise, since White thanks his “life companion” in the acknowledgements for the first time- seems White himself has settled down and is making Doc Ford do the same. The added bonus in this book is an amazing dog. I hope the dog becomes a regular because I love him.

Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton: I was hesitant about reading this but, but I love sleuth Kinsey Millhone so I couldn’t resist. This book contains short stories about Kinsey that were written years ago and then some stories about a character named Kit Blue, heavily based on Grafton herself. I confess I couldn’t get through the book. The Kinsey stories are missing all of her great sidekicks – landlord Henry and Rosie at the Hungarian restaurant. They were also tied up too neatly and quickly for my tastes. The Kit Blue stories didn’t draw me in at all. This one was a miss. I should have listened to my gut, I guess.

[Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associates member and earn a very small commission on sales made following links from my site]

I’ve been plowing through a lot of books lately. Here are some that I’ve gone to bed with (ooh la la): Six Years by Harlan Coben: I prefer the Myron Bolitar series that Coben writes, but I’ll read pretty much anything the man produces. I was vaguely confused through this book though because it felt … Read more →

before

I’ve been using Magic Erasers for a couple of years and every time I use one I’m still amazed by them. They look like sponges, but they are superheroes at getting smudges, dirt, and stains off walls, floors, ceilings, and wood – without damaging them. Sometimes there are mysterious smudges or scrape marks on your walls and you rub and rub and can’t get them off. The Magic Eraser makes them go away. I have several spots in my house where I use

after

this over and over. The front door, the wall behind the bench where the kids fling their coats, and various spots on the walls where the dogs tend to hang out always end up completely filthy or with mysterious black smudges. In the kitchen there’s one spot where a chair always bumps the wall, leaving a mark, and in one of the bathrooms, the metal tissue holder leaves marks on the wall. They all disappear with the Magic Eraser. You get it wet and rub the spot. Once the eraser is looking dirty, you rinse it again. I go around about once every 6 months and do all these troublesome spots in my house and use up one entire eraser in the process. It even gets crazy things like pomegranate juice (don’t ask) off the walls, as well as ink or pencil. I love these so much I’m thinking of tossing a pack into a shower gift I am wrapping up this weekend.

before #2

after #2

I’ve been using Magic Erasers for a couple of years and every time I use one I’m still amazed by them. They look like sponges, but they are superheroes at getting smudges, dirt, and stains off walls, floors, ceilings, and wood – without damaging them. Sometimes there are mysterious smudges or scrape marks on your … Read more →

L’Estmainet

St. Martin is two countries on one island – St. Maarten is Dutch and St. Martin is French. If you want stupendous French food, head to the tiny surprise of Grand Case in St. Martin. This quiet town looks like absolutely nothing when you drive through it. You can’t see the water, and restaurants and storefronts are somewhat dilapidated (they look much better at night!). You might shrug your shoulders and not bother to get out of the car. You must. By night, Grand Case comes alive. The shops open and the restaurants throw

Cheese plate

open their doors and windows. If you’re there on a Tuesday, there is a night market and this is THE place to be.

Half of the restaurants are located directly over the beach (the others are across the street with no view at all), so your views are stunning if choose to dine on that side of the street. All of the restaurants are rather small and open air, most of your waitstaff will have French accents, and the food is amazing. The combination of French techniques with fresh seafood will make you feel as if you are in five star restaurants, not wearing sandals and a t-shirt (all of the restaurants in Grand Case are casual – at the most you might want to go with capri pants or a casual skirt, but there were people in shorts).

We did make a reservation one evening, but they seemed unnecessary. There were plenty of tables available.

L’Estaminet

Salmon and monkfish

The best meal we had in Grand Case, bu far, was at L’Estaminet. This comfy spot doesn’t have a water view, but it’s still charming. This restaurant is very small (no more than 12 tables) but it offers creative French dishes. They also get big bonus points because they actually identify a gluten-free dish on their menu (a risotto dish). Seeing that, I asked if they had other items that were gluten free. The owner came out to talk to me and walked me through the menu, telling me exactly what dishes could be prepared gluten free. I was so grateful and appreciated the care she took to ensure I had a wonderful

Beautifully presented lobster

meal. It was clear that it was important to her that all her guests had a good experience with food that is carefully and thoughtfully prepared.

Since my choices were somewhat limited, I decided to start with a cheese plate, which is usually served as a dessert course ( apologized to the waitress, knowing I was making myself look like an ignorant American). It included Camembert and goat cheese as well as greens, pine nuts and a truffle honey. I could have eaten just that and walked away completely satisfied. The cheese was creamy and rich and was complemented perfectly with the greens, pine nuts and honey. It would have been a perfect dessert course as well.

My daughter began with salmon cubed with tabouli and a peanut butter glaze, served with yuzu chips and smoked salt. The peanut butter glaze was a wonderful flavor with the salmon (surprisingly).

Flaming creme brulee

For our main courses, I enjoyed salmon stuffed with monkfish, bacon, and a white bean and cashew hummus, foie gras foam, rice, carrots with cinnamon, Creole cabbage, and zucchini with orange. It was a bit salty due to the bacon, but I ate every bite. The hummus was a nice (and unexpected) combination.

