Tom's Views

I’ve tried (and yes, typically over-indulged in) numerous versions of vanilla ice cream through the years. So I’ve learned what both good and bad vanilla ice creams taste like.  Breyers is good.  Indeed, this  Breyers Natural Vanilla flavored All Natural Ice Cream ranks at the top of the list  in terms of consistency, price, and taste. There’s certainly nothing plain about this vanilla ice cream.  My thoughts on this light yet delicious dessert follow.

What I liked about Breyers Natural Vanilla All Natural Ice Cream

• This Breyers  ice cream looks virtually like vanilla (cream white in color) because they seemed not to color it. The ingredients listed on the label make no mention of food colorings or dies.
• They hit a pleasing balance between the vanilla, sugar, and dairy flavors in this vanilla ice cream from Breyers. It’s not overly sweet, but still sugary enough to be addictive.  I never get tired of this stuff.
• This Breyers all natural ice cream comes with numerous and small bits of vanilla bean, which probably strengthens its vanilla flavor as well as accentuates its “all  natural” appearance.
• The price I paid ($3 per pint) seems reasonable.
• I like the lightness of this all natural ice cream.  Though this can at times leave me wanting for more when I’ve devoured the entire pint, I’m actually glad that they incorporate an airiness into this ice cream, that makes it less fatty and caloric.
• At 4 grams of saturated fat per serving (and there are four  servings in the sixteen ounce container), I get just shy of my entire day’s allotment.  Again, that’s pretty light for ice cream.
• This product contains no corn syrup either.
• In fact, the ingredients list is very short: milk, cream, sugar, natural vanilla flavor, natural tara gum (to increase the creaminess of the ice cream).
• Each serving has only 14 grams of sugar and 130 calories, and thus 56 of sugar grams for the whole container of 4 servings and 520 calories. It could be lower, yes, but as far as ice creams go, this amount is not excessive.
• The black, yellow, green, and white colors on the package make Breyers vanilla ice cream easy to spot in your grocer’s freezer.
• The pictures of the product shown on the outside of the container do not exaggerate or downplay the ice cream’s actual appearance.  Breyers seems to have been very honest in their pictorial as well as descriptive portrayals of this product.  I like honesty to be sure.

What I disliked about Breyers Natural Vanilla All Natural Ice Cream (Not much!)

• I wish they’d use unbleached cane juice for a sweetener, instead of sugar.

In summary, I found this Breyers natural vanilla bean ice cream outstanding, and would highly suggest it to anyone seeking light yet satisfying flavors from their desserts. It satiates with about the right amounts of every ingredient, without going overboard on anything. So try Breyers when next you desire some all-natural ice cream. Like me, I’m betting you’ll enjoy this ice cream immensely.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Edy’s Maxx Mint Brownie Ice Cream Review
• Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip All Natural Ice Cream Review

I’ve eaten the various incantations of these Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sandwich Fillets for the past thirty years.  Note that this particular product differs from the Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Fillets that I reviewed here, in that there are fewer fillets per box (6 instead of 10), each fish sandwich fillet is close to twice the amount as the crunchy fillets. Here are my thoughts on this delicious supper-time main course:

What I like about Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sandwich Fillets

• The sandwich fish fillets themselves are packed in a re close-able plastic bag for freshness, and this bag keeps them from picking up odors of, and then assuming the flavor of other foods in the freezer.
• These Mrs. Paul’s sandwich fillets are 100% Alaska Pollock fish; without fillers.  Alaska Pollock is a mild-tasting yet full-bodied fish (at least, as satisfying as whitefish can be anyhow).  So it accommodates flavoring spices well without dominating the dish, and therefore, compliments other foods well.
• These breaded, crunchy fish fillets especially designed for kaiser or hamburger rolls from Mrs. Paul’s, have a hunger-enticing, not-too-fishy flavor.
• You can be re-close the box with built-in tabs that fit into slots on the top flap once you’ve re-sealed the inner bag.
• This breaded fish has lots of omega-3 fatty acids, that are excellent for promoting heart health.
• While baking, the fish fillets give off a mouth-watering aroma, so that when they’re finally ready to eat, I’m really anxious to devour them.   This aromatic preamble makes actually eating them even more of a delectable treat.Frank’s hot sauce goes well with these Mrs. Paul’s sandwich fish fillets; my favorite topping to put on them actually.
• I follow the twenty-eight to thirty minutes in the oven at 425 degrees instructions on the box that in my oven at least, predictably yields very hot, quite crunchy, and golden brown sandwich fish fillets.

