Seasonal offering

Seasonal offering
ORRVILLE -- Smith Dairy Products Company is offeringa new seasonal flavor, Grandma Ruggles & reg; Blueberry Pie Ice Cream, through the end of May.
"Since introducing the Grandma Ruggles rotational pie ice cream flavors in 2000, consumers eagerly await their seasonal favorite," said Bill McCabe, vice president of ice cream.
Grandma Ruggles Blueberry Pie Ice Cream, a vanilla-flavored ice cream with a blueberry swirl and pie crust pieces, is a new introduction to the line, which also includes Lemon Meringue Pie, Peach Pie, Apple Pie, and Pumpkin Pie. Each flavor is available, in rotation, for only a short time.
Here's a recipe to try:
BLUEBERRY PIE MELBA
1 56-ounce container Grandma Ruggles & reg; Blueberry Pie ice cream
4 oranges, cut in half and juiced (reserve 1 tablespoon of the juice)
1/2 pint fresh red raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
Whipped cream
Remove any excess pulp from the eight orange halves. With a knife, take a thin slice off the bottom of each orange half, so that it sits flat on a plate. Place a generous scoop of ice cream in each orange cup. Place the ice cream-filled cups in the freezer until ready to serve.
Makes 8 servings
Slice the fat
UTICA -- Velvet Churned ice cream has half the fat of the regular product and a third fewer calories. A 1/2-cup serving has 3.5 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates and 100 calories. The line includes two vanilla flavors, butter pecan and cashews, burgundy cherry, dutch chocolate, buckeye classic and caramel latte chip.
Popping up all over
White popcorn, prized for its tender bite and cornier flavor, hasn't been easy to find. Now there are two new versions: Orville Redenbacher's Tender White and Jolly Time Crispy 'n White Light. Chicago Tribune tasters liked both but preferred Orville's for its fluffier texture and, no doubt, more buttery flavor -- it contains 40 calories per cup versus Jolly Time's 25. A box of three 3.5-ounce bags of Orville's sells for about $2.50-$2.90; Jolly Time (three 3-ounce bags) sells for about $2.
Cipriani's pasta
Cipriani's pasta, made in Chicago Heights since 1929, is hand-folded and naturally dried. Options include vermicelli, tomato and spinach fettuccine and a fanciful tri-colored egg linguine. Mail-order is available in bulk quantities (ciprianispasta.com or (708) 755-6212).
Hold back those tears
Chopping onions is tough going for many cooks. The Onion Chopper from Progressive contains a grid of stainless-steel blades: Put an onion quarter or half on it (smaller pieces work better), then press the top shut. The container holds the nicely diced pieces. It takes some muscle, but short of wearing goggles (don't laugh -- it works), this is a viable solution. It's dishwasher-safe and costs $16 at Crate & amp; Barrel stores.
A splash of color
For Mother's Day this year, consider a basketful of colorful kitchen gadgets from Zyliss, which has products in a full range of hues from a bright pink ice scream scoop and a lemon yellow salad set to a sassy red soft skin peeler.
There's a color for every style. If Mom's style is contemporary, Zyliss recommends products in whites, blacks, browns and blues. If Mom's a romantic, consider products in pastels such as pinks, blues and florals; and if Mom's the more casual type, go for blues, greens and violets.
For a complete look at Zyliss products and their color combinations, visit zylissusa.com.