Whenever I am in Phoenix seeing my daughter, we always practice the delightful ritual of visiting her favorite vegan ice cream shop. Not only does this magical establishment sell vegan ice cream it also has, wonder of wonders, gluten free vegan ice cream that is rich and creamy. If you can eat dairy ice cream, you may not understand the depth of this delight.
When I was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, many delightful foods were beyond my gastronomical reach. Suddenly my diet shrank, a mere shadow of itself. I mourned the loss of most sweets as finding a dairy and gluten free dessert was challenging, and no, fruit salad does not count as dessert, it counts as fruit salad. I lived on the memories of decadent delights: chocolate croissants, birthday cake, homemade apple dumplings with heavy cream. Now, decades after my diagnosis, there are gluten free and dairy free cakes and cookies, crackers and bread, and delicious ice cream.
I’m a southerner, and on a hot day, there is nothing better than diving into a cold ice cream delight. I can remember my Daddy making homemade ice cream, patiently turning the crank of his ice cream churn while packing in more ice and salt to freeze the cream to the lovely rich consistency only homemade ice cream possesses. Sitting with my daughter I taste that first spoonful, startling cold and sweet on my tongue, and I feel young again. Isn’t that just delightful?
~Lisa Kiel
I remember getting popsicles at summer camp every year. Cherry was my favorite. And then I was introduced to peppermint ice cream and I never looked back. Those memories are still with me. Thank you for reminding me how such a little thing can mean so much! I hope you always have access to vegan delights that bring you joy!
As a fellow gluten-free person, yes, I know how delightful this would be. Thank you for highlighting this joy, Lisa!
That ole’ saying, “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” is so true.
And that first bite is always the best!
So glad you were able to find that sweet treat and share it with your daughter!