What I dislike about Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sandwich Fillets

• There’s no indication on the box that these Mrs. Paul’s fish sandwich fillets have been tested for mercury.  Doing that would be comforting for consumers, given the concern these days over heavy metals in the food supply.  But I’ve eaten these for long enough now without discernible problems, that I’m not worried about mercury in fish.
• Each serving (one fillet) has 190 calories.  Yet I must eat three or four servings to really feel satisfied.  The breading no doubt add lots of extra calories but on the good side, is made from wheat flower.
• Mrs. Paul’s makes the breading from enriched flour.  I’d prefer that they use all whole grains in their seasoned coatings.The flour they apply appears to be bleached, though it does not say bleached on the box.
• They also have added sugar and preservatives.  So these fish sandwich fillets definitely qualify as one of those “dreaded” processed dishes.
• These frozen fish fillets do not heat up well in the microwave.  In fact, the box recommends against microwave preparation.  But an ability to “nuke” them would shorten preparation time significantly.

Though they could be better if prepared with whole grain flour and without sugar, Mr’s Paul’s fish sandwich fillets are good eating nonetheless so long as you don’t gorge on them too often.  Over all, I truly love the flavor of Mrs. Paul’s breaded fish fillets, including these fish sandwich fillets.  They cost little, are easy to fix, taste delicious, and are on the whole quite good for you.  So I’d highly recommend them to anyone hungry for the taste of good fish.  If you’re a fish lover as I am, you’ll be quite pleased with the meals in which you serve these Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sandwich Fillets.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Gorton’s Garlic and Herb Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets Review
• Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Fillets Review

I’ve tried (and yes, often over-consumed) numerous versions of mint chocolate chip ice cream through the years.  But this Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip All Natural Ice Cream ranks among the best of them all in terms of texture, flavor,  and price.  Here are my thoughts on this scrumptious dessert that could easily become a main course if one is overly seduced by its sweet minty and chocolaty flavor.

What I liked about Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip All Natural Ice Cream

• This mint chocolate chip ice cream smells just as it tastes; minty, chocolaty, and sweet.  Like the flavor, the aroma does not overly dominate.  The smell is rather subtle and truthful about the taste sensations to come.
• The red, brown, green and white colors on the package do not mislead about how delightfully minty and chocolaty this treat will be.
• They hit a pleasant balance between the mint, sugar, and chocolate in this mint chocolate chip ice cream from Haagen-Dazs.  It’s definitely not excessively sugary, but still sweet enough to have kept me going back for more, at least, until I’d polished off the entire fourteen ounce container.
• This Haagen-Dazs all natural ice cream comes with numerous and small yet curiously crunchy chunks of dark chocolate flavored bits.  They tasted a bit loaded.  But strength of the chocolate was definitely not overdone, and thus, this flavor complimented the mint, just as a bass man compliments the sopranos in a choir.  Any craving for chocolate would not remain after consuming this yummy ice cream.

What I disliked about Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip All Natural Ice Cream

• I paid roughly $5 for a fourteen ounce container (not quite a pint).  That’s very pricy and probably not the cheapest available.  But it was convenient, as I purchased this at a CVS pharmacy near to my current location.  Besides, I’d avoid buying more than a pint at a stretch anyway, because I’d be too tempted to eat it all.  I’m already bad enough for eating a whole pint in a single sitting.   I would have preferred paying $3 instead of $5.
• This ice cream looks virtually like vanilla (cream white in color) because they did not color it minty green.  I however, like the green food coloring.  But I understand that Haagen-Dazs likely omitted the green in order to keep this product as all-natural as possible.
• At 12 grams of saturated fat per serving (and there are three and a half servings in the fourteen ounce container), I get more than my entire day’s allotment of this fat in just this container of Haagen-Dazs mint chip ice cream.  It’d be great if they’d fashion this to taste as good as it does, but without so much saturated fat.  However, to be fair to Haagen-Dazs , saturated fat and great-tasting ice cream always seem to go together.  Thus it’d be quite difficult to manufacture a good-tasting ice cream without that all natural saturated fat.
• They also use corn syrup.  I’d hope that future revisions to this product switch to less processed sweeteners like raw sugar, honey, or agave nectar.
• Each serving has 23 grams of sugar, and roughly 81 grams for the whole container of 3.5 servings.  It could definitely be lower.  But this amount of sugar is not terribly excessive; especially if you take an hour-long walk after eating this.

