Sno-ball Bliss

The days are getting longer.  The weather is getting warmer.  Flowers are blooming all around.  Spring has sprung my friends, & with the changing seasons comes the appearance of the formidable sno-ball stand.  You can tell when you're in close proximity to one, as there are crowds of people - mostly eager children with syrup dripping down their faces and arms - standing in line waiting for a delicious sno-ball in the flavor of their choice.  I will scrape together all the spare change I can get my hands on just to put together enough coins for a kiddie size sno-ball.  That, my friends, is how much I enjoy this frozen treat.  For anyone not from the south, a 'sno-ball' is literally made from ice that is put through a machine to make it almost powder like, thus resembling snow.  It is served in a Styrofoam cup with a straw & a spoon so you don't miss any of the tasty, sugary mixture.  You may hear them referred to as a 'snow cone', but those of us who grew up on this hot weather classic call them sno-balls.  The most famous stands are in New Orleans.  You may as well pack a lunch if you head to Sal's or Plum Street Sno-balls.  Those crowds can get as thick as the condensed milk being poured into the middle of a dreamsicle.  My work travels bring me on so many country roads that I have literally mapped out my favorite sno-ball stands & the prices/hours at each. I remember that bubble gum was my go-to flavor as a kid.  My mouth would turn bright blue in a matter of seconds within taking my first bite.  Cotton candy flavor became my next obsession, followed by dreamsicle with cream when I realized I had enough change to add to it.  I never thought a sno-ball could get any better until the condensed milk/cream blew my mind.  These days, I find myself gravitating to the cake batter flavor.  I had my first sno-ball of the year on Monday.  It came from a roadside stand between Highway 1 & the Mississippi River in Brusly. Now that I'm older & wiser & understand that my favorite summer splurge is loaded with sugar, I order the kiddie size.   

This, my fellow foodies, is a wedding cake sno-ball.  It's as much of a 'snack' to me as it is a memory.  I act like such a kid when I indulge in this frozen delight.  I recall my mom telling me I could have a sno-ball if I cleaned my room & made my bed.  Now that I'm on my own, maybe I should invoke that same promise to myself to make me keep my house spotless!  Please tell me your favorite sno-ball flavor.  Where is your favorite stand located?  I've always got some spare change ready to try something new.....