CAZENOVIA — On June 16, Nelson Creamery (2836 US Route 20) announced “Mean Green Machine” as the winner of its signature flavor contest — a partnership with Sara McDowell’s Global & Gourmet Foods classes at Cazenovia High School.
Designed by rising seniors Wyatt Hartley and Benjamin McPherson, Mean Green Machine features green-colored vanilla ice cream with brownie pieces, cookie dough, and chocolate flakes.
McDowell’s students first brainstormed multiple ice cream recipes and then created a survey, collected data, edited their recipes, and ultimately chose their final recipes/designs.
“We had very creative ideas,” McDowell said. “Everything from ‘funfetti’ cake, to latte flavors, to a spin off of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
The student body voted on all of the proposed recipes and the top four were sent to the board at Nelson Creamery.
The creamery narrowed the choices down to two finalists, Mean Green Machine and “Celebrate Good Times,” and then held a social media vote to determine the winner.
Celebrate Good Times featured vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, pink frosting swirl, and funfetti cake pieces.
The Global & Gourmet Foods course is offered within the high school’s Family Consumer Science (FCS) department, which also includes Nutrition and Wellness, Child Development, The World of Fashion, Teachers for Tomorrow, and Family Relations & Partnerships.
“Many people think of FCS as the classic ‘Home Ec’ style classes of the ’60s, but FCS curriculum is much more than it used to be,” said McDowell. “We are teaching life skills that, no matter what career path you choose, you will need to master in order to be a successful adult/member of a family.”
Students enrolled in Global & Gourmet Foods expand on the techniques and skills taught in Food and Nutrition by exploring the different regions of the United States, their foods and their influences.
McDowell said she is always eager to collaborate with local Cazenovia businesses, like Nelson Creamery.
“There is nothing better than applying what we learn in a real, hands-on way,” she explained. “The students love it and so do I.”
Cazenovia Lodge No. 616, Free & Accepted Masons opened Nelson Creamery in May 2021.
The ice cream stand offers locally sourced soft and hard ice cream, sundaes, milk shakes, and Hurricanes.
The menu features vanilla and chocolate frozen soft-serve custard from Queensboro Farm Products in Canastota, approximately 16 flavors of hard ice cream from Gilligan’s Island in Sherburne, orange sherbet, strawberry sorbet, and a variety of toppings, dips and syrups.
On June 16, the creamery reported that Gilligan’s was in the process of making its custom flavor and they hoped to have it in the store the following week.
For updates on Nelson Creamery, visit facebook.com/nelsoncreamery.
To learn more about Cazenovia Lodge, visit facebook.com/cazenoviamasons.
For more information on Freemasonry, visit cortland-madison-masons.org/freemasonry.
