Two of My Favorite Men Are Ben & Jerry

Today I'm here to talk about something that 99.9% of us can smile over: Ben & Jerry's ice cream. That's right. Let's have an earthbound moment over that frosty, creamy pint of goodness and the two men skilled at comforting any girl who chooses a night in. Thanks to a recent sale at Walgreen's and Facebook sponsored ads, I have three pints in the freezer. There would be four except Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz®  has been sold out at every single one of my not so impromptu trips to the pharmacy. I can justify buying three pints considering my friend Kathryn just bought 16. I can additionally justify her purchase by restating that they are sold ONLY in pints, which is probably my only complaint to the company (yes Ben & Jerry's, we will buy your product by the gallon).

I'm a consumer of Ben & Jerry's because of the company's advocacy of GMO labeling. To you health foodies, this is probably old news, but it's dear to my heart and inner activist. If you don't already know, genetically modified foods have been linked to cancer, infertility, accelerated age and changes in major organs. GM plant production alone can release toxins, carcinogens and allergens into the environment. The scary part? GMO labeling is not a federal mandate and only three states require it.

Ben & Jerry's says #GMOrighttoknow and has been working with its home state Vermont to raise awareness and advocacy for GMO labeling. The flavor "Food Fight" was even created to raise money for the Food Fight Fund, an organization that supports Vermont's in-progress GMO labeling law as well as anticipated litigation filed against it. While I couldn't find this flavor, I have decided to give a brief review of the three flavors (plus all-time favorite) I did purchase.


1. AmeriCone Dream
Rating: 4/5
Vanilla ice cream with fudge covered waffle cone pieces & a caramel swirl

Overall I enjoyed this flavor and give bonus points for Stephen Colbert donating his proceeds to The Stephen Colbert AmeriCone Dream Fund. I'll eat ice cream to provide food and medical assistance to disadvantaged children any day. The vanilla base with caramel swirls are a nice staple for most ice cream lovers, but the fudge covered waffle cones really kick it off. The crunchy meets smooth texture keeps each bite exciting. It's fairly sweet, but what ice cream isn't?



2.  Chocolate Peppermint Crunch
Rating: 5/5
Chocolate ice cream with with peppermitn and fudge swirls and mint chocolate cookie balls

I'm a little biased because I have a spoonful of it in my mouth as I type and am a peppermint connoisseur. My favorite part about this flavor is that peppermint oil is infused into the chocolate base as opposed to the ice cream containing peppermint flakes. The mint chocolate cookie balls are a slightly darker chocolate which only enrich the flavor. Would eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

3.  Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz®
Rating: 5/5
Coffee ice cream with espresso bean fudge chunks

Ice cream and coffee had a baby, and I couldn't be happier. If it's summertime and you fear the risk of watered-down ice coffee or grinds in your cup, this is your solution. Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz contains coffee extract so that the base is pure coffee heaven. The expresso bean fudge chunks are only a bonus.

4.  Red Velvet Cake
Rating: 3/5
Red velvet cake batter ice cream with red velvet cake pieces & a cream cheese swirl

If you think this sounds amazing, you will probably find that your taste buds agree. I, on the other hand, was a skeptic and my taste buds followed lead. Yes, it tastes like red velvet but it all depends whether you like that in ice cream form. The base is good but the red velvet cake pieces weren't impressive. I won't buy this one again.



Comment with your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor! I'd love to hear your thoughts on GMO labeling, whether your state is working to pass legislation and if GMO labeling influences your buying habits. Thanks for reading. :)

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Stretch of the Month: Hip Opening

Shakira said it first: my hips don't lie. Have you ever squatted or bent over to find yourself feeling suddenly angry or frustrated? Not to sound like an anti-depressant commercial, but you're not alone. The anatomical significance of hips is evident, but the emotional implications are not always. Hips can be thought of as a basin for negative emotions. We women especially store years of frustration and negative emotions in those junk drawers known as hips. I've attended several hip-opening yoga classes and almost every time afterwards, I witness a woman or two crying with both relief and gratitude. I have to admit that Pigeon Pose sometimes makes me feel like I need to scream and just let it all go. So I do.

No matter your age, sex or degree of flexibility, it's never too late to stretch your hip flexor muscles. You'll also find yourself with improved mobility, flexibility and stability by practicing hip-openers bi-weekly or so. Some of my favorite asanas that are guaranteed to do the trick are High Lunge, Lizard Pose and Lotus Pose. This week I'd like to share a stretch with you that I recently learned. It has done a wonder on my hip flexors and shoulders. Be aware that this an intense hip opener and may require moderate stretching prior to attempting. Also, please excuse my goofy facial expressions!

Hip-Opening Stretch

1. Sit with your feet crossed and let your legs fall to either side at about a 45 degree angle.

2. Place your thumbs under your pits and place your hands on your chest, fingers pointing upwards. 

Make sure your elbows are outside of your knees.

3. As you inhale, keeping your spine elongated, squeeze your legs together.Your knees can be used as leverage to push your elbows closer together. This motion should cause your shoulder-blades to push outwards and the front of your shoulders inwards. Hold this pose for 3 seconds as you hold your breath.

4. Exhale and release to the starting position. Repeat 3-5 times.

The morning after this stretch, I find my hips fairly sore from all the release, so please keep your body in mind when practicing. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. If it does, try gradually increasing the number of repetitions of this stretch. After a few stretches, like Shakira, you'll start to feel it's right. ;)

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What is The Earthbound Experience?

"What is the Earthbound Experience?" you may ask. 

You've heard the phrase: sometimes you have to help yourself before you can help others. We'll call it a 1/4th-life crisis, an epiphany, maturing...or simply, an adventure. I began the Earthbound Experience about a month ago as an effort to renew myself from the roots up. In other words, this blog will be the composed musings, ponderings, progress, and insights from a spiritual journey based on holistic living and healing. And I would love for you, dear reader, to join me along the way.

earth·bound [ərTHˌbound] -adjective 

1. Attached or restricted to the earth

2. Attached or limited to material existence

While I realize that claiming a spiritual journey as "earthbound" sounds contradicting, this paradox emphasizes my intent: we are consistently attached and somewhat restricted by material and earthly possessions; however, we ourselves belong to the earth, so why not attain a spiritual existence to fully embrace the beautiful spectrum of life and existence?

I'm ecstatic to share my quest with you in future posts! Get ready for blogs on yoga, crystology, gemstones, aromatherapy, essential oils, herbology, massage therapy, skin care, nature, animals, good reads and anything else that contributes to my journey ahead. 

With love and admiration,
Kaylyn

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