Easter Sunday is normally a fairly religious day for me. My morning started off that way – I played the piano and organ for two church services (and sang and led a choir for the second service). But by 11:15 a.m. or so, I’d finished playing, had a quick snack and headed out the door to meet my husband before we headed home via a to-be-determined ice cream location.
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I don’t get out to Milford often anymore – I have lived in Windham, Londonderry and Manchester in the past, but currently there isn’t a reason to head that way – so I knew I should try to fit in an ice cream trip while I was in the area. In fact, I could make ice cream dinner (with an apple for health, of course) and allow myself a few extra calories.
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Winters are pretty quiet on the ice cream front in New Hampshire. And since, in an unusual turn of events, I have been to Friendly’s TWICE this year, I feel compelled to write about it, even if I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I went there.
Read moreWhen we walked in, I looked toward the ice cream case and saw it covered in decorations. The wall still had all their ice cream prices, but there was no flavor list….
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I had a little incident the other night. Last weekend, to be precise. On Saturday, I had plans to see my husband’s band perform at True Brew Barista in Concord, which is not only a great place for coffee or tea but also a place to hear live, original music (and there’s a bar, too). I had some errands to run before the show, and I knew that since I had been good and packed my dinner, I wanted to reward my frugality with ice cream. Because that’s how we treat ourselves here in the world of Jamie…
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Well, it’s been a pretty good week in the world of Jamie – I hope it’s been pretty good for you too! But despite a few days with unseasonably warm temperatures, and the promise of additional seasonal ice cream places opening up soon (it sounds like Hayward’s in Nashua, NH opens this weekend!), I’m still finding it hard to enjoy February in New Hampshire.
Now of course I have lots of ways of distracting myself, and frankly having gorgeous views of the mountains is a nice consolation prize even in winter, but one of my favorite mental escapes is to occasionally think about my honeymoon, which was now about one and a half years ago, in Canada. My husband and I spent two glorious weeks driving (and mostly camping) through Prince Edward Island (Cavendish/Charlottetown) and Nova Scotia (predominantly in Cape Breton & Halifax), in July, and it was as beautiful, relaxing and life-giving as you might imagine it would be. Being me, there was of course plenty of ice cream over the course of the trip, but today I will focus on what became a theme of the honeymoon: COWS.
Ha ha, you may think – of course there were cows in PEI and Nova Scotia. But I am not speaking of merely cows here; I am speaking of COWS, the ice cream chain born in Cavendish, PEI and, according to the company, made with a secret, old-fashioned recipe that dates back to the time of Anne of Green Gables. (If you aren’t aware, Cavendish is the hub of all things Anne of Green Gables – books were set in the area, the author lived in the area, etc., and it is by far the most touristy thing happening on PEI.*)
Now, if you know me well, you know that I am always skeptical of a chain, so despite this compelling storyline when we first visited COWS (in the retail store in Cavendish, I believe), I figured, okay, at best this will be like Ben & Jerry’s. Very tasty ice cream, but nothing that changes my life or makes me stop seeking out local homemade ice cream shops over chains.
Well, sometimes Jamie is wrong. Sometimes, a chain will deliver some of the freshest ice cream, with the most incredible ingredients (local fruits and other super-high quality ingredients both local and from around the world) that you will marvel at the goodness and have a very hard time not ordering round 2 immediately.
So, from that point on,
COWS was always a destination. We visited that retail store a second time. We also, of course, did the factory tour, which I believe was around $5/person but included ice cream at the end, and it was fun and definitely worth a stop if you want to learn a little bit about the making of awesome. When we visited Charlottetown (which we are absolutely in love with), COWS was a must on both days we were in town. They are open late too, which makes it a PERFECT after-show or after-dinner destination. 
And although much of our honeymoon that followed could have been viewed as a bit of a disappointment after COWS, we somehow survived as we enjoyed mountain and ocean views (often at the same time) in our travels.
Luckily for us, Halifax, the final stop in our destination (and a long one as we stayed for five nights ), has a COWS location, a little bit out of the way but right on the harbor. We visited at least twice, but I think it might have been three times! We remained completely enamored throughout the trip, as we tried out all of the different bases, fruits, chocolate etc. that makes up all that is COWS premium ice cream.
So, recommendations? 1 – if you’re going to visit Canada, you should probably stick to provinces that have COWS locations. Luckily for you, that number is growing. And if you happen to live in the Seattle/Portland area, you can head to Whistler, British Columbia for your COWS fix. It’s a bit of a drive (4.5 hours Seattle – Whistler) but I’m sure it’s totally worth it. You can bet I’ll do it the next time I’m in the Pacific Northwest! “Wowie Cowie” is a great flavor, as is anything with berries or anything on the menu. I also recommend picking up a four pack of raspberry cordial – it isn’t quite as good as the outrageous homemade stuff we had in PEI, but it’s the next best thing. 2 – Head over to the COWS website and be prepared to laugh your face off. In addition to their extraordinarily successful ice cream business, COWS makes a significant portion of their income from selling t-shirts that spoof popular culture. Who wouldn’t want an Orange is the Moo Black t-shirt? 3 – If you can’t enjoy COWS just yet, as I mentioned, Ben & Jerry’s is pretty great, for a chain….and if you purchase this ice cream making book while it’s on sale, you can get some homemade Ben & Jerry’s deliciousness for yourself and I get a small kickback! Heck, it’s hard to get 2 pints for $6.50, and now you’ll have a whole book of recipes.
