The Best Thing I Had In My Mouth - Dairy Queen Pecan Mudslide

A couple weeks ago, I flew to Iowa to visit my parents and surprise my grandma for her birthday.  Of course, I had to hit my most favorite fast food spots.  Sorry to make the fast-food stereotype stick in the Midwest, but even a snoot like me still enjoys some zesty curly fries from Arby's, hush puppies from Long John Silvers, and of course ice cream from Dairy Queen.

There are no Dairy Queens in Manhattan, so it is truly a special treat when I can go.  I walked in and asked for a Tropical Blizzard, and to my dismay the high school girls looked puzzled.  Ummm in case you didn't know, it's vanilla ice cream blended with shredded coconut, pecans, banana, and pineapple.  What is even more puzzling is that it is the Blizzard's 25th birthday.  Hello - shouldn't we be celebrating DQ's Blizzard diversity?  Bring back the Tropical Blizzard (by the way it is Tom Brokaw's favorite too)!  So I then requested a grape StarKiss, and they were out.  DEVASTATING.  I finally order a Pecan Mudslide.  Although, it wasn't the first two things I requested, it was still the best thing I had in my mouth all weekend.

This time last year, I made Flourless Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies.  Click here for the recipe.

Swedish Delicacies

Sometimes I wonder if I go to Ikea for its cheap designer furniture and accessories, or for its delicious dollar treats. I think it is a little of both. I took the Ikea bus from Port Authority to Elizabeth, New Jersey on Sunday morning. Since the Ikea in Red Hook opened, the NJ Ikea has been so pleasant and manageable. I use to have to go in a with a game plan - a war strategy, now I wander leisurely (somewhat) throughout the mega store picking up things I never thought I needed until now. I can't resist bendy-straws, melamine trays, etc., etc. At the end of your journey, passed the check-out the Swedish Food Market & Bistro beckons you in. How can one pass up a $1 hotdog, cinnamon roll, or frozen yogurt? I can't. So on Sunday I got my usual frozen yogurt cone and two cinnamon rolls (I saved one for later - so don't judge).

The frozen yogurt is sweet and has a smooth texture - think Dairy Queen soft serve, but it is yogurt. The cone is as unpretentious and simple as the yogurt - just a cardboard-tasting container - which is fine because I am eating it for the yogurt. I don't need something else competing for my attention. Although, I love Pinkberry's tangy yogurt, Ikea's yogurt is what I think I prefer.
As for the cinnamon rolls, to me they are good, but not great. I appreciate a cinnamon roll that has some carmelization and a bit of bite on the edges. Ikea's cinnamon roll is perfectly fluffy and doughy throughout - there is no real variation between the outside and inside. But it is filled with plently of cinnamon and then drizzled with sweet icing.
Whenever I hear that someone went to Ikea, I instantly ask if they got the yogurt. I know I look disappointed when I hear that they didn't. So on your next stop in, don't forget about the dollar treat.