Will it Panini: Leftover Mango Sticky Rice

As you may know by now, I love to use my waffle iron to heat up, and transform, leftovers.  Sometimes I use the panini press instead (which, I do actually prefer for donuts!), usually only when I’m lazy and the panini plates are what are in my 5-in-1 Griddler (best waffle iron ever, by the way).

Which, is what this story is.  I didn’t plan to write a post about this, so I didn’t document it well, but, it was so successful that I wished I had.   I’m just too excited to share it with you.

Transformed Leftover Mango Sticky Rice!

So if you are wondering, Leftover Mango Sticky Rice: Will it Panini?  The answer: YES ZOMG DO IT.

It was an amazing success and transformation, and I’d gladly try it with the waffle iron (but the grills worked fine!).

And, actually, you don’t even need the mango.  The sticky rice was the star.

For those with great memories, yes, I've waffled other thai desserts before, to great success, like the Bauloy Samsee from a little Asian grocery store in my hometown.  This result was very similar, in its mochi-like aspect.

The Original Components.

I had leftover mango, sticky rice, mango puree, and coconut cream, from Osha Thai.  They were from a crazy dessert creation I had for takeout, the Mango Tango Shaved Ice, and these were all components to it.

But of course, Osha also serves regular mango sticky rice as a dessert, which I’ve also reviewed before, and I'm sure that would work identically to this experiment.

The Original: Assembled Mango Tango Shaved Ice.

"Mango and sticky rice with mango ice cream, mango puree, cream of coconut and mango shaved-ice."

In the original form, it was fine.  The mango lackluster because this is the US, the sticky rice nicely sticky, the puree crazy sweet, and the coconut cream super tasty.  The mango shaved ice, and mango ice cream, were both fantastic, but not items I tried to use in this experiment!

I had more the next day as mango sticky rice, and again, it was fine.  By day three though, the sticky rice?  Not exactly sticky rice. It was hard and completely unappealing.  The mango? Mediocre from the start, now far less fresh.

Leftover Mango and Sticky Rice: On the Grill.

So I did what I always do.  I didn’t throw it out like most humans.  I put a ball of rice, and a slice of mango, into the waffle iron, which, had my grill plates in it.  I was too lazy, and skeptical, to bother swapping.  I really did think this was going to be a discard.

I didn’t even pay attention to the grill setting.  I assume high?

Leftover Mango and Sticky Rice; Panini'ed?

After a few minutes, the rice seemed to be sticking to the grill plates, and separated into two layers.  The mango … looked grilled.

So I pulled it off.

Panini Pressed Leftover Sticky Rice.

The rice entirely transformed.  I was shocked.  I’ve seen some incredible transformations with my waffle iron before, so you’d think I would be used to this, but, wow.  The hard, style, totally throwaway leftover sticky rice turned into something glorious.  Grilled mochi, basically.

I loved all the textures, the crispy exterior, the warm and gooey inside.  I loved the taste.

Panini Pressed Leftover Sticky Rice and Mango, a la Coconut Cream.

I was happy just eating the panini’ed sticky rice, actually.  I was even happier dunking it into the coconut cream.

I threw on another batch, very excited.  This batch I topped with grilled mango, and drizzled with coconut cream.

The grill did revive the mango, or at least soften and caramelize, it a bit.  Which was better.  But still, the rice just with cream was better.

Leftover Mango Sticky Rice Panini.

Next, I did another batch.  And got silly.  I was suddenly having a lot of fun.

I used the separation of the rice to my advantage, and made … a mango sticky rice “sandwich”, filled with mango puree and coconut cream.  Yes, a panini, really.  I was using the panini plates as intended!

This version was fun, but again. just the rice was great.

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Love Corn

Crunchy snack foods?  If you read my blog, you how I feel about these things.  Snacky-snacks!  Yes!

"Nice to meet you.  We are LOVE CORN the first Premium Roasted Corn brand. 

Our mission is to make our customers smile and make roasted corn your favorite snack, one kernel at a time. 

We tick all the boxes- good fiber, vegan, gluten & sugar free!"

