Page 10 - North Haven Magazine Issue 27 Winter 2023

by Sally Brockett
Secret

Spoon

any years ago, a young boy was growing up on his family farm in North Haven. The
Mfamily raised dairy cows and provided thousands of gallons of milk to the community.
As with most dairy farmers, this family loved ice cream, and the young boy especially loved
it.

Ice cream was a favorite dessert for this fam- main ingredient. In those days, making
ily of six. It could be served plain, or with ice cream was much more involved and
any variety of toppings. In the early summer, required a special churn and lots of ice to Scooping with a spoon was his secret!
the home-grown strawberries were used, bring down the temperature of the cream ing around the foundation of the farmhouse
and of course, chocolate syrup was a deli- so it would freeze. The children would take and moving some large rocks that had been
cious addition. Sometimes fudge topping turns stirring the cream until their arms collected and stored along the foundation.
was enjoyed. Hand-picked walnuts were were too tired and another would take over The man’s father loved to collect things
also available from the black walnut tree the churning. Eventually, the cream became during his travels around the country, so he
near the chicken coop. Ice cream could be ice cream, ready to be enjoyed by all. often came home with a beautiful rock. This
combined with their homemade pies and rockpile contained a rock from nearly every
cakes. The family also made their own root state.
beer, which they called “hootch”, (an old-
time name for homemade root beer), and While moving some of the heavy rocks,
ice cream could be added to make root beer the man suddenly called out “Look! Look
floats. So, it is safe to say that ice cream was what I found!” holding up something in his
a staple for this family. hand. His wife moved closer, asking “What
is that?” He exclaimed, with a big smile, “It’s
On Sundays, the family would take a break my spoon!”
from the chores on the farm, and go for a
ride, either to visit friends or to enjoy scenic “What is a spoon doing out here in the
Connecticut. During those days, ice cream Old ice cream churns used ice to cool the cream. rocks?”
was available when one was “on the road” at
any of the white trucks with the fancy stick- So, there was nearly always ice cream, home- “It’s my secret spoon. I hid it out here in the
ers that illustrated all the kinds of ice cream made or store bought, available in the chest rocks when I was young.”
novelties available. This family knew all the freezer in the cellar. When store bought, it
places along Connecticut roads where the was purchased in 2.5-gallon tubs in order to “Why would you hide a spoon out here?”
ice cream trucks were parked. They were be economical for this family of six.
good friends with the “Good Humor” man! “Whenever I wanted ice cream, I could get
Upon approaching the location of an ice my spoon, creep in through the hatchway
cream truck, I am sure one would hear from door and go into the cellar. Then I could
the four kids in the back seat, “Can we get eat some ice cream, creep back outside, and
ice cream? Can we stop? Pleeasse!” hide my spoon again.”

We had quite a good laugh about that!

Apparently, the boy’s mother did not realize
she was missing a spoon from the set in the
drawer. Or, she may have noticed the tell-
Ice cream was bought in large tubs. tale marks in the ice cream and chose not to
say anything about it. The boy grew up and
Now, this story moves forward about six de- forgot about his secret spoon until the sur-
prising discovery just a couple of years ago
cades and the young boy has become a man, when the secret spoon was uncovered.
who still loves ice cream. He now owns the
house he grew up in on the farm, though he
Remember the old Good Humor trucks? lives in a home on the farm that he built, and I have been married to this guy for 57 years,
In addition to purchasing ice cream, farm- the old farmhouse is rented. and he still loves ice cream!
ing families often made their own ice cream.
After all, they had a steady supply of the One day, the man and his wife were clean-

North Haven Magazine - Winter Issue 2023
10