In summary, though a bit fatty, I found this mint chip all natural ice cream from Haagen-Dazs to be exceptional, and would therefore highly suggest it to anyone seeking a rich, full-bodied consistency in their desserts.  It satisfies with just about the right amount of everything (except for perhaps the saturated fat content), without going overboard on much.  So check it out the next time you get a hankering for some all-natural ice cream, and I think you’ll probably enjoy this Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip just as did I.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Breyers Natural Vanilla All Natural Ice Cream Review
• Edy’s Maxx Mint Brownie Ice Cream Review

I’ve sampled (and yes, at times over indulged in) numerous incantations of mint chocolate chip ice cream through the years.  But this Edy’s Maxx Mint Brownie Ice Cream easily tops them all in terms of texture, flavor, packaging, and affordability.  Here are my detailed thoughts on this delicious dessert, that could easily become a main course if one is overly seduced by its sweet and minty flavor. 

What I like about   Edy’s Maxx Mint Brownie Ice Cream

• The bright green and white colors on the package do not mislead about how delightfully minty and chocolaty this treat will be when you eat it.
• I paid roughly $3 for a one-pint container.  That’s probably not the cheapest I could find, but it was convenient, as I purchased this at a 24-hour mini store nearby.  Besides, I don’t think I’d want to buy more than a pint at a time anyway, because I’d be too tempted to eat the whole thing.
• They struck the right balance between sugar, mint, and chocolate in this mint brownie ice cream from Edy’s.  It’s definitely not too sweet, but sweet enough to have kept me going back for more, at least, until I’d polished off the entire pint container.
• This Edy’s ice cream comes with big chunks of real and soft brownies that are a deep, dark, chocolaty brown color.  They tasted rather rich but not overly so, and complimented the mint in most pleasing ways.  Any established chocolate lover craving a chocolate fix would not be left wanting after eating this ice cream.   
• I also found some bits of hard and crunchy dark Nestle Toll House chocolate morsels (according to the label), that further heightened the chocolate sensations on my as-of-late, chocolate-deprived palate.  Utterly delicious and satisfying too. 
• This ice cream smells just like it tastes; minty, chocolaty, and sweet.  Like the flavor, the aroma does not overpower.  It’s rather subtle and truthful about the taste sensations to come. 
• Edy’s seemed to make a real effort to cut the sugar, as each serving has only 18 grams of sugar, and 72 grams for the whole container.  It could be better.  But this amount is not excessive.

What I disliked about Edy’s Maxx Mint Brownie Ice Cream

• At 5 grams of saturated fat per serving (and there are four servings in a pint), I get my entire day’s allotment of this fat in just this container of ice cream.  It’d be nice if they could make this taste as good as it does, but without all that saturated fat.  However, in fairness to Edy’s, saturated fat and great-tasting ice cream always seem to accompany each other. 
• They also use some corn syrup.  I’d hope that future revisions to this product switch to less processed sweeteners like raw sugar, honey, or agave nectar.

Over all, I found this mint brownie ice cream from Edy’s to be top notch, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a delightfully full-bodied yet not excessively rich textured ice cream.  While one could not accurately describe this treat as ‘light’, it’s by no means ‘heavy’ either; unlike some other ice creams I’ve tasted.  There are some out there that contain well over a thousand calories per pint.  Those tend to weight heavy on the tongue as well as in the stomach.  But not Edy’s Mint Brownie ice cream.  It satisfies with just the right amount of everything, without going overboard with anything.  Give it a try.  I think you’ll probably like it too. 