Uh, ok.  That's quite the mission, making roasted corn my favorite snack?  Not really possible, given my love of popcorn.  But I'll play along.

I don't know much about LOVE CORN, besides their interesting marketing approach.  And they make basically corn nuts, in a variety of flavors.

Packaging.

"LOVE CORN's delicious, crunchy roasted corn kernels are packed with flavor, have the perfect crunch and fun, iconic packaging is loved by adults and kids."

The products all come in individual packages.  I can't really say it was "fun, iconic packaging" that I "loved" though.

Unfortunately, I didn't care for their style of corn nut.

Sea Salt.

"You look like you enjoy the simple things in life. Well, we’ve just decked ourselves out in the most delicious sea salt and we’re feeling classically cool and a bit James Dean. Let’s be honest, sometimes less is more."

I started basic: sea salt.

It was ... basic?  A bit salty, yes, crunchy, but small kernels, and not really the style of corn nuts I prefer, it always seems over roasted.

Habanero Chili.

"Where we come from, we like it hot – the sunshine and the food. We love roasting in the best habanero spices, it gets us all hot and bothered. Forgive us for our spicy ways."

Next up I went for the most interesting sounding: habanero chili.

It ... wasn't really that spicy, nor interesting.  The same base salted small kernel corn, a bit too roasted for me, with a spicing I didn't really care for.  Meh.

Smoked BBQ.

"Y’all ready for some BBQ goodness?  Smothered in smokin’ hickory, it’s all done nice and slow… you just don’t rush into something this good. Y’all better be kickin’ off those boots and stayin’ awhile."
And last, bbq.

These were my favorite, as they actually had some flavor to them, but the corn style was still not one I prefer.

Smoked BBQ (2020).

I tried them again, a few years later, and did like them more.

The corn style is still more toasted, more crunchy, and smaller kernels than I'd pick given a choice, but, the bbq flavor on these was nice, zesty.  Better to toss into salads than as a standalone snack.

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Poke from Poke Origin

I'll spare you the preamble.

Yes, I've join the swarm of people who are obsessed with poke.  You can read all my poke reviews here.

For me, my poke obsession started as a easy delivery or takeout option when I was traveling a lot for work and got sick of eating in restaurants constantly.  And for me ... uh, poke isn't about the raw fish.  Or a rice base.  I don't get either of those usually.  For me, it is about the toppings.  The crunchy things.  Oh, and of course, crab salad.  Even imitation crab.  Love the stuff.

Poke Origin is in San Francisco, far from my house and office, and not available for delivery from nearly any of the delivery services since it is too far away.  I've wanted to try it forever, but, just not generally accessible to me without a lot of effort.  But, Postmates came to our rescue when my work group wanted to order poke, and since we were a large group, the extra delivery fee was worth it.  Particularly for the options.

Oh, the options.  What sets Poke Origin apart, and why I was interested, is the options.  18 kinds of protein ... including non-standard items like lobster tail (!), spam, and three types of crab.  More than 20 toppings.  We were in.

Overall, I was quite pleased, and most of us really appreciated the large variety of toppings and options.  As someone who *doesn't* go for the raw fish, it worked great.  But ... everyone who did get raw fish felt the quality of the seafood was lacking.  Most said it didn't matter as much because of the great sauces and toppings, but, I can't recommend Poke Origin for quality seafood exactly.

I'd still order again.

Large Poke. $13.99.

"Five scoops of protein and your choice of base, toppings, and sauce."

Like many poke places, the concept is to design-your-own, with different selections for each step.  Bowls come in 2 sizes, regular (up to 3 proteins) or large (up to 5 proteins).

The steps:

Base (1):

• Sushi White Rice
• Brown Rice
• Mixed Greens
• Kale
• Nachos
• Kelp Noodles

The base options are a good indicator of how Poke Origin excels.  Two choices for rice, two choices for greens, and even nachos or kelp noodles, if you are feeling really different.

Many places allow for 2, it was interesting that they only allowed a single choice.

I went with kale, given my recent strange kale obsession.

