Review: Weight Watcher Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

If this ice cream sandwich wasn't in the white wrapper with the WW logo on it, I wouldn't have guessed it was healthier for me. It's huge compared to the regular thin ice cream sandwiches. And I've seen think ice cream sandwiches like this one--with calories upwards of 300! And it looks all fanciful with the little waves on the ice cream--very inviting!

My first bite packed a powerful mint flavor. As I chewed, the strong flavor remained and was a little odd. The chocolate wafer tasted normal, and still got my fingers all sticky with chocolate skins. The mint ice cream had no chocolate pieces or crumbs in it, like Blue Bell's, but that was the good part (the chocolate pieces tend to be too hard when eating a soft, creamy ice cream). As for portion size, I feel like it could be smaller. :) But a great treat when I'm eating it outside in the sun. It leaves my mouth cool and minty for hours after...along with an aftertaste. Overall, the WW Mint Ice Cream Sandwich was a satisfying treat without much of the guilt of regular sandwiches...but the mint isn't quite perfect.

My little sis agrees that the mint with no choco was good, but her overall impression was "stay away from the imitation mint ice cream."

What keeps me coming? This version is more sturdy than the regular ice cream sandwiches. The chocolate wafers don't slip and slide everywhere when trying to bite into this thick creamwich. And, you know it, it's low-fat ice cream!

I look forward to a Cookies and Cream version of the sandwich. Not much can go wrong there, can it? On the web site, I see there are all vanilla or all chocolate flavors, but hopefully we'll see more soon! I'd get these again...my sis might not eat it, but I certainly will. My mom also liked this icy sandwich treat, but then again, she likes almost anything with Ice cream & chocolate!

Each sandwich has 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber.
Points Value: 2 (don't know the point system, just put the pt. info anyway)

Pic in progress.

Last week's recipe

I didn't forget about my weekly meal last week...but it wasn't exactly a meal. It was a drink! I made Joe Cool Java Freeze, from HG's 200 under 200.

My mom planned a big dinner for Friday and it lasted until...was it Monday?? Anyway, I made a little time on Saturday to whip up some iced coffee. The recipe was simple, but I put my ingredients out of order (if that makes any difference). It still came out tasty.

The foamy bubbles from the milk after the drink came out of the blender was bleh!

Sweet coffee--sister-approved. I usually drink my coffee strong, but this was a nice taste. Like I ordered one from the coffee shop instead of home brewing it.

I made 2 servings in a glass, but my mom & sisters finished it before I could take a pic! I'll make it again real soon, though.

Only 68 calories per serving and 1g of sugar!

Noon = growling stomach

Had a morning walk with Churri before my simple breakfast.

Pics in progress...lunch break!!!


Here is my bfast, made of 1 honey graham cracker sheet, spoonfuls of cottage cheese, and a blueberry garnish.

Heehee...they kinda look like Pop-Tarts!! :D

I'm (or should I say, my belly is) settling down now. I had some of yesterday's food.

Saturday
The family was celebrating Peru's Independence day early (bc you guessed it...we're Peruvian :D). My parents cooked up some bistec ranchero outside on the grill. We had to keep Churri's visits outside short because he was getting into the ashes that fell from the grill. The smell must've been really tempting!

Main spotlight: Bistec Ranchero
Supporting sidekicks: orange rice, pico de gallo, potato salad and salad greens.

Paper Pup

I just remembered...Churri was in the paper this week! See him here.

The camera loves him! He makes another appearance here, younger and more innocent.

Upcoming...

I'm expecting to have some great food tomorrow, so stay tuned. Either we're (the family) is going to a Peruvian Restaurant or cooking a fancy meal at home. YAY! :D They both sound good to me!!

Ohhh, I almost forgot...I took home some squash from work today! Hehe. Sounds funny, but a co-worker's neighbor grows them, so she shared them with the office. I heard that she might be bringing zucchini next week--hooray!

Catalog Shopping

Today was one of those working days...at school, work, and home. Right now, I'm off to homework. I'll leave you with some odd stuff. And sorry for the blurry pics--took them on my phone.

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Do you ever get those catalogs in the mail, the kind that advertise crazy products to make life easier? I do admit that, on occasion, I find something I really want. I know novelty items are useless, but I still find them interesting. And don't get me started on those entrancing infomercials! The best late late late night tv entertainment, lol.


Well, one catalog came my way a few days ago...I grabbed it and got comfortable at the kitchen table after dinner. Yes, I was paging through the entire booklet. Weird things make me laugh, and you can never get too many laughs. There were some funny ones and one thing that I want. Guess which one I want:

No more frustration with socks!

Making Funnel Cakes just got easier!

How have we been living all these yrs. without this 5-piece empanada crimper?? Press, fill & fold.

Perfect Eggs in the Morn! Upgraded egg ring also has a thin, puny handle!

Stop going hungry! Make 4 eggs instead of 1 with the egg ring set.

Weekend Eats

I was so busy last week that I put off my weekly meal until Saturday!! But I made 2 meals that day, so I kinda made up for being last minute.

