If we were at an ice cream shop, I would take free samples of lots of flavors - but I always knew what flavor I was going to get, because I went through ice cream phases. I can clearly remember which flavor I wanted my two scoops
to be, depending on which age I was...
Five. I was devoted to Cookies and Cream.
Six. Neapolitan, because obviously not having to choose just one flavor is brilliant.
Seven. Strawberry, especially the kind with chunks of real strawberries.
Nine. I was obsessed with Mint Chocolate Chip. I even had a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream cake for my birthday (well, I was supposed to have one, but then the car ran out of gas, and all the girls at the party had to walk four miles to get to a gas station, and there were all these angry parents.....but that is a story for a different time).
Eleven. I flirted with Sherbets - Raspberry was good but Orange was my favorite.
Twelve. I loved Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (Blue Bell, people, Blue Bell is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough master).
Thirteen. Banana Splits - but never with pineapple, because that is just wrong. (I also don't do pineapple on pizzas. Or on cakes. Really? Let's all just agree that pineapple isn't a topping for anything, okay?)
Also Banana Split Ice Cream (much less labor intensive than a real banana split).
And Banana Split Blizzards from Dairy Queen (A tip from me to you: these are SO much more fabulous if you have them use the chocolate shell instead of the regular chocolate sauce when they make it).
Fifteen. I was all Chocolate with Peanut Butter, all the time.
Seventeen. I discovered my true love, Swiss Orange Sherbet from Edy's.
Orange Sherbet with chunks of dark chocolate in it. There are not words to convey how amazingly wonderful this is.
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After Thomas and I were married, I branched out in my ice cream eating. He would come home from the grocery store with little containers of Ben and Jerry's (hello Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, my old friend) or Haagen Dazs, that were fabulous. But I always returned to my true love, the Edy's Swiss Orange Sherbet. I made every single person in my family try it, and they were all hooked.
Then a couple of year ago, someone at Edy's decided they hated me. I know this happened, because they quit making Swiss Orange Sherbet.
(cue depressing music)
I have had ice cream issues ever since that day.
I stand in the ice cream aisle, and can't decide. I have tried all my old ice cream loves, but none of them satisfy. They can't compare with the Swiss Orange, nothing can.
"But I am an ice cream girl," I think to myself, "I am!" so I keep buying ice cream. Not loving it - but not hating it either (because obviously I couldn't hate ice cream).
This weekend I stood, once again, in the ice cream aisle. Edy's was on sale, buy one get one free. An ice cream girl's dream moment. But I felt...flat. unexcited. uninspired. I told Thomas and Katarina to pick out the ice cream, explaining to Thomas that I don't think I'm an ice cream girl anymore. The lack of Swiss Orange has ruined me. Forever.
We came home with Key Lime Pie and Egg Nog ice creams. The Key Lime Pie was good. Maybe even great. And the Egg Nog? The Egg Nog was incredible.
For just a second, I thought the pain was over. I was an ice cream girl again! Ice cream would be my friend. We would spend warm nights snuggled up in front of a movie, and cold nights snuggled up under a blanket with a good book.
Tracie and Egg Nog, together forever.
I was mentally adding "buy more Egg Nog Ice Cream" to my grocery list, when I told Thomas about my breakthrough. And then, Thomas burst my ice cream loving bubble with, "I'm glad you like it. We should probably get some more tomorrow since it is seasonal, and you won't be able to buy it again until next year."
Oh Edy's. Why do you torture me so? Why do you hate me?
Do you have a favorite ice cream flavor? Clearly I need some suggestions.