And obviously, my biggest recommendation is that you visit PEI and Nova Scotia. Everything we wanted it to be and more, and we can’t wait to go back. But in the meantime, support your local ice cream parlors, and tell me how it goes!
*For the record, I am totally on board with all things Anne of Green Gables. I read them all as a girl and loved them (as I did all of those orphan stories of the era) and I re-read them all in anticipation of our honeymoon, where we spent multiple days visiting the places L.M. Montgomery lived and doing many of the touristy things, including a carriage ride on the beach…and not only did I get us tickets to see the musical, but I liked it so much that I also got a ticket (just for me) to see the sequel across the street!
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The best place to catch carnies (that’s a slang term for carnival workers) is probably at a carnival, but NH isn’t known for its winter carnivals. So instead, I headed to Arnie’s Place.
Actually, I didn’t really need a carnie, although it would have made for a good story. I just wanted a clever rhyme in my title today. But I DID visit Arnie’s Place in Concord, NH for their opening weekend, and I am happy to report that it was as awesome as I remembered.
I have to confess that for someone who grew up in NH, I am very late to the Arnie’s bandwagon. I had heard good things about them previously, but last season was my first time visiting. It’s a place that lives up to the local hype. Delicious homemade ice cream, including hard ice cream, frozen yogurt and soft serve in chocolate, vanilla and maple. And that doesn’t even get into their BBQ and other real food, which I have enjoyed although I am definitely not an expert on their other foods. I visited twice last year, enjoying their delicious maple soft serve (probably in the same ballpark as the creemee I enjoyed last week) as well as some hard ice cream and yogurt.
When I heard that Arnie’s was opening for the season (in February, no less!) I knew I should visit and contribute a few dollars toward the homemade ice cream in February cause. So Ross, my husband, and I stopped by on Sunday.
Ross reminded me that the worst thing about Arnie’s is definitely the location. It’s on Loudon Rd. a busy commercial street that isn’t particularly clean or welcoming. But its adorable exterior would be perfectly suited to a small town location or a beach setting. So when I visit, I like to imagine it’s in a nicer spot. Mind over matter, I guess? At least the parking is plentiful!
Arnie’s has both indoor and outdoor ordering and seating, at least in season, and they keep a fridge stocked with ice cream cakes and treats in a corner. I will of course focus my attention on their ice cream-related products since that’s what this blog is about.
Their menu is extensive, and in addition to a regular list of flavors, sundaes and other treats (including an extensive list of shakes), they have a flurry of the week. Their flurry this week sounded fantastic to me- but I am really not a fan of nuts in ice cream, so I decided to skip the awesomeness: maple soft serve with pecans, shortbread cookies and a chocolate dip!
Thanks to a recent blog by my friend Theresa, I was reminded that chocolate chili chunk is one of their signature flavors…and since I had never had that flavor, that seemed like an obvious choice. Ross got a kiddie – one good size scoop. I was afraid that the chili kick might get too intense over time, so I used it as an excuse to get two flavors – I settled on peppermint stick after trying the white chocolate, which was a little too subtle for my taste and purpose.
Ross and I were really impressed with the chocolate chili chunk. The chocolate base is super smooth and a classic chocolate flavor, with good size bites of chocolate chunks. But after you get the rich creamy chocolate flavor, the aftertaste is a large dose of chili. It’s awesome! Sweet and smooth followed by the chili kick. It’s amazing to me that it happens with every bite too. The chocolate base clears the chili, and then the chili is back with a vengeance. So good.
And if you aren’t convinced, I can confirm that peppermint stick is a PERFECT compliment to the chocolate chili chunk. This is an excellent peppermint base – it’s the most real peppermint flavor I have ever tasted! Minty coolness alternating with the chili is awesome, and we all know that chocolate and peppermint is a good combo. One of the best choices I made this month. 🙂
So, even if you won’t find any carnies at Arnie’s, I highly recommend a visit, whether you’re in the mood for maple soft serve, hard ice cream, a flurry or something else entirely. If you’re local, it’s probably worth buying a t-shirt too – you get 1/2 off a cone or dish whenever you wear it there, and with the way I eat ice cream, that would pay for itself easily in a summer! Support this delicious homemade ice cream place and the fact that they open so early in the season.
(p.s. Thanks for reading & supporting the blog by spreading the word and using our Amazon banner. And keep those comments coming!)
Although people in New Hampshire and most other parts of our country would give you a very strange look if you ordered a “creemee”, in Vermont, this is just the term for soft serve ice cream.
