No! Nope! Hell to the no! I know what you’re thinking with a title featuring pickles and ice cream. Don’t worry, I didn’t knock anyone up!

However, this post was inspired by my pregolicious fellow blogger, Yvonne DeMoss who keeps posting these gems in our Facebook Foodie Group, Phenomnomnomenal (join now by clicking here!):

Check out Yvonne’s blog www.singathomemom.com for more!

Ha! I love how she always blames the baby! But Hot Cheetos dipped in chocolate chip cookie ice cream?  Geez woman!  

Although I’d never want to endure the pain of carrying and forcing a watermelon sized human out of my body (this is why I always say that women are tougher than men, hands down!), I would love to have someone else to blame for my gluttonous cravings.

My friend Nancy Posey, who’s currently breastfeeding her 2-month baby Darius (so close, yet so far…you ALMOST blessed him with the perfect name Nancy) also talks about how much more she has to eat now in order to feed him.  That part sounds pretty awesome if you ask me! Wow, I guess kids really are a gift huh?

Although Nancy craved banana splits and syrup covered cornbread (huh? I may have to try that one…it sounds um interesting) throughout her pregnancy, pickles are one of the most well-known expectant mother sacrificial offerings.

Mom’s and expecting Mom’s, comment below with some of your wildest pregnancy cravings!

Of course, this current pickle craze goes well beyond pregnant women. Much like bacon and avocados have dominated past months, it’s apparently the pickles time to shine (why does that sound so unintentionally dirty? …whoops).

Seriously, every day there seems to be a new pickle product or recipe in my newsfeed. So today, we’re going to give a few of these a try!

Before we begin however, I should probably explain the shirt that you’ll see featured in most of the photos: 

If you take a closer look, yes, that’s actually a cactus, not a pickle. Unfortunately, I don’t own a pickle tee. Besides, a giant pickle on my shirt would look a little “phallic” ya know?

Although I suppose a prickly cactus isn’t much better. But hey, at least it’s not an eggplant…

Hmm, I suppose I could have worn this one though since Pedro is close enough to pass for Peter in Spanish:

The reference is from the movie Napoleon Dynamite which they’re finally making a sequel for! However, that’s a topic for another day. Let’s get started with these taste tests, shall we?

Pickles and peppermint – when this meme hit my newsfeed, I honestly thought it was a joke:

“What y’all know about this?” Not much apparently. This is a thing? Apparently not in New Jersey where I grew up…or at least not in my household.

I’m often asked how I thought of the combination of ingredients to create my namesake signature ®Fat Darrell Sandwich, but randomly impaling a pickle with a peppermint stick sounds much stranger to me!

I mean, mint and pickles? Umm… wow, the things I do for this blog. I don’t know about this one. Actually, I don’t even know how I’m supposed to eat this. They dissolve at different speeds. Do I crunch all the way through it? I’m so confused right now but hey #yolo right? Let’s see what this tastes like…

The verdict: AHHH! NO! Why would anyone do this? Like I said, I’m not sure which region of the country came up with this but they can keep it there! Ugh, never again. That was gross. Wow, it’s going to be a long day in Darrellland I see…

Pickles and Ice Cream – this combination has been associated with pregnancy as far back as I can remember. I would assume (and you know what happens when you ass/u/me, right class?) these items are eaten separately, although, there are several pickle and ice cream recipes online including this one that features peanut butter.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pickle-ice-cream-crunchy-peanut-butter-topping

Hmm, I don’t know about that one, but maybe I’ll dig out my ice cream maker and whip up a batch someday. However, for now, despite my reservations, I’d just like to see how these 2 base ingredients work together.  

My guess is this would probably taste better with plain vanilla since pickles already have a strong aftertaste.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any vanilla here though.

Instead, I have a half gallon of mint chocolate chip that I bought for a friend.

