a tale of milk and sugar
Maybe it’s the millennial in me , but I often day dream about what it’d be like when I retire. No not retire like you’re thinking silly, en es economica?? More so what it would be like when I’m done chasing the grind and simply working to keep busy. Would I go back to being a server? Would I start working at the zoo again? Maybe I will try my hand at something new like spending hours amongst flowers at a quaint, quiet nursery. To know me is to know that I’m a bit of a workaholic and the chances of me ever settling down from the grind are unlikely. However, one dream I often fantasize about is having my own ice cream shop. A humble parlor where each flavor would be inspired by the people in my life.
As my icey portfolio grew, so too has the list of those that inspired these flavors. I pair friends to flavors like some sugary sommelier. If you’re reading this chances are there is a flavor of you in my mind, and if there isn’t - that likely means the chances of you on my mind are… well, they’re slim lol.
I shared this dream with my Habibi one year, and that following Christmas I was gifted what any ice cream lover would dream of owning: a family sized Cuisinart ice cream maker. I worked that thing to the bone, making well over a couple hundred pints of ice cream within a couple years. At this time the OG flavors were born: coffee, pistachio, vanilla bean…
Sometimes friends would bring me random ingredients for me to make ice cream out of, creating more unique flavors. There was IcyHot (a spicy, vanilla look alike) made from a friend’s garden peppers. Or that one time when chef friends gave me their 7 layer chocolate cake to throw into the mix. I am often inspired by flavors of other cultures too, and chances are if I’ve tasted it I’ve wondered how it would taste as ice cream.
Summer 2022 - Battle of the Mangos
Mango Lassi Ice Cream vs Mango Chamoy
As long as the list of flavors I’ve made is, the list of flavors I have yet to try is even longer. In dedication to my sweet adventures, I created a page on Moodi Appetite that showcases these sweet treats and the even sweeter messages I get from those that enjoy them.
If I am lucky enough to see the day I make my dairy dreams come true it will be one of the happiest moments of my life. However, my happiness does not depend on it, as I’ve achieved all I really need through the enjoyment I get of sharing my ice cream with whoever will try.
Maybe it’s not about the ice cream, but instead about the friends I make along the way. And if I can’t leave this world a better place, I will at least have tried to leave it a little sweeter.
From my ice cream heart to yours,
Alia
