SnoBloggery

Stew = Spearmint (thus the green teeth)
Suzie = Black Cherry
Snoball Stand = Juju's in River Ridge



Small snoball = $1.25
Condensed milk = $.50 extra
Knowing that THREE people are enjoying a snoball in this photo = PRICELESS

Tis the Season

It's SNOBALL TIME...

So, to kick of the 2011 snoball season, I took my brother Tim to my all-time fave Ro-bears. I had raspberry. He had orange. We kept it simple. And it was perfect. Ro-bears never disappoints.

This season I want to branch out; try some new places. So tell me...what's YOUR suggestion? Where to go? What flavor to try?

Happy snoballing,

Suzie

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#11 - Plum Street

Yeah, so what more is there to say about Plum Street Snoballs? Pure perfection. Every. Time. My Bananas Foster was almost better than actual Bananas Foster. And I've had THE Bananas Foster. For brunch. AT BRENNAN'S. So I feel I can speak with some authority.

Speaking of Brunch at Brennan's, remind me to tell y'all THAT story. It's unbelievable. And not in the way you're imagining...

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#10 - Nick's

I was out in Lakeview running work errands, and in typical New Orleans in July fashion, it was 300 degrees outside. I'm probably not exaggerating. So I didn't feel too guilty about snoballing while still technically on the clock. I stopped by Nick's and tried a Black Cherry. This place (on Harrison, across the street from Lakeview Harbor) actually has an indoor bar area where you can sit and enjoy your icy treat along with a side of free a/c. Unless you're on the clock and have to get back to the office. Fail #1.

So, how was the snoball itself? The ice was pretty lumpy and the flavor was so artificially sweet that it burned the back of my throat. Fail #2.

SnoBloggery

#9 - Costanza's

Per the request of my longtime friend Katie, I tried a half ice cream - half coconut. Poor Katie lives in Seattle where snoball stands are nonexistent. Also in Seattle, they call a Coke "a Pop," which is almost as bad. Plus, the weather forecasters there often refer to something called "sunbreaks," wherein if you're lucky, the sun just might poke through the dreariness for a split second and make you realize just how bad you want to move back to Louisiana. Come back Katie!

Sorry. Enough Seattle-bashing for now.

This particular flavor combo was new to me, but was really delightful. Could have used a bigger ratio of coconut to ice cream, but that's just a personal preference. I go to Costanza's fairly regularly because it's on my way home from work. There is ALWAYS a line of people outside, which I've come to realize is a sign that you're gonna get a decent snoball.

What are your favorite snoball syrup combinations? Inspire me!

SnoBloggery

#8 - Sno Shack

Confession: This is really more like #11. Yes, I've had 3 undocumented balls-o-sno in between. The actual #8 was Blueberry from Casey's - which comes with a fun story that will not be posted for the general public to view(that's right, I do take the high road from time to time). However, if you know me and want details, I'll spill them in person. The actual #9 was an Orange that my boss brought me at work...and I forgot to ask him where it was from but it was terrible so I figure it doesn't really matter. The actual #10 was Pink Lemonade from Pandora's. This place is one of my top 3, and the flavor used to be my all-time favorite as a kid.

On to the Honeydew Melon from Sno Shack (on Jefferson Hwy. across from Riverdale). First of all, just look at the color of that thing. Like pool water! And just as refreshing, 'cept without tasting like chlorine and pee. Seriously though. Good place, super yummy flavor. Although with the heat index hovering around 110 degrees lately, an actual pool water flavor doesn't really sound so bad, so long as it comes with a giant cup of fluffy ice.

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#7 - Batman's

This was my first Batman's snoball that wasn't Chocolate. They have such a yummy chocolate that I never wanted to mess with a good thing. This time I tried Kiwi. The flavor was so-so. My advice - stick with their chocolate. It's a good thing.

However, if you're feeling adventurous:

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#6 - Hansen's Sno-Bliz

I'm pretty sure that when I get to heaven one day, heaven will have its very own Hansen's Sno-Bliz. It is THAT good. I could ramble on for a while like I sometimes always do, but this time I won't. Plus, they have their own website here which is something you should totally check out.

My Strawberry Shortcake with Condensed Milk was to die for. Similar to heaven.

Go to Hansen's. Wait in line. It's worth the wait. Similar to waiting in line for the pearly gates.

SnoBloggery

#5 - The Big Chill

That's me enjoying the latest, a Velvet Elvis. I do a good Elvis impression, no?

