Here’s another fond ice cream memory (two, in fact!) from a reader-writer. These memories come from Sarah G. of Parkville, MD. And yes, that’s a photo of young Sarah in her heyday. Probably around the same time her Pop Pop introduced her to Butter Pecan ice cream!
My oldest ice cream memories are centered around my grandparents, so my love of ice cream comes honestly. My Pop-Pop Parks always used us as an excuse for an ice cream run, be it sundaes, Frosty’s, floats or cones. Sometimes, he would just show up with a half-gallon.
I remember one night while spending the night at my mom-mom and pop pop’s. My mom-mom was watching TV and pop-pop was in the kitchen. I wandered into the kitchen in my favorite footie PJ’s and climbed up on to the seat opposite of him. He was eating something out of a weird looking bowl. The bowl was white with flowers on the side. The thing about this bowl was that it had a handle. I asked him what he was eating. He answered “ice cream.” I said “What kind?” He replied “Vanilla with nuts.”
I learned later he was eating his favorite kind, Butter Pecan. He asked if I wanted some and I, of course, said yes. From that point on I always noticed when he ate ice cream at home he always ate it in that weird bowl. He was an ice cream lover all his life and passed that love of ice cream on to me. When he died and my mom, my aunt and my uncles were cleaning out the house I got pick out some things I could keep. I picked that weird bowl. Now, when I eat ice cream I always eat it in that bowl and remember my pop pop.
Another memory that sticks out in my mind is one of my Grandma Watson’s. I was not the best student in my youth. I didn’t like to do my homework. My parents tried everything under the sun to get me to do it. One day when I was over my grandparent’s house, my grandma struck a deal with me. She would buy me anything I wanted, but I would have to do my homework every day for a month. I agreed to the deal.
I worked very hard that month to do all of my homework. At the end of the month I took a good report from my teacher to my grandmother. I was so excited, and I knew just what I wanted, my own half-gallon of ice cream. I was the oldest of three children so I rarely got anything I didn’t have to share. My grandma Watson took me and I picked out a half gallon of chocolate ice cream. I got home and had a bowl right away. Later that day I wanted more. This time though I just ate it out of the carton. I ate the rest in one sitting. One whole half-gallon of chocolate ice cream was done in one day! Unfortunately, that cured my taste for chocolate ice cream, however that does not stop me from eating my favorite flavors: French Vanilla or Fudge Ripple!
Tags: ice cream
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Well done Sarah. Lucky for your grandmother that you only wanted a half gallon of ice cream. Getting anything you wanted could havebeen very costly.
what awesome memories,funny how it’s the little thing’s that really matter.
These are wonderful memories..especially the bowl with the handle which you will be able to pass on with the story behind it. I also gave one of my “pay” coupons to my grandaughter for being on her best behavior and helping her mom at home. I know it’s kind of a “bribe” but what a “good bribe”. I have enjoyed reading all the entries, and yours is amongst the best, because it made me think of good memories also. Nothing beats a great bowl of icecream, or an icecream cone on a hot day!
I love your ice cream!
I am sure there are many more good memories out there. Hopefully everyone in their life can keep a forever memory of their loved ones. However I think most peeple in their life have tryed if not continue to eat icecream I know I still love Turkey Hill icecream at any time of the day!!!
Kudo’s to grandparents and ice cream. I also associate early ice cream memories to my grandfather!
What nice memories! I too have eaten an entire half gallon in one day (as an adult mind you…when I supposedly know better!).
Ice cream stories always have the best memories, Its the warmth and happiness you share with family. Back in the 50’s ice cream was a really big treat, a BIG DEAL!!
We lived in an apartment house off the main street and I am old enough to remember our refrigerator only had an ice cube compartment so we did not have ice cream stored at home. On the week end my daddy would take me to the local luncheonette either for a dish or cone of ice cream. By Friday I was looking forward for that treat. In the summer we had the Good Humor man and when he arived on our block I would run up the stairs to beg my mother for 12 cents to buy a big cup of vanilla/chocolate. He was a nice man always allowing us kids ring the bells.
Sarah G…I loved your stories and memories, and think that each time I read postings like this, my love for ice cream grows, and I can’t help but think of these stories again as I open my freezer to get my own ice cream. It is almost as if I have adopted these stories as my own memories of early childhood! I was wondering what beach that was you were at? Call me crazy, but it looks almost exactly like the beach I have been going to for about 20 years now off the coast of South Carolina. I could jsut be homesick for my favorite vacation site though. Either way it looks like a great place that needs ice cream to cool you down with.
Sarah, this was a very enjoyable article to read. We must all have memories of our grandparents and ice cream. You sure took me back and I thank you for that!!
Meg S., It is Ocean City, MD. We went every summer for a family vacation.
