This is the time of year when things warm up and snowballs cool you down. I am not talking about the Winter outdoorsmen that find themselves too chilly. Snowballs in the Summer are a tasty treat!
Old school Snow ballers use a shaver to shave a block of ice. The ice is placed into a cone cup, flavor is added, and maybe a dollop of marshmallow and a spoon. This refreshing summer treat is a kid and adult favorite. 
You can certainly buy an electric snow cone ice machine, but a hand shaver can go anywhere. If you take family and friends on a road trip, pond, stream, or park, you will be famous for pulling out the snowball fixins.
You can find snowball flavors at any store that rents or sells ice machines. Ace Hardware store is where I bought mine. They also have the cone cups. If you Google online, or Amazon, you can also find the proper fixins. You can also find vintage or newer hand shavers on Amazon. Regular Kraft Marshmallow will do the topping justice.
If you add a scoop of ice cream, it is called a Dumbbell! Flavors come in many colors. Of course, they are sugar water, but they add a nice zip to plain ice. The best flavors are Egg Custard, Tiger Blood, Strawberry, and Blueberry. There are many other options to pick as well. They also make a Chocolate flavor and Vanilla.
Adults can make their own alcohol flavors using Margarita mix, Kahlua, or… Creating your own flavors is fun.
You can certainly make HUGE cups of Snowballs, but a cone cup is a perfect kid size that the shaver can quickly make and serve. Kids can always come back for seconds, and the Shavers ARM WILL NOT GET TOO TIRED.
You will also need a block of ice big enough for the group you plan to serve. A 10 lb. block is a good small party and family size. I freeze my own ice in a large Rubbermaid tub that fits into the ice chest. I made a board that hooks onto my tailgate or the edge of a table. Place a towel on the board and shave away. Wearing a pair of rubber coated gloves will keep things sanitary and keep your hands from freezing. Make a cone cup holder to set next to the ice. This is a small box with a hole drilled into it to cradle the cup. Load as you go. 
Shave using 2 hands together. Get a long travel across the ice block. It will take two full shavers to fill a cone cup. A poor man’s snowball can be made using a clean cloth sack with a string closure. Load with chunks of ice or cubes. Use a wooden or rubber mallet to smash the ice bag. Load the ice using a spoon and add the flavors.
No matter how you shave it, Snowballs will keep you cool and refreshing!
Montana Grant
