The Birth Of The Ice Cream Cone

Photo: Blue Bunny® Ice Cream wwww.flickr.com. Find it at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebunnyicecream/3179408525/in/set-72157612280082067

Speaking of birthdays and birth days…Who REALLY “birthed” the ice cream cone?


There are so many stories surrounding the birth of the ice cream cone and, in my attempt to create a slow build of excitement to the Blue Bunny®/A&P® Birthday party with Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes”, Chef Duff Goldman, one week from today (let me hear ya say “Woo-hoo!”), I happened to realize that the actual DAY of our party to celebrate A&P’s 150th Anniversary is also the nationally celebrated birthday of the ice cream cone!

Most histories of ice cream will tell you that that the ice cream cone was invented in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, a fact that 1SweetMama, a native St. Louisan, is VERY proud to proclaim. Syrian immigrant, Ernest A. Hamwi gave some of his “zalabia” (a waffle-like pastry) from his pastry cart to neighboring vendor, Arnold Fornachou, who had run out of paper dishes to serve his ice cream in at his adjoining ice cream cart at the fair. Another version has Hamwi teaming up with a different ice cream vendor named Charles Menches, who also ran out of dishes. Who knows for sure….perhaps a little case of “cone envy”??

There are about a hundred other stories that sound much the same but involve different ice cream and waffle vendors….and there were, likely, a hundred ice cream and waffle vendors at the St. Louis Fair (or the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition). Whatever the story, whatever the claim…..whoever the vendor….. certainly, the one singular GIVEN is that the ice cream cone became universally popular after this date. Despite the number of claimants, most ice cream experts and associations DO give the credit to Hamwi. Way to go, Ernie!

But, for the sake of humoring me with the “September 22 in New York City” tie in - let us also consider Italo Marciony – who claimed he created the ice cream cone on September 22, 1896! He sold his cones from a pushcart in New York City, and his claim may be the best, since he had a patent for a waffle mold, granted in December, 1903, eight months before the St. Louis Fair!
So…. Seven days before my Blue Bunny colleagues and I trek off to New York City to celebrate cake and ice cream with Chef Duff and A&P, I must pay homage to the ones who gave us the foundation to do so. Cones and ice cream; cake and ice cream. No matter how you scoop it, I still find myself all giddy as a school girl. September 22 is growing ever-closer!

And, speaking of cake and ice cream…..tune in next FRIDAY as I tell you about how I learned about the male anatomy from birthday cake. You KNOW you will want to read that one!

Until next time, I remain….1SweetMama

Springtime in the Ice Cream Capital of the World

Photo, courtesy of D. Smetter, May 5, 2009

Warm weather is sometimes a long time a-comin’ when you live in Northwest Iowa. The April Showers that bring the May Flowers often become May Showers that bring the June Flowers.

But, late as it may be, I am always amazed at the beauty and wonder all around us as the deadness of winter springs forth in green lushness once the shower and thunderstorm season arrives.

It also never ceases to amaze me how we are all caught by the moments that Mother Nature brings us. I continually try to remind myself that it is so important to stop and smell the flowers. Take the time to breathe in the little things that life gives us that sometimes go unnoticed. I was so refreshed this morning when I came into work….just moments after the photo at the top of my blog was taken… and opened my Inbox to discover a half dozen emails from co-workers, including my boss who submitted today’s photo, of the double rainbow that appeared at 7:21 a.m. Adults routinely immersed with their usual morning routines suddenly stopped, took notice of the event and (thanks to the miracle of cell phone and digital camera technology) captured it. Photos of every angle and in many settings – farmland, interstate, residential – displaying this simple little thing that presented its loveliness to us today.

And that so many of my friends and co-workers took the time to stop and take in the beauty of this rainbow and wanted to spread it around via email is a wonderful thing. It means that we haven’t stopped appreciating the little things and they aren’t going unnoticed here in the place where I live.

As sweet as an ice cream cone on a warm, sunny day or as wondrous as a double rainbow in the heart of Springtime….thus is life in The Ice Cream Capital of the World®.

...And Speaking of Lipstick: The Cone vs. The Dish Debate

The first official poll of “The Sweet Life” blog is over and the results are in:

The ‘astounding’ (hint of sarcasm) response of 34 total votes tells me two things: 1.) I really need to get more readers to this blog, and 2.) of the choices between eating ice cream in a dish, in a cone, or in their hand….more of my readers prefer ice cream served in a dish.

In fact, 55% of readers prefer ice cream in a dish to the 44% of readers who voted to eat their ice cream from a cone. Surprisingly, no one revealed their preference of eating ice cream straight from their hand. Puzzling. (Picture me, raising my right eyebrow and rubbing my chin)

“Election Fever” has caused me to want to over-analyze everything ad nauseum and the cone vs. dish debate is no different. So, I tried to determine what hidden message is being communicated by those who prefer a round dish to a pointed cone. And this is my deduction:

The closest study I could uncover which compares people who prefer pointed objects to round objects is the “Lipstick Personality Test”. According to the “Lipstick Personality Test” (sorry to any of those voters out there who are guys – you are just out of luck, here), the tip of your used lipstick says a lot about you. If the tip of your lipstick is round and smooth all over (like a bowl!), you are easy going, a peacemaker, even tempered, steady, likeable, and generous. If the tip of your lipstick comes to a point (like a cone!), you tend to be lovable, family oriented, a “doer”, can give orders easily, are domestic, exaggerates sometimes, stubborn over little things, and need to be around other people. Now the caveat to the “pointed cone personality” is that perhaps you prefer the cone but the flat bottom variety? Well, I have a personality for you, too! If you like the bottom of your cone like you like the top of your lipstick – flat – then you are to the point (how ironic!), have high morals, need approval, are careful about appearances, are very dependable, conservative, quick-minded, and love a challenge.

So, now I have a better glimpse into the inner psyche of my entire readership – which is made up of, primarily, my friends and family. How did you vote? Is my analysis accurate? Hmm….maybe I need another poll to determine the accuracy of this poll. Or maybe I just need more to do.

At any rate, check out the various other lipstick personalities and see how you fare. And guys, you can learn about the women in your lives, as well, by glancing at the tips of their lipsticks….just don’t let them catch you digging through their purses or make-up bags. Because that would be just weird.

Until then, I remain……..1SweetMama

Stupid Ice Cream Gifts and Other Things That Irritate Me

Tell me….in what kind of society do we live in that we have become too lazy to lick our ice cream cones? I came across the most ridiculous item at Urban Outfitters.

So we, as a species, have evolved to the point where it is too inconvenient for us to rotate our wrists around to lick an ice cream cone? Puh-leeze! Don’t our hip and fashionable buddies at Urban Outfitters know this action is, for many people, one of just a few remaining forms of exercise? There are many wellness programs out there that include ice cream cone wrist rotations, remote control finger lunges and 12 ounce mug/can curls. How can UO take this away from us? I guess if you count yourself among “the beautiful people”, you can afford to invest in an item that rotates a cone for you while you simply stick your tongue out and enjoy effortless ice cream eating.

How lazy have we become?? Talk about your stupid gift items – there are 5 in this hilarious video I found!

And another thing…or should I say: And another thong. Not a typo…it is an actual undergarment with an ice cream image on it. I have seen several versions of this item all over cyberspace. Apparently anyone who has access to a screen printer feels a primal urge to imprint sexy lingerie with images of ice cream cones and Bomb Pops®. Well, if that does it for you…. For me, I have one word: ick.

All I have to say is this, “Why on Earth didn’t I think of that first?”