Butterbeer Ice Cream at Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios

butterbeer universal harry pott

Butterbeer ice cream at “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood.

I still haven’t been to the “new” Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood. First I was waiting for Christmas, but it was too crowded. Then I was going to do it for my son’s birthday, but he wanted to do something else. Now there’s Butterbeer-flavored ice cream?

I don’t think I can wait any longer. Universal Studios just announced that Butterbeer™ ice cream is now being served at “ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ™” at Universal Studios Hollywood ™, arriving just in time for summer.

The rich palate-pleasing Butterbeer-flavoured hard pack ice cream is a delightful and delicious new addition to the menu of Butterbeer items currently available, including such Butterbeer favorites as traditional, frozen and hot beverages, as well as Butterbeer Potted Cream and Butterbeer Fudge.

Reminiscent of butterscotch and shortbread, Butterbeer ice cream is perfectly fine-tuned as a cool Hogsmeade treat and will be served at various carts located within Hogsmeade and at Three Broomsticks™.

Gathering inspiration from historic British taverns, the adjoining Hog’s Head pub features original draught beers and spirits created exclusively for the land, including Hog’s Head Brew, Dragon’s Scale, Wizard’s Brew and Fire Whisky.  Also available are Pumpkin Fizz and Gilly Water and the three Butterbeer choices: traditional, frozen and hot.

Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s compelling stories and characters that were brought to life in the Warner Bros. films, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood is a masterful recreation, faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films, including as its iconic focal point, Hogwarts castle.

From its snow-capped roofs and cobblestone streets to the historic British sensibilities that characterize the whimsical look and feel of the land, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” transports guests of all ages to the very places they watched on the silver screen.

The architecturally stunning land also includes the captivating and highly acclaimed “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” thrill ride, enhanced with 4K-HD and ride film projecting at an astounding rate of 120 frames-per-second for an even more immersive glimpse into Harry Potter’s world, as well as “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor family coaster.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” resonates with immense detail, inviting guests to enjoy authentic food and beverages at multiple locations, including Three Broomsticks and Hog’s Head pub, as well as the Magic Neep and Butterbeer carts.  A foray through the shops adds to the authenticity of the land with such retail venues as Honeydukes™, Ollivanders™, Owl Post™, Zonko’s™ Joke Shop, Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment, Dervish and Banges™, Gladrags Wizardwear, Filch’s Emporium™ of Confiscated Goods and the Hogsmeade™ Station.

California residents can get discounted tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood that are as low as $99 per adult! Check the website for prices and dates. Maybe we’ll see you there!

CLOSED: Local Fare at Vintage Grocers

box of groceries

Vintage Grocers opened last fall in The Promenade at Westlake, offering a huge choice of groceries and fresh food, with an emphasis on locally sourced items. Those are not limited to fresh ingredients for the cheese or poke bar—Vintage Grocers also sources packaged and non-perishable items from nearby farms and artisans. Some of their local growers will be at the Westlake store this Saturday, April 1, from 11AM to 2PM so you can meet them, learn about how they make their food, and sample their products!

Vintage Grocers truly is a market for the community, by the community

I was amazed to see what you can get at Vintage Grocers that is made locally. My family and I enjoyed a sampling of these products recently so we could share them with you, too.

Breakfast

Trail mix with bowl of oatmeal

I’ve been getting up early during the week, and to make breakfast easy and quick I’ve been whipping up large batches of quinoa oatmeal and freezing it ahead of time. I pop some in the microwave to heat while I’m fixing my coffee and feeding the cat, and when it’s hot I toss some Perfect Balance Trail Mix on top.

trail mix closeup

I love the mixture of flavors from the unusual (for trail mix) ingredients: including pistachios, organic goji berries, cashews, Canadian farm fresh cranberries, walnuts, organic mulberries, Hawaiian macadamia nuts, and more. The company is based in Venice and they use mostly organic foods. There are little cubes of raw cacao that melt in the hot oatmeal and I forget that I’m eating a healthy dish.

Snack

granola bites

I’ll admit it: I don’t have a lot of time or patience when I get hungry and I get the munchies in the middle of the day. I will literally reach for the closest food at hand that is ready to eat. That’s why when I found Lark Ellen Granola (from Ojai!) bites in my Vintage Grocer bundle, I was excited and I knew that I would devour these bites. And I wouldn’t get a stomach ache or feel guilty, because they are made of sprouted seeds and nuts and full of taste. I spent the weekend decluttering, and I was annoyed every time I had to stop to eat because I was on a roll. Once I started grabbing a few chunks of granola bites, though, I could continue and snack at the same time. These are perfect for kids’ (or parents’) lunches!

Dinner

eggs tortillas salsa

We got this adorable little package of Kaliko Farms Eggs and we simply couldn’t wait to try them, but it was dinnertime. Easy solution: eggs for dinner! We have breakfast for dinner at least every two weeks, and in general we consume a lot of eggs, so the whole family was eager to see how much better or different these would taste. Kaliko Farms is based in Malibu and their animals are treated humanely, because “happy, healthy birds will produce top-quality eggs.”

boy eating eggs

The verdict: each kid basically inhaled his eggs with no tortilla or salsa needed. My husband and I opted for taco-style eggs, and we loved them. So there is something to the idea that local, organic eggs from happy birds taste great! Kaliko Farms will be at the event on Saturday, so you can meet the people behind the eggs!

Dessert

Beachy Cream Ice Cream

Since summer is coming and we’re already getting nice warm days and evenings, ice cream is on the menu at our house again! This Beachy Cream Ice Cream from Santa Monica is made of organic ingredients using dairy from a creamery in Marin County. Local farmers’ markets supply the ingredients to make flavorings from scratch.

boy smiling at ice cream

boy eating ice cream

happy boy with ice cream

My husband loves bananas and ice cream, so he definitely enjoyed this banana-flavored ice cream, even more because I topped it with Malibu Honey, from bees that gathered nectar from flowers in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains. And if you’ve ever glanced at this website before, you know I am a big fan of the Santa Monica mountains. I asked him how it tasted together and he said “Good!” (He’s not a man of many words, so I can embellish by adding my own opinion: it’s delicious.)

beachy cream ice cream and malibu honey

This is a small sampling of locally-sourced products you can get at Vintage Grocers. I encourage you to visit their new store in Westlake and see what strikes your fancy. The store is huge and roomy, so you won’t even bump into other shoppers while you are perusing their shelves. You might find a new favorite thing for your pantry.

Hey! What About Mom?!

I got to the end of this post and realized there are no pictures of me in it, so here’s a selfie with an Apricot Lane avocado.

woman holding avocado

It looked so good and it was perfectly ripe after sitting in a basket for a few days so I put it on a salad. Bonus! These avocados will be at the store next week!

ripe avocado cut in half
salad topped with avocado
Head on down to Vintage Grocers (and come this weekend to meet with local growers!) to see for yourself!

Vintage Grocers Meet the Growers flyer
Special thanks to Vintage Grocers for sponsoring this post. All opinions are our own.

Cheap Ice Cream Cones at Baskin Robbins, Monday August 31

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Great news, sweaty Conejo Valley folks. On August 31, Baskin Robbins is celebrating its 70th birthday by selling ice cream scoops for $1.31 each! As long as it’s in a cup, sugar, or wafer cone, a scoop of the delicious treat is only $1.31 (waffle cones, as pictured below, are extra). I confirmed that our local Agoura Hills location at Kanan and Thousand Oaks is participating in this promotion. It’s one of our go-to local businesses for a little tasty pick-me-up or celebration.

boy with ice cream coneThis boy loves technicolor sherbet.