Do you know the ice cream man?

I didn't know we still had an ice cream man that comes through the neighborhood. Tonight I chased him down and I wasn't the only one. These kids made sure he not only stopped, but he actually backed up to us.

"Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos". 
~ Don Kardong

How to choose?

When you hear Yogurtland, you think of yogurt, right? Well, no longer is Yogurtland strictly a yogurt-selling business. Recently, they also started serving ice cream. (Is this influenced by Creamistry just across the street?)

This Tuesday (Feb. 6, from 4-7pm), you can have your choice of yogurt or ice cream on International Frozen Yogurt Day. You can choose between two new flavors: chocolate wafer bar frozen yogurt made with KitKats or chocolate malt ball ice cream made with Whoppers.

I might have to try both.

Creamistry experience

I finally got around to visiting Creamistry—the latest ice cream experience in Downey. It requires a little guidance, you have choices to make. What base you will choose: the creamy, most chosen one, the gluten-free organic option, or a sorbet type of base.

Then you need to pick a flavor...while there are not 31 choices, it does require serious decision-making skills. Then, when you think you are done, you next must decide what you would like to add in (nuts, chocolate, cereal, marshmallows, candy pieces, the choices again are varied). After choosing your add-ins, you have to decide if you want them on top or mixed in, but then you are done with the decision making and ready for the visual experience of ice cream made with liquid nitrogen.



I have to admit, mine was delicious, albeit more than I normally spend on an ice cream splurge. However, I was so excited to get my ice cream, I forgot to take a picture...I guess I am just gonna have to go back at least one more time.

"Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos."
~ Unknown

Ice cream chemistry

And we're back! Last week, while DDP was still on vacation, a new shop opened up in downtown Downey. It's called Creamistry. It's similar to Coldstone Creamery, in that you choose exactly what you want to go into your ice cream. The difference is that, at Creamistry, you watch your ingredients be frozen right in front of you, in a process that uses liquid nitrogen to create a rich and smooth (and ice particle-free) concoction.

I love ice cream, but I hate crowds more, so I'm still waiting to try this out myself. Be sure and let us know what you think!

We all scream for...

What's the best way to celebrate a warm summer evening? (The temperature is still in the 80s.) Your favorite flavor of ice cream at 31 Flavors, of course!

I scream for ice cream

It's been cold out lately. But it's never too cold for ice cream. Especially a "Love It" sized concoction from Coldstone Creamery at Downey Landing.

"My head says go to the gym, my heart says eat more ice cream."
~ iliketoquote.com

Italian gelato

Another significant part of our trip to Italy was eating. One of our favorite stops was any gelato shop, there's always a few in every city. Oh my gosh, it is so good. I had dark chocolate, peach, black cheesecake with chocolate chunks (over multiple visits). This particular shop, Gelateria Caffe, in Rapallo, was manned by Giulio, the thumbs up guy. He said to drop by any time.

We all scream for ice cream!

Without a doubt, my fav was the grilled pineapple bourbon caramel! This stall in the farmers' market had some amazingly good ice cream.

"You can't buy Happiness, but you can buy Ice Cream and that's kind of the same thing."

The "Good Humor Man"

I caught this dad buying some ice cream for his two little boys off this converted van. It also has candies, sodas, cookies, and various other sweets. When I first saw them, the dad was at the window purchasing the items while the boys were standing just behind him anxiously waiting. By the time I got my camera out the dad had completed the transaction and was walking back to the house.

I remember the "Good Humor Man" coming around our neighborhood every day when I was a child. He just sold ice cream though. The Helms bakery van would come around every morning with fresh donuts, cookies, and breads. Can you think of any other curbside vendors that came around your neighborhood?

Midnight snack

It's the middle of the night and you just got home from work. You're hankering for something sweet. Where can you go? Thrifty's of course! I've been coming here since I was a kid, although the single scoops were a lot cheaper back then. I always get the same—single scoop, chocolate chip cookie dough.

Appetizer?

After several days of being sick, Coldstone Creamery at Downey Landing had just the thing to restore my appetite—ice cream, chocolate chips, cookie dough, fudge, and caramel, all mixed together on a "cold stone."

Or you could have...

Well I was going to go to Coldstone tonight after work to have a kind of rival daily photo from yesterday but I got there too late! It was already closed when I got there at 9:18. Oh well, I'll come home and eat my absolute favorite. Kirkland Vanilla with fresh berries and chocolate chips! I win.

So many choices!

If you have a hard time choosing things, don't ever go to Baskin Robbins Ice Cream. With more than "31 flavors," you need to come in knowing what you want, or try a dozen samples testing what you're in the mood for. Usually, I get the chocolate chip cookie dough, but I thought I'd be crazy and got the Rainbow Sherbet. Yummmm!

Back to the past

I grew up watching movies like "Back to the Future" wishing I could do the same thing for a day—just hop back into another time for a minute. Gone are the days where one will see two young gooey eyed sweethearts sitting in the local drug store with two straws in the same milkshake. I even searched online the other day to get milk delivered, but they bring it in plastic pints and not glass... I could go to the store and do the same thing... not very romantic.

But enough about my ranting. Today, however, I went back in time. Sort of. In Brea, fourteen miles east of Downey, there is a place called Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour. It's definitely an experience. Loud, obnoxious, and over the top, their ice cream is heaping and sweet. The diner looks as if you stepped into a 50s candy store with an ice cream parlor in the back.

We sat at the soda fountain counter and watched as the boys made the chocolaty delights.



A picture of the front of their menus shows the atmosphere they've recreated in here.

Fleeing to temptation

I've been dieting, fairly successfully, for about nine months now. But the thing that always trips me up is ice cream, especially Cold Stone Creamery—the ultimate ice cream experience.

So, the question for today is this. Did I end up splurging at Cold Stone tonight because I went to Downey Landing in search of a picture? Or, did I go to Downey Landing tonight in search of a picture because I wanted to splurge at Cold Stone?

"Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos."
~Don Kardong

Ice cream at the park

I was at Rio San Gabriel Park watching the light fade thinking how beautiful.it looked. It's my favorite time of the day. I love when the shadows are long and the light takes on such warm coloring. It just doesn't get better than this... then here comes the ice cream cart man.

I don't know about you, but ice cream  makes everything better!

I want some too!

This weekend I felt like summer has finally arrived. And today is my daughter's birthday. So she and I strolled around Downey Landing, stopping for a treat at Jamba Juice and then just window shopping.

I couldn't help but laugh at the intense interest this family showed in their ice cream!