Art, Business, Food, Kids, Medicine, pets, Uncategorized

Ice Cream Chronicles Part I

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My favorite Twin Cities ice cream shop is not an ice cream shop. It’s a drugstore. It’s called St. Paul Corner Drug, located on the corner of Snelling and St. Clair Avenues. I remember when their ice cream cones cost 35 cents, but it’s been awhile since the price was that low. A single scoop cone is now an exorbitant $1.75. A cup of coffee, however, is still a nickel.

The store has a traditional soda fountain counter that dates to the 1920’s. There are always four flavors of ice cream. Traditional vanilla, chocolate or some variation on chocolate, and a fruit flavor of some kind. The fourth is anybody’s guess. Might be butter pecan or salted caramel, peppermint bon-bon, or some novelty flavor like bubblegum.

The counter sports several racks of magnets with humorous sayings, which you can peruse while enjoying your ice cream.

On the outside of the building, there is a water faucet. Beneath it you’ll find two stainless steel bowls filled with water for the neighborhood dogs, in the warm weather months. There’s also a table if you feel inclined to bring your ice cream outside so you can hang out with your pooch.

There is, of course, a pharmacy counter, but IMHO, the ice cream is the best medicine.

What’s your medicine of choice?

31 thoughts on “Ice Cream Chronicles Part I”

  1. Oh, ice cream is some of the best, but so is freshly made home made bread. A good pinot noir or sauvignon blanc is also good for what ails a person, in moderation, of course.

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  3. I am happy to say I’ve been to St. Paul Corner Drug a number of times, thanks to Linda, and even bought one of the magnets… It said something like “Unaccompanied children will be given coffee and a free puppy..” (I was planning to give it to the good folks at Birchbark Books…)
    The ice cream was wonderful, too…

    I like matzoh ball soup when I’m feeling under the weather – I used to have a box on hand, so all you have to do for the matzoh balls is add an egg or two… provide your own chicken broth. Now I have some matzoh meal and a recipe, but come to think of it – I should mix the dry stuff ahead of time, because when you’re sick you don’t feel like doing that.

    Also Knutzen’s Lemon Ginger Echinacea Juice – found at the Co-ops, etc.

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  4. Ice cream is balm for the soul. My “special treat” ice cream of choice these days comes from MilkJam on Lyndale – they have a super dark chocolate called “Black” that is sooooo goooood. Oatmeal raisin cookies fresh from the oven will also cure a number of ills.

    Option B is the musical route: a bit of Beethoven or some Copland will work wonders. Feeling down or need a bit of energy? Tee up Beethoven’s 9th Symphony – sing along in the choral parts (if you don’t know the words,the lyrics to “My Darling Clementine” match nicely with the rhythms). For something soothing, most any Copland will do. I get the joy of hearing “Appalachian Spring” played by the MN Orchestra this evening. For those 24 minutes or so, the world and its stressors will melt away.

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  5. Ice cream is a big deal in my family. I didn’t realize how big until the last few years.
    Growing up I remember having ice cream in the freezer, but it didn’t seem like a big deal. I had an Uncle that worked for Kemps so if there was a family reunion or something, it was always expected he’d bring a big 6 quart container of Vanilla Ice Cream.

    Then a few years ago, Mom said one day she wanted Dairy Queen but Dad wouldn’t stop; he said they had ice cream at home. Mom was more than a little perturbed by that. I thought it was just Dad being Dad. You know, why buy something we already have at home.
    And then I realized they always had ice cream treats in the freezer. Dad seemed to push for them more than Mom wanted. (Mom being the frugal one.)
    When Dad died, mom said there had to be cups of ice cream at the funeral. Oh, OK. That’s kinda fun. And we had ice cream after the ham sandwiches.
    Mom has been dealing with some health issues and not sleeping as well and one morning she was awake at 6AM and not ready for breakfast, but needed something so she made a root beer float.
    Good for her! She’s 92. Have a root beer float whenever you want, Mom!
    I was at her place one Sunday afternoon and walked down to the cafeteria to get her box lunch. It comes with an ice cream treat but last week “They forgot my ice cream. Make sure they put an ice cream in!” When she ordered it she told them, Don’t forget the ice cream!.
    I made sure she got her ice cream treat.

    When I was first appointed to the town board, I called the widow of the man I replaced and asked how he handled the meetings. She said sometimes when he came home he’d be so upset he had to have some ice cream.
    I’ve used that.
    That was a tough meeting. I better have some ice cream.

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    1. My mom is also 92 and has upped her ice cream consumption lately. She says it surprises her how quickly she can get through a half gallon by herself. I think she figures at her age, why not eat what you want.

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        1. My dad always shared his ice cream with his pugs, and with our cats when he lived with us. Our tortie cat expects to lick out our my ice cream bowl.

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        3. One of my paternal great grandfathers liked his dog so much he would share his bowl of ice cream with it, eating a spoonfrul, then letting the dog eat a whole spoonful from the same spoon, and doing this until the icream was gone.

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  8. Ice cream is good but the best medicine for me is a walk somewhere beautiful (with camera). Since I can’t do that lately, I’m eating more ice cream than usual.

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  10. medicine for me
    a tub of hot water with a cup of tea by my side and some tunes playing

    a cigar

    a massage

    a guitar

    a sunrise

    a sunset

    a full moon

    a toenail moon

    a person whose eyes sparkle

    hearing a great laugh

    riding my motorcycle

    getting a yes in sales

    a nice hat

    i used to do ice cream but out of nowhere i’ve cream gives me the stomach ache from hell

    real peanut butter used to be a big part of my life

    put that on the spoon with a whole variety of ice cream choices
    chocolate chocolate chip
    chunky monkey
    cookie dough
    butter brickle
    moose tracks
    mini donuts
    skippy works these days but i need to do it on my way to bed
    and it’s not as good as real peanut butter

    ice cream is a flash back to bridgemand for me
    or a dq banana split

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