Summer Goals

This is the way to my heart:

This flavor, specifically, but also Chunky Monkey. This isn't a new love. It's deep, abiding, and enduring. I was blogging about this ice cream back in 2007.

I'm not going to say I "love, love, love" Ben and Jerry's ice cream, because I think the phrase "love, love, love" is becoming just about as over-used as the word "super," and no longer packs much of a punch. However, if I were going to repeat the word "love" in an effort to describe my feelings towards those creamy, frozen, pint-sized pieces of heaven, I would repeat the word "love" about two hundred times.

I know that both Ben and Jerry are flaming liberals, but I somehow manage to put politics aside and push that out of my head each time I plunge my spoon into the carton of bliss. I would have trouble passing it up if Hitler were selling it. I can't explain it. The heart wants what the heart wants.

There are only four "Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops" in the DFW Metroplex. One is about an hour from my house. One is inside Six Flags (park pass required) and two are in the airport. Guess where my office is located?

Having an office at the airport means that I can enjoy a cone of this delightful confection as often as I decide I'm willing to spend $4.45 plus tax for it. OR, on Free Cone Day, which comes around once a year. Each year, I visit one B&J location, get a free cone, eat it while I walk to the second location, and get another free cone there. I don't think I'm breaking any rules. There aren't any posted signs, but if there were, I'm sure they would read something like, "Limit one cone per customer per day per location." Plus, I do it every year. It's tradition.

Imagine my glee when my dear husband purchased this for me a few birthdays ago:

Along with the book, my parents purchased me an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. Sadly, somewhere between the time I realized heavy cream costs about $13.99 per oz and our move into our new house, the book got put away and was mostly forgotten about.

Until last week.

I was standing in my pantry, trying to decide why we have three half-eaten bags of tortilla chips. I looked up and noticed it. Nestled between Rachel Ray's "Thirty Minute Meals" and a copy of "365 Ways to Cook Chicken" (copyright 1986) was Ben & Jerry's book.

Inspiration Struck.

I have a new goal.

This summer, I'm going to try to make at least one flavor of homemade ice cream each week. If the project goes well, maybe it will become an annual tradition. And if it doesn't go well, what's the worst that can happen?

I'll never lose my baby weight.

Still, if you're going to set goals, they might as well be fun.