Next, Add-ons (0 - 5).

• Cucumber
• Sweet Corn
• Carrot
• Jalapeno
• Red Onion

These were pretty basic, I only added sweet corn and jalapeno.

Protein (0 - 5 for large, 0-3 for regular):

• Ahi Tuna
• Salmon
• Spicy Tuna
• Scallop
• Escolar
• Albacore
• Tofu
• Crab
• Spicy Crab
• Shrimp
• Spam
• Octopus
• Seared Albacore +$2.00
• Marinated Big Eye Tuna +$2.00
• Hamachi +$2.00
• Snow Crab +$2.00
• Unagi +$2.00
• Seared Lobster Tail (Limited) +$6.50

Ok, um, wow?  This is where Poke Origin blows all other establishments away.  The number of choices, and selection, is just insane.

Want tuna?  You can have ahi, spicy, albacore, marinated big eye, or even seared albacore.  Want crab?  THREE CHOICES (imitation, spicy, or snow crab).  Um, they have spam.  And ... lobster tail??!

Yes, this is why I picked Poke Origin, as I adore crab, and it is my poke of choice, and I was thrilled to see so many options.  I got all three.

Note that some items (like lobster tail, obviously, carry a surcharge).  Additional scoops are available for $2 more as well.

Sauce (0 - 3)

• Mild House Poke Sauce
• Spicy House Poke Sauce
• Spicy Aioli
• Creamy Wasabi
• Kimchee Sauce
• Sesame Aioli
• Unagi Sauce
• Honey Avocado
• Miso Sauce
• Yuzu Citrus

The sauce options were also plentiful, creamy, spicy, mild, light, and everything in-between.  I'll dock them a point for only allowing 3, although you could add more for $0.50 charge.

I went for 6 different sauces, all on the side.  Honestly, I wanted them all (except the honey avocado since I'm allergic), but I was trying to be reasonable.

Toppings (Unlimited)

• Seaweed Salad
• Edamame
• Jelly Fish
• Kimchee
• Oshinko
• Green Onion
• Cilantro
• Ginger
• Wasabi
• Massago
• Furikake
• Sesame Seed
• Minced Garlic
• Macadamia Nuts
• Tamago +$0.50
• Mango +$0.50
• Pineapple +$0.50
• Avocado +$0.50

And then, yup, tons of toppings, fruits, veggies, seasoning, crunchy stuff, and, uh, jellyfish?

Unlimited, although many premium ingredients had surcharges.

I added oshinko, green onion, ginger, wasabi, massago, furikake, sesame seeds, minced garlic, macadamia nuts, tamago, mango, and pineapple.  I was just so excited for all these choices!

Create Your Own Bowl (Large).
Top Layer: Tamago, Wasabi, Mango, Pineapple, Green Onion, Oshinko.

Digging into my bowl was a feat, as it was just so loaded up.  It was also HUGE.  Seriously, huge.  Large is easily multiple meals, or at least, it was in my case given the distribution of ingredients.  This was NOT a bowl of filler kale!

So, starting on top.

I haven't ever seen tamago at a poke shop before, and I was happy to pay a little extra for this.  The portion was a single slice.  It certainly wasn't fine sushi restaurant quality or anything, but, I enjoyed it.  Firm, slightly sweet.  I always get tamago at sushi restaurants for "dessert", and it worked similarly here, particularly with some sweet mango!

Speaking of mango, another premium ingredient, but done nicely here.  Large portion, super ripe and juicy.  The pineapple wasn't really worth the upcharge, it was literally just a little canned chunks of pineapple.  I was hoping it might be roasted?  Not sure what I was thinking really, likely just excited to see something different.  There was much less pineapple than mango, which was fine with me.

The wasabi, ginger, and green onion were not notable, all applied in reasonable portion.  My bowl was missing masago, which I ordered, and expect should have been on this top layer, as others in my group had it there.

My final ingredient here was oshinko, one of my favorite things.  I had exactly two small pieces.  TWO.  I know my bowl was loaded up, so I think this was the last thing to be added, and they just ran out of room?  I was still quite sad, as my co-workers (like the bowl pictured above), all had generous portions.

