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I’m Back…

December 12, 2011 by 3 Comments

I took a little bit of a break from posting on my blog… As some of you have noticed. I had a real defining moment when I realized that unfortunately, not everyone in this world is about helping one another. It really bothers me that so many people will do such unexpected things to get ahead… Or try to get ahead. I do believe in karma… I have to.

Yes, I have opinions, some of them are strong. I am not aiming to please everyone. I don’t think anyone in this world ever should. If you don’t like them, that is fine, I am open to your opinion, but to be quite honest, if you are going to continue to pick on me and bash my thoughts and opinions, I suggest you get your own damn blog and perhaps take a hike. I won’t be offended. ;) Life is too short to be an asshole and miserable. So be happy, enjoy every day and be thankful every day… Not just those 30 days in November… Ai yi yi!

I can dish it and I can take it, but I have feelings too and I think a lot of things said online get very misconstrued and taken way out of context… I welcome your thoughts. But be a nice person, OK? :) Thanks!

Filed Under: Maine, Miscellaneaous, Special Post · Tagged With: , , ,

Listen to Playboy’s Miss November Ciara Price on WJBQ 97.9

October 20, 2011 by 1 Comment

This week on my radio segment, Stiffler’s Social Scoop with Teddy McKay, on WJBQ 97.9, we had Playboy’s Miss November 2011, Ciara Price as a special guest! She is Maine’s 2nd Playboy Playmate this year and is from Buxton! Yes folks, Buxton! :) I have been friends with Ciara for a couple of years, so this summer when I heard that she had made Playmate, I knew I HAD to get her on the show! She put me in touch with her publicist this week to set up the interview on the Q!

Live radio can be interesting though! Anything and everything can happen and that’s what makes it so exciting! You can listen to the clip below of our interview by clicking on the “Listen Below” play button. We had a little technical issue and lost Ciara during our call, but we got her back! So make sure you listen! We talk about everything; including Hef, Halloween and what it’s like in the grotto at the Playboy Mansion! ;)

Listen Below

Filed Under: Maine, Playboy, Portland, Radio Segment, Special Post · Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Stiffler’s Mom’s American Apple Pie

October 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Can you believe that it has been twelve years since the first and original American Pie was released? Well it’s true. I am also quite sure that every week since then someone has made an American Pie reference to me and the most often thing I am asked by anyone that needs to ask my name is, “Have you ever seen American Pie?”… I always want to say “Is a frogs @$$ water tight?”… Of course I’ve seen that movie!… In fact, the first time I ever watched it was with my first high school boyfriend and my parent’s… I bet I turned every shade of pink and RED there is. It’s very funny now when I think about it.

I thought it would be fun to share my mom’s… Stiffler’s Mom’s American Apple Pie recipe because what’s better in the fall than a homemade apple pie made with freshly picked apples? Not a whole lot, except maybe some vanilla ice cream! The recipe even includes a really easy pie crust recipe that I haven’t screwed up… If I can do it, You can most definitely do it!

You will need approximately 10 medium sized apples for this pie. I like to go to Orchard Hill Farm in Cumberland, Maine and pick my own McIntosh apples! Pssst! They also have cider donuts that are to die for… They are made fresh at 6AM daily!

Two- Crust Pie Recipe

  • 1 3/4- cups flour
  • 1 – teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 – cup vegetable oil
  • 2 – tablespoons COLD water

Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Blend in the oil thoroughly with a fork. Sprinkle all of the water over the mixture and mix thoroughly. Press the dough firmly into a ball. If the dough is too dry [I honestly haven't had this problem yet] but if you do, you can add another tablespoon of oil. ♦ Note from Stiffler’s Mom: If you add more water, you will make the crust tough.

Roll out the dough between two pieces of waxed paper. Then take the top layer of waxed paper off and press the crust into the pie plate and then peel off the other sheet of paper. [You could also cut the dough into strips and make a fancy pants apple pie if you'd like... I think I may take the time next time and do it that way!] The pastry should have about a 1/2 inch extra over the top of the pie plate.

