December 16th, 2009 by coconutKate
Smoothies are a refreshing drink that is perfect for any season. They have zero fat and can contain vitamin packed sorbets. Try serving it for dessert in 5-oz. shot glasses. Below are two of our favorite smoothie recipes, but feel free to mix it up and add your favorite flavor.
Raspberry Sunburst:
6-oz. of Orange Juice
2 scoops of Raspberry sorbet
(4-oz per scoop)
1 scoop of Lemon sorbet (4-oz. per scoop)
Blend 8-10 seconds (time may vary based on blender). Be sure not to over blend as this will cause the smoothie to become too liquidy. Makes 16-oz.
Tropica:
6-oz. of Orange Juice
2 scoops of Mango sorbet (4-oz. per scoop)
1/2 half of a banana
Blend 8-10 seconds (time may vary based on blender). Be sure not to over blend as this will cause the smoothie to become too liquidy. Makes 16-oz.
Tags: Ciao Bella, Recipes, smoothie recipes, Sorbet
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »
December 9th, 2009 by coconutKate
Ciao Bella Facebook fan, Staci Vigil, has come up with a very yummy recipe for a virgin (or not) sorbet punch. Buon appetito!
Ingredients: Blood Orange sorbet, Lemon sorbet, Blood Orange soda and Orange and Lemon slices.
Directions: Combine all ingredients and enjoy!
Side note: You can add vodka to the punch if you prefer. Staci also recommends adding Tahitian Vanilla gelato for a tri-fecta float.
Tags: Blood Orange, Ciao Bella, ciao bella sorbet, lemon, Recipes, sorbet punch
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »
December 8th, 2009 by coconutKate
Ciao Bella is very excited to announce this year’s holiday flavors. We have a delicious line up and we are sure you will agree.
- Peppermint Crunch Gelato – Made with peppermint oil and all natural red mint candies. We recommend that you cozy up to the fire with a bowl of this holiday treat.
- Eggnog Gelato – A holiday classic! Serve this instead of the traditional drink. Splash in some bourbon and you are all set.
- Prickly Pear Sorbet – Get a sneak peak of one of our newest sorbet flavors. This delicately juicy fruit will wow your guests with its vibrant pink color.
- Rose Petal Champagne – Rose water combined with dry champagne boasts a delicate flavor that you don’t want to miss. We recommend dishing this out for your New Year’s Eve toast!
Get a sneak peak of our newest sorbet pint at a Ciao Bella Gelato Bar.
Need to find a scoop or hand-packed pint of our Holiday Collection? Head over to one of Ciao Bella’s gelato bars. Click here for locations.
Tags: champagne sorbet, Ciao Bella, eggnog gelato, holiday flavors, peppermint gelato, prickly pear sorbet
Posted in The Scoop | No Comments »
December 1st, 2009 by coconutKate
This recipe was generously provided by a Ciao Bella fan, chef Michele Lessard. Thank you for sharing!
8-tbs. Molasses
2 Eggs
2-cups Sugar
1 1/2-cups Butter
4-cups Flour
2-tsp. Cinnamon
1/2-tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2-tsp. Ground Cloves
4-tsp. Baking Soda
Beat sugar and butter until smooth. Add eggs and molasses and beat until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until very cold. Roll batter into balls and then roll in sugar. Place on parchment paper covered sheet pan about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Cookie will spread and start to crackle when fully cooked. Let cool on rack and store in cookie tin or plastic container.
Be sure to serve with a bowl of Tahitian Vanilla gelato! 
Tags: molasses, molassess cookies, recipe
Posted in Recipes | 1 Comment »
October 20th, 2009 by coconutKate
JuicyJ and I headed over to the 17th annual Feast with Famous Faces hosted by the Center for Hearing and Communication last night to hand out samples of Ciao Bella gelato and sorbet. Even though Ciao Bella has been attending for several years it was the first time that she and I had attended this event. We had no idea what was in store for us.
We were so excited to learn that each table had their own famous face to help out. Ciao Bella’s famous face was David Ushery from Channel 4. How cool is that? He was so nice and was already a fan of Ciao Bella – Vanilla gelato is his fav. We also had a surprise photo shoot with some soap stars. Check out the pic – they had a great time.
Ciao Bella sampled Maple Ginger Snap gelato, Espresso gelato, Strawberry sorbet and Peach sorbet. Can you guess what the favorite was? Maple Ginger Snap! You can’t go wrong with maple gelato combined with organic ginger snaps.
There were so many other yummy restaurants like Cognac and Brother Jimmy’s. We want to say thank you for all of the delicious goodies – pulled pork and a lobster bisque to-die-for.
We hope to get invited back next year! We always love participating in events that support a great cause.
