Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

A strange phenomenon has been happening to me lately. While I love to eat ice cream in the summer, I have been eating more ice cream this winter, even as the temperatures plunge into frigid territory! It seems contradictory even to me because I am always trying to find ways to be warm in the winter and eating a frozen food does not seem to be one of those ways.

This Peppermint Stick ice cream is the delightful culprit. 

In early December, my neighbors mentioned how good this stuff is, so we stopped at UDF and got a container. The first time I ate it, we were watching a Christmas movie and the minty flavor really contributed to the holiday vibe. The girls liked it too, so it was soon eaten up and another container procured. 

Here's where my problem began, and it is twofold. First, if you do something often enough it becomes a habit and having a little bowl of this creamy, refreshing treat with the crunchy pieces of peppermint candy in the evenings quickly became a habit. Even if it sent iciness through my veins and I had to eat it wrapped in a thick fluffy blanket. Second, the ice cream is seasonal, meaning it will not always be available, which creates a sense of urgency. I have to keep eating this now because it will soon be gone!!

It's now mid-January and every time I send Sophie to UDF to check on it, it's still there, so I continue to eat it. I know the end is near, but I will not let it stop me from checking. Or, more accurately, sending Sophie to check since it is really cold outside. 

They say there will come a time when you pick up your child for the last time, but you won't know it is the last time. I think that the saying is meant to make you cherish your time with your kids and not take it for granted. I would also say that there will come a time when I will eat Homemade brand Peppermint Stick ice cream for the last time of the season, but I won't know that it is no longer stocked in my local United Dairy Farmer's case, so I must therefore enjoy this delightful ice cream while I can. It's just the best treat!