That is a cute story. You were adorable!!!!!!
thats really a nice story
My favorite and earliest memory was my dad taking me to the old Baskin Robbins when they actually had 31 flavors, not the crap today with Dunkin Donuts. But I would go up and down the cases, looking at colors and sampling what I thought looked pretty until I picked one I wanted. Too bad Turkey Hill doesn’t have stores with buckets upon buckets on display. Well, they don’t here in NY at least.
my grandfather loved strawberry icecream when I was a teenager an worked at my first job which was next to an ice cream shop….every night when I closed I would go next store an allways got my grandfather 2 scoops of strawberry!!!!My grandfather was the best!!!!!He lived into his late 90’s I think it was Love an icecream!!!!!
I worked one summer during college at a local Ice Cream Stand…we were aloud to enjoy any ice cream treat during out daily shift…I always had a Peanut butter Sundae or Peant butter Milkshake(this topping was homemade)or a cone of soft serve Sherbet…amazingly at the end of the summer I had lost 10 lbs.
I wish we could go back to those times things were a lot better
Great job! Sounds like fond memories.
Living alone, I can do as I please and yes, I eat the ice cream right out of the carton, saves dishwashing and I can eat all I want .
Memories with parents and grandparents that include ice cream are the best!
“Sweet” memories. How nice. I enjoyed your stories.
Sarah G. those are good ice cream stories with great memories. Memories of family and ice cream are the greatest of all. Of course, I couldn’t eat a whole half gallon of any flavor ice cream in one sitting.
Interesting stories. I remember my mother taking me to the ice cream parlor for ice cream.
Great memories!
I remember going with my great niece shoe shopping when I was young and as a reward for following her around while she tried on shoes, she purchased me an ice cream cone — yummy!
I agree with Jilly; it’s always the little things that matter the most and that leave the lasting memories. What a great story this is!
Just one more thing, I had grandparents on BOTH sides of the family who were candy and ice cream makers. So my adoration of ice cream runs deep! I can blame my parents for my sweet tooth and they admit it’s their fault!
My early memory of ice cream was going to Robinson’s garage in Gap and buying Breyer’s chocolate ice cream…in the paper box container. That was our Sunday night treat with pretzels, of course!
my earliest memory of ice cream is with my grandmother too. this story was great. now I am making ice cream memories for my grandchildren too
Fond memories of simpler times are the best.
Very touching memories. I enjoyed reading them very much. Enjoyed some of that Turkey Hill Dutch Chocolate earlier today and a little later some of the Party Cake. DELISH !!!!!:-)
From one Sarah to another – nice memories. I enjoyed your stories; thanks for sharing and I’m glad you got your Pop-pops weird bowl.
It seems that all of our good old memories are somehow related to food. I bet almost everyone has a good memory about ice cream from childhood. Eating ice cream makes you feel as happy as a kid.
This is so funny, some of my earliest memories involve ice cream too – on Friday nights my Dad would work, and when he was done he’d come home and we’d all eat ice cream cones while we watched “Star Trek” (the original, of course) and “The Avengers” – much simpler days!
Cute story! I hope the experience didn’t turn you off from chocolate ice cream forever; it’s delicious!
My grandparents always had maple walnut icecream and I never really cared for it. The one time we were there they put strawberries on it and it was very good.
Sarah, great story, esp. about Pop Pop’s weird bowl.
(I used to go to Ocean City as a kid, too…plus worked one summer at Freddie’s on 4th St. & boardwalk, dishin’ out pizza and what else – ice cream cones.)
My earliest memories: going to “Dairy Palace” every June.
Dad would drive Mom, my 3 brothers and I there every year on the last day of school, report cards in hand. If you passed, you got a FREE soft ice cream cone. Dad would get a classic banana split in a long blue plastic tray.
Like Maryann sez, buying ice cream was a big deal back then, not like today, when you stop & buy at a parlor just ’cause you pass it coming back from the mall or whatever…
Sarah G shares memories similar to many people. Our generation remembers well our times spent with our grandparents. This is probably where we began our love of ice cream. Our favorite flavors remain the same but the brand changes. Now we have Turkey Hill to satisfy our desire for ice cream.
LOVE THE MEMORIES AND TH ICE CREAM.
It reminded me of the day we saw people coming into Pine Grove Furnace State Park from the Appalachian Trail. They bought half gallons of ice cream, sat down and dug in! Dessert is one thing they miss while hiking. My cousins have been known to enjoy a half gallon like that too. My girlfriend’s husband used to eat his ice cream from a mixing bowl!
[...] July, Sarah from Parkville, MD wrote about her Pop Pop and the special bowl he used to eat his ice cream from. Her story is the inspiration [...]
[...] July, Sarah from Parkville, MD wrote about her Pop Pop and the special bowl he used to eat his ice cream from. Her story is the inspiration [...]