I am extra appreciative to President’s Choice this week. I have injured my left shoulder and my abilities to create food has been a tad compromised. That said, I probably should not be living off the following treats!
PC Blue Menu Fruit Juice Freeze Pops only have 25 calories each and are made with fruit juices which is much healthier and more natural than most freezies. You get grape, orange and cherry flavoured frozen pops and they are quite tasty and refreshing. My only complaint is you can really tell it is from concentrate, especially the orange which was a little harsh. Still, we are enjoying these immensely on rare warm days on the east coast: four and a half out of five wooden spoons. You get 24 per bag at $4.49.
The box of PC Apricot & Rosemary Artisan Crisps was pretty smashed up but there were a few of these stunning crisps still intact. Filled with pumpkin seed kernels, sliced almonds and golden flaxseeds (among many other ingredients), I had never seen anything quite like them.
Sadly, flavour wise I found these a bit weird. Sweet and savoury is rarely a home run of a combination for me. My husband and I tried them in various dips and they just tasted odd. Had they only been apricot or solely rosemary, I am sure we would have loved them. That said, for those looking for something unusual for their dinner parties that will start a conversation, this may be a good choice.
You can also get these in raisin & black currant or cranberry & fennel flavours for $4.49 in the deli section.
I think the PC Cookies & Creme Topping is such a cool idea! If you have ever tried to make your own mini chocolate curls, you will also be excited to see this product. Such a pain in the butt to do yourself! And they look so very pretty.
I am not a store-bought cookies fan so I could have done without that part of the product but for those who enjoy the texture of cookies topping their dessert, you will love this product! I was thrilled to see that you can also purchase this type of product and get chocolate & toffee topping, as well as the s’mores with mini marshmallows. How adorable!
I will totally be using these as decorative touches and garnishes to my desserts. A total steal at $2.99 for foodie geeks like me: five out of five wooden spoons.
I am usually wary of ice cream cones. The kind from my childhood with the teeth at the bottom that would tear my mouth apart scare me to this day and when I hear sugar cones, I think calories and potentially deep fried ice cream cones. Not so with PC Sugar Cones! I was thrilled to see that they only have .2 grams of fat per cone. The little girl inside me squealed actually! They are 50 calories each but I can live with that.
I was not happy to see that they are packaged in styrofoam though. Knowing that when I am done with them that pink foam is going to the landfill fills me with dread. I will enjoy this package of sugar cones but I don’t think I can buy them again, knowing it will be damaging the planet. Such a shame!
These would have gotten five out of five, especially since one package is only $1.99, but the packaging issue can not be ignored: four out of five wooden spoons.
The PC Caramel Syrup Ice Cream and Dessert Topping is unbelievably delicious, easy to use and pretty. I love that you just have to tip it over, flip the top off and squeeze. This controls the amount of caramel coming out so you do not end up with giant blobs and makes every treat you squeeze it on look like a million bucks. I also used it on my oatmeal crunchies the other day. Stunning!
On top of all that, this syrup is delicious! Because it is sugar-based (some are cream-based) it is not as high in fat as other syrups. In just 2 tbsp you get only 1 gram of fat which makes me a happy camper. This is a very generous bottle of caramel syrup and I am amazed it is only $2.99. This may last me an entire summer but I will be buying it again as soon as the bottle runs out. My only issue is storage. The packaging does not say whether or not it should be stored in the fridge. Regardless, this products gets five out of five wooden spoons. I LOVE it!
Please note that all the ice cream in the photos is PC Cream First Ice Cream – Vanilla that I personally purchased for testing out the product President’s Choice graciously sent me. I have to say, this is the best store-bought ice cream I have ever had. It is not your dense custard-based ice cream but it is your top quality pure cream, sugar and vanilla bean ice cream. Light yet rich, absolutely stunning, clean-tasting… When I want ice cream but I don’t want to make it, I will be investing in this $4.99 ice cream. Nothing else will do! I give this product five out of five wooden spoons.
I don’t know if you saw this video of Jamie Oliver on the David Letterman Show talking about “natural ingredients” in ice cream but I am happy to say that I got a note directly from Loblaw assuring me that I can enjoy their ice cream without fears of such a “natural” ingredient:
“I’d like to assure you that Castoreum extract is not used in ice cream flavouring so no need to worry while serving this product to your family.”
Yay! Deep down I knew there could be no way President’s Choice would do such a thing but having the assurance that they don’t… Well I am just going to have more ice cream to celebrate!
I agree that apricot and rosemary is an odd pairing of flavours. The cranberry and fennel might be intriguing though? And raisin and black currant would probably be okay.
Leave it to PC to make summer delicious! I’m thinkin that Cookies & Creme topping with that Caramel Syrup, vanilla ice cream and a blender and you got the makings of a homemade McFlurry or Blizzard, but waaaay cheaper. Going to have to try that.
Awesome review as always Suzie, love hearing about all the neat stuff they come out with.
I bought the maple-nuts ice cream this week. Good but the little “maple” pellets make it way too sweet. Wish they’d do a Blue Menu version.
I love reading your reviews! Thank God PC doesn’t use the beaver anal gland in its ice creams but there are still A LOT of unnecessary ingredients. In the caramel sauce as well. In the ice pops too. Just because of that, I am not interested. We have a great ice cream in Quebec, Coaticook, which only uses natural ingredients. It is delicious and the same price as other “cheap” brands.
I was nicely suprised to see that the crackers and the toppings were mostly natural ingredients though. Ingredients we understand when we read the list. That is a go for me.
Debra, I do have friends who would like the unusual combos but for me? Not my thing.
Ava, it’s true! You could make your own McFlurries and Blizzards all summer! Thanks so much Ava, I appreciate that.
Marc-André, I have gotten the maple one before, last summer and I agree, too sweet for me! The vanilla is much less sweet but very, very creamy.
Thanks Mélodie! I was so relievd to hear PC doesn’t hurt beavers to make ice cream too. When it comes to food that has to last on the shelf, there are going to be preservatives, I know. I do try and make as much food as I can to avoid them but some times you need a break and a treat. As long as it isn’t all the time! Yup, the closest to natural is always best, that’s for sure.
Yep, I agree. “Treat” is the magic word, I think. I will never give up real chips, none of the baked stuff!!! The problem really is with the quantity that people eat, sometimes without knowing, which is really insidious.
For example, I was given a Kraft pudding to review. It is new, marketed for “adults with good taste”, low in calories, etc. BUT it contains 2 or 3 chemical sweeteners and a bunch of crazy stuff. But because the package says low in calories, fat, sugar, etc., it will sell and maybe even become a staple, which it shouldn’t.
I hate marketing, I think 🙂
Mélodie, absolutely, the issue is with quantity and the fact a lot of people don’t know the first thing about real food and how to make it. A treat from a box every now and then is fun. Living out of one is bad, bad idea!
Oh dear. I would have had the same issues with the pudding. I don’t eat anything with fake sweeteners. It is hard for people with diabetes though, they do not have much choice but still! I would rather have one real bite of the real thing than a big tub of chemicals.
That cookies & cream topping looks awesome! Love the reviews 🙂
On a side note, it seems to me that awhile back, I used to buy a PC Bourbon vanilla ice cream (this was really years and years ago), and I loved it, but they don’t have it anymore. Haven’t tried the one you mention but was wondering if you remember the bourbon vanilla flavor I’m thinking of…
totally agree about those PC Crackers, found this page looking online for a dip that would go with them… I just bought some nice pine nut hummous that I am hoping will make them edible! As of now I gotta agree the combo is odd and the flavour is artificial to me, sadly!