Icecream Journal

You don’t realize how much weird ice cream-related news there is until you start combing through the archives of the Internet for it. Not old stuff, either. I’m talking about recent weird news. As always, three of the stories below are 100 percent true and one was made up by the Turkey Hill team. Leave a comment with your guess about which is the frozen fake.

WHO’S GOT THE SPRINKLES? – Highway crews in Manchester, England are describing it as “a big mess” and ice cream lovers were tempted to stop their cars and grab a spoon when a frozen foods truck carrying more than 10,000 half gallon containers of ice cream overturned on a highway just outside the city. No one was injured in the accident, but it did send half of the truck’s frosty cargo tumbling out onto the three-lane road and bring traffic to a standstill until the melee could be cleared.

THE MIRACLE DESSERT – Researchers at New Zealand’s University of Auckland have developed an ice cream with two active dairy ingredients that combine to address the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy. The helpful treat, called ReCharge, is available in strawberry flavor and is being tested with cancer patients in six New Zealand cities.

LOST AND FOUND – An 8-year-old Australian boy who disappeared from his bedroom in the middle of the night was found a few hours later pretty much where’d you’d expect to find a missing 8-year-old. Melbourne police picked the barefoot boy up at 3:50 am after he’d wandered into a 24-hour grocery store and began helping himself to some chocolate ice cream in the frozen treats aisle of his local grocery store. The child was reunited with his parents a short time later.

IT’S LIKE 1935 ALL OVER AGAIN! – In an effort to bring the old days back to life (and more customers through the door), a drug store in Ava, Missouri has set up an old fashioned soda fountain and has begun selling ice cream for five cents a scoop (limit three scoops per person). As expected, most of the fountain’s customers are kids from a nearby school who are anxious to put their allowance to good use.

It’s time for another… WILD AND WACKY ICE CREAM NEWS! Just like last time, all of these stories are true, except for one (which we totally made up). Try to guess which is the phony by leaving a comment!

1. FILE THIS ONE UNDER “EWWWWWW!” — A Frederick, MD woman in need of a quick summer treat did what many of us do while on-the-go, she made a pit stop at a drive-thru for some soft serve ice cream. After getting home, and after already eating most of her treat, the woman was horrified to find blood on her cone! The culprit was a restaurant employee who had cut his hand and was not wearing gloves. The restaurant manager ordered the employee to the hospital for tests (all was okay) and offered to pay for the woman’s medical expenses too.

2. HAVE A SEAT! (OR NOT) – Researchers at the Queen’s University Belfast in Ireland have discovered that there might be a deeper reason for our frosty cravings, and it has nothing to do with those delicious swirls of peanut butter. In studies of more than 100 ice cream indulgers, the researchers found that people who ate ice cream while standing up consumed a whopping 25 percent more ice cream on average than people who snacked while seated and 37 percent more than people who ate while lying down.

3. A THRILLER OF A MILKSHAKE — Michael Jackson’s sister, LaToya, found a way to pay homage to the late King of Pop by honoring his memory with a milkshake. LaToya concocted the treat while visiting a popular West Hollywood ice cream shop. The unnamed shake will be available through October 31, and contains strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, skittles, mixed nuts, caramel, whipped cream and a Cadbury flake. All proceeds will be donated to the AIDS Project Los Angeles.

4. GIMME A DOUBLE SCOOP AND ALL YER MONEY! — The notorious “Ice Cream Bandit” of Morristown, NJ has been caught! The man who held up five ice cream parlors throughout New York and New Jersey this summer — including three in one week — was nabbed by authorities and faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. When police searched the bandit’s apartment, they learned that the outlaw did his homework when they discovered a notebook with a list of all the local ice cream shops. Ice cream shops he won’t be visiting for a long, long time, we hope.

Who’s ready for some weird ice cream news? As always, three of these stories are true and one is completely made up by us. Try to guess which is the phony by leaving a comment. And this time, we’ll throw in a prize. Free ice cream to one of the people who guess the fake news item!

1. I DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ LICENSE! – When Oakland, California ice cream vendor James Watusic was ordered to cease operation of his ice cream stand after failing to provide a valid permit, he decided to outthink “the man” and continue selling his ice cream one way or another. Days after he was banished by authorities, the crafty salesman returned, this time giving away his treats for free… in exchange for a donation to “The Jimmy Watusic Fund.” Though business was booming, authorities saw through his scam and shut him down once again.

2. THERE’S SOMETHING EXTRA IN MY ICE CREAM! – Two Kansas City men operating an ice cream truck were arrested after offering a little more than push-up pops and fudgesicles. When a parent approached the truck in search of some mid-summer refreshment, the shady men replied “How ’bout a bong?” The parent didn’t buy the marijuana smoking device and instead reported the crooked sales team to the cops. When the police nabbed the duo, they found a small amount of marijuana and six bongs inside the truck.