Middle Layer: Spicy Crab, Snow Crab, Imitation Crab, Sesame Seed, Furikake, Macademia Nuts.

Under that layer was the good stuff.  All the crabs, plus the "sprinkles".

I'll admit that I was pretty sad by the lack of quantity of the furikake, sesame seeds, and macademia nuts, as I adore those things.  It was easily fixed because I had my own at home, but still.  I also seemed to be missing the minced garlic, but it might have been in there and just minimal?

But the crab.  Um, wow.  You can't see it in this photo, but this was an insane amount of crab.  2-3 scoops of each of the three varieties.  I don't understand, actually.  My bowl had more proteins than any other, by far (of course, the others had more traditional, cubed, choices).  I'm not upset, but, it was an insane amount, honestly.

The spicy imitation crab was my favorite, standard imitation crab, shredded style, mixed with what I think was just the spicy aioli (which I had on the side too).  I liked it quite a bit, my favorite of the crabs.

The imitation crab was also good though, very standard imitation crab.  I enjoyed it, as I always do, particularly pairing and playing with different sauces (more on these soon).  It worked equally well with creamy sauces (creamy wasabi, spicy aioli, etc) and with lighter sauces (poke sauce, miso citrus, yuzu).  It also worked great as a "dip" for my taro chips (more on that soon too).  My second favorite of the crabs.

The one that shocked me though ... the snow crab.  The real crab.  The one I paid extra for.  It ... was just fishy and mushy.  I hated it, and discarded it.

Next time: I'm trying the spam, the seared albacore, and the lobster tail!

Lobster Tail..

One of my co-workers did get the lobster tail.  It came on the side, in its own box.  An actual poached lobster tail, in the shell and everything.

Crazy!

Bottom Layers: Kale, Sweet Corn, Jalapeno.

And then, once I extracted the pounds of crab, the base.

Normally bowls are filled up with the base, lots of rice, lots of greens, you know, the cheap filler.  For me?  Not much actually.  I *wanted* a bunch of kale, so this was a bit disappointing, but, again, they gave me so much crab I can't really be upset.

The kale was curly kale, and a bit strange actually.  It was very moist, in a way that almost seemed marinated.  I think this was just from all the toppings and juices running through.  I liked it though.

The jalapeno slices had some kick, great to pair with the crab.

And the strange winner?  Yeah, the sweet corn.  I'm nearly certain this was the kind from a can, honestly, nothing special at all, yet I really liked it.

Sauces: Creamy Wasabi, Sesame Aioli, Spicy Aioli, Miso Sauce, Spicy House Poke Sauce, Yuzu Citrus. (Top Left, Clockwise).

And then, sauces.  Normally mixed with your proteins and mix-ins, but I requested on the side so I could try independently, and mix and combine as I pleased.  And so I could dunk my taro chips!

I tried 6 of the 10 choices, and would gladly try all the rest.  They were all winners.

Starting from top left, clockwise:
Creamy Wasabi: This was good, I think actually a cream not mayo base, with a nice wasabi kick.  It didn't quite go with my selections, but I gladly saved it for later use, and, for the taro chips (which was a quasi successful pairing).  It worked great with some roasted plantains I had later!

Sesame Aioli: This was great! Nice flavor, creamy mayo base.  Interestingly, not a very full portion compared to the others.  Nice to dip the taro chips.

Spicy Aioli: Also good, creamy mayo based spicy aioli, like you'd use in spicy tuna or spicy crab, and I suspect they use to do so.  Not the best I've had, but totally fine.

Miso Sauce: This was fascinating.  I selected it because I like miso and I had no idea what to expect.  The miso flavor was there, which was nice, but it was also fairly oily.  I think it would make a great dressing mixed with some mayo.  Which I plan to use it for.

Spicy House Poke Sauce: Standard poke sauce, soy based, light, but, spicy (since I got the spicy one).  Nice heat.  Good with the crab instead of a creamy sauce for lighter option.

