| Melting Ice Cream 8/25/07
After moving across the country five years ago, I’ve found myself turning to ice cream to feel closer to home. I grew up eating ice cream almost every day. To my family, our relationship with the cold sugary cream was more than a favorite American past time- it was passion. At any given time you could find Rocky Road, Spumoni and Fat Free Tin Roof Sundae in my Grandparents freezer. At home, my Father favored the Pralines and Cream, and my Mom loved any combination of chocolate and nuts. My personal favorite was Strawberry, with such a soft shade of pink confection no little girl would be able to resist. Pistachio, the more exotic of the two flavors gave stiff competition with its minty hue. After eating cone after cone, I have recently found that the saturated Easter colored cream doesn’t speak to me the same way they once did. Spoonfuls of laughter and sunshine are now hushed voices reminding me of calories and lactose. I had to find a close substitute that met my mid-twenty needs fast. It happened on a quiet afternoon with rainbows or oranges, raspberries, yellows and pinks. They came in flavors called Nectarine Basil, Cherry Bay leaf and Chocolate Chile. Immediately I was hooked, and still am, 3 months later. The gourmet popsicles come in 20 fantastic flavors boasting fresh summer fruit and spicy flavors. Not only do I crave them while I am in the office, but they also give me inspiration. The woman that owns and runs LocoPops once quit her steady 9-5 job to follow her dream. She moved to Mexico for a while and learned how the make these priceless recipes by hand. Her gastronomic business is not only a success, but it is all the rage in Chapel Hill. In two weeks when I go home to visit, my parents promised to make their exceptional homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries on top. I will sit outside with my dad while he pours salt in the ice cream maker and calculate how much I can eat without my stomach blowing up. Then, I will run inside and help my mom mash strawberries, eating as many as I hull. While I’m at home, I’ll gorge on ice cream like a squirrel stores nuts for the winter. But for now, I’m having a serious affair with LocoPops. 
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