My daughter enjoyed half a lobster (spiny lobster) with truffle salt, and truffle butter. You can’t go wrong with lobster and she adores truffles,

Apricot cake with granita and mint bubbles

so she was in heaven.

We of course had dessert. I had a trio of crème brûlée – vanilla, chocolate, and ginger, all of which arrived at the table flambé! Since I  had creme brulee several times during this trip, I can tell you this was the best version of all of them. Quinne had an apricot cake with salted caramel butter, mint mojito granita, and mint bubbles. The mint bubbles were really fun and a lovely end to the meal.

Hot towels that grew

At the end of the meal, the serve brought a small plate with two round white disks that looked like Tums. She poured hot water on them and they expanded into warm towels to wipe our hands with. It was a very nice touch.

La Villa

La Villa

Tripadvisor names La Villa as the best restaurant in Grand Case, so of course we had to try it. This was also not on the water, but it was a cute little building with gingerbread detailing. We had a bit of a difficult time with the staff understanding us. My gluten issue was confusing to them. I ended up starting with a rockfish  soup, which they promised had no flour or gluten. It arrived and I knew immediately it had been made with a roux, which uses flour. I chose

Lobster, scallops and shrimp

not to eat that and instead had a salad. Quinne began with crab profiteroles, which were delightful. For our entrees, I enjoyed lobster, shrimp, and scallops with a garlic butter sauce, and she had chicken stuffed with lobster. Everything was tasty and prepared nicely.

We had dessert – pineapple carpaccio with raspberry sorbet and mango tartar for me (a bit hard to cut and eat since the pineapple was so thin) and chocolate cake for her.

The food was nowhere near as creative as L’Estaminet and the service was scattered and tedious. I’m

Pineapple carpaccio

not sure why this is top ranked on Tripadvisor, honestly.

L’Escapade

This was the only waterfront restaurant we enjoyed in Grand Case and with a table right at the railing and the surf crashing beneath us, it was a stunning setting. As the night grew darker we enjoyed the lights on the sailboats anchored offshore.

The staff here was able to understand my gluten problem. I started with scallop,

L’Escapade

mussels and leeks in a foamy cream sauce. I have never tasted mussels so tender and delightful. There was nothing chewy or tough about them. This dish got a perfect 10 from me. Quinne had salmon tartare which she loved. I had snapper with risotto and

Snapper with risotto and grapefruit

a grapefruit sauce for my main course. I am generally not a fan of grapefruit, but it was a wonderful counter note to the fish and rice. Quinne had duck breast with foie gras and a port wine sauce. Traditional French food that she adored. Again, I

The view from L’Escapade

had crème brûlée (no other choices) which was average and Quinne had a huge, impressive soufflé with a chocolate sauce that was wonderful but too big for one person.

Talk of the Town

Although Grand Case is known for its French food, right in the center of town are 6 lolos, or barbecue joints. We stopped here for lunch one day, having heard rave reviews.

The lolos are the ultimate in casual dining – picnic tables under a roof, plastic menus, and plastic silverware and paper plates.

We chose Talk of the Town. The menus are not very descriptive and our server was too busy with her teenage daughter who had just returned from school

Souffle

and a family member with a baby to show much interest in us. I didn’t even try to discuss my gluten intolerance because the communication barriers were huge. I ordered shrimp,  thinking everything there was being grilled. Wrong. It was cooked stovetop and served with a curry sauce, which first of all I don’t care for, and secondly probably contained gluten. So I basically skipped lunch just to be safe. Quinne got a half lobster which was grilled (go figure). Mine also had rice,

Talk of the Town

corn on the cob, and plantains. Quinne’s came with “macaroni salad” which was actually Kraft mac and cheese, cold, with some vegetables mixed in.  I wouldn’t bother with the lolos again if I returned. It sounds like great local food, but honestly the places were filled with tourists like us and there

Lobster at the lolo

was nothing fantastic to be had.

That being said, Grand Case is the place to go for good food on St. Martin. You could dine here every night at a different place and be well-fed. Even at La Villa, the food was worth eating and could not be described as a bad meal.

St. Martin is two countries on one island – St. Maarten is Dutch and St. Martin is French. If you want stupendous French food, head to the tiny surprise of Grand Case in St. Martin. This quiet town looks like absolutely nothing when you drive through it. You can’t see the water, and restaurants and … Read more →

For Easter, I made a recipe called Gigi’s Carrot Cake, from Emeril.  This is a to die for carrot cake! The best one I’ve ever had.

I used Cup4Cup gluten free flour in place of regular flour and it was not noticeable in any way. The recipe says to make 3 layers – I have always made this cake with 2 layers (who has 3 identical cake pans?). If you make this, there is just barely enough frosting, so you might consider making a bit more so you don’t feel like you have to skimp. The recipe says to add chopped pecans to the frosting, but I prefer to just sprinkle some on top.

Everyone loved this cake – it’s a real winner!