Yuzu Citrus:  Another light soy base, citrusy.  Fine, but my least favorite.

3 were included, the others were +$0.50 each extra.

Sides

It always makes me sad that most poke places to do not have side dishes for the most part.  Maybe some miso soup or bag of "Hawaiian" chips.  But Poke Origin, much like the plentiful options for proteins and toppings, has plentiful options for sides.  

Taro Chips. $2.

Ok, those taro chips I keep talking about.  They came in a little paper bag.  A little *greasy* paper bag.

They were just ok, honestly.  Over fried, as you can tell from the dark color.  Definitely too oily.  But the grease bag was a good sign, in that I think they were fairly freshly made?

I appreciated the option, and did gladly dunk them in my sauces, and use as scoops for my crabs.

Seaweed Salad. $3.50.

As I said, sometimes I like seaweed salad.  Sometimes I don't.  So, instead of having it as a topping on my bowl, where it could potentially "contaminate" everything else, I got it as a side.  

And ... it was the style I don't really like.  I still can't identify why I sometimes do and sometimes don't like seaweed salad.  It makes no sense, as it looks, and sounds, the same.  But it was just too slimy, got too stuck in my teeth, and didn't have great flavor.

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gr8nola

Yes, most granola is not exactly healthy, even though its easy to think it is.  Grains, nuts, fruits, its good for you right?  Uh-huh.  Look at the nutrition stats and serving sizes, and realized that your "health food" isn't exactly that.

There are a slew of companies trying to make healthier granola though, less sugar added, not loaded with oils, non-GMO, etc.  gr8nola is one of those companies.

"We're redefining granola for the modern, health-conscious consumer. Discover the gr8ness inside every bite!"

gr8nola uses whole grain oats, extra virgin coconut oil, and other goodies like flaxseed (fiber! omega-3s!), sunflower seeds (vitamin E!), coconut (unsweetened of course, for iron and fiber!), turmeric (anti-inflammatory!), etc, etc.  All good things, but, I'm kinda more about taste than uber focused on nutrition.

I didn't actually know this, but gr8nola launched into success back in 2014, when invited to the Google microkitchen fair (where employees trial products and vote on what to have in our little micro kitchens).  I'm not sure if I attended that year, or if I tried the granola, but, it won, and has been featured in some of our campus since (not the one I work in though).  Yadda, yadda, scaled up production, now at lots of Bay Area campus, etc, etc.

Individual Portion.

But none of that is how I discovered gr8nola.  I recently won a contest (!) and little bags of gr8nola were part of my winnings.

I do sometimes get really, really hooked on granola (like the kind they have at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, I'm seriously obsessed!), so I was eager to try it out.

The granola now comes in 4 varieties: origina, "coco cacao", golden turmeric, and matcha green tea, I was provided with only the original.  I appreciated the portion controlled, re-sealable packaging.

All varieties lack clusters.  I know this is a style thing, but since I like to use granola as a finger snack food, I like having clusters.  This style was more suited for sprinkling on top of yogurt.

The Original.

"Our signature flavor. Whole grain oats, heart-healthy almonds, ground flaxseed and delectable honey for the perfect touch of sweetness. Whether eaten with milk, on top of yogurt, smoothies or straight out of the bag, gr8nola is a smart, simple way to add crunch, flavor, fiber and nutrition to your diet."

I didn't find this very munchable from the bag.  First, as I said, no clusters, but also, it just was very ... homogeneous.  No large chunks of nuts, seeds, or fruits to go for.

The flavor wasn't plain however, it was heavily cinnamon spiced.  A bit much, really.  I'm personally not a fan of sunflower nor flax seeds, which were also in the mix.

But the dominant flavor?  Stevia.  It tasted artificially sweetened.  I know the goal is low sugar, and I use artificial sweetener myself, but, this was too much.

I tried with milk, and it was better, but I think it would be best suited for a topping on a fruit crumble, where the cinnamon would be a more natural element.  Even then though, you need to want the Stevia taste.

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Enlightened Ice Cream

Healthy ice cream.  One of the latest food trends.  One I've had very little interest in.

