Dippin’ Dots – those little balls of goodness, which market themselves as “the ice cream of the future”, has fallen on hard times. The company was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, despite turning a profit last year. Dippin’ Dots were invented in 1988 by Carl Jones, a microbiologist. Jones applied liquid nitrogen to ice cream, which cryogenically flash freezes, causing the mixture to break up into tiny balls.  The ice cream balls are stored at -40° below zero. Isn’t this what they did to Walt Disney’s head? Jones first tested the product with his family and friends before finally securing his original kiosk location at the now closed Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee. The ice cream, sold in dozens of flavors, ices, and mixtures is available at amusement parks, boardwalks, sports stadiums, food courts, and movie theatres from coast to coast. I remember having my first taste at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA when I was a kid.  My family and I were mesmerized at the “ice cream of the future” and gave it a try. I had the Oreo cookies and cream, which are little chunks of Oreo cookies mixed in with vanilla ice cream balls. Some of the more exotic flavors offered include rainbow (which are several different sherbet flavor balls mixed together), Alien green (green colored vanilla dots with cookies), Liberty Ice (a blend of blue raspberry, cheery, and lemon frozen ices), and they’ve just introduced Rocky Road (a blend of marshmallow shaped balls, chocolate ice cream balls, and pieces of roasted almonds.) Any of their products can be ordered online and shipped to you in two days.  Prices start at $2.50 for a small package or $30 per gallon, plus shipping.  For the weight watchers, Dippin’ Dots...

Why would anyone bake a tiny baby doll inside a cake? The king cake is a succulent and fun way to celebrate Mardi Gras. It’s time to introduce everyone to this dessert that’s just a darn good time! A few years ago, a friend from New Orleans introduced me to the tradition of the king cake. The large and colorful cakes are a part of the party fun at Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras (or Carnaval) is several days of eating, parades, dances, and partying. The celebration comes to a head with Fat Tuesday, the last night before the Catholic Lent season begins, and at which time the faithful are expected to fast and obey church law. There are many different varieties of king cakes and countries around the globe have their own versions, with many being served at Christmas time. The cakes are usually decorated in Mardi Gras colors: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Some of these high fat cakes are deep fried like a donut, while most are baked with some type of inner stuffing such as cream cheese, strawberry, or in true Louisianan style – cinnamon. The cakes are then coated with icing and sprinkles. I’ve enjoyed some on several occasions and each time it reminded me of eating a gigantic cinnamon bun. Most feature a small, plastic baby baked inside which is meant to resemble baby Jesus. Finding the piece containing the plastic kid, designates that person gets to receive special treatment such as “king of the day” and in many cases is expected to provide the cake for the next celebration. The host of the party can purchase a cake without the baby baked in, and insert into the cake just before serving to have an idea of where it is. ...

Schweddy Balls – the newest Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor based on the Saturday Night Live skit has finally made it to your grocer’s freezer. The name is as hilarious as the skit, but while only available for a limited time, some shoppers are being forbidden from buying it. Schweddy Balls gets its name from the popular “Delicious Dish” sketch that originally aired on Saturday, December 12, 1998. The five minute sketch, starring Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, and guest host Alec Baldwin was a parody of two DJ’s hosting a National Public Radio (NPR) show.  The two clueless hosts are sampling holiday recipes, when they are joined by Pete Schweddy, who runs a local bakery selling Christmas cookies. The sketch is a play on words, giving a sexual double meaning to his holiday treats. The joke at the heart of the bit is when Pete Schweddy says: “There are lots of great treats this time of year. Zucchini bread – fruitcake. But, the thing I like to bring out most at this time of year are my balls.” It’s brilliant writing and is absolutely hilarious. The skit now airs every holiday season on various Saturday Night Live Christmas specials. The Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company of South Burlington, Vermont is always on the lookout to create new and unusual ice cream flavors. To cash in on the popularity of the skit, they created the official Schweddy Balls ice cream. The ice cream is available only for a limited run, and after months of searching, it finally has made its way to my local grocery store. Ben & Jerry’s has been responsible for a number of novelty ice cream flavors over the years. Sold in small pints, the flavor joins a long line of flavors such...