An Arkansas Ice Cream Primer.

Ice cream isn’t just a luxury in Arkansas’s hot, humid summertime – it’s a necessity.  From picnics to poolsides, celebrations to chilling out, creamy cool refreshment takes many forms here in The Natural State.  Here are some things you need to know.

Rocks, Roads and Rocky Road Ice Cream in Arkansas.

June 2nd is National Rocky Road Day – and a great day to tackle some of Arkansas’s great rocky roads all over the state.

Huzzah! Yarnell's is back!

It’s been a saga that perhaps my friends in other states haven’t quite understood.  How could one state get so worked up over one ice cream manufacturer?

When the Yarnell family announced suddenly on June 30th of last year that they were closing the doors to the 80 year old Searcy plant, there was much wringing of hands and breaking of hearts.  Just days before the most ice cream-friendly holiday of the year, Yarnell’s ceased to exist.  The doors were locked, the employees told to go home, and all that ice cream already produced was left in a freezer.

Someone distributed it -- while it disappeared from shelves in Little Rock within hours, I found cartons at CVs and Wal-Mart in Fort Smith through early September, and purchased my last carton of Ozark Black Walnut at a Mountain Home Wal-Mart in October.  That carton has been carefully preserved and saved.

Thing is, Searcy and Arkansas both love Yarnell’s, and through the work of a whole lot of people, Yarnell’s has come back.  The legendary Schulze & Burch Biscuit Company -- which already owns a snack manufacturing plant in town -- purchased the whole kit and kaboodle of the Yarnell’s empire: name, logo, plant, equipment, truck fleet and recipes.

Today I attended a press conference at the State Capitol where Schulze & Burch CEO Kevin Boyle, Searcy Mayor David Morris and Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe celebrated the return.  Governor Beebe got the first bite of Homemade Vanilla from off the line -- presented to him by Scoop, the new ice cream dude that will represent the Yarnell’s brand.

So, best news?  Yarnell's is back! The introductory flavors: Butter Pecan, Cookies and Cream, Death by Chocolate, Homemade Chocolate, Homemade Vanilla, Homemade Strawberry, Real Vanilla, Rocky Road and my favorite -- Ozark Black Walnut! Yarnell's will also offer frozen yogurt in five flavors -- Blueberries & Cream, Peaches & Cream, Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla -- and Guilt Free in Butter Pecan, Chocolate and Vanilla. Plus, the chocolate and vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches are coming back, too!

The ice cream carton is different.  Though the cartons retain that fabulous familiar deep red color, they’re now sqround -- both square and round, with a plastic top on them.  The new cartons are bigger -- 56 ounces compared to 48 -- and they seal better, which is good news for you if you actually manage to keep ice cream in your freezer for more than a day or two.

The new package also extends the shelf life... which, you know, I’m thinking might mean an eventual push outside the MidSouth for the ice cream.  Can you imagine -- Yarnell’s in Chicago, San Francisco, China?  Who knows? It’s also more “scoopable,” I’m told.  I’ll take their word on it.

So, after the announcement, folks lined up for cups of chocolate and vanilla.  I tried both -- the vanilla first, which that very moment brought back so many memories.  It is indeed the exact same homemade Vanilla I remember, though several people I saw there swore it was better.  The chocolate?  Yep, still the same.  Same, though, is such a good thing.  I am so glad they kept to the standard recipes.

And then... well, I was getting ready to leave and realized that while everyone was flocking to the ice cream cups being filled from giant tubs, that there were actual cartons of the other great flavors up on a table up front -- being ministered to by a crew of dignitaries who were sort of halfway making their way through samples while being interviewed by the press.

I stood up there with my puppydog eyes looking longingly at the Ozark Black Walnut until one of the Yarnell’s employees noticed me and graciously doled up a scoop for me.  Oh, sweet heaven, thy middle name is walnutty goodness.

They'll be available at Wal-Mart next week and within the next month at Kroger, Harp's and many independent Arkansas grocers.  Keep your eyes open!Now to go work off my ice cream-induced sugar high....

My 5 Top Posts in 2011.

I shouldn't be surprised that food was what y'all wanted to read about in this last year -- after all, it does comprise a lot of what you see on this site as well of all of what I talk about over at Eat Arkansas. What I did figure out was that y'all love fair food, ice cream and cruises... or at least, that's what the stats say.

5. Ice Cold Creamy Treats: An Arkansas Tradition.
The fifth most viewed post on Tie Dye Travels this year was actually penned last May, when I finally convinced the folks at Yarnell's in Searcy that I would be a good girl and not reveal any trade secrets if they'd let me bring my camera into the plant for a tour. Turns out I became the only person to ever do what I did, take photos and videos inside the plant and share them with the world. When the plant closed down this past June, folks came out of the woodwork to read about what went on inside. The good part about it is that a new company will reopen it soon and hire back a lot of those workers to make those original recipes. Awesome.