Years ago, I did go through a "healthy" phase, where I did care about fats and calorie counts, and I remember discovering Arctic Zero (it was brand new on the market at the time), and I was so excited.  It sounded too good to be true.  200-400 calories in ... an entire pint?!  Full of protein?  OMG.  And then I tried it.  It was not creamy, it didn't really resemble ice cream, and, well, I didn't try any other products in this market for years, even though it has been a hot market.

I like creamy, high fat, actually tasty ice cream just too much.

But I was given the opportunity to try Enlightened bars, so I figured I'd give the concept another try.

Enlightened makes "Good-for-you" ice cream, available in pints and novelty bars.  Same concept at Halo Top and the like, <100 calories per serving / 400 calories per pint, high protein, low sugar.  In Enlightened's case, it is actually made with dairy.  And I'll be honest, some of the flavors, particularly for pints, sound great: "Movie Night", popcorn ice cream with chocolate bits and caramel swirl? Marshmallow Peanut Butter? French Toast? Glazed Donut? Bananas Foster?  Yes, please!  They also, of course, make all your classics, chocolate, vanilla, etc, etc, and all the "modern classics" like sea salt caramel, birthday cake, cold brew coffee, and more.  Plus bars, in many of the same flavors.

It was a bar I was able to try, along with many co-workers.

We were decently impressed, but I still won't go purchase these.

Packaging.

The bars come 4 to a box, individually wrapped.  We tried the Sea Salt Caramel flavor.

Sea Salt Caramel.

"Salty this ice cream is prettier than you’ll ever be? One bite and all will be forgiven. Silky ribbons of caramel swirl threaded through sea salt caramel ice cream."

At first glance, it fared pretty well.  It did have a lovely swirl on it!

It was actually better than I imagined, although it was more finicky than regular ice cream, texture wise.  You definitely needed to let it soften up, more than normal ice cream (which is always *better* soft, but isn't necessary).  You also needed to lick it rather than bite it, again, more than regular ice cream, as biting into it made it come across as grainy.  But when it was melty, and soft, and you licked it, it was creamy and smooth, nearly like normal ice cream.

The ice cream had a slight sweetness to it, more interesting than a plain vanilla, but not strong in the caramel.  The caramel ribbons were really tasty, sweet, and gooey, in a way that added some interesting contrast.

It wasn't a decadent normal ice cream at all, but for 80 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 5 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein it would be crazy to pass this up if you are concerned with reasonable ice cream choices!

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Pret a Manger, UK

I finally, finally went to Pret a Manger.  After walking by a zillion times, on nearly every street in London.

Why?  Because I attended an evening reception for a conference I was at, and they had the nerve to not serve dessert (!).  My sweet tooth needed something.  And Pret was on the way back to the hotel. 

Likely ... there is a Pret on the way back to anywhere in London, as they seemed to be on every corner.  If you are unfamiliar, Pret is a chain of cafes in the UK, serving coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and more.  Sandwiches are pre-made and packaged, but they say are made on site each day (unlike Starbucks sandwiches that are boxed up and mass produced ... somewhere).  Yes, it is in the

Anyway.  They have locations in other places now, including in the US (Boston, New York, Chicago, DC), and a few other countries, but the majority of the stores are still in the UK.

Pret's Mince Pie: Mature Mincemeat / Shortcrust Pastry / Icing Sugar .

"Handmade in Yorkshire, Pret’s Mince Pies are made in small batches to a traditional recipe. The mincemeat was made in July and has been gathering flavour ever since. Topped with a Pret star and a dusting of icing sugar, these pies are a classic festive treat."

Mince pie.  Uh-huh, I know.

Why would I get mince pie of all things?  I think it was marketing, after days of setting mince pies on colorful signs out front of nearly every shop.  Nero.  Pret.  M&S.   Everywhere was advertising the mince pies, along with gingerbread this and that.  'Twas the season.

I can't say that I have much of a history with mince pies.  I think the only ones I really ever had were in Sydney, at the Sheraton on the Park, where they were the best of the mediocre desserts.  And they were made better by whipped cream.