Tags: Center for Hearing and Communication, charity, Ciao Bella, David Ushery, Feast with Famous Faces, Free samples, gelato, Sorbet
Posted in The Scoop | No Comments »
October 7th, 2009 by JuicyJ
Today was a very exciting and fun day for coconut Kate and I. On this great fall day, we loaded the tour truck and headed into NYC for the grand re-opening of Dagostino’s on Lexington Ave. With 500 single serve cups ready to be consumed, we scored a prime location outside the store. It took only minutes for people to swarm the truck and spread the word about our delicious treats! The most requested flavor by far was Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato. New and old fans got a little taste of indulgence with Ciao Bella for this grand event! Keep checking our facebook fan page to see where you can catch us next.
Tags: Ciao Bella, Ciao Bella Gelato, ciao bella sorbet, D'agostino, Free, Free samples, gelato, Sorbet
Posted in JuicyJ | No Comments »
October 6th, 2009 by coconutKate
Every season Ciao Bella introduces new flavors that incorporate flavors and ingredients that are relevant to the season. This fall we are excited to bring back some favorites and present two new flavors.
Fall Favorites Have Returned
Pumpkin & Spice gelato – A delightful combination of pumpkin puree and ground cinnamon and cloves. We recommend a scoop with your pie this season.
Figs Balsamic gelato – Aged balsamic swirled into vanilla gelato with pureed figs. A must try! A scoop of pistachio gelato or lebanese yogurt gelato is an excellent pairing.
Cranberry Orange sorbet – Cranberry and orange juice are combined to create a refreshing sorbet that transcends fall. A scoop in a silver dish is a great presenation at your holiday table.
Strawberry White Tea sorbet – A delicate combination of strawberry puree and white tea. Sure to be this season’s favorite this sorbet is best served alone.
Want to try Ciao Bella fall flavors? Head over to Ciao Bella’s gelato bars. Click here for locations. Know a gelato bar or restaurant in your area that serves Ciao Bella? Ask them to bring it in.
Tags: Ciao Bella, Ciao Bella Gelato, ciao bella sorbet, cranberry orange, fall flavors, gelato bar, pumpkin and spice
Posted in The Scoop | No Comments »
September 30th, 2009 by coconutKate
So it was about midnight and I was craving something indulgent, but didn’t want anything that might make me feel guilty later. My options were chocolate covered peanuts and Passion Fruit sorbet. A no brainer, I opted for the Passion Fruit sorbet. It’s jam packed with Vitamin C – 40% of your daily value per ½ cup serving. 
My favorite way to eat Passion Fruit is to let it melt a little bit and eat it right out of the pint – no need to make more dirty dishes. ;) Half melted Passion Fruit is so yummy because of its texture. It’s kinda like a smoothie.
Over here at Ciao Bella we don’t recommend letting your ice cream or sorbet melt. Why? Because if you put it back in the freezer slightly melted it will refreeze and form ice crystals which ruin the experience the next time you pull it out. I get around this by eating all of the melted parts. Check out the picture of my melted pint. Guess I ate more than I thought – hehe.
This Passion Fruit pint didn't stand a chance. Sooo delicious!
Tags: Ciao Bella, ciao bella sorbet, late night snack, late night snacking, passion fruit, Sorbet
Posted in The Scoop | 2 Comments »
September 20th, 2009 by eastcoastBELLAgirls
I’m not sure where to begin. This is the last day of the tour, thus our last blog, and I cannot even begin to describe what an incredible journey Lauren and I have been on. We have had the experience of a lifetime this summer, and words can’t describe how lucky we are to be Bella Girls.
We’ve seen the entire East Coast and met some truly wonderful people along the way. We want to say a huge “thank you” to all of you who have helped us during this tour; from the distributors to the stores and especially the consumers. We loved meeting you and seeing the smiles on your faces everyday.
The tour couldn’t have ended on a more perfect day. The sun was shining bright in a big blue sky and the temperature was perfect. It was a gorgeous New Jersey September day. Our first event was at Dearborn Market in Holmdel. There was a health and wellness seminar being held in the greenhouse today and we were welcomed into the store with a goodie bag. While we were passing out samples Mikey Mouse stopped by to have his picture taken with Penelope.
Today was very bittersweet for us. We are definitely going to miss Penelope and our Ciao Bella family, but we are excited to see our families and to be home.
Thanks again to everyone out there for supporting us and sharing in this wonderful experience.
Posted in East Coast Sampling Tour | No Comments »
September 19th, 2009 by eastcoastBELLAgirls
While on the truck today, Elle and I thought we would mix the Tahitian Vanilla and Blood Orange together to see what it tasted like. Has anybody else tried this before? It could be described something like the most the decadent and creamy orange creamsickle I have ever encountered. The hint of the tangy blood orange is an exciting and unique compliment to the smooth Vanilla.
From what I understand,the idea of making some kind of blood orange creamsicle bar has been discussed before. What do you all think? Have an at-home tasting and let me know!
This treat would also be a fun addition to any Halloween parties coming up. You could even add some dark chocolate sryup to the top to make it even more festive.
Tags: Blood Orange, ciao bella sorbet, East Coast Bella Girls, Halloween treats, Orange Creamsicle, Tahaitian Vanilla
Posted in East Coast Sampling Tour | No Comments »
