I believe in ice cream for dinner. Chocolate, vanilla bean, mint chocolate chip – you name it, it’s delicious. Ice cream for dinner is especially perfect for a hot summer night when cooking is out of the question. Let the grill rest and open the freezer door, savor the swirls of cascading cold and condensed air, and pull out a half gallon of one of the world’s favorite foods. Scoop it into an old coffee mug or your favorite cereal bowl and dinner is served – no appetizer, side dish, or dessert needed. Why drag yourself through meatloaf and mashed potatoes to get to the best part of the meal? Jump right to the ice cream, make it your main dish, and enjoy every sweet and creamy bite.
The first time I remember having ice cream for dinner was with my mother at some wonderful rinky-dink amusement park on a hot Virginia summer day. I was five and my mother was young – to this day, I picture her exactly as she was at thirty-six. Heavy dark chestnut hair to bury your face in, a perfect petite figure, and almost flawless skin – my mother must have had tiny laugh lines around her eyes even then. My sister and I had ridden the teacups and bumper cars each a dozen times, and it was time for supper. “How about ice cream for dinner?” my mother proposed. Shannon and I looked at each other, eyes popping out of our heads. “Ice cream for dinner?!?!” we squealed. YES!
Ice cream for dinner became a family staple. My parents bought a diner and no one ever felt like cooking after a long day in front of a hot grill. So through the summer, it was ice cream for dinner outside on the porch. We kept it simple, no elaborate sundae toppings – just ice cream. The one Thanksgiving we kept the diner open for the holiday, we splurged on Haagen-Daz – who needs turkey and gravy when you can skip straight to dessert and savor every bite?