I Scream for Ice Cream!

Summertime conjures up memories of sunburns and swimming pools, backyard barbecues and baseball, neighborhood games and nap times - all sorts of fun with family and friends.

That applies to my city roots as well as to my life as an urban transplant to Ripley County. There is a common denominator then and now to my summertimes. It just ain’t a proper one without excursions just for ice cream as well as a few impromptu at-home times in front of the AC and TV.

Mom made having banana splits on a hot afternoon quite the event. She lined up all the topping options on the kitchen table then handed us a bowl with sliced bananas. Then she would plop scoops of neapolitan on top and let us finish the masterpieces with chocolate sauce, her own strawberry preserves and several squirts of whipped cream. Sometimes she opened a can of maraschino cherries so we could top it off like the fancy diners do. Who even noticed there was a plain ol’ cereal bowl under all that frozen yumminess?

I love root beer floats, too. Those from A&W are among the best but ones made at home are a notch above. We used red and gold iced tea glasses until years later Mom acquired some carnival glass dishes. I’ll admit to feeling a bit uppity seated at the dining room table eating a homemade float from a fancy sparkling parfait glass. No straw required. For the record, root beer floats taste just as wonderful from the lowly cereal bowl. Heck. I’ve even poured root beer over ice cream still in the container!

One never knows when an ice cream mood might swoop in, so I carry lactaid with me always. Growing older has its little hitches but I don’t let that keep me from my summertime favorite. Any ice cream socials on the calendar?

(For July 12, 2023)