Ice Cream Treat: A Nostalgic Journey

Summer has arrived in Southern California, and my mind is not thinking about exploring a garden.  Instead, I’m pondering the summers of long ago, when the cure for heat was a simple ice cream treat.

I was recently in Pasadena. What am I saying?  I’m often in Pasadena, but on this particular day, I had an appetite for ice cream.  My fancy took me to Camela’s, where one never quite knows what exotic flavor will be offered.

I like chocolate, so something called “Aztec Chocolate” sounded exciting!  This was an ice cream treat with a bit of a kick.  It still tasted of chocolate, but there was an added zing.

Did I mention my favorite flavor is spumoni?  I confess, I never had this as a kid, but it’s been a favorite for many years and therefore I will count it in the nostalgia category.   I seldom see it, so when I do, it’s indeed an ice cream treat!

We didn’t have fancy ice cream shops when I was a kid.  Back then, we depended on the street cart.  As soon as we heard the jingling of the bells on his cart, we dashed to get some dimes.  The favorite treat in the summer was an Eskimo Pie chocolate-covered vanilla bar on a stick.

Of course, as soon as I took the first bite, disaster followed.  The chocolate instantly started to melt and slide off the bar.  How my mother managed to clean my shirts, I’ll never know.

Ice cream bars were long ago when I still lived in Michigan.  For Californians, ice cream nostalgia may equate to Thrifty Ice Cream.  Dating back to the 1940s, this frozen treat was available at a reasonable price in Thrifty Drug Stores.

The store name no longer exists having been purchased by Rite-Aid, but one can still find the ice cream counter.

Summer ice cream may be the best, but don’t we like it all year round?  Apple Season will soon start in my local mountains.  That means apple pie!

In the past, I always ordered my slice of pie with ice cream; didn’t everyone? I’ve curbed my youthful tendencies.  Now ice cream treats are rare, and I choose whether or not to indulge myself with a single cone on a warm summer evening.

I hope you’re feeling cooler now.  If not, may I suggest you try your favorite ice cream treat?  It’s a wonderful way to cool down on a hot summer day.

To see a few more ice cream photos, please click here.