Day 18- Sometimes you need a treat

Sorry this blog is late guys. My computer was at the computer doctor until this morning. But never fear! I still did an activity yesterday so that when I got the laptop back, I could catch you all up.

Remember how you'd have days during the summer that either you got dragged everywhere on errands or you had stuff you had to do or you had swim lessons (the bane of every small child's existence) or something that was just generally unpleasant? But, your mom or dad promised you that if you'd just hang in there, you'd get a treat at the end of the day? So, you sucked it up and rode in the car and did what they said KNOWING that a reward was getting closer and closer as the hours ticked by?

Yesterday was that day for me. Just dumb, had-to-be-done crap all day. So, I decided that if I could just hang in there and get it all done, I'd get a treat. And what did I have pictured in my little brain all day? A milkshake. Not just any old milkshake. I decided I was going to make my own at home.

Now, I have always tried just slinging ice cream and milk in a blender without so much as even considering measuring amounts. Needless to say, the results have been disastrous. Soooo, this time around, I googled "Milkshake Recipe". I kid you not that the first recipe that came up was a Paula Deen one. I took this as a sign that I'd made the right choice.

Paula's recipe was for 4 people, so I had to make that a smidgen smaller. Two of her secrets? Adding vanilla extract and extra sugar.

So, into the blender went my ice cream, my milk, my REAL vanilla extract, and my Splenda. Wait a second! What are THOSE?????:

Who drinks plain vanilla milkshakes?? It's communist, I tell you!

All ingredients safely tucked into the blender, I gave it a whirl. And thanks to Ms. Deen, the measurements were just right to make a nice, thick milkshake.

I popped in a straw and took a gigantic, heartfelt slurp. Yum. O. So good. And so what this chick needed after a day of just not-fun-ness. I fully believe I EARNED that milkshake! Perhaps I should find a way to have more days that can end this way...

BTW- for those who are interested in the recipe, it is as follows:

4 cups vanilla ice cream

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 tablespoons sugar

If you're adding anything in like I did, just eyeball it. Oh, and this is the amount that serves 4.

Day 2

Today's activity was suggested first by the fun loving Andy C. His recommendation? Popsicles. Well, technically, it was a push up pop (which I ABSOLUTELY love, by the way and probably ate my weight in as a kid). However, since I live in a cool place called Athens, Georgia, I have other options. Options that I decided to take full advantage of.

Enter The King of Pops (http://www.facebook.com/kingofpopsathens)!! Want the greatest popsicle you've ever put in your mouth? Take a gander at the menu below for what all my options were today-

After some SERIOUS soul searching, I went with the peaches and cream. Mostly because Gus (the super cool Popsicle Dude shown in the below photo) recommended it and they are also almost out of them.

Gus produced my peaches and cream popsicle from the the depths of the coolest dessert dispensing machine in town and it looked a little something like this:

Can I please just tell you how incredibly fantastic this popsicle was? Holy smokes. It was like the greatest peach milkshake I'd ever tasted only frozen on a stick. Sweet and creamy and fruity, but never overwhelming with any of the flavors and dee-licious!! As I casually strolled through downtown Athens enjoying my treat, I knew I'd made the correct choice for today. There was this tiny cool breeze that snuck up on me and for a second, it wasn't too hot. It wasn't gross. It was warm and and sunny and I was 8 and just enjoying a summer treat. The only thing missing when I was done were the awful stained teeth that our childhood popsicles used to give us.

PS- If you're in Athens and you can get to downtown near the Globe and the Georgia Bar from between 1:30 and 6:00 in the afternoons, get you some King of Pops!!! Tell them I sent you. It won't get you anything, but it's always nice to get a shout out, right?