Today is National Ice Cream Day. It's my favorite day of the year -- even though I just learned about it 10 minutes ago. But seriously, how could you not like National Ice Cream Day (unless you are lactose intolerant, in which case we appreciate you not joining in the celebration).
While my diet is much healthier than it was say 5 years ago or so, ice cream is still my favorite food. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be ice cream. If I were on death row and could choose anything as my last meal, it would be a smorgasbord of ice cream. And the beauty of having ice cream as a favorite food is that if, when I'm older, I have trouble chewing and swallowing solid food, good old-fashioned ice cream will not let me down.
If I were limited to just one flavor, I'd choose chocolate, though I do enjoy a good vanilla bean where you can see the bits of the beans in the ice cream. My default combo when I just can't decide on anything is one scoop chocolate, one scoop mint chocolate chip on a sugar cone.
Also, always a cone, never a dish. Unless it's a sundae, which I very rarely eat.
I have different favorites depending on where I go:
Baskin-Robbins: Peanut butter chocolate -- a perfect go-to flavor
Maggie Moos: Dark chocolate and Cinnamoo mixed with almonds -- a sophisticated, grown up taste
Ben & Jerry's: Chubby Hubby -- delicious and the name makes me smile
Marsh Supermarket: Marsh brand light Moose Tracks -- all of the goodness, not so much of the badness
Graeter's (although I've only been there once): Buckeye Blitz -- similar to, but smoother than, the Baskin Robbins peanut butter chocolate
Steak 'n Shake: Chocolate milkshake, straight up. No fancy mix-ins or crazy side-by-sides
Dairy Queen: Dilly Bar -- Not too fattening and I love the crunchy chocolate outer shell.
McDonald's: The 49-cent vanilla cone hits the spot without hitting the pocketbook
You'll notice I'm not real big on fruit in my ice cream. Once, we were in Nashville, Indiana in the fall and I had pumpkin pie ice cream that was surprisingly good. Sometimes I get adventurous like that.
My favorite ice cream story of all time is from college. Our friend Beth had been raving to Mike that Ben & Jerry's had a new pepperoni pizza dough flavored ice cream. She kept up this charade for several days. Finally, she got Mike to go to Ben & Jerry's with her. He stepped up to the counter, asked to taste the pepperoni pizza dough ice cream and got back a very confused stare in return.
I think tonight we might have a make-your-own-sundae buffet after dinner. Heck, we might have a make-your-own-sundae buffet FOR dinner.
So, wherever you are, today raise a cone in praise of ice cream and know I'll be doing the same.
