Jack-in-the-Box Bacon Shake review

If there is a novelty shake out there, it’s got my name on it. Pumpkin pie shake by Sonic, done. The classic Shamrock shake from McDonalds, a yearly nostalgic purchase. Wasabi shake featured on the food network – done, although not willingly and my stomach did not appreciate it for several hours later. So when I heard that Jack-in-the-Box had a new bacon shake, I knew it was only a matter of time before I tried it. I love bacon, I love shakes; therefore, I should love the bacon shake.
I must admit, I did have some fears coming into this experiment. After all, I do not love the taste of cold, congealed bacon and wouldn’t that be what I would be drinking? Also, the texture was a concern – who wants to suck up globs of greasy bacon fat? Never mind the calorie count on a shake like that.
I overcame those fears and ordered a small shake, sans whipped cream and cherry. First, let it be noted that this shake is not made with real bacon. It is made with bacon flavoring, similar to the flavorings used at you favorite coffee shop to spice your morning latte. That alleviated the other worry excess calories due to real bacon usage.
You would think that it would also eliminate texture problems, but this was not so and I will get to that in a moment. Let’s discus the experience. The first sip of the luxurious shake brought a strong taste of hickory bacon, which was almost too much to handle. The second sip was not as intense, as my taste buds knew what to expect now. The sweet of the vanilla ice cream plays well with the bacon flavoring, like maple syrup and bacon play well together. However, the texture of the ice cream was a bit gritty, the way one would imagine pureed bacon fat would feel against your tongue. Even though I knew there was no real bacon, it still felt like there were pureed bits in the shake.
Since the flavoring was so intense, I took a break. The bacon taste lingers on the soft palate, like a grease film on a poorly washed drinking glass. My tongue kept trying to rub off the flavor, to get out of my mouth.
I did take another sip (I admit it, I actually finished the shake), and the flavor was just as unexpected the second time around. There is no getting used to that flavor combination. Now if you excuse me, I think I need to take some Tums for my upset stomach.

February already?

I remember as a girl, my mother used to tell me that as you got older time seemed to go by quicker. I didn't believe her back then, but now I totally understand what she meant. I swear I just blink and a week has gone by. I could swear it was just New Year's Eve, but it is already February. My little boy will be in high school next year - how is that possible?
I remember as a child nothing could get here fast enough, now I'm trying to put on the brakes to slow everything down.