And so, we’ve come full circle. I started off the blog with my then favorite flavor of ice cream from the PSU Berkley Creamery, Bittersweet Mint, and I’d like to end with the same flavor, but with a twist, in addition to another minty flavor.
For this week, I tried, for the first time, a milkshake from the Creamery, in Bittersweet Mint. It was really interesting, because it basically tasted like melted ice cream. The milkshake was very thick, and I’m not going to lie, at times I struggled getting the chunks of chocolate through the straw. It made me a bit wary of what some of the flavors that had more fill-ins would be like in milkshake form, but I guess that’s another adventure for another time. I would highly recommend getting your favorite flavor in milkshake form, both for the experience and for the fact that it was MUCH easier to transport than the regular flavors in either a cup or a cone.
Suffice to say, it was good to be home. While I tried some really delicious flavors throughout the course of the blog, old favorites still hold some magic. And not having Bittersweet Mint for most (let’s be honest, I may or may not have slipped up a few times) for the duration of this blog really made me appreciate the classics more. There’s something to be said for the tried and true. And the final verdict is: Bittersweet Mint is still my favorite flavor! It just has some other companions that are up there in rank too.
And that was pretty much where my blog was going to end for the week, along with some mushy gushy stuff about how trying new flavors has broadened my horizons and made me a better person and feel more like a Penn Stater, yadda yadda yadda. I was content with how I was going to wrap everything up, by blogging about Bittersweet Mint with a twist. I was secretly glad that I could return to getting Bittersweet Mint whenever I wanted in the dining halls, and not have to feel guilty about it. I was free, free at last! No longer would I be compelled to try a new flavor as soon as I saw it, for fear that I would miss out on that opportunity! I was beyond excited when I saw that there was Bittersweet Mint in Pollock the next day, and I quickly got in line, confident and guilt-free as I pictured my sweet, sweet, Bittersweet Mint.
Cue the internal conflict. As I drew closer to the ice cream, I noticed not one, but TWO new flavors that I hadn’t tried, but had wanted to: Black Cow and Peppermint Stick. I swear, there is someone in Pollock Dining halls in charge of dispensing the ice cream who was laughing at me. What was I supposed to do? Technically, I was done the blog, and I was not compelled to try any new flavors. But there they were! Staring at me!
Weakness. Let’s just say that this blog has changed me. I found out that I feel the need to try a new flavor now, even if the old one is present. So, as I approached the ice cream station, I regret to say that did NOT go all out on Bittersweet Mint, but stuck to my new ways, and tried the Peppermint Stick.
In the long run, this ended up being a great decision. Peppermint stick is simply vanilla ice cream with chunks of red and green peppermint candy swirled in, which in turn flavored the vanilla as peppermint as well. It. Was. Delicious. Peppermint Stick was, as all others, rich and creamy and very sweet. By the end of the bowl, the candy piece were getting to be a bit much and were getting stuck in my teeth, so I would suggest it in small doses, so you don’t get overwhelmed by the flavor. But other than that, I have no criticisms!
Please ignore the carrots underneath. I try to pretend like I’m healthy to balance out the insane amount of ice cream I consume.
So I guess the moral of the story is to make new friends, but keep the old. There’s something good about both trying new flavors, and taking a break to enjoy the old ones that you love deep down in your heart. And I guess that could be applied to a lot of things here at Penn State (oh goodness here comes the mushy gushy anyways…). In all honesty, as lame as this sounds, I learned a lot from this blog and throughout this blog simply by branching out and trying new flavors at the Creamery. In coming to Penn State, we all had old friends from high school and back home, yet we’re making countless new friends here. And there’s something valuable about both of those things. If we never take the time to see what else is out there, we’ll never stumble across the Espresso Fudge Pies or the Peppermint Sticks or the Alumni Swirls that are out there. But is we focus too much on those new ones, we’ll forget how good the Bittersweet Mints of the world are. It’s all about balance, I guess.
Metaphorical ice cream for the win.
And so concludes this blog. I have to admit, it’s a bit odd. I think in the future, I’ll still keep trying out new flavors, just to see what this place has to offer. So feel free to ask away in the future about any flavors… If you hadn’t noticed, I’m very passionate about the Creamery, and dairy products in general. I’m also a nerd. But that’s beside the point. I hope you guys learned something, and feel like you can branch out and try some new flavors too. Good luck with your future Creamery endeavors, and happy eating!
“Life should be delicious.”
I don’t even know if that’s a quote by someone or not. Just go with it.
