rediscovering snowcones

[maryblushes]

I have rediscovered snowcones this summer!

I found some sugar free snow cone syrup at my local walmart that cost $4 a bottle and thought I would treat myself to 5 different flavors. They are very pretty colors but thin as water and the flavors are very weak. I ended up adding some of my sugar free vanilla syrup to make it sweet and improve the flavor. My sf syrup is thicker, comes from the dollar tree so costs a dollar for a 12oz bottle. It is like DaVencis. It lacks the fruit flavor and color of snowcone syrup, but I will use it next time with a bit of koolaid mixed in. Much better than that other brand.

So I bought a snow cone machine at the end of last summer...on clearance, then found a susan summersize ice shaver machine at the thrift store for $2 the next week.... I guess I was meant to rediscover snow cones... they sell the paper cones but I bought colorful magarita glasses to use (plastic) and they are really prettier than a cone. I cut straws in half and serve it with a spoon and a small sipping straw.

Froze my mouth as if I was eating home cranked ice cream... but zero carb and no spike! Sure tasted good to sit out in the hot sunshine and sip the icy, sweet and colorful snow cone. I bet I wear both those machines out this Summer! Oh, DH does not like snow cones...so I added sweetened cream with a dash of vanilla extract and topped it with sf chocolate syrup...looked like home made ice cream but was very quick to make. Tasted like snow ice cream too...but not calorie free like my snow cone and not as pretty either.

Wow I just made myself hungry for another ! Off to make a snow cone!

[Moonpie]

they sound delicious. I love the vanilla sf syrup from dollar tree too.

[blufloyd]

People actually live off snowcone stands in the deep south.... blu might too...

[Bountyman]

Excellent way to stay hydrated...I'm jealous. They don't by chance sell a beer flavor, do they?

[Peggy_TX]

I love love love snocones too! There are probably 5 snocone stands within 10 minutes of our house. I miss some of the sugar-flavors, but each stand has 3-5 sugar free flavors so there are some good choices.
But I'm jealous that you're making your own.... $5 for ice does seem a bit excessive if I think about it!!

[Bakerboy]

Oh my, I need a snow come machine.
I wonder where I can get one on memorial day.

[maryblushes]

Excellent way to stay hydrated...I'm jealous. They don't by chance sell a beer flavor, do they?

I did read where certain bars are serving snowcones now...with added booze. While sipping, slurpping etc today from that margarita glass I thought of that...but tend to go low with booze so I will just stick to the regular ones. I sound drunk though, when my tounge gets frozen....hee hee hee

Guess you could just top it with beer... or stout...oooooh a dark beer...icy cold!

[maryblushes]

they sound delicious. I love the vanilla sf syrup from dollar tree too.

Well you know how good it is then. Sweeter and thicker than the syrup I got at walmart...and better flavor. I will put a bit of powdered drink mix in that syrup next time. There is a Mexican brand named Klass that have flavors like cantaloupe, hybiscus, mango, pineapple..and then there are the koolaid flavors... I havent even opened the Rival snowcone machine yet. ($20 at Walmart) I guess I am literally spending less than a dime per large snow cone... so at the price of snowcones, I guess it will pay for itself pretty fast. I am in Texas and snowcones are pretty big business here too... was in the 90s today. )

[Bountyman]

Was in Mexico in the '70s. We outfitted an old Ford Econoline van with a fresh 289 V8 and a spanky-new automatic transmission. Picked up our 180-day visas and insurance at the border and headed south. We knew better than to drink the water and only drank Tres Equis beer to keep hydrated. Down through Baja...not so much to do. Took the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlán, pretty much an uneventful sail until Bergman got into a fight in the bar playing "Mexican" poker...and the Captain closed down the canteena. That was at midnite and we were only half way across the water...and no cabin to go to. We figured the canteena would be open the whole trip. You have no idea what standing at the back of a diesel-run ship smelling diesel fumes and peaking on purple barrel acid is like for the next 8 hours.

We hit Mazatlán about sunrise and were the first vehicle off the ferry. We drove down the waterfront and decided to hit the surf. Funny though, no one was in the water. We swam out, body surfed for awhile, laid around in the sand for a bit...then decided to head for a hotel restaurant and catch a meal. On the way down the waterfront we saw a guy with a huge selection of cleaned and lacquered-up shark jaws for sale. We stopped, asked the guy where he got all the shark jaws from. He pointed out towards the water...said, "I get them from there...where you were swimming." Yeah, no wonder we were the only ones in the water. Sheesh...gringos...whatcha gonna do.

