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I Really Wish I Could Social Distance from All These Thoughts

21 Jun
White Farms

The scene at White Farms in Ipswich, Mass., on Saturday, June 20, 2020.

Yesterday, I went up to the North Shore, to explore the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, which I heard was a nice and picturesque drive. Turns out, either I didn’t know the area well enough, or I should have parked my car at various points and walked to the water, or something else, but with very few exceptions, from Lynn to Gloucester, the drive was neither coastal nor scenic, and I was disappointed.

So, after what felt like a couple hours of aimless driving and wasted gas, I turned around and headed back to the city. (At least, I think I turned around. I really didn’t know where I was or in which direction I was heading for much of the time, but I do know the full route goes all the way to Salisbury and I’m pretty sure I only made it to Gloucester.)

I didn’t want the day to be a total loss, so before I left the area, I decided to stop and get some ice cream at White Farms, a small local stand in Ipswich that had been recommended to me. It was quiet when I got there, thankfully, which meant I could go right up to the counter and order a two-scoop waffle cone — Mint Oreo and Vanilla Fudge Brownie, yum — then go back to my car to enjoy it. Continue reading →

Americone Dream Come True

24 Aug

I did it again.

As you may recall, last summer, I successfully led an effort to get Ben & Jerry’s to come and give free ice cream to my coworkers.

In fact, it was exactly this week that the ice cream truck rolled up to our building and gave out servings of tasty Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to all who wanted it.

Well, Ben & Jerry’s is at it again this summer, and so was I. Continue reading →

Only One Word to Describe It

6 Sep

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but if you ask me, there’s only one word that comes to mind when I see this photo: Happiness, both in front of and behind the camera. Continue reading →

Social Media Sure Is Delicious

25 Aug

I don’t in any way pretend to be a social media expert.

Sure, I’m an active user of Facebook and Twitter, I have a blog, and now I’ve even started checking in everywhere on Foursquare.

And sure, some people I work with think I’m an expert.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned when it comes to social media, it’s that nobody knows anything (to borrow the phrase from William Goldman), and we’re all making it up as we go along.

So I’ll let other people label themselves as social media gurus, experts, ninjas, or whatever word they’re using these days. Me, an expert? I’m not ready for that kind of label just yet.

That all said, I really do enjoy social networking. Continue reading →

Take Your Shot

14 Jun

Do you remember Trani, that unfortunately named place in the North End where the featured menu item was cupcakes injected with ice cream? I definitely remember it. Well, it has closed and been replaced by a pizza place — yes, just what the North End needed, another pizza place.

But last week, on my birthday, a coworker (thanks, Suzy!) came into the office with exciting news. It seems a new place just like Trani has opened up in the Burlington Mall, of all places. It’s called Shot Cakes, and it has the same basic premise: cupcakes injected with ice cream. There’s one big difference, though: Whereas Trani had basic chocolate and vanilla cupcakes that you wouldn’t necessarily want to eat without the ice cream, Shot Cakes has a whole selection of awesome flavors that are great as is. Red Velvet, Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, Brownie, Frosted with sprinkles, and so on. Add in ice cream and some hot fudge (or any of the other toppings, like peanut butter or caramel) and, well, WOW!

Barry and I went to check this place out on Saturday, and I had a Chip Shot Cake Quake. That’s a chocolate cookie dough cupcake, injected with vanilla ice cream, topped with hot fudge, and served in a cup. It’s kind of like a sundae, minus the whipped cream. A-MA-ZING. Moist cake, yummy fudge, and ice cream too. It wasn’t overwhelmingly heavy or filling. And it cost less than $4. Had I been alone, I might have had a second. (Or a third.)

One curiosity was why there was not a bigger crowd waiting for their own Shot Cakes. Maybe we were there at an off time (who knew such a thing existed at a mall food court), but on the off chance that this place isn’t getting the attention it deserves, I wanted to put up a blog post here (yeah, ’cause that will bring the place LOTS of attention). If you like cupcakes and ice cream — and really, who doesn’t? — then by all means make a trip to Burlington and check this place out. (Just get in line behind me.)

One of My Favorite Days

23 Mar

Just a quick PSA, because today, March 23, is one of my favorite days of the year: Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s. Yes, it’s a month earlier than usual (last year it was in late April), but who’s complaining when we’re talking about free scoops from Ben & Jerry’s? So head on over to your favorite scoop shop between 12–8 p.m. and have yourself a cone. Yum.

The Coolest Month of the Year

6 Jul

If you didn’t already know, July is National Ice Cream Month. According to the International Dairy Foods Association and the International Ice Cream Association, we can thank Ronald Reagan for the distinction. (Seriously.) And, if you’re marking your calendar, July 19 (the third Sunday of July) is National Ice Cream Day. So go out and get yourself a cone of your favorite flavor. And before you do, check out this classic NSFW Eddie Murphy skit.

I’m Gonna Go to Friendly’s

3 Jun

What better way to spend my upcoming birthday weekend (psssst … the big day is Sunday) than by enjoying some free ice cream at Friendly’s? Woo hoo! So consider this your heads up. From noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Friendly’s is giving out free scoops of ice cream. I’ll be there. Will you?

The Remix Gets Iced

2 Jun

I’m not one to complain about getting something for free, especially when it comes to ice cream. In fact, there are few things I get excited for more than free ice cream. So you have to assume that when the good folks at Cold Stone Creamery emailed me Sunday with a coupon for a free ice cream in honor of my birthday (which, ahem, is this Sunday), I was quite excited. That is, I was excited until I saw the coupon itself: good for a free small size original creation of my choice, i.e.: ice cream and one mix-in. One. You’d think that Cold Stone, which features a Signature Creation called Birthday Cake Remix (yum), would offer you a free cup or cone of that flavor — or at least a creation with enough mix-ins so you can make it yourself — on your birthday. Nope. Not that this is going to stop me from claiming my gift between now and June 14, when the coupon expires, but I just thought it deserved a comment.

I Scream

20 Apr

Wanted to give you a heads up that tomorrow is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s. This annual, well, holiday is one of the most exciting days of the year, and I’m already looking forward to my free scoop of Phish Food. Or will it be Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough? Or Chocolate Therapy? The choices are almost overwhelming. I may have to go back twice. Or three times.

Of course, Ben & Jerry’s isn’t the only place giving out ice cream in the next few days. Next Wednesday, April 29, Baskin-Robbins is having its annual 31-cent Scoop Night, where you can get yourself some yummy ice cream for almost nothing, and support a good cause too (all the proceeds go to the National Volunteer Fire Council National Junior Firefighter Program).

So … start saving your appetite, get your spoon ready, and save me a place in line!

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