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip All Natural Ice Cream Review

Truvia sweetener  was released for public consumption some two years ago, and I bought a couple boxes of it, eager to try it out.  Well I have tried out several boxes worth, and here’s what I found.

What I Like About Truvia Sweetener

• Truvia has a strong yet pleasant aroma that reminds me of butterscotch crumpets or certain brands of vanilla ice cream.  I can smell it with my nose as far as six inches away from the box.  
• Truvia sweetener has the same granular consistency as sugar, and the packets have a bit of weight to them. So it feels and sounds like sugar when shaken.  Truvia’s granules are a bit thicker than typical sugar though, and it is heaver per packet than comparable packets of Equal, Sweet N Low, Stevia, and Splenda.
• Truvia sweetener is white in color, just like sugar, and it has a rough feel to it that’s cool to the touch, again, just like sugar.  
• Truvia sweetener dissolved quickly in my tea, and I do like the flavor.
• To me, Truvia sweetener tastes no different than the Now Stevia I’ve been using for nearly thirteen years.  
• Truvia sweetener contains Rebiana, which comes from the leaves of the stevia plant.  A big fan of stevia, I’m glad to see that stevia may well be making it into the mainstream market as the primary sweetener in Truvia.  
• Truvia sweetener does not appear to create craving for more of it.  Nice.  So in me anyhow, Truvia is non addictive, which differs markedly from sugar or Splenda.

What I Dislike About Truvia Sweetener

• To get the level of sweetness to which I’m accustomed, I had to use 5 packets of Truvia sweetener in my big cups of Bigelow Plantation Mint tea.
• This means that I get 16 cups of sweetened tea per 80-packet box of Truvia.  At $5.78 per box when I last bought Truvia, my sweetener cost per cup of tea is $0.36.  This seems rather costly, doesn’t it.  Hopefully, the price will come down over time as often happens when the new becomes the usual.  The box says that each packet sweetens like two teaspoons of sugar.
• The box says that Truvia is suitable for use by diabetics, because it has zero calories per serving.  Its primary ingredient is   Erythritol,   a   sugar alcohol.  I wondered why my stomach became a bit unsettled after consuming several cups of tea with Truvia in them.  This is not hard to manage however.  As per usual, everything in moderation. 
• Given the   sugar alcohol   content, Truvia sweetener might cause diarrhea in some folks; especially if they indulge in it as extremely as I did.  It did not bother me that way once I got used to Truvia and learned how much I can consume in a day without problems.

So I would recommend Truvia sweetener if you’re not put off by the price or sickened by   sugar alcohols.   Look for lime-green and white box with a strawberry on it that has the word   truvia   in all lower case letters.  Its slogan is, “Nature’s Calorie-Free Sweetener.”

Take care.

Tom Hesley

References

• Erythritol   definition on Wikipedia  
• Rebiana   definition on Wikipedia
• Stevia   definition on Wikipedia
• Sugar Alcohol   definition on Wikipedia

I’ve eaten the various incantations of these Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Fillets for the past thirty years.  Here are my thoughts on this delicious supper-time delicacy:

What I like about Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Fillets

• These breaded, crunchy fish fillets from Mrs. Paul’s have a pleasant, not-too-fishy flavor.
• Their box can be re closed with built-in tabs that fit into slots on the top flap.
• The crunchy fish fillets themselves are packed in a re close-able plastic bag for freshness.
• These Mrs. Paul’s fillets are 100% Alaska Pollock fish, and no fillers.  Alaska Pollock is a meek-tasting yet full-bodied fish (at least, as full-bodied as whitefish can be anyhow).  So it accepts flavoring spices well without dominating the dish.
• This breaded fish has lots of good-for-the-heart omega-3 fatty acids.
• These Mrs. Paul’s breaded fish fillets absorb lots of Frank’s hot sauce; my favorite topping to drench over them.
• I follow the twenty-eight to thirty minutes in the oven at 425 degrees instructions on the box.  This always yields very hot, quite crunchy, and golden brown fish fillets.
• While baking, the fish fillets give off a mouth-watering aroma, so that when they’re finally ready to eat, I’m really anxious to devour them.   This aromatic preamble makes actually eating them even more of a delectable treat.

