Isn’t acceptance the first step of healing? I accept the fact that I am in love with ice cream. There, I said it. I admit this love in published print. Here is something I will also admit, I cannot control myself when I’m eating ice cream.
In the 2019 Spring Series, “Do What You Love & Love What You Do”, I wrote about my friend Lori Dunlap who owns an ice cream parlor in Seabrook, New Hampshire. It’s called Dunlap’s Ice Cream. Check out her shop on Instagram.
Last summer I went to visit her. Was 11 a.m. too early to eat Mocha Chocolate Ripple ice cream? Seriously, if I could take it home, despite the 6 hours of driving, I would. If I lived in Seabrook, NH, I would eat at Dunlap’s Ice Cream every day! Lori offered me a job at the parlor. Its hard work, but I would accept the challenge.
When I was 19 years old, I worked at a Baskin and Robbin’s ice cream store. At first, I was on scooping detail. Then I was involved in creating the ice cream pies, cakes, sandwiches, clowns, and other ice cream art. I scooped it, carved it, melted it, decorated it, refroze it, and sold so much of it. After a year of work, you would think I was sick of it. NOT!!!
When the weekly delivery truck pulled up to the back of the store, I was thrilled at the thought of tasting the newest flavor of the month. I ate ice cream every day I worked at the store. I sampled every new ice cream, sorbet, and cake. I went home from work smelling like ice cream with very sticky hands and arms. I loved every minute of it.
My love for ice cream was over the top when I was pregnant. It was important to eat daily calcium. Therefore, it was critical to eat daily doses of ice cream. I didn’t hold back for a moment. I relished every single bite knowing that it was benefiting my baby within. This was my perspective and although I gained way too much weight with each pregnancy, actually beyond recognition, “Frankly My Dear, I don’t give a damn!”
I earned all my stars and stripes in stretch marks thanks to the loads of ice cream! I was also under the impression that the sweetness would make my children sweeter. Perhaps I was a bit delusional. I will admit to that too!
Now-a-days, ice cream has gone artesian and more creative. There are specialty ice cream shops all over Montreal that require my professional loving visit. Slowly but surely I will get to all of them.
Some may ask what is it about ice cream which makes me feel love. I will describe my love by how it affects my senses. Smell – I love the sweet smell of ice cream. It smells fresh, clean, and candy-like. All ice cream stores have a unique smell of sweet candy. Sound – There is very little sound attached to ice cream. However, the sounds surrounding it are joyful. People are happy eating ice cream, children are playing, and there is a peaceful quality when eating it, slowly but fast at the same time. It is a sensual savior for me. I can get more descriptive along these lines, but I choose to keep this PG not X rated.
Fine! I will step out of the lines and simply say; I like to lick it when it’s melting…
Taste – Heaven help me. There isn’t an ice cream I don’t like. The more nuts, chocolate chips, marsh mellows, ripples, whip cream, hot sauces, candies the better! I love it all. I love the taste of ice cream as I eat it and as slides down my throat. My only regret is when I have finished it and I have to wait, 24 hours, I mean 18, ok I really mean 12 hours until I can have more.
Touch – It’s cold. I love the cold. I like anything cold. I enjoy the cold sensation in my mouth. I enjoy combining the cold with all the above treats that are mixed in with the ice cream. It’s a meal of glorious candy, nuts, cream and cold, which touches not only my mouth, but more so my heart.
Sight – How beautiful are banana split ice cream sundaes? Three different favours of ice cream, sitting in a sliced banana, with three different sauces like chocolate, strawberry, and caramel poured over it. Toss in some nuts and whip cream and top it off with some maraschino cherries! Honey, pour that all over me please!!! Oops! Sorry. X-Rated.
It gets that intense with me and ice cream. If I haven’t whetted your appetite for ice cream at this point, perhaps it isn’t your thing. I fully understand.
You might need to wait for my next article about my love of BREAD!!!! Did I mention that there is a new arctician bread store near my home? It specializes in everything fricken delicious. Stay tuned as I roll out that soft sticky sourdough…