But I also don't really have many chances to get mince pie.   Our Starbucks, Peets, etc are certainly not advertising them in the way the British do!

I got the last one.  Oooh, they are popular!  The cashier even said, "You get the last one! Your lucky day!"

The pie was ... well, ok.  Not great.

The crust was shortcrust, better than a tart shell, softer, buttery-er, sweeter, but still not as good as real pie crust.  More like a soft shortbread cookie.  It was ok.

The star on top was made of the same crust I believe, and was my favorite part.  Sorta sweet, buttery, and crumbly, and it would have been nice to dunk it in some whipped cream.

The thing I didn't care for was the filling.  Oops. Yeah, why did I think I wanted mincemeat?    The assorted colored raisins were fine I guess, but, raisins.  But the whole thing was heavily orange spiced.  Way too much orange for me.  But again, um, what was I thinking?

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SaltiSweet Ice Cream

Ice cream. On a stick.  A pretzel stick.

"All of the best foods are on a stick, but we’re the only stick you can chomp. We start with Real Ice Cream, wrap it around a pretzel or Pirouline® Cookie for easy eating, and dunk it in a creamy chocolatey coating. We’ll even top it off with a little something extra, if it suits your fancy." 

I gotta say, SaltiSweet kinda won me from the start.  I like salty and sweet combos.  I like ice cream.   I don't necessarily think the *best* foods are on a stick, but, sticks are certainly fun and can enhance the eating experience.  I was drawn in.

SaltiSweet makes one product line: pretzel rods, wrapped in ice cream, dunked in chocolate (the Pirouline version is coming soon).  From there, you can mix things up a bit with different coatings (nuts or sprinkles in addition to the chocolate), or different flavors of ice cream (mint, cookies & cream, salted caramel, black raspberry, etc).  Each one is named after somewhere in Colorado, where they are from.

And ... that's it.  Hand held ice cream novelties, on a stick you can eat.

The concept however was better than the practice.

Packaging.

Each item comes packaged in an individual box, with the treat bagged inside it.

Vail Valley Vanilla with Nuts.

I started with a simple vanilla ice cream, chocolate coating, and nuts (peanuts).

It looked exactly as expected.  Basically, like a more traditional ice cream novelty bar, but, with a stick that I could eat.  Who needs popsicle sticks?

I ... kinda liked it.  I had mixed feelings.

The ice cream was clearly much higher quality than you get in average ice cream novelties, no question.  Not a flavored milk product, actual ice cream.

The shell was great, snappy milk chocolate coating, generously and evenly coated in nuts.

The pretzel rod is the part I wasn't entirely sure of.  I wanted it for the salty component, and the crunch, but ... the rod inside the ice cream was not crisp.  How could it be?  It was just like when Ben & Jerry's puts waffle cone pieces into their ice cream like in Americone Dream or the potato chips in Late Night Snack.  Great concept, but, I don't like soggy things in my ice cream!

So the rod?  I didn't want it.  Which kinda defeats the purpose.

Still, a quality product, and if these kinds of textures don't bother you, I'm sure a good one.

Vail Valley Vanilla.

Next I had the most simple, the Vail Valley Vanilla, no additional coating (besides the chocolate shell present on all of them.

This time, the novelty had worn off a bit.  And I was frustrated with it.  It also turned out that the chocolate without nuts just wasn't as tasty.

Vail Valley Vanilla: Inside.

This one also, uh, wasn't as well manufactured.

The rod was not in the center of the item, not that it really mattered, but, it was what it was.

I again really did not like the pretzel rod.  Soft, not crunchy, and, although it was consumable, I didn't want to consume it, so, it wasn't really that much different from a popsicle stick for me.

My other problem?  I love melty ice cream, and its impossible to get these to the proper melty state.  For the ice cream to get melty enough, the chocolate shell needs to totally melt, it seemed.  Otherwise it just held in the cold too well, and it didn't soften nicely.

So, just not the right item for me, but, if you don't mind soggy pretzels, uh, maybe for you?

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