For Easter, I made a recipe called Gigi’s Carrot Cake, from Emeril.  This is a to die for carrot cake! The best one I’ve ever had. I used Cup4Cup gluten free flour in place of regular flour and it was not noticeable in any way. The recipe says to make 3 layers – I have … Read more →

Photo Credit: Terry Sember

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Perry’s Ice Cream for a tour and ice cream taste testing of their new flavors. And I got to bring a guest, which meant that my husband has now checked an item off his bucket list: become an ice cream taste tester!

Pick Perry’s

If you don’t live in NY or PA, you’ve probably never heard of Perry’s, but anyone from around these parts thinks of them as THE ice cream company (and might remember the “Pick Perry’s” jingle). Perry’s ice cream is found in schools, hospitals, grocery stores, and ice cream stands, often to the exclusion of other brands. It’s THE brand you buy if you live around here. If you live in the Buffalo, NY area, you grew up eating Perry’s. I went to Perry’s on a field trip as a child and when I was a teenager, my first job was scooping Perry’s ice cream at an ice cream shop. That is where I

Me and the husband carefully evaulating the samples! Photo credit: Yuka Photo Art

met and fell in love with my first love: Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream.

I now know why Perry’s ice cream tastes better than any other brand. They cook their ice cream for two hours to develop the flavor, instead of using an instant pasteurization method, as most national brands do. It truly does result in creamier, more flavorful ice cream. Perry’s makes 75 flavors (crazy, right?) and produces 13 million gallons a year.  This 95-year-old local company is well-loved and appreciated and anyone who knows the brand can taste the difference. They source their ingredients locally as well – 98% of the milk they use is from local farms.

Sanples! Photo credit: Yuka Photo Art

All of the taste testers in the room were asked to name their favorite flavor of Perry’s ice cream and of the 20 or so people there, nobody chose the same flavor!

The Tour

Our experience was fun afternoon. We learned about the history of Perry’s, which is a family-owned company, now in its 4th generation of Perry’s (it’s always great to see a locally-owned company that is family-owned) and employing over 300 locals. We got to see the production line, hear about the huge strides they make with sustainability (setting industry standards in many ways), and meet many wonderful people. We also were invited into the 25

So cold the camera was shaking! Photo credit: Terry Sember

degree below zero storage freezer where they keep ALL the ice cream. It was COLD.

Taste Testing

The best part was of course the tasting. Lest you think it was all fun and games, we did learn how to really taste and evaluate ice cream.

• First, evaluate for aroma
• Next, consider the feeling factors. There are two categories of these: temperature and chemical feeling (spicy, cooking, astringent, prickly)
• Texture is the next factor and you experience this both with your lips and with your teeth – smoothness, firmness, hardness and moistness
• The final component is a sensory evaluation

The sensory evaluation is the most complicated, since there are different terms to use when evaluating the different types of flavors categories (dairy, brown and sweet flavors, vanilla, and chocolate). For example, there are 19 words we were given that can be used to evaluate chocolate flavors alone (some include roasted, astringent, winey, buttery, caramel, prune/raisin, smokey, barny, and tobacco).

Ice cream preferences vary by region – here in Western NY, tasters like to taste dairy first, then flavors, then sweetness. In the south, sweetness is the first taste they want. This is why there are regional ice cream companies, and why national brands may not be able to compete with the local companies (they are catering to a national preference while your region probably has specific taste preferences not found elsewhere).

Queen of Hearts, my winner. Photo credit: Perry’s Ice Cream

We were told we should taste each sample at least three times (SUCH a burden) and to note that the first taste is often too cold to really evaluate well.We were also told to sip water in between flavors to reset our palates.

Then the ice cream came out. Fortunately I skipped lunch for this event. We tasted 7 different flavors:

– Lactose Free Vanilla

– Oh My Cherry Pie (vanilla ice cream with cherry swirls and graham cracker crumbs)

– Sponge Candy (this is designed to get locals excited since sponge candy is a local area specialty – sponge candy flavored ice cream with pieces of chocolate covered sponge candy)

– Movie Time (popcorn flavored ice cream with sea salt caramel swirls)

– Black Raspberry

– Queen of Hearts (dark chocolate ice cream with raspberry swirls and fudge truffles)

– Party Sandwiches (ice cream sandwiches with vanilla wafers, cake batter ice cream and sprinkles)

I’ve enjoyed ice cream before (who hasn’t?) but it was a different experience to be evaluating and describing the flavors, textures, and appearance of the ice creams. It was hard work to concentrate on the flavors and try to find words to describe all the nuances. There’s so much involved in one flavor of ice cream. My favorite flavor was Queen of Hearts. The husband picked the Lactose Free Vanilla. Perry’s collected our evaluations to help them as they refine and develop new flavors. 

Do you have a favorite ice cream brand? Is it a local brand? What’s your favorite flavor?

[Note: I obviously was given Perry’s products to sample, however Perry’s did not require me to produce a post nor do anything in exchange for this post and I received no payment.]

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Perry’s Ice Cream for a tour and ice cream taste testing of their new flavors. And I got to bring a guest, which meant that my husband has now checked an item off his bucket list: become an ice cream taste tester! Pick Perry’s If … Read more →