Visually, it’s green like a pickle so this combination at least looks good. As for the taste? We’ll be going down the exact same pickles and peppermint path we previously perused (try saying that 5 times fast…). Needless to say, I’m not looking forward to this but here we go again…

The verdict: UGH…okay, it’s official, this whole “pickles and mint” thing isn’t for me. I’m just not about that life I suppose. That was disgusting….well, at least the part where I ate them together.

Separately I like mint chocolate chip (it received a full pardon in my Darrell’s Disgusting foods list last year) and I love pickles, but they definitely don’t belong together. That was not a match made in heaven. Quite the opposite actually. Wow…

Pickle Popsicles – Well, we might as well stick with frozen treats since I have another entrant in that category. Although we’re currently 0-2, I have high hopes for this next item. Oh yeah, and best of all, there’s no mint anywhere near this one thankfully!

Check out these Pickle Popsicles from Bob’s (not to be confused with my sister-in-law Bobbi…what’s up Bob?).

They’re all natural with no fat, no sugar and only 5 calories. Wow!

Hopefully the taste is as impressive as the nutrition label…

The verdict: Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. These are pretty good!

Hold up, wait that’s somewhat misleading. “They’re not bad” is more accurate.

I mean, they won’t be everyone’s favorite, but if you like pickles, you’ll most likely enjoy these too!

They’re strong though! Especially that initial burst of flavor before your taste buds are ready for the sour onslaught.

If you’re confused as to why the label says “sport,” that’s actually not a joke. Many athletes claim that pickle juice after a sweaty workout helps to rebuild electrolytes since it contains both sodium and vinegar.

I suppose we’ll just pause to highlight that subject as the fitness tip for this week.

Your body actually requires a healthy sodium level to function properly. Most people can maintain the proper amount through a balanced diet, however after vigorous exercise, your body may be depleted of minerals including sodium and other important nutrients.

With that said, make sure to always rehydrate after workouts, especially after sustained activity or if you sweat a lot.

Most sport recovery drinks contain small amounts of sodium. You can also try adding a salt tablet to regular water or give these pickle pops a try!

Do you have a fitness question, goal or accomplishment you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments below!

For that purpose alone, these pops are handy and can be consumed frozen or unfrozen.

Call me crazy (it’s fine, many people do!) but I’m kind of digging these!

Here’s a link to order them via our Amazon affiliate page! https://amzn.to/2qAKA9q

Remember, you still get the same low prices and great deals, we just earn a small commission for referring you. Thanks for your support!

Pepperoni and Pickle Pizza – So apparently people are also using sliced pickles as pizza toppings as well? I’ve gotten peppers on my pizza before, but pickles? Hmm…interesting.

My concern for most of these pickle mash-ups is that the strong dill flavor (dilly dilly!) will dominate all the other ingredients but we shall see.

The verdict: Hmm, you know what? That’s not bad!

Of course, the odds of me not liking any type of pizza are slim to none, but still, I’m not mad at this combination!

I’d imagine the pickle flavor would be even better on a pizza with hamburger and cheese since it would essentially be a flat cheeseburger but even crowbarring it onto this pepperoni pie wasn’t bad.

Pickles won’t ever be my go-to topping but for occasional cameo appearances? Yeah, I’m down.

Oh wait, that reminds me! During an epic meme battle with Linda Meadows in our Phenomnomnomenal Facebook group (Happy Birthday Leeeenda!), I discovered my new favorite gif! Check it out:

Man, Beyonce strutting in my direction while holding a pizza? Wow, if you ever wondered what my dreams look like, there you have it!

Although that one is now my fave, I also discovered a few more Beyonce pizza gifs so in honor of her historic Coachella performance this past weekend, let’s honor The Queen with another round before we continue:

The moral of the story? It’s good to be Jay-Z. Anyway, moving on…

Kool Aid Pickles – What the…huh? Apparently, this is another regional thing. The South to be specific…

Much like the peppermint pickle disaster, who’s crazy idea was this?