The Big Chill is slowly becoming one of my local faves. They have a good variety of outside-the-box-flavors. Guanabana anyone? Apparently, good ol' Elvis is a SECRET RECIPE...or so the girl working the stand informed me. She descibed the Velvet Elvis as "nice and fruity." Vague answer, if you ask me. Here's my assessment: 2/3 red cream soda, 1/3 unidentified, yet pleasant, fruitiness. Surprisingly refreshing.

The Big Chill is located right outside the gate of the walking/jogging track of Lafreniere Park (York Street entrance).

Austin thought this snoball was particularly delicious. He ain't nothin' but a Hound Dog...

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#4 - Juju's

To celebrate the completion of my last session of boot camp (thus the sweaty unattractiveness of me in the above photo), I drove on over to Juju's and sampled a Mr. Freeze. The lady at the snoball stand described it as a "light mint" flavor. I'd say not quite. It tasted more like a mojito, if mojitos were made of mint-flavored body wash with a slight sour aftertaste of synthetic "sour mix" rather than actual lime. The ice was top notch; the flavor, not so much.

Smallest Winner

Whew, first session of boot camp = DONE.

And the results are in. I won't tell you how many inches I lost, because lost is the opposite of win, and well, it's just my personality. I don't like to lose. I like to win.

I will tell you, however, that my waist is 1.5" SMALLER. Also, my hips are 1" SMALLER. Haha, take that waist and hips. You can both SUCK IT.

Am I bragging? YES I AM. Not in an "I'm better than you" kind of way though. Although I did get up twice to do the 5:30 A.M. class. And me waking up before the sun comes out is like, well, the sun waking up before the sun comes out. So lets just say I'm better than the sun.

I think I'll reward myself with a snoball. Or twelve.

SnoBloggery

#3 - RO-BEARS

After doing a BootCamp cardio workout outside in the parking lot of the VFW Hall (seriously) I was all sweaty and hot and well that just BEGS for a snoball. I hit up my all-time favorite RO-BEARS in Harahan for a Blue Hawaii (by recommendation from my pal Trevor - hi Trevor!)

The Blue Hawaii is a cream flavor combination of coconut and bubblegum. Smelled a bit like suntan lotion (in a good, beachy way), and was pretty delicious. I don't normally go for cream flavors because they tend to screw up the ice texture, but this held up well and wasn't too thick. I also usually go for fruity flavors so this was a nice departure from the usual. Thanks for the recommendation Trev.

If anyone has other recommendations, send them my way!

SnoBloggery

#2 - Droopy's

Let me start by saying this. I am a loyal fan of Ro-bear's. They are my numero uno of Harahan snoball stands. They are my childhood. My fondest memories. When Droopy's opened up shop many years ago DIRECTLY across the street, it hurt my feelings a bit. Like when Krispy Kreme opened right across Clearview from Tastee Donuts. It just ruffled my feathers and made me want to be fiercely loyal to the original.

That being said, Droopy's is locally owned (as I assume all snoball stands are). They aren't the corporate bad-guy across the street. They aren't Krispy Kreme. When they moved to their temporary Metairie location last year, it was a bit strange. However, they are back (almost) to their old location on Jefferson Highway. And they are tasty.

I had the Red Velvet. The ice was perfection. The syrup was a near exact representation of red velvet cake. And props to the employees for service with a smile despite the fact that we got there 2 minutes before closing time. Oops! I tipped them accordingly.

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In complete and total disregard of my previous post about jumping on the fitness bandwagon, it's time for my absolute favorite season of the year: SNOBALL SEASON.

If you know me (or don't, but for some reason still care), I started documenting my snoball encounters last year on my facebook page. Starting this year, I'll give each experience a little review here @ stewzie...that is of course until the Times-Picayune hires me as a professional Snoball Critic.

#1 - The inaugural snoball of 2010. Passion Fruit from Beaucoup. This place, located on Freret Street in New Orleans, is unique (snobally speaking). All of their snoballs are made from FRESH JUICE that comes from LOCAL produce. Yes, I just said that. No sickly sweet concoctions here.

It's a little know fact that I CANNOT bring myself to eat anything more than a kiddie-sized snoball. Sure, that probably lessens my snoball cred, but most syrups (even the ones I love) are just too much sugar for me to handle. That's the perk of Beaucoup. Think fresh-squeezed lemonade vs. Koolaid. No comparison. The Passion Fruit tasted like Passion Fruit. Not Bubbalicious Passion Fruit-Flavored Bubble Gum. Very refreshing.

Sidenote: That ridiculously cute pregnant chic standing next to me is my dear friend Lisa Ruffin (Hi Lisa!) She had the Watermelon (yum). Baby Ruffin enjoyed it as well.