Saturday
Bfast: Cheerios, Kashi Heart to Heart, soy milk
Lunch: Fettuccini with veggies (Weekly Meal--Hungry Girl recipe!)+ Chicken Stir-fry

I'll explain-I only had one package of Tofu Shirataki noodles (1 serving), so I split it up into 4 and my sisters, mom, and I all tried some! I also helped my mom make the stir-fry with chicken, the main meal.

HG Fettuccine

Chicken Stir-fry

Dinner: Nachos w/ cheese
Whoops...I wasn't hungry before I left to the Rise Against concert (Went for Billy Talent!! whooo!) and couldn't bring in snacks. :( Hunger struck during Rancid's performance, and I happily left my seat (not my type of music).

Sunday
Bfast: Fiber One yogurt, Fiber One cereal -original, 2/3 c Strawberries


Lunch: Sonic Jr. Breakfast Burrito, 2 T Picante Pace
Snack: a few pistachios, string cheese
Dinner: Brown rice, pork & calabaza in a spicy tomatillo sauce...and cayenne for a kick!
About 2 weeks ago, I had this food for dinner and it was S-P-I-C-YYYYY!! My mom used half the bottle of spicy tomatillo sauce and the whole fam was in tears at the dinner table. It was quite funny. :D And we kept eating, lol. So this time, my mom put in about 1/3 of the amount she used previously. I found that it lacked heat, and that's when I hit it with cayenne (I've been wanting to use my new bottle, anyway).


Snack: Cheerios
Totaled about 20 min exercise for the day (10 min walk w/ Churri, 10 min DDR)

**Overall great day!! **

Staying on Track

I went out this morning on a short walk with Churri...I should do it more often! It feels like a workout because the sun beats down so hard, but it makes for a great start to the day!

Yesterday didn't start as well. On Fridays at work, the staff always gets food brought in for lunch. Yesterday was Mexican food, loads of it! I was tempted to try a bit of everything there, but those kinds of foods weren't new to me. I settled a smallish beef taco (there was no chicken!), a spoonful of guacamole, tomatoes, spicy salsa, a handful of rice (with veggies!) and a quesadilla slice. No pictures this time...I usually take them when eating at home (even though my family thinks it's weird).

When I got home, I helped my mom & sis put up the groceries and saw a pink container with a golden rim in the freezer... Blue Bell! Strawberry kind! Soooo, I ended up having some with my little sis. Ahh! No more treats for me. :) I was relieved after going to the park with my fam. I'm definitely not a runner, but I jogged and walked a bit. I'd say I had about 20 minutes of exercise total for Friday. Gotta bring that number up!

FREE Public Screening of "Food, Inc." - Wednesday Night

I'm in the middle of studying, but I just couldn't let this go without attention:

Chipotle Mexican Grill is sponsoring a FREE public screening of the film “Food, Inc.” at 7:30 p.m. this Wednesday at the Angelika Film Center, in Houston. Seating is limited, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early. The documentary exposes the country’s compromised food supply. And it features people like Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation") and Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma").

More info at http://www.foodincmovie.com/.

I was really looking forward to going tomorrow, but I have an exam on Thursday (why??!) that I should study for. At least I'm being responsible...

All I can do now is pass on the word.

Has anyone watched it, or going to watch? How was it?

Weekly Meal

In the previous post, I mentioned cooking something once a week. Why don't I cook every day (or regularly)?

There are a few reasons:

-My mom cooks, and she doesn't like me in her territory
-I am a kitchen klutz XD
-I'd be cooking for my whole fam (my mom has to wake up reeeaaally early to
make my dad's food), and I take a long time to make a meal
-I have school & work (when are my mom & sis gonna eat?? lol)

But I'm gonna to try, anyway. How else will I improve in the kitchen?

I've narrowed down my meal choice to two of Hungry Girl's fettuccine recipes: Totally pumpin' fettuccine (129 cal for a serving) & Fettuccine hungry girlfredo veggie explosion (151 cal per serving). They both use Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Subsitute, and I happen to have a package in my refrigerator! I think I'm going with the lower-cal one, which uses canned pumpkin.


Too bad I can't just use the noodles I already have. I have to buy more. (Each recipe makes one serving...I need to make at least four.)

My mom & sis are planning to do the grocery shopping tomorrow, but I'll be at work most of the day. I'm gonna miss out!!

Getting ready for the week

Monday's coming...ugh.

I'm trying to prep for this week: Got homework done for class tomorrow, need to bring my things (journal!) for work, have snacks for school & work, and put a short grocery list together.

I never have the ingredients I need when I want to try out a recipe, so my goal for the week is to look for a good recipe and buy ingredients only for that recipe.

If I go to the store without a list, I'm capable of buying a little bit of everything for mulitple recipes that I've been meaning to try. I'd end up spending a fortune!!

I'll peruse my copy of Hungry Girl's 200 under 200:



During every trip to Wal-Mart, I would run to the book section to check if the new HG book was there. I was waiting for so long to get the book--previous experience (HG's first book) has taught me that Wal-Mart sells the book cheaper than other places, including online stores. Finally, on a recent visit, I was lucky enough to find it for $13.87--YAY! (I recall getting bananas, too.)