Stiffler’s Mom’s American Apple Pie

  • 3/4 – cup of granulated sugar
  • 1/4 – cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 – teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 – teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 – teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 – tablespoon butter

Line the pie plate with the Two- Crust Pie that you made from the above recipe directions.

Prepare the apples by washing, peeling, paring/coring. Slice them fairly thing, but not too thin! In a large bowl mix the apple slices, sugar and spices well so that they are all covered. Put the apples into the pastry shell and dot with the butter. Cover with the top pie crust pastry or pastry slices. Pinch and flute the edges.  ♦ Tip: You could also use cookie cutters and cut out some cute designs on the top pie crust pastry before you top the pie. Sprinkle the top of the pie with some cinnamon sugar and Voilà! You have an apple pie that is ready for the oven! Bake at 425°F for 40 minutes and then reduce the heat to 325°F for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. I put a cookie sheet under the pie in the oven as it cooks to catch any spillage so that it doesn’t burn onto your oven and cause a mess.

Make sure you let the pie cool off long enough so that when you slice a piece and top it with some vanilla ice cream, the ice cream doesn’t turn to soup! ;)

Oh & if you make this recipe, I would LOVE to know how it turned out and if you loved it as much as I always have. Please post your photos of your version of Stiffler’s Mom’s America Apple Pie my Stiffler’s Social Scoop Facebook fan page!

 

Filed Under: Desserts, Fall, Maine, recipes · Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Are You Listening To Your Customers via Social Media?

September 24, 2011 by 2 Comments

This past week I had an amazing customer service experience. It involved Twitter & one of my favorite pizza parlor’s in Maine, Leonardo’s Pizza.

By now, many of you may have heard The Greatest Customer Service Story Ever Told, Starring Morton’s Steakhouse by Peter Shankman [He's one of those super important social media guys of this world ;) ]. To sum it up… Peter was flying home & before his plane took off he tweeted Morton’s Steakhouse [jokingly!] asking for them to meet him at the Newark airport with a porterhouse. Well they did, & that is where I got my inspiration from when I tweeted Leonardo’s when my stomach started rumbling during the Social Media FTW Conference this past week.

I had eaten some fruit & a muffin that was available during the conference’s breakfast, but that only held me over for an hour or so. [I guess I should have thought twice before I got rid of the granola bars in my purse... Or so I thought! ;) ] So, I decided it was time to get a little creative to fix my hungry tummy & the only way to do so [without leaving] was to use my phone & the possibilities that exist in the social media, specifically, the Twitter world. While I was sitting in one of the seminars right before our lunch break, I sent the following tweet to Leonardo’s Pizza which happens to be right across the street from where the conference was being held, at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.

 

 

 

Within 19 minutes Leonardo’s Pizza tweeted me back the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“OH MY GOODNESS, it worked!” is all I could think… I tweeted Leonardo’s back and told them to surprise me! After all, beggars can’t be choosers… Right? Soon there after, my cell phone rang & in walked Leonardo’s Pizza with 2 of the most beautiful pizzas I had ever seen!

Leonardo's! I'm sorry your head got cut off! & look! It's Saul Colt with his awesome pants in the background :)

It was awesome! That was a perfect example of how businesses need to be listening online because the opportunities are endless as to how you can get your name, product and/or service out there. However, it is really quite simple. All you need to do is listen. No, Leonardo’s Pizza did not even have to respond to my tweet, let alone go out of there way to make 2 supreme, special topping pizzas to bring over to me just because they understand the importance of a wonderful customer service experience. But they did! They were listening & the experience became a win, win for the both of us!

I am definitely more likely to order my pizza from Leonardo’s Pizza in the future… Even if it is an extra 20 minutes out of my way. I don’t even know exactly what kind of pizza they brought me [other than AMAZING! It was so good!], but I do remember exactly how they made me feel… Like I mattered to them… & I did!

Leonardo’s seems to get it when it comes to using social media effectively for their small business. The best part of all of this was that I was at a SOCIAL MEDIA conference for the day… How perfect! The pizza definitely hit the spot & their timing could not have been any more perfect!

Thank you Leonardo’s Pizza for making my day at the Social Media FTW Conference a whole lot better!

