Mint Chip Ice Cream in the Quest for the Best

Image ©Graeter’s 2009

The other night, Cullen decided it was time for a treat. I had been hurting all day from the kid’s positioning, and we’d been pretty busy out of necessity. We went to Kroger for some lazy supper items, and splurged on a pint of Graeter’s mint chip ice cream. If you’re unfamiliar with Graeter’s, they’re one of the oldest family-run ice cream manufacturers in the States, and they’ve been making ice cream via their French pot method since 1870. All their ice cream is made in two-gallon batches, and hand-packed in containers to ship directly to their scoop shops, grocery stores, or the consumer. I grew up on Graeter’s, but I hadn’t had it since I was small, and couldn’t ever justify the price tag in store.

Boy, was I glad we spent that little extra for some damn good ice cream. It was so worth it.

However good a pint of Graeter’s is, I still can’t justify the price tag every time we make a trip to the grocery. Cullen mentioned making a batch of mint chip at home, and a mild obsession was created. It appears that I don’t nest, so instead I suppose I cook.

Never buy yogurt again.

The reason why? Right before Christmas, Cullen’s aunt bought me a Deni yogurt maker. It was quite exciting, though I had strict self-deprecating thoughts about never using it (uni-tasker), and not needing it because I could just make yogurt at home on the stove and use a Crockpot or double towels for insulation… But you know, I don’t eat a lot of yogurt, despite liking it, probably because I’m particular about it nowadays. As a kid, I was all about some YoCrunch (Oreo when I was little, strawberry-granola a few years later). Then I moved on to Yoplait Thick N’ Creamy – no other. I loved (and still love) the texture; it’s like dessert (which is what they try to tell you about the Whips! and Delights, and it’s a lie). But I backed off after starting to pay attention to the ingredient factor. The sugar, the sodium, the artificial flavoring… eh, no thanks. I moved on to Greek yogurt, namely Oikos. That’s the stuff. (Wow, that’s a ridiculously old post.)

The yogurt maker sat untouched through Christmas, New Year’s, and weeks more. It stared me down every time I walked through the kitchen. How dare I bring it home and not show it love? After reading the manual, I was further filled with shame: so easy! Scald milk, let cool, add starter, fill jars, cook! Done! Exclamation! It was settled. Yogurt. Small doubts crept in – would I eat it all? I’m the only one that eats yogurt in the house, you see. Plus side, all for myself, and no bitching if anyone else didn’t like it, because hey – no one else eats it. See? Always a bright side.