This week’s food poll connects nicely with National Dairy month! It also connects well to the 100 degree days we’re having! ICE CREAM! So I have two questions that came to mind and I just couldn’t pick! So I’m not going to divulge too much on my choices this week… let’s get right to the polls! Oh and I’d love a good homemade ice cream recipe… or a dozen! Feel free to share your ice cream stories in the comments. I’ll share mine once I get the polls underway!
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One of my best ice cream memories came from my maternal grandmom. LOVED that woman. She was the grandmom everyone wanted when I was a kid. She was lots of fun to be around. She was the one who would let you make pottery in the dining room. Who let you stay up late. Who had a fierce sense of independence. Who fixed yummy biscuits at breakfast. Yes, she was a redhead (or auburn-headed as my uncle will point out).
Me & My Grandmom
We were lucky enough to have her with us for a long time. I remember when she turned 80. (And yes, we’re getting to the ice cream.) For her birthday, I wanted to take her out and have a really great meal. I told her money was no object (grad school bravado). When I called about making reservations, she said that wasn’t necessary. Ok. I showed up at our appointed time and asked what she wanted. She said a banana split. I said “Yummy. What do you want for dinner though?” She repeated her answer and we went to the ice cream store for dinner.
I had hoped that I could really treat her for her birthday, but I guess I hadn’t thought about her idea of a treat. What’s amazing as all these years later, this is one of my clearest memories. We laughed, discussed flavors for a long time, justified the health value of the potassium, calcium, etc, and enjoyed that hot June night with ice cream.
I remember getting to talk to her a lot about what I was learning in agriculture. Like me, she grew up a city girl. We enjoyed trading stories. I have a feeling that if anyone can watch over people after they die, my grandmom is enjoying the fact I’ve learned so much about farming. And with what would be her 100th birthday on the horizon, she’ll be really proud… I may just mark that day with the biggest banana split I can find!
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If you’d like to learn more about the farmers who help produce our ice cream, I recommend you check out a couple of farmer friends:
- Will Gilmer / Gilmer Dairy Farm (website, blog, Facebook, YouTube – I love the songs & videos & twitter)
- The Dairy Goddess Barbara Martin (blog & twitter)
- Fruit farmer Jeff Vander Werff (blog & twitter)
Followup post: If you are one of the people who voted for homemade ice cream, you may want to see the recipes Jill shared.
Ice cream for dinner, sounds good to me 🙂
For some reason I thought you may like this poll/post!
As a member of the family by marraige, I really enjoyed your story about your grandmother. She was a character, very special and loved.
Janice,
I love ice cream! My favorite (which was not on your list) is Graeter’s. It is in Ohio and was my favorite indulgence when I was in vet school. They’re based in Cincinnati. Maybe they will make it to Tennessee soon?
Or maybe I’ll make it to Ohio!
Not sure of the favorite ice cream – going to have to give that some thought, but I do love it to be sure. Also very nice touching story, reminds me a lot of a woman older woman that used to live across the road from me whose yard I mowed when a young teen…
Arn’t Grandma’s wonderful? She sounds like she was a wonderful woman. I know I miss mine. My Grandma loved plain old vanilla ice cream. That sure brings back memories.
Great story!
Ice Cream is a big deal around here. Husband’s and son’s-favorite thing (dessert thing). Now, I’ve got 3 girls in the picture-One son’s wife, one fiance and one girlfriend who are in to destination Ice Cream outtings! Any given weekend they may tell me “oh we are heading to Cold Stone” (it’s an hour away) To that place with the frozen Custard in St. Louis (it’s over an hour away) … or just heading out to DQ…. And, I do have the ultimate Vanilla Ice Cream recipe & a super great Chocolate-that I’d be willing to share if anyone wants it…. I make some sort of Ice Cream for almost every birthday or family event. My family does it’s part to keep the dairy business-in Business with pleasure!
My job was always to sit on top of the freezer while my Granddad turned the crank. My Grandma loved butter pecan but I loved peach. When my Granddad was close to the end all he would eat was ice cream…he had always loved it. Made my Grandma mad but I always thought if he wants ice cream give it to him! She was the same way right before she left us–bluebell was all she wanted. I always remember them when I eat homemade ice cream and we always had it on Father’s Day
My sister drove over yesterday from North Carolina… I have fresh peaches in the kitchen. Suddenly thinking I need to get the ice cream freezer from the garage!
I have a feeling I would have gotten along great with your grandmother!
She had a lot of spunk and an incredible heart. Everybody got along great with my grandmom!
Fantastic blog! anytime it’s about ice cram I’m there! I want to grow up to be a grandma like yours!!! She sounds like great fun!