What I dislike about Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Fillets

• Each serving (two small fillets) has 250 calories.  Yet I must eat three or four servings to really feel full and fulfilled.  The breading no doubt add lots of extra calories.
• Mrs. Paul’s makes the breading from enriched flour.  I’d prefer that they use all whole grains in their seasoned coatings.The flour they apply appears to be bleached, though it does not say bleached on the box.
• These Mrs. Paul’s fillets are a bit high on the saturated fat content (5 grams per serving). I’d rather eat things with no saturated fat.  But that’s probably more than offset by the omega-3s also contained within.
• They also have added sugar and preservatives.  So these fish fillets definitely qualify as one of those “dreaded” processed dishes.
• There’s no indication on the box that these Mrs. Paul’s fish fillets have been tested for mercury.  That would be reassuring, given the concern these days over heavy metals in the food supply.  But I’ve eaten these for so long now without discernible ill effects, that I’m not really worried about mercury in my fish.
• These frozen fish fillets do not heat up well in the microwave.  In fact, the box does not recommend microwave preparation.  But an ability to “nuke” them would shorten preparation time significantly.

Though they could be better if prepared without the white flour and sugar, they’re good eating nonetheless so long as you don’t gorge on them too often.  Over all, I truly love the flavor of Mrs. Paul’s Breaded Fish Fillets.  They cost little, are pretty easy to prepare, taste delicious, and are on the whole quite good for you.  So I’d highly recommend them to anyone who is hungry for the taste of good fish.  If you’re a fish lover as I am, you be quite pleased with the meals in which you serve these Mrs. Paul’s Breaded Fish Fillets.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Gorton’s Garlic and Herb Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets Review
• Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sandwich Fillets Review

I tried these Gorton’s Garlic and Herb Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets.  Here are my thoughts,

What I liked about Gorton’s Garlic and Herb Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets

• These breaded fish fillets definitely had a pleasant yet mild garlic flavor, that was not strong enough to give me garlic breath (that I know of).
• The box says that these fillets have been tested for mercury and contain none.  That’s reassuring, as I like to eat these at least a couple times throughout the month.
• These Gorton’s fillets have no fillers, and the 100% fish they used is Alaska Pollock.  This is a mild-tasting fish that accepts flavoring spices well.
• They have lots of omega-3 fatty acids that are great for the heart.
• These Gorton’s breaded fish fillets absorb lots of hot sauce; my favorite condiment for them.
• They emit a mouth-watering aroma while baking, so that by the time they’re ready to eat, I’m really chomping at the bit to devour them.   This makes actually eating these fish fillets all that much more pleasing.

What I disliked about Gorton’s Garlic and Herb Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets

• Each serving (two small fillets) has 260 calories.  Yet I must eat three or four servings to really feel full and fulfilled.  The breading seems to add lots of extra calories.
• I follow the twenty minutes in the oven at 425 degrees instructions on the box.  But this does not produce very crunch fish fillets.  In fact, the ones I had last night were rather soggy.  But a few minutes longer in the oven dries them up a bit more.
• Gorton makes the breading from bleached, enriched flour.  I’d prefer that they use all whole grains in their seasoned coatings.
• These Gorton’s fillets are a bit high on the saturated fat content (4 grams per serving). I prefer eating things with virtually no saturated fat.  But that’s probably more than offset by the omega-3s also contained within.
• They also have added sugar and preservatives.  So these fillets definitely qualify as one of those “dreaded” processed foods.
• Nor do these fillets come in a resealable plastic bag to prevent freezer burn and strange tastes from entering them.  I’ve seen other Gorton’s products that do ship in resealable plastic bags.  But as of this writing, our local Walmart store only carries the boxed version of this product.

Over all though, I really enjoyed eating Gorton’s Garlic and Herb Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets.  They’re inexpensive, taste great, and are on the whole good for you.  Though they could be better if made without the sugar and white flour, they’re good eating nonetheless so long as you don’t eat too much of them too often.  So check them out.  If you’re a fish fan as am I, you won’t be sorry.

Tom Hesley

Related Posts

• Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Fillets Review
• Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sandwich Fillets Review