Some of my favorite ice cream memories include:- Drew's in St Louis. While my family was visiting my Uncle Sutter in St Louis we went to Drew's where they handed you your ice cream upside down to show how thick it was.
- Gelato in Italy: During my mission I had more than my fair share of gelato. In fact, I became close friends with the owner of a gelateria (Chilly) in Monza and he made me my own batch of Cookies and Cream Gelato from a package of Oreos my mom had sent me.
- Brewster's in Pittsburgh: When Lindsay was just 6 months old we stayed in Pittsburgh for a few months for work. Even though it was fall/winter, we made frequent trips to Brewster's to get some of their delicious ice cream. They even put candy eyes on the kids cones.
- Homemade ice cream: My mom would make homemade ice cream (and donuts) for us after school dances. I think it was her way to get us to bring our friends and their dates back to our house so she could get to know everyone. Whatever the reason, there was no argument from us.
- Soft Serve in Palmyra: While in Pittsburgh we went with my parents to Palmyra to see the sacred grove. While we were there we had a giant soft serve cone with sprinkles on it.
- Macy's Kong Cone: The Macy's grocery stores here in Utah have a giant Kong cone for just over $1. It is more ice cream than 2 people can eat.
- Thrifty Ice Cream: The only ice cream I have had served as a cylinder. It was very cheap too. You could get 3 scoops for around a quarter. My favorite was Double Chocolate Malted Crunch. Yummmy!
- Priesthood Session: When I was growing up it was a tradition for my dad to take us out to ice cream after going to the Saturday evening priesthood session together. I have continued that tradition with my family. Here in Utah the ice cream establishments can get overwhelmed right after conference. Therefore, we will choose where we want to go for ice cream and then find the nearest church and attend the Priesthood session.
My parents tell me that when I was a toddler and they would take the family out for ice cream they would just order me a cone without any ice cream. I guess it made me feel like I was having the same thing as everyone else but without the mess. While growing up I remember my dad would limit me to 1 scoop at night before I went to bed. When I was away at BYU I remember going to put my bowl away after having a scoop of ice cream and realizing that now I am the man of the house and I am going to allow another serving. It was liberating! Ever since then, I think I have been on a mission to make up for lost time by eating a little extra. It is a miracle that I have not put on 300 pounds since that 'a ha' moment.
A few years ago I started to worry that I was addicted to ice cream. I challenged myself to go a whole month without it. Wow, was that hard! I craved ice cream more during that month than I think I ever had. After the month had passed and I had ice cream again for the first time it tasted so good. It reminded me of the doctrine that Brigham Young used to teach that the only power you can gain in this life is power over yourself. And how wonderful the feeling is when you succeed. After that month our family decided each month to try to go without something. Therefore, we did a month without chocolate, soda pop, fast food, cookies, eating after 7, TV... Sadly, I think the month without TV was the hardest. So now as I try to consume paradise on a cone in moderation I go armed with the knowledge that I can overcome my physical cravings and desires.
Giddy Up, StevieG!