My next tweeting mission is to find out exactly what kind of pizza’s they sent over to me… They were so amazingly yummy & full of fresh ingredients!

Have you ever had an amazing social media related customer service experience? Or have you tried voicing your concerns and/or problems via social media, only to be completely ignored?

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Customer Service, Maine, Portland, Social Media, Twitter · Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Maine’s Social Media Event Double Header

September 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This week in Portland, Maine could quite possibly be summed up as the best week ever for social media! With only a couple days of summer left, there is no better way to ring in the beginning of fall. Are you a small business owner, professional marketer, PR professional, entrepreneur,  and/or non-profit?  Do you want to learn how to maximize the results you get from social media? Or do you feel like you need to get on board with social media to get your brand out there, but you have no clue where to begin & are completely overwhelmed? You are certainly not alone! This is the perfect week for you to get on track & figure out what you should be doing & how you should go about doing it. There are two big events this week in Portland, Maine; Social Media FTW Fall Conference & Social Media Breakfast Maine…

This Wednesday, September 22nd from 8AM to 5PM is the 3rd annual Social Media FTW Fall Conference at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. This conference will include sessions taught by industry leaders in social media, blogging, podcasting, branding, internet marketing and so much more. This full-day conference promises to deliver hands-on help for those who are new to social networking as well as higher level strategy sessions for those already involved in social marketing efforts. There are so many great speakers lined up for the day. I am looking forward to hearing from the two keynote speakers; Mike Volpe, CMO at Hubspot & Saul Colt, Head of Magic at Freshbooks, as well as networking, meeting new faces & making new connections.

*Just added: Unofficial September Tweetup 5 – 8:00 PM; After FTW! Cash bar. Abromson Center, USM, Portland

The following afternoon, September 23rd from 4 – 7:30 PM is September’s Social Media Breakfast Maine at the Eastland Park Hotel. It is usually in the morning & it is usually breakfast, but because of the previous day’s FTW Conference, they decided to move it to the afternoon & have it be a happy hour style event. The topic is How Local Breweries Are Using Social Media. [I wrote a blog post titled; 'Find Your Favorite Maine Brewery Using Social Media', back in July that you might want to check out. :) ] This ‘breakfast’  will be different in that there won’t be any bacon, but there will be beer. That’s a fair trade right? Also, Chris Brogan will be there co-hosting the event with Amanda O’Brien. Chris’s blog, [chrisbrogan.com], is in the Top 5 of the Advertising Age Power150. He has over 11 years’ experience in online community, social media, and related technologies. Oh & he also knows a thing or two about good beer. ;)

This is guaranteed to be a week chock-a-block full of anything & everything social media. Social media marketing, as we all know is extremely powerful. There are so many possibilities & opportunities. I hope you join me this week & are able to take part in Maine’s social media double header!

Filed Under: Blogging, Breweries, Fall, Maine, Portland, Social Media, technology · Tagged With: , , , , ,

Getting the Most Out of Fall in Maine

September 10, 2011 by 3 Comments

Thompson's Orchard. New Gloucester. Maine


“Wake me up when September ends.” Did anyone else hear those Green Day lyrics on September 1st & kinda sorta agree? I have to admit that at first, the idea of summer ending makes me so sad, but once I begin to think of how wonderful the next few months are in Maine during fall/autumn, I smile.

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Filed Under: Fall, Maine, Outdoor Activities, Portland · Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ogunquit Maine: A Day At the Beach

August 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Marginal Way is perfect for an oceanside run!

If you have never been to Ogunquit, Maine, you are missing out. Yes, it’s that beautiful, cute & quaint of a town that you must visit, especially during the summer months. Photos don’t even do it justice. I have always avoided Ogunquit because I know that Route 1 is a nightmare in the summer [backed up for milessss always!] and the idea of going to the beach there can be huge headache if you don’t prepare yourself . So let me tell you about my ideal day at Ogunquit Beach. It was so much fun! I recommend you all grab your guy, girl or a group of friends and head on up or down to Ogunquit for the day or the weekend. I decided this weekend that we are definitely staying down there for a weekend/few days next summer.