Looking for a place to feed our faces we came across this little stand called a Juiceria (sp?) A plethora of fruit choices mixed with ice in a blender. Kinda like an Orange Julius...only not. "Yeah! I'll take banana, mango, casaba, melon...some of that...and some of that, too!" M'm! M'm! M'm! Just what I needed on a hot, July afternoon in Mexico. Not a margarita...but refreshing just the same.

The next day we were in misery. We were headed for Puerto Vallarta, about an 8 hour drive from Mazatlán. I swear...we must have hit every roadside pullout on the way down. We had the worst case of 'Aztec Two-Step' you can imagine. Why? The ice was Mexican water and the fruit probably had it in it, too. By the time we hit Puerto Vallarta we were sick puppies. We went to the local médico and he fixed us up with some kind of concoction that kills the local parasite. 3 days we were laid up in that van moaning like little school girls. Both Bergman and I served in the military overseas and really should have known better. Lesson learned.

In hindsight, all said and done...the Juicerias really were worth it.

[Caravaggio]

When I saw the title, what came to mind was the motorized ice cream cone, which alas you can't use for snow cones



Motorized-Ice-Cream-Cone.jpg

[maryblushes]

Oh yeah...they have those here in many large Hispanic supermercados (super markets) you can pick fruits or veg...basically making kinda smoothies to order. Jucerias are part of their traditional foods as are fruits. When most traditional Hispanic families shop, you will see a cart full of fresh fruit and veg, some seafood and meats ... a bit of beans and tortillas. They way most americans lean toward chocolate is the way they lean toward fruit. It is standard topping on cakes.

Was in Mexico in the '70s. We outfitted an old Ford Econoline van with a fresh 289 V8 and a spanky-new automatic transmission. Picked up our 180-day visas and insurance at the border and headed south. We knew better than to drink the water and only drank Tres Equis beer to keep hydrated. Down through Baja...not so much to do. Took the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlán, pretty much an uneventful sail until Bergman got into a fight in the bar playing "Mexican" poker...and the Captain closed down the canteena. That was at midnite and we were only half way across the water...and no cabin to go to. We figured the canteena would be open the whole trip. You have no idea what standing at the back of a diesel-run ship smelling diesel fumes and peaking on purple barrel acid is like for the next 8 hours.

We hit Mazatlán about sunrise and were the first vehicle off the ferry. We drove down the waterfront and decided to hit the surf. Funny though, no one was in the water. We swam out, body surfed for awhile, laid around in the sand for a bit...then decided to head for a hotel restaurant and catch a meal. On the way down the waterfront we saw a guy with a huge selection of cleaned and lacquered-up shark jaws for sale. We stopped, asked the guy where he got all the shark jaws from. He pointed out towards the water...said, "I get them from there...where you were swimming." Yeah, no wonder we were the only ones in the water. Sheesh...gringos...whatcha gonna do.

Looking for a place to feed our faces we came across this little stand called a Juiceria (sp?) A plethora of fruit choices mixed with ice in a blender. Kinda like an Orange Julius...only not. "Yeah! I'll take banana, mango, casaba, melon...some of that...and some of that, too!" M'm! M'm! M'm! Just what I needed on a hot, July afternoon in Mexico. Not a margarita...but refreshing just the same.

The next day we were in misery. We were headed for Puerto Vallarta, about an 8 hour drive from Mazatlán. I swear...we must have hit every roadside pullout on the way down. We had the worst case of 'Aztec Two-Step' you can imagine. Why? The ice was Mexican water and the fruit probably had it in it, too. By the time we hit Puerto Vallarta we were sick puppies. We went to the local médico and he fixed us up with some kind of concoction that kills the local parasite. 3 days we were laid up in that van moaning like little school girls. Both Bergman and I served in the military overseas and really should have known better. Lesson learned.

In hindsight, all said and done...the Juicerias really were worth it.

[maryblushes]

When I saw the title, what came to mind was the motorized ice cream cone, which alas you can't use for snow cones



Attachment 5811

Oh how funny!!!!!