I was reminded of the time I lost my first tooth (minus when I pulled out my two front teeth with a balloon string, but that’s a story for another day) by a Graeter’s pint of Peppermint Stick that magically appeared in the freezer yesterday. Whenever I eat peppermint ice cream, which I’ll admit isn’t often even during the holiday season, I can’t help but be transported back to when I was six years old sitting on one of the hole-filled red benches outside of Bruster’s. It was one of those cold December days when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. My dad was off work and decided to take my sister and me to Bruster’s after we were let out of school as an afternoon snack. Growing up, we used to take a weekly pilgrimage there during the summer for a Dino Sundae and see how we measured next to the personified ice cream cone character Scoops. On this particular Monday however, I decided to be adventurous and leave my comfort zone and order a Dirt Sundae for a scoop of Peppermint Stick. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and we were slowly making our way to a sugar-induced state of bliss. All was going well until I started to taste blood and felt a gap in my upper left molars where a loose tooth used to be. You see, a problem with Peppermint Twist that I hadn’t considered before is that a stray tooth could easily be mistaken for a chunk of candy cane. The thought of not having any collateral to give the Tooth Fairy frightened me more than the ramifications of swallowing the tooth itself, nonetheless, I went to work to track it down. I retrieved every piece of candy out of my mouth one by one and placed it on the napkin that should’ve been used to just clean my face off after finishing the treat until I found the rogue tooth. I then proceeded to finish the rest of my ice cream like nothing had happened, and when I awoke the next morning had a financial contribution under my pillow for my valiant efforts waiting from the Tooth Fairy herself. It was a happily-ever-after ending. And because I can’t look at Peppermint Twist ice cream the same way after, the same fate will have to happen to you now after hearing this story. Merry Christmas!

💘 Hanna