The Ogunquit Beach lifeguard team does a number of charitable events, including the polar plunge!

Our Saturday began bright and early. We were in the car and heading to the beach at about 7:30AM. Yes, that’s how early you need to be if you want to get a spot! We got to Ogunquit at about 8:30AM [we had a couple pit stops to make on the way, one of which included dropping Harlow off with my parents for the day :) ], parked our car at the lot right at Ogunquit Beach. It costs $25 for the day to park your car in that lot. Holy Hannah Montana… I know! We aren’t used to that up here in Maine, but it is what it is. So we sucked it up and paid the $25 [& P.S. - I'd do it again because you can come and go and it's not a far walk to the beach or in town from that parking lot. But keep in mind, that lot was filled up by 9:30AM!]. There are a couple other lots that you can park if you are able to drive around. I know they aren’t as expensive as the one that is on the beach, but you will have to walk OR you could take the TROLLEY! I love trolleys! It costs $1.50 and stops at numerous stops around town, as well as right smack dab in front of the sand on Ogunquit Beach.

I ate about half of this! ;-P

After we parked our car we went to brunch! Bintliff’s is just a 10 minute walk from the beach parking lot. There are several yummy brunch spots in the area, but we chose Bintliff’s Ogunquit because we had a gift certificate that we wanted to redeem. I had the Creme Brulee French Toast &  WOW! AMAZE-BALLS! I couldn’t finish it but it was so very good! [very sweet as well!] & a Peach Bellini [my fav!]. Nate had a Crab Cake Benedict  & an ‘Extreme Bloody Mary.’ YUMMY!

After breakfast we walked back to our car to get our beach stuff & head on over to claim our spot in the sand. It’s a quick, 2 minute walk from your car in that parking lot to the beach. There are a couple restaurants right there, as well as a beach store. So we found our spot and relaxed on the beach for a couple hours or so… Until about 1PM. The French Canadians are really funny and one big difference I notice about their beach going skills compared to ours is that they don’t care at all about piling on top of each other. There is no method to their madness… Any open spot on the sand goes, no matter if it is 2 inches next to you. [Yes, irritating, but you can't win 'em all, right? ]

A view of Marginal Way. Benches are perfect for a picnic! Hint hint ;)

After our nap/people watching extravaganza on the beach we decided it was time to go explore! Nate grew up in Wells [the town next door], so he knew where he was taking me & what we were going to do! We saved the best for last… We made our way up to Marginal Way. Let me give you a little background on this 1 1/4 mile long paved foot path that goes right along the rocky coast and connects Ogunquit Beach to Perkins Cove. [FYI! Dogs aren't allowed!] Soooo, sooo pretty! In fact, Nate & I decided that we are having our engagement photo shoot with Stewart Smith Photography in Ogunquit next month. I couldn’t believe that I have lived in Maine my whole life & never made it down there before!

Perkins Cove is the cutest little ocean side village maybe ever! There are a bunch of restaurants to sit down for lunch, or you could visit one of the lobster shacks and grab a lobster roll and sit on one of the benches by the docks. There are also ice cream shops & candy shops, as well as a number of other cute little boutiques that line Perkins Cove Street.

We walked around for a while stopping in to a bunch of shops as well as having lunch [lobster rolls!] at Barnacle Billy’s. One thing that we didn’t do, that we will be doing very soon is going on one of the Finestkind Scenic Cruises. They offer a Scenic Breakfast Cruise, Nubble Lighthouse Cruise, Sailing Cruises, Lobstering Trip, as well as a Cocktail Cruise between $16 – $24 per person depending on which cruise you choose.

Sunset on Ogunquit Beach. See you next time!

At about 3PM we called it a day by taking the trolley back to the Ogunquit Beach parking lot to meet back up with our car. It was a full day of brunch, beach, shopping, lobster rolls, ice cream & taking in the beautiful sights. Such a fun day date! There is so much to do that a weekend or even a few days down by the ocean side would be perfect! What are your favorite things to do when you visit Ogunquit, Maine?

