tropical sno!

My trip to take back cans and bottles so I could burn off calories (?) to buy a pint of Imagine Whirled Peace ice cream took an unexpected turn. As I was heading down Court Street, the lights from the new Family Dollar store on State (in the old Kroger) caught my eye. And then my eyes were drawn to the bright red and yellow (SHINY!) tropical sno umbrella when I remembered that my friend Jan told me a few weeks ago that she was setting up her booth for two weeks as part of the store's grand opening festivities.

Bonus!

We first learned about tropical sno two summers ago on our Appalachian Service Project trip to Kentucky. After working at a building site all day in the sweltering heat - and after dinner, after-dinner chorses and ice cold showers in the school parking lot where we were lodged - we would go to town for frozen treats. A group of us went every single night for the week we were there. One evening we went to Dairy Queen, and all I remember about that was Jacob telling a joke that was so funny I shot ice cream out my nose and a couple of us almost fell out of our seats. (Lizz: Do you remember what Jacob said that was so funny?)

Anyway, tropical sno is seriously the best snow cone ever, with flavors and popular concoctions like Passion Fruit, Pina Colada, Tangerango (tangerine and mango), Peach Razzmatazz, Birthday Cake, Green Apple, Rootbeer Float, Fuzzy Navel and just about whatever you can dream up. The ice is finely shaved and fluffy, so it's different from typical snow cone ice. Prices range from just $2 for a small (8 oz) to $4 for a large (16 oz).

Jan's daughter was one of the youth on our mission trip that summer, and when she came home the two of them looked into becoming tropical sno dealers. I knew they started dabbling in something "like" tropical sno last summer but it didn't ever occur to me that they were selling real tropical sno delights at fairs and other venues around Michigan!


Here, Jan is packing a heaping 12 oz. for a young customer.

I think this kid selected every single flavor, creating what Jan calls "trash can." He saw me eyeing the odd combination of colors and flavors, then took a taste and triumphantly proclaimed it delicious.

My choice tonight? Pina colada. And since Jan's gonna be just down the road from me for at least another week, I have all this time to think about the other flavors and combos to try. I can't wait!

If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a trip. When you go, please report back and let me know your favorite flavors.