4. A Texas State Fair Primer.
This job calls from some hard and dirty work from time to time. Never is it more apparent than when I hit the state fair circuit. The biggest is the State Fair of Texas, and my photographer and I went down on opening day and spent eight hours chronicling dozens of foods there. Between my post here and over on Serious Eats, I quickly rose to a little internet fame by becoming the Google Image answer to "the girl who ate fried bubblegum." Well, you never know, right?

3. The Best Thing I Ate.
Not an actual post but a collection of different dining delights I have found, it's the best food item I have discovered each month. I am surprised how interested people are to find this.

2. The 2011 Arkansas State Fair Food Preview.
I received thousands of hits on this page in a single day, the day before the start of this year's fair. Mind you, I did pick a bit of a fight with another publication, seeing as how they printed that several items that didn't actually appear at the fair were gonna. I suppose I have become the go-to gal for things you should eat at our largest fair.

1. Dining Aboard The Carnival Triumph.
I didn't realize just how much of a need there was to cover the food aboard a cruise until I went looking for information for my cruise this past January. I found a few menus here and there, but I certainly didn't see any photos (except for the Lava Cake, which is famous). When I returned, I posted my photos containing shots of just about everything myself and my five dining companions consumed -- and it was an instant hit. It even inspired my photographer to photograph all the food on his two week Holland American cruise this year.

Impressive? Maybe. It's heartening to see there's an interest in what I have to say, but I think all blog authors feel a bit that way.

And as far as the non-food posts go, well... I think about that, too. Most of the posts that appear on Tie Dye Travels that aren't food related are either reprinted from their first run in another publication (this year Arkansas Wild, 2njoy Magazine and Sync Weekly) and they've been looked at and read over already. And other posts are continuing to go.

And considering more than a thousand people have already looked at The 50 Best Arkansas Burgers I Tried in 2011 and how close it is to the end of the year, I suspect it may make next year's list.

A little hope for Yarnell's.

• KAT ROBINSON

There's a lot of stuff spinning out there on the Internet about what's happening with Yarnell's. But this seems to be of note.

Over on Facebook, there are already 279 people signed up for a page called "Bring Blue Bell to Yarnell's Plant in Searcy, AR." This afternoon, this note came across:

I've been trying to contact someone with Nestle to validate the information. Problem is, it's late on a Friday afternoon on a holiday weekend. Any other news tips out there?

UPDATE: Still no official word, but this comment on the Facebook page:

UPDATE: WREG confirms that Nestle will hire delivery drivers... but that it's not purchasing Yarnell's West Memphis facility.

Yarnell's Goes Under.

UPDATE: Yarnell's took on new life in 2012. Read more here.

I was in the middle of a computer update when the news came over the web this morning. I kept looking at my phone, reading the messages coming across Facebook and Twitter while I helplessly waited for the computer to finish. By the time I could get back on, the rumor had been confirmed. Yarnell’s was no more.

The company’s owners met last night and decided that with no additional funding coming from the bank, with a looming electrical bill and rising ingredients costs, they had no choice but to close. 200 people lost their jobs this morning… many of them not finding out until they arrived at work in the wee hours, only to be turned back and told to go home.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Yarnell’s. Last year I was granted a very rare opportunity -- the chance to tour and report on the behind-the-scenes action at the lone remaining ice cream operation in the state of Arkansas. I grew up on their flavors. Not having their presence available was inconceivable.

Like many others, I went to the store today. I found that the stocks had already been depleted, but I was fortunate. I missed out on Angel Food Vanilla but did pick up Death by Chocolate, Woo Pig Chewy and my favorite flavor from Yarnell’s -- Ozark Black Walnut. I considered purchasing more… but made a very clear and conscious decision to leave the rest for others.

While I was on the radio this afternoon, I watched Twitter and Facebook messages fly by as people called in to tell us about their favorite Yarnell’s memories and flavors. There were postings about the places where you could still find Yarnell’s. I sent out a message to Todd Gold, the president of Purple Cow Restaurants which have for nearly 22 years now exclusively used Yarnell’s ice creams in their confections. They’re switching to Blue Bell.

I haven’t sat down with a bowl of ice cream yet… been too busy writing and working to even think of it. But tonight I’ll share a bowl with my daughter.

A lot of the things we grew up with are going away. I know it’s all part of life and moving on, but it still hurts. At 37 years old, I can remember all sorts of amazing flavors and sensations, places and people that have come through my life. I was cleaning yesterday evening and came across a drawstring bag from Booger Hollow. At the time I just thought “hey, it’s cool I have this souvenir.”

Right now I’m thinking about the people who are going to have to find another job. About a family that’s been involved with ice cream for four generations. And about a loss to Arkansas culture that really can’t be replicated. Some might think the story has been done to death on the airwaves and the Internet today. Not me. I think we’re collectively mourning a little bit of our united experience. It’s a sad day in the Natural State.