 

 

 

Photo credit: Ogunquit Maine & Kate Benedict

Filed Under: Beaches, Maine, Summer · Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Social Media Help: Speed Dating Style!

August 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

“What is Social Media Breakfast Maine?” is a question that I have been getting quite a bit from many of you. I love it!
SMBME [Yes!, it has it's own acronym... & that is also the Twitter hashtag to use, #SMBME] is a monthly breakfast where people [about 100] get together [usually a Thursday or Friday from 7:30 -10:30AM at the Eastland Park Hotel] share stories, ask questions & engage with other active social media experts & newbies! It is also a great opportunity for;

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Filed Under: Local Events, Maine, Portland, Social Media · Tagged With: ,

Maine Breweries: Find Your Favorite Maine Brewery Using Social Media

July 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy of LiveME

I’ve met very few people so far in my life that dislike beer [& the ones that I do are usually girls... Sorry ladies, but I had to call ya out! ;) ]. Except I do have a girl friend that can’t burp, so she doesn’t like beer. & that makes sense, right? There are many breweries that seem to understand the importance of social media & how engaging with their customers, as well as potential customers can make a world of difference when it comes to building their brand. If you are a brewery, you have a brand & you need social media.

I thought it would be fun to do some online exploring to see what Maine breweries are using social media & what they are doing with it. Mainers are always looking for something different & fun to do and often, we forget that we have a plethora of options right at our fingertips, year round! One great thing about beer is that it can be enjoyed all year, every season, but may be enjoyed a little bit more during those hot summer months. So get ready to ‘like’ and ‘follow’ your favorite Maine breweries & keep your eye out in your favorite store for a one of a kind, Maine beer. There are many options, so get chugging!  Also! Some of the breweries offer tours, but you have to act quick because ’tis the beer season! “Even better than a tour of a brewery?”, you ask. There are a couple of events this summer in Maine that are sure to make your day or weekend. On Saturday, July 30th in Boothbay The Maine Brewers’ Guild will host a “Craft Beer Comes to Boothbay” beer tasting event from 1:00 -4:00PM. If Boothbay isn’t what you were thinking, wait for Labor Day weekend… That when the 1st Annual Portland Brew Festival will be held  in the Portland Company Complex at 58 Fore Street. There will be 25+ brewers from around New England as well as 75+ varieties of beer to choose from. There will also be 3 sessions that you can buy tickets for that weekend; Saturday, 9/3 12 – 3:30PM, Saturday, 9/3 5 – 8:30PM & Sunday, 9/4 12 – 3:30PM.