3. EVEN AT A RETIRED PRISON, THE CRIMINALS CAN’T RESIST A VISIT- The Ohio State Reformatory, which served as the set of the classic movie, The Shawshank Redemption, hasn’t housed prisoners since 1972. But that didn’t stop some crooks from breaking into the Cell Block Cafe and making off with four cases of ice cream and three pounds of bratwurst. Police have no leads, but the Reformatory remains open to tourists despite the disruption by the frozen felons.

4. HE’S SINGING ‘TIL THE COWS COME HOME – It stands to reason that the best ice cream is made with the best milk, so what do you do if your cows don’t produce the best milk? Hire a professional Italian opera singer to sing to them, of course! That’s what Lancashire, England dairy farmer Frank Frederick did when he flew in renowned tenor Marcello Bedoni to serenade his cows. Said the tenor himself, “The cows are such gentle beasts and have a good ear for opera.” Mooooo!!

It’s time for another edition of ice cream news from around the world. Like last time, all of these stories are true, except for one. Try to guess which one by leaving a comment!

1. NOW YOU SEE HIM, NOW YOU DON’T - An ice cream man in Flint, Michigan was just driving along, on his way to his next stop when he felt his truck rocking from side to side. Looking over, he noticed a man had entered through the passenger side door. Armed with a gun, the stowaway attempted to rob the ice cream man. Thinking quickly, the driver hit the gas pedal and the thug fell out of the truck without even a bomb pop to show for his lawlessness.

2. ONE VOTE FOR ICE CREAM! - The Rockland County District Attorney is investigating charges that voters in Ramapo, NY were enticed to vote in a 2005 primary election after officials offered free ice cream making machines to the first 2,000 voters. According to New York state election law, it is a felony to induce a voter with “any money or other valuable consideration.”

3. MONEY HUNGRY MOMMY – When a 12-year-old placed her $20 bill on the counter of a Deerfield, Illinois ice cream shop while considering her many choices, a woman, described in her 40′s with three children, grabbed the 20 bucks, gathered her own ice cream order and left the store. The girl was in tears, but after the security video was shown publicly, the thieving woman was turned in to police by…her husband! The woman and her husband claim the money grab was an accident and police are not filing charges.

4. WHEN MOST KIDS ARE BUYING IT, THEY’RE SELLING IT! - Two Midland, Michigan teenage brothers who bought a run-down ice cream truck four years ago and began selling ice cream during their summers have finally paid off their initial investment and have begun making a profit. The brothers, Ryan (now 19) and Chris (now 15) purchased the truck for $900, fixed it up and have been canvassing the town each summer since, adding live entertainment with guitars, harmonicas and props to their selection of candy, ice cream and pops.

5. HEAVENLY DESSERTS - Nuns at the Sisters of the Covenant in El Paso, Texas have turned to ice cream as a way to raise money for charity and other holy purposes. Thanks to the donation of an industrial-sized ice cream machine from a local ice cream manufacturer, the savvy Sisters are churning out five flavors of frosty treats –  including “Holy Moses” and “Heaven on Earth” — and have begun selling them at church functions and through area convenience stores.

It’s that time again…time for some wild and wacky news about ice cream from around the world. Below are some of the more unusual stories we’ve managed to dig up, but there’s a twist. One of these stories is a fake, made up by the Turkey Hill staff. Try to guess which one by leaving a comment!

1. NO RESPECT FOR THE ICE CREAM MAN – An ice cream man in Suffolk, Virginia was dishing out some frosty treats when two men approached the window and placed an order. When the man turned around to get the goodies, the men brought out guns and demanded that he give them the truck. A short time later, while wandering the neighborhood, the ice cream man heard his truck’s music and found it abandoned. The shaken vendor reclaimed his vehicle and drove to the nearest police station to report the crime.

2. FOOD FIGHT! – A Rhode Island legislator’s attempt to name a local ice cream maker as the state’s official ice cream vendor melted faster than a freeze pop in August when the House couldn’t come to a consensus on the motion. Turns out, several other legislators preferred other ice creameries, and no one was willing to budge on their frosty allegiances. The legislator withdrew his resolution moments before the vote was to be conducted.

3. ANYONE HAVE AN ASPIRIN? – An Eagle Creek, Oregon man claims to have suffered from the world’s longest case of brain freeze after gobbling down a pint of Neapolitan ice cream nearly eight years ago. The man, who’s tried every conceivable remedy, can’t seem to shake the headache, but still enjoys his favorite frozen dessert “at least three times a week.” Doctors at Oregon University Medical Center have no explanation for the affliction.

4. NO RESPECT FOR THE ICE CREAM MAN (PART 2) – A turf war between two rival ice cream vans broke out in Camden, New Jersey last week. It started when one ice cream man encroached on the territory of another. The angered peddler shouted “You can’t stop here! This is my spot!” Soon after, the trespassing ice cream man was assaulted by two thugs and taken to the hospital where he was treated for cuts, bruises and a fractured rib.

Like we said, three of these stories are true and one is completely made up. Chime in with a comment if you think you know which of these tales is too tall to be true.