What is Mister Softee?!

I don't know how, but Alexandra loves ice cream from the ice cream truck. We pass a lovely little local ice cream store/chain (Uncle Louie G's) on our route home from daycare, but she wants ice cream from the truck. Maybe she prefers soft serve--not sure--but each Friday (which is ice cream day) she insists that her ice cream be from the Mister Softee truck that parks right next to the playground. Mister Softee knows how to sell his goods.

I had never eaten ice cream off a Mister Softee truck in my life until I started sharing with her. Mister Softee was not the ice cream truck of my youth. Ours was a Good Humor truck and it sold pre-packaged ice cream delights such as ice cream sandwiches, push-ups, rocket pops, snow cones, etc. But here in New York Mister Softee has those treats as well as soft serve in chocolate and vanilla.

What goes into Mr. Softee? As someone who buys organic fruits/veggies, free range meat, organic milk and eggs, etc, I wondered, but then I decided ignorance is bliss. I mean, I can't control everything that my kids put in their bodies. Some things you have to let go, right? I thought I was so zen about it...until tonight.

Alexandra got her cone this afternoon and we came home to pack for our week in CT at the beach with Adam's family. Alexandra wanted her cone put into a bowl, got distracted and didn't finish it, and when I went to wash the bowl HOURS later that "ice cream" had not melted. It was a tad watery, but for the most part it retained its full form = a soft-serve serving. Then I put the bowl in the sink, with water in it, and it STILL DID NOT MELT/DISSOLVE. What the f*ck is it? Chemical? Alien?

I was grossed out, horrified, and seriously disturbed. It took raging hot water at full forge and a couple of prods of my fingers to make it dissolve. Goodbye Mr. Softee. Not sure how I'll break it to my daughter that our brief friendship is over, but man...What the heck are you?