Future goal: Cook a meal/dessert, using a new healthy recipe at least once a week.

I'll flip through the pages soon so I can give my sister the list of ingredients I'll need on the next trip to the grocery store.

Wing disaster

Yesterday was one of those days when I get forced off the internet becuse of connection problems. :( I think it's my whole area! Luckily, I was able to get online today.

My meal/snack schedule was out of order because I went on a trip today. For bfast, I had some Cheerios in the car and some water from time to time (not too much, or I would run the risk of having to stop at a gas station or other place to use a dirty, smelly bathroom.

Meal time! I was struggling to think of a good place to take my mom, two sisters, and boyfriend out to lunch. We ended up eating at Pluckers Wing Bar, mainly because it was close and had free parking, lol.

I had a lettuce burger, as usual:

Just kidding...and that sounds gross! But that's kinda what it looks like in the pic. It was good, though. I can never have too much lettuce. :) I wonder...could a wing bar ever have vegetarian options?? Anyway, my real lunch at Pluckers, as pictured: "Big Easy"- Chicken Sandwich (doesn't come breaded!) with Cajun Seasonings, Lettuce, Jalapeños and Honey Mustard. Oh, and a pickle spear. My side: sweet potato fries (which I saved for dessert). And, no, I didn't eat it all! I shared some of my burger and fries. :)

I ordered this only after I found out that my favorite menu item was no longer being served!!It was in the Pre-game Warm up (appetizer) section...the "Buffalo Shrimp Basket." It's a sign...I shouldn't have fried things. These fried shrimp were the best thing on the menu and were a reasonable portion for a meal. The shrimp were tossed in your choice of Medium, Lemon Pepper (my fav), or Cajun seasoning/sauces and served with Dirty Bird sauce (I don't remember having the sauce...).

My lunchmates ordered: Boneless Wings Basket, tossed in Ranch; Boneless Wings Basket, tossed in Ranch; Boneless Wings Basket, tossed in Ranch; and Boneless Wings Basket, tossed in Spicy BBQ. Not an ideal variety for my sampling pleasures. :( All the baskets came with Waffle Fries and Ranch, on the side. They had a Ranch Overload! The wings were super salty, so my sisters hand-unbreaded the chicken tenders!

I've resolved to order for my family, when at a new restaurant, in the future (at least when I'm familar with the eatery). :D

Dog Day Out, what I proclaimed as "Churri Day"

I actually took my dog(Mini American Eski) out yesterday, but that was just for shopping. We (mom, sis, and me) got him a new collar, new leash (the kind you put around the body), and "Spot's Stew" (a wholesome treat). If I ate it, I couldn't have reviewed it...but my dog licked the bowl, enough said. :) I would buy it again. The smell was pretty good and reminded me of tuna. I loved that it had peas and carrot pieces.

Today, I walked Churri around the neighborhood and he met some dogs. YAY, he doesn't run away anymore!! :D I plan to take him out more often... at least now he is more behaved.

I'll get some exercise out of it, too!

Here's my Churri!!

I'm Hungry...for more Ice Cream

Well, maybe not. (It's too late to being eating ice cream. Has anyone eaten ice cream before bed? I may have...) Hello! I'm the hungry neko and I can't wait to share my food adventures! I'm too excited--I gotta start already. :D

I went to an ice cream shop in Kingwood, called Two Gems, and it was super delicious! They serve Blue Bell, so OF COURSE it's deeelish! Gelato is also available in lots of flavors, but it's not the main attraction. I prefer Whole Food gelato. Next time I go, I'd get the ice cream or try a shake!

I should really go to bed now... I start my Calculus class tomorrow. D: NOT looking forward to it. But before I go, I must post pics for those I have tempted with the creamy delicousness of Blue Bell.

Sweet, Icy Dreams!

P.S. Those creamy memories (and pics) have actually made my tummy churn.

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This Gelato has 3 different flavors: Chocolate Almond, Tiramisu, and Amaretto. I like Amaretto, but it overpowered the rest of the flavores and left a weird aftertaste.



Krazy Kolors Ice Cream in a small cup. Kids love it...they end up having blue faces. Can you see it starting to melt?? I was outside and it turned into a drippy mess, so I went inside to let it drip over the trash can. The server helped me out with a little plastic cup, but we ended up dropping it! :( I had blue over my shorts and legs...and my camera! So I didn't get to taste it, but I didn't miss much. It's basically vanilla with crazy colors added to it. Sprinkled on top are gummy bears, sprinkles, and M&Ms. I don't really like candy--only the chocolate/nut kind.


This was the first cone they made me at Two Gems. Waffle cone with 3 decadent flavors: Rocky Road, Cinnamon, and Caramel Turtle. The cinammon was the star, but it couldn't have happened with the chocolatey flavor! My favorite of the day and a tough flavor combo to beat!

Thanks Two Gems!! The manager was really nice and the server was patient with me! ;D