Dairy Queen?

[kareng]

Well, it did say somewhere that the mint blizzards are ok as long as you don't have cookies.

Honestly, I knew it was a risk when I did it. For me food cravings have not really been a problem doing gluten free but for whatever reason I wanted that blizzard more than anything.

Yesterday was my birthday and I asked for an ice cream maker attachment for my mixer. I'm hoping soon I will be able to make my own blizzards!!

You can make a blizzard with a blender. My kids like to get (actually, have me buy at the grocery) chocolate ice cream. They smash up Butterfingers or add PB and blend it up. A smidge of milk to make it blend better. You could add some peppermint oil for mint. Maybe crushed peppermints. Yum!

[Sarah Alli]

You can make a blizzard with a blender. My kids like to get (actually, have me buy at the grocery) chocolate ice cream. They smash up Butterfingers or add PB and blend it up. A smidge of milk to make it blend better. You could add some peppermint oil for mint. Maybe crushed peppermints. Yum!

I don't have a blender, my lame-o ex-roommate stole it. He left the kitchen table (which was his) though so... fair trade?

I'm thinking of getting a good food processor though. I asked for one for my last birthday and received one of those magic bullets which is tiny and seems rather ineffective.

I'm excited about the ice cream maker because all the store bought ice creams are full of bizarre artificial ingredients and even the organic, "natural" brands have tons of extraneous ingredients. Ice cream is so simple: cream, eggs, sugar... how do they mess that up!?

[Jungle]

I have my own ice cream maker and the biggest problem is it tastes so awesome I eat way, way too much. My family has no idea how much it actually makes.

[tea-and-crumpets]

I occasionally get hot fudge sundaes at DQ and I have to reluctantly admit that they are making me sick. I'm not full-on glutened but I do get anxiety issues after eating there. DQ is a special treat and I make 95% of the rest of my food from scratch, so I know that the sundae is causing the problem. I'm wondering if my local DQ does the straining thing.

[kareng]

I occasionally get hot fudge sundaes at DQ and I have to reluctantly admit that they are making me sick. I'm not full-on glutened but I do get anxiety issues after eating there. DQ is a special treat and I make 95% of the rest of my food from scratch, so I know that the sundae is causing the problem. I'm wondering if my local DQ does the straining thing.

What do you mean by "straining thing"?

I think the main problem with DQ is when they get busy - like summer evenings. They are usually staffed by kids who hurry & may slop or use a spoon from one thing to the next. The liquid ice cream is poured into a machine from a package. The machine only has the ice cream in it. The liquid toppings seem to be in pump machines (at least at mine). I think the problem could come from random crumbs getting on the bowl or into the spooned toppings like nuts.

I have notice one of our DQs is always cleaner or neater than the other. This is the one where one of the owners is always there.

[tea-and-crumpets]

What do you mean by "straining thing"?

Earlier in the thread, someone mentioned a non-standard practice of dumping the ice cream from bad cones into a bowl in the fridge and straining out the cone pieces before putting it back in the soft-serve machine.

I could have been clearer, but I've got fuzzy gluten brain and it made sense at the time.

[kareng]

Earlier in the thread, someone mentioned a non-standard practice of dumping the ice cream from bad cones into a bowl in the fridge and straining out the cone pieces before putting it back in the soft-serve machine.

I could have been clearer, but I've got fuzzy gluten brain and it made sense at the time.

I didn't see that. I didn't read the really old stuff on this thread. I have had family memebers work at DQs over the years. I don't think you can dump the ice cream back in. It would be a real pain in the behind to do. Plus, it would be against Health Department code to put "used" ice cream back. Suppose it could happen but not likely. I have seen them throw sloppy ice cream cones out.

If you want to know for sure, ask a kid that works there when the manager isn't listening. I'm sure we must know someone who works there. I'll ask my kids. I remember when my BIL worked there, they all ate the practice ice cream.

[Cheryl-C]

How can they list certain blizzard toppings as "gluten-free" if they are mixed in with all the ones that aren't?! That's insane! I was all excited until I read the part about them being used by the same machine - never mind. I won't risk it. A cool, minty treat is not worth the pain and suffering after.

However, I'm going to check around my neighbourhood to see if there is a cold stone creamery...sounds interesting...

[Darn210]

I didn't see that. I didn't read the really old stuff on this thread. I have had family memebers work at DQs over the years. I don't think you can dump the ice cream back in. It would be a real pain in the behind to do. Plus, it would be against Health Department code to put "used" ice cream back. Suppose it could happen but not likely. I have seen them throw sloppy ice cream cones out.

If you want to know for sure, ask a kid that works there when the manager isn't listening. I'm sure we must know someone who works there. I'll ask my kids. I remember when my BIL worked there, they all ate the practice ice cream.

Karen, did you go back and read the "old" part of the thread? Believe me when I say that I use to do just that when I worked at DQ in highschool. and believe me when I say, the manager there was a real stingy sonofa...gun. I really don't think most DQ's did/do that but I know my daughter won't be eating any soft serve from the DQ in my home town because that same manager/owner is still there.

[krystynycole]

How can they list certain blizzard toppings as "gluten-free" if they are mixed in with all the ones that aren't?! That's insane! I was all excited until I read the part about them being used by the same machine - never mind. I won't risk it. A cool, minty treat is not worth the pain and suffering after.

However, I'm going to check around my neighbourhood to see if there is a cold stone creamery...sounds interesting...

The Coldstone by my house is awesome! They get out a separate container to mix my ice cream in with clean spatulas without me asking for them too! It's great

[kareng]

I asked some kids that work at one. They aren't allowed to practice on a cone & waste it as well as the practice ice cream. They practice on a lid, then throw the ice cream out. I know if the Health Dept caught them putting ice cream back in the machine, they would be shut down and it would be published in our local paper.

[sariesue]

I asked some kids that work at one. They aren't allowed to practice on a cone & waste it as well as the practice ice cream. They practice on a lid, then throw the ice cream out. I know if the Health Dept caught them putting ice cream back in the machine, they would be shut down and it would be published in our local paper.

I agree about reusing the ice cream being a health code violation. I figure that the ice cream machines have changed in the last decade. I know that at the DQ in my town the ice cream liquid comes in sealed prepackaged containers like the syrup for fountain soda. It would be almost impossible to put it back. I know that it comes in a sealed package because I watched them change it while I was there.

[Michelle1234]

Due to this thread I decided to check out our local Dairy Queen. I lucked out and the kid behind the counter new all the gluten free items because his mom is gluten free. When he mentioned the Blizzards I asked about the cross contamination issue. He pointed to a separate blizzard mixer on a side counter and said they used a dedicated mixer. Kudos to them! I was chicken and got the Dilly Bars but next time will try a sundae.

Michelle

[love2travel]

Our DQ has absolutely no clue what gluten even is so there is a reason for my paranoia! I would not trust a single thing that came out of that building.