The recipe is pretty straightforward though.

You simply drain the liquid from a 32-ounce jar of pickle spears (or sliced) into a bowl and add 1 or 2 packs of Kool-Aid along with 1/2-3/4 cups of sugar (or a substitute like stevia).

Stir until the sugar dissolves then pour the liquid back into the jar making sure to completely cover the pickles (discard any excess liquid). Cover tightly, shake well (the jar, not yourself goofballs) and refrigerate for 5-7 days Then voila!

The verdict: TBD -To Be Determined.  Man that brought back memories! I haven’t made Kool-Aid in over a decade, but I used to be a pro! Seriously, I could just eye-ball how much sugar to add and it always came out perfect!

I went with grape for this mix but my fave back in the day was “Rockadile Red” (for some strange reason, they had a 5-year stretch where they went with dinosaur names for everything) which I think was cherry, but nobody ever called it by the flavor anyway. It was always referred to by color. Ghetto fabulously fun times.

Anyway yeah, it looks like we’re going to have to wait until next week for the results on this one. The pickle spears are currently chillin’…literally.

So, I’ll C-U next Tuesday with that update! (ps. If you caught that joke, go wash your mouth out with soap and head to your room…)

Peanut Butter and Pickle sandwich – Oh boy…this one sounds scary too. It was first featured in a New York Times article years ago, but this current pickle craze has propelled it back into the spotlight.

Wow, I’ve always heard about Elvis enjoying peanut butter and banana sandwiches and I’ve yet to even try one of those.

In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined that I’d end up trying a peanut butter and pickle sandwich first but here we are.

I don’t think a recipe is necessary here since the name is literally the list of ingredients, although I did see one variation that included hot sauce.

Like the Franks Red Hot Granny, “I put that ish on everything” but not this time. The base ingredient combination already makes my stomach turn so I can’t imagine hot sauce helping the situation!

I will toast the bread as a commenter suggested though. That might give this a boost. Ugh, we shall see. I’m not looking forward to this one either!

The verdict: Hmm… umm… hmmm…

Well, it’s not good so let’s get that out of the way but my reluctance to answer is that it’s not as horrible as I thought it would be either.

As you see, I take huge bites so I didn’t hold back and yet I wasn’t as disgusted by this combination as I expected. The peanut butter helps to offset the taste a bit so it’s not as shockingly bad as the pickle and mint combos from earlier. Toasting it definitely helped as well.

If nothing else, it raised my expectations of what a peanut butter and banana sandwich must taste like. I’ll have to go buy some bananas and try that out now. But this dumpster fire? I won’t be trying this thing again. Once in a lifetime was enough “thank you…thank you very much.” (<- see what I did there?)

Pickle Potato Chips – Several posts ago, I reviewed Golden Flake’s pickle potato chips. You can read that full review by clicking here.

Since then, every major potato chip company has rolled out a pickle inspired offering as well.

With that said, today I’ll be trying 3 of them! Lays, Pringles and Deep River Snacks.

I’d imagine chips should be relatively safe so I’m actually looking forward to these…

The Verdict:  Deep River claims to be New York style so I was hoping for taxi cab noises and a spring-loaded hand with the middle finger sticking up when I opened the bag but no dice. Bummer. As for the taste? These are pretty awesome actually!

They’re kettle cooked in sunflower oil, so they have a great crunch and tons of flavor!

They also have a little kick to them! These were the priciest option, but I’m not as upset about that now that I’ve tasted the quality. Wow. So far, this is my favorite pickle themed product of the day!

Lays always impresses me with their flavor profiles and they don’t disappoint here either.

Had I only bought these I would have been even more impressed, but I was really blown away by the Deep River version. Still, the Lays chips are awesome in their own right.

The taste is balanced and subtle but distinct and spot on.

The Pringles dill flavoring comes on a bit too strong unfortunately. These taste way too artificial for my preferences. I don’t know, something just seems off with these.

