My Heart Belongs to Texas...

Okay, okay...So I've never been to Texas.  Hell, I'm not even sure if I've ever thought of visiting the Lone Star State (until recently).  I couldn't even tell you very much about the place except that they like their BBQ with dry rubs, and no sauce!  Which, I am dying to try...Okay fine, I guess that counts as a visitation notion.  Oh, and I know a few cities because they have sports teams. At some tom-boyish phase of my life I was obsessed with basketball and memorized every city and their team.  

 ...My apologies...I have been sick for over a week now, and this daytime cold medicine makes me want to ramble on about useless and totally irrelevant, yet semi-interesting topics like my childhood obsessions (POGS).

Back on track - I have few things that I am actually willing to deem one of my favorite foods.  The reason being, I love SO many things!  Artichokes with melted butter and lemon juice is WAY up there, but two things that almost never fail in helping me drown my sorrows are ice cream and chocolate. 

I know exactly what you're thinking, "What the heck does Texas have to do with ice cream and chocolate?!"  

Just hold on to your undies, folks, I'm getting there!

Living in a small(ish) mountain town, there are hardly any ice cream shops to choose from and certainly none of them would ever have something as smooth and creamy-delicious as gelato.  One day, however, while browsing the frozen dessert section in my local grocery store, I stumbled upon a row of small clear containers that I had never seen before.  These little clear containers with dark brown lids contained some of the most beautiful looking deliciousness in plastic that I had ever laid eyes on.

I didn't even notice the price, because right there on that little plastic container was a label that read "Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto".  Back up....Gelato?!  Okay, no one I know has ever tried to package this, and I haven't even seen it in real life for over 7 years (yes, I'm quite deprived, I know..).  Chocolate ice cream is my weakness, so just glancing at their Belgian Milk Chocolate made my knees quiver.  I bought it without hesitation, even though a pint cost almost as much as my second favorite ice cream brands' half gallon tub.  

THANK THE STARS I did, because I have an addiction that I am proud to be a dedicated junkie to.  This is seriously the most delicious sweet thing I have ever put in my mouth, and that is saying A LOT.  Creamy, rich, delectable, full of intense flavor...This isn't just convenience...it is the best gelato I have ever tasted.  I am never at a loss of words...and Talenti, you have shut me up.  I can't even believe that something from a grocer's freezer isle has excited me so much, so I did something I rarely do...I looked at the nutrition facts.  Much to my amazement, I can count all the ingredients on one hand, and not only that, I can pronounce them all and find them in my own kitchen on a regular basis.  Not only THAT, but they are using dairy products that are rBGH and rBST (hormone) free! ALSO,. if you're lactose-intolerant, their sorbettos are absolutely sublime - you are definitely not being shorted flavor here!

This company is dedicated to making delicious, traditional gelato and sorbetto (sorbet) and they have knocked it out of the park!  I know this isn't a local restaurant, or something I've made on my own, but I HAD to share my gelato glory with you all!  

Here is a link so you can figure out how to get your hands on some of this amazing stuff...

http://talentigelato.com/StoreFinder.aspx 

In closing, Talenti rocks my world....And the next time I write a blog I'll try not to be on cold medicine, it obviously makes me ramble.