  • The Shipyard Brewery – Summer Ale? Yes please! Right? How about Pumpkinhead? [It's coming sooooon by the way! :) ] By liking Shipyard on Facebook & following them on Twitter [as well as the rest of the breweries I mention in this post], you can stay up to date with what is going on with their brews, as well as the chance to win several things, including Maine lobsters! Shipyard has been brewing beer in Maine since 1994. They do full brewery tours every Tuesday nights from 5:30 – 7:30PM, but as I check their website, it looks like every Tuesday night for the rest of the summer is booked! [I'm also pretty sure I heard a rumor that there may be Apple beer coming soon, but I can't promise that!]
  • Sea Dog Maine Beer Co. – Have you ever tried their Apricot Wheat Beer? Freaking -phenominal! The Sea Dog Microbrewery & Restaurant has 3 locations; South Portland, Topsham & Bangor [& a Facebook page for each barney the sea doglocation] These 3 locations not only offer a full menu of their handcrafted ales, but also a really yummy pub style menu. If you’ve ever wondered how Sea Dog got their white dog mascot, let me tell you. His name is Barney & he was a Great Pyrenees. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, but of course, his memory lives on and on. Barney loved the water [most Great Pyrenees want nothing to do with it], but he jumped in whenever the opportunity arose. He also loved to sail, which he began doing at just 3 months old, hence his nickname “Sea Dog.” :) You can also follow Sea Dog on Twitter where you can tweet about how much you love their beer.
  • Peak Organic Brewing Company – Peak is a small brewing company dedicated to making delicious, creative, hand-crafted ales. When possible, they prefer to source from local farmers who grow organically. These artisanal farmers tend to grow the highest quality ingredients, making their beer very tasty. One of my favorite things about this brew company [beside the fact they try to use only organic ingredients], is their use of social media! Of course they have a Facebook page & Twitter account, but they also have a page on their website where you can share/celebrate the ‘Peak’ moments in your life . They also give you the opportunity to have your story shared in their newsletter, as well as on their packaging. In 2009, Peak helped Maine farmers cultivate commercial hops, the first such harvest since 1880. Organic hops? Wicked cool!. This is a brewing company that certainly ‘gets it’ when it comes to brewing beer & social media. You can find your http://www.dearinternet.net/wp-admin/post.php?post=1572&action=edit&message=10favorite Peak beer in your local grocery store/liquor store, as well as in a number of restaurants from Washington D.C. to New York & Boston!
  • D.L. Geary Brewing – Geary’s is a company that is only a month older than me! ;) Incorporated in October of 1983 by Karen & David Geary, they shared a vision of producing world class products on a small scale for local and regional consumption. And that’s exactly what they did. At that time, there were only 13 so-called micro-breweries and most of them were in California and the Pacific Northwest. In December of 1986, New England’s first microbrewery was born! You can like them on Facebook & follow them on Twitter to stay up to date on their 5 full time products, as well as their 3 seasonal brews. You can also give Geary’s a call to schedule an appointment for a tour of Maine’s first micro.
  • Sebago Brewing Co. – Sebago Brewing was established in 1998 has four restaurant locations; Kennebunk, Scarborough, Portland Old Port, Gorham, as well as their Production Facility & Corporate Offices in Gorham. You can like them on Facebook as well as follow them on Twitter to stay in the loop on specials, as well as trivia night information. They also offer a gluten free menu, which I learned from reading a comment someone left asking if they did on their Facebook page. They have a cool feature on their site where you can upload a photo of you and your friends enjoying Sebago beer & you could find your photo in their ‘Gallery’ section of their website.
  • Gritty McDuff’s Brewery – Since 1988, Gritty’s has been a popular brewpub in the Old Port. They even claim on their Twitter page that they are the first brewpub in Maine to open since prohibition ended. ;) They currently have three English style brew pubs [Portland, Freeport, Auburn] that offer great food as well as a full selection of their yummy brews. Gritty’s is a very popular spot in our Old Port. Aside from the great food, drink & service they also have a number of long picnic like tables that provide a great place for a big group of friends to pile in & enjoy themselves! They also have the best chocolate cake, maybe ever! [Of course, that's a matter of personal opinion, but I am certainly a huge fan of their Black Fly Stout Cake. [Yes! It's made with their Black Fly Stout beer :) ]
  • Baxter Brewing Co. – This brewery located in Lewiston, Maine is a little different than the rest. They only package their beer in cans, hence their motto; “We do what we can. We can what we do.” Why the cans? They explain on their website that there are several reasons for it; Cans are better for the environment because they are made of a minimum of 50% post-consumer  recycled aluminum. Cans are also better for beer because they block out the UV light, which is said to be death for fresh beer. [Makes sense when you think about it doesn't it?] And cans can often go places where glass cannot. Maybe you’ve found yourself in such a situation? The brewery, which is located in the historic Bates Mill Complex in downtown Lewiston, Maine, is open daily[Except for Sunday & Monday's] for tours and tasting. You can also like them on Facebook & follow them on Twitter. If you are wondering where you can find & try their canned beer locally, check out the Can Finder on their website!
  • Allagash Brewing Co. – Allagash White anyone? Yummmm! Allagash is a Belgian-style brewery that was started in 1995 as a one man operation in a small space right outside of Portland. Tours are available at their retail store, which is currently under construction at 50 Industrial Way in Portland. They have a really cool section on their website where they offer beer pairings & recipes. I am surely going to do that soon because that Allagash White Beer Sabayon [dessert] sounds like it would be a hit with my other half. ;) You can also like them on Facebook, as well as follow Naomi Neville’s tweets, as she [@AllagashNaomi] is the official tweeter for Allagash Brewing Company.