If you’re a regular here, you know that I’m greedy and will finish them regardless, but it appears that I unintentionally taste tested these in the order they rank.

I prefer the smoothness of the Lays version over Pringles but the spicy, crunchy kick of the Deep River brand the best of all.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a local bakery with pickle cupcakes and don’t feel like making them tonight.

I also couldn’t track down the Heluva brand’s Pickle dip that was a limited time offering and again, don’t feel like making my own right now.  

Sorry folks, however my magical bestie Priscilla passed along this mixed drink recipe since she’s not only a mermaid and a unicorn, but she’s also a bartender (and a talented hair stylist so if you’re ever near Wall, NJ, make sure to head over to Milagro Spa and ask for her!  You can also check out some of her work @pmippolito_hair on Instagram! ).  

Pickleback

Ingredients AND directions:

1 shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey immediately followed by 1 shot of pickle juice

It’s pretty straightforward but she says it’s very popular!

My friend Robert Christopher shared a similar recipe on Facebook that takes it even further by serving the shot of Jameson out of an actual pickle that’s been scooped out. 

Instead of a pickle juice chaser, you can eat the pickle instead!

I don’t drink so one of you will have to tell me how you like these ideas.  They both sound pretty cool though!

Apparently, they also make pickle Doritos,  mints, gum, soda and vodka now too!

It’s probably for the best that I couldn’t find any more items to try yet though because I’m all pickled out for today. I think I’ve had enough!

I could really use a regular non-pickle flavored mint though because I’m sure that my breath must smell awful!

Thankfully I don’t have a date or any plans tonight because I could probably sear the eyebrows off anyone within a 3-mile radius right now! My toothbrush is probably trembling in fear of the mission that lies ahead…

Anyway, I’ll give you the final verdict on those Kool-Aid pickles next week! In the meantime, what’s your favorite pickle inspired recipe or dish? 

Do you have another food item, restaurant or recipe we should all try? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Today’s Soundtrack

Push Back – Neyo ft. Bebe Rexha and Stefflon Don

Irreplaceable – Beyonce (If you missed her epic Coachella performance, catch the replay online!)

Good Vibes – ALMA ft. Tove Styrke

Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley (hmm, I still have to try that peanut butter and banana sandwich…)

Do you have another song that fits today’s themes or that’s so great we should check it out anyway? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Okay, it’s time to wrap this one up so that I can wrap myself up inside of a blanket. I know that I already whined about this last post but seriously, what is up with this weather?

Those were a few of the posts I’ve shared between my collective social media pages. If you’re not following my Fat Darrell accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you’re missing out! Click the social media logos on the side panel to do so now!

Speaking of wraps, shout out to Kathleen Flynn for sending me this pic! 

Obviously those aren’t real but you know I’d at least have to try one, right?  I’d imagine these would taste better than some of the disgusting nonsense I tried earlier in this post so why not?

I know we’re running a bit long so it’s way too late to do a full round of “What do you meme” but this one mentions pickles so it’s relevant!

My guess is that the CIA knows that pickles are awesome so why would you hold them?  Blasphemy!  

But while we’re on the subject of spying…

I suppose it’s a trade off that some people are selectively making: privacy or convenience. 

Anyway, like I said, this is getting long so let’s cut to the part where I remind you to leave a comment below before you leave!  DO IT NOW!  Please? 😊

And here’s the list of foodie “holidays” that occur between now and my next post!

Hmm, is it just me, or wouldn’t National Jelly Bean Day made more sense on Easter?  Whatever. 

Anyway, badee-badee-badee-badee that’s all folks!  Thanks again for dropping by, I always “relish” my time with you… if you’re ever “in a pickle” know that you can always count on me… #dadjokes

And with those terrible puns, I bid you adieu.  Have a great week everybody and again, please leave a comment before you go! 

Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die…” – anonymous (but I hijacked it from a Criminal Minds intro…)