Read moreA review of Moo’s Place in Derry, NH.
Read moreWell, I don’t actually know what a Liebster Award tastes like…but I imagine it is sweet, though not too sweet. Perhaps like a hazelnut dark chocolate ice cream, or something brighter like a peach frozen yogurt.
Why, you might reasonably inquire, would I be imagining the taste of a Liebster Award?
Well, that would be because I was nominated for one, of course! For this very same blog. 
Beth from Portable Heart nominated me (be sure to check out her blog, I love her style of travel & blogging and I’m looking forward to more), and I’m so grateful for this lovely gesture as I’m in the early stages of In Search of a Scoop.
Part of the scoop with a Liebster Award, though, is that you return the favor and nominate someone else for a Liebster Award. And I confess that as much as I’ve been geeking out over blogs for the last year or so, including many by my friends in real life, I don’t know of any blogging newbies that I should be nominating. So if you’re out there, reader, and you’re new to this, please comment, with your blog address, and I’ll check it out! I’d love to pass along a nomination or two & send you questions to answer.
In the meantime, part of the requirement of the nomination is to answer questions that your fellow blogger asks you, so I’ll do that now. Thanks again Beth!
What a delightful question. I do love to eat. A few favorite meals come to mind – I’m not sure that I can choose one above the others….Z Food & Drink, before they closed in Manchester, NH, had my favorite ever dessert (they called it a brownie sundae, I believe, but it was a deconstructed delightful take on it) so I had a few fantastic meals there. My husband and I also ate well at Disney a few weeks back, and our meal at Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen (long name!) was a phenomenal experience. And on our honeymoon we had some delightful food as well, particularly seafood. But if I had to say the best ever, my instinct is to choose the first time I ever ate a Mexican restaurant at age 6. I shared chili & other spicy things with my dad and while the rest of the Girl Scouts at my table were taking the kids’ options, I went for the good stuff. And you could say I never went back. So I’ve definitely been an adventurous eater since at least age 6!
2. Did you ever lose something important while on the road?
Well, I lost a tank top I loved a lot while I was traveling with Missoula Children’s Theatre, but it wasn’t important… I suppose you could say I lost some of my dignity while traveling via Greyhound from Fargo, ND to Charlotte, NC!
3. When was the last time you used an actual paper map?
At Disney, we did it a lot. Prior to that it was our honeymoon – since we were in Canada, the GPS wasn’t an option!
4. What’s one eye-opening experience you’ve had while traveling?
Seeing poverty is always eye-opening. In particular, seeing the devastation in Nebraska after a tornado, and seeing the state of things on one of the American Indian reservations that I stayed at (both while working for MCT) were life-changing.
5. Have you ever done something while traveling that people who know you would be surprised to hear about?
Yup. But I probably shouldn’t post it publicly. 🙂 Honestly, I think people might be surprised to hear that I drove into San Francisco for a day by myself – in a pickup truck!
6. Did you ever visit a place that was nothing like how you thought it would be?
Yes. I visited a beautiful town in the mountains of northern California once – it seemed like a quiet, dying town, but when I got to know it, I discovered the residents were lively and lovely, at all ages. I fell in love with it and if they weren’t 10 hours from an airport, I would want to retire there.
7. What’s your favorite blog that you discovered in 2015?
I’m discovering a lot of new favorite blogs, but one that comes to mind is Liz Horan’s blog, Our Journey, on her family and her health challenges. She’s an incredible writer and has really inspired me as I’ve been learning to be my own health advocate and deal with chronic illness.
8. Have you ever felt lonely when you were traveling?
Yes. Particularly when I was solo and single. The hardest part for me is that I need a lot of physical touch. If I’m not around people that I feel comfortable hugging, I’ve found that I start to get depressed. It was particularly bad when I first did summer stock in Wisconsin – thankfully by halfway in we were all friendly enough that I could pin a friend down and say I needed a hug. But it was a really eye-opening thing for me as I hadn’t realized how important that was to me.
9. How do you envision your blog 6 months from now?
I envision it being a great resource for ice cream in New England and beyond, and I envision my readers continuing to inspire me to visit new places & discover more.
10. What’s something you struggle with when it comes to blogging?
I know that having the discipline to post won’t be difficult for me, but I’m still getting into the habit of it, so that will take a little bit of time for it to become routine. The one thing I struggle with in all my writing is that I don’t like revising! I’d rather one-off an article and let it go. But I know it’s important.
11. What’s your favorite travel souvenir?
That’s a very fun question! My husband and I got a lot of artwork when we were on our honeymoon – four prints, I believe, plus cards that we like to hang as art – and getting artwork when we travel is marvelous. Also, it’s too early to declare it my favorite, but I just got a gorgeous masquerade mask in Disney that I’m particularly excited about.
Have a new-ish blog I should check out? Leave a comment below! And thanks again for the nomination, Beth!
In Search of a Scoop 