If I missed one of your favorite Maine breweries, please let me know! What is your favorite Maine brew[ery] to visit, to taste or to follow on your favorite social media network?

 

Photo courtesy of LiveME

Filed Under: Breweries, Maine, Portland · Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ice Cream vs. Gelato vs. Frozen Custard – What’s the Difference?

July 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When I was 14 years old I got my very first job. The summer of 1998 was the summer before freshman year in high school. One day my parents came home to tell me that they have found me a job! “A job? Hmmmm?” I thought. “I thought I had to wait another year until I was 15 to get a job?, I remember telling my parents’ and they said “Nope, we checked, you can get a worker’s permit at 14!” [of course they checked... they wanted me out of the house that summer & looking back, I don't blame them!] I liked that idea because that meant I would have my own money and that would mean I could pay for driver’s education to get my license and I would be able to buy my own clothes! So, I asked my mom what the job was and she let me know that in Buxton at Tory Hill in the old laundromat was an ice cream shop and computer shop. “Ice cream and computers?”, I said. My mom said they weren’t affiliated, just sharing the same space, so I got in the car with her and she brought me up to “Ice Cream Junction.” I got the job on the spot and I think I began the very next day. I made $5.50 an hour that summer, but I loved every minute of it. I was able to sample and eat as much ice cream as I wanted and I surely did, as well as save up for a car.

We served about 30 different flavors of hard serve ice cream, as well as soft serve at Ice Cream Junction. I don’t remember gelato or frozen custard back then, but of course they both existed, just not so much in Buxton, Maine. Over the past couple of years, it seems as if gelato and frozen custard shops are have been opening up here and there and I have found myself asking “What is the difference between the three? They are all pretty much ice cream right?” Well not quite… There are big differences between them all and I thought I would dig in [no pun intended ;) ] and try to distinguish what is what while you try to make the best choices for yourself this summer… Keep in mind that in the United States, the government regulates the commercial use of all of the terms [ice cream, gelato & frozen custard] based on the quantities of milk, cream and eggs. Oh & don’t try going to Ice Cream Junction… It’s long gone and torn down… Just like all things in life… they come to an end eventually! :(

  • Ice Cream - Made from milk & cream & often combined with fruits or other ingredients & flavors [minimum of 10% fat to be marketed as 'ice cream']. The mixture is stirred slowly while cooling to prevent ice crystals from forming, but still contains about 50% air. The result is the most common summer dessert, smoothly textured ice cream! Let me give you a little history on ice cream in the United States… In the early 20th century the ‘ice cream soda’ was popular at the ‘soda shop’ or ‘ice cream parlor.’ It was during American Prohibition that the ‘soda fountain’ kinda sorta replaced the outlawed alcohol establishments AKA bars & ‘saloons.’ During the 2nd half of the 20th century ice cream became popular throughout the world when refrigeration was cheap and becoming common.
  • Gelato – Made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream, so it contains more like 5-7% fat. It is churned at a slower speed than ice cream, so it’s denser because no as much air is whipped into the deliciousness, so it usually contains between 25-30% air. It is also stored at a slightly warmer temperature, so it’s not quite completely frozen. Overall, there is more milk, more egg yolks & but less cream than ice cream. Also! Because gelato has less fat content, more subtle & unique flavors can be offered! YUM! :-P
  • Frozen Custard – [similar to ice cream!] Made with eggs in addition to cream & sugar. In the United States, the FDA requires that products marketed as ‘frozen custard’ need to contain at least 10% milkfat & 1.4% egg yolk solids. If it has fewer egg yolks than it is considered to be ice cream… There is a subtle ingredient difference, but it really makes a HUGE difference. The high percentage of butter fat & egg yolks gives frozen custard a thick, creamy texture & smoother consistency than ice cream or gelato.

I’ll eat any of the three I just mentioned any time, any day & any where! ;) As the summer heats up & you begin to enjoy more & more of your frozen treats, will you be sticking to the same ‘ole ice cream or do you think you’ll branch out and try something new… Perhaps some gelato or frozen custard?

 

Images courtesy of Postcards & Paperbacks & The Gelato Fiasco

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