Number 35: Root Beer Float
14 Jul
For dinner tonight, I made myself a Greek salad. I picked some plump ripe tomatoes and tossed them with crisp sliced cucumber, crunchy Romaine lettuce, beautiful black olives, and feta cheese. I then drizzled it with a reduced-fat Greek dressing. After I ate this delicious and nutritious meal, I took three oversized scoops of vanilla ice cream, plopped them into a Coke glass, and poured some high fructose corn syrup-laden root beer over the top. I’ve never felt happier.
Now, I’m not one to eat sweets on a regular basis. I’m the kind of gal who will choose the cheese plate over a chocolate lava cake any day. I also don’t drink pop. Ever. Needless to say, having a gigantic root beer float did a few things to me:
1. Filled me with the most intense feeling of bliss I’ve felt in a long time.
2. Made me feel immensely ill afterward.
3. Helped me produce burps that I can only refer to as “epic.”
This was the first time I’ve had a root beer float in probably around 18 years, so it was definitely a flashback to my childhood. My dad was a huge root beer float guy, and he would make them all the time. We’d also make homemade chocolate malts on a daily basis. Ah, the good ol’ days when heart disease and high cholesterol weren’t a concern…
I had forgotten how yummy root beer floats are; I love how they’re fizzy, syrupy, creamy, and refreshing all at the same time. Heaven.
On another (completely random) note, this past weekend I found myself at a 6-hour long dinner with a neurologist, a wealthy Russian woman who lives in the Trump Tower, her semi-famous architect husband, two former Olympic champion figure skaters (from Lithuania and Russia), and a Haitian family. It involved rich Italian food, lots of champagne, multiple toasts, discussions about Prince William, and searing 91-degree heat. That is all you need to know about it, really. I was as confused about it at the time as you probably are now…I think I’m still confused, actually. Here’s a quick photo from the event:
THE VERDICT
Besides feeling ill for an hour afterward and and the non-stop burping accompanied with it, I think root beer floats are probably one of the best inventions out there. The combination of textures and flavors are just divine. I think I might actually prefer the sharper taste of Coke floats- I wonder how a float would be with Coke Vanilla- but root beer floats are definitely uh-mazing. Bravo, Robert M. Green!
I am obsessed with root beer (hard to find here in Cancun), and you’re killing me with those photos!
Also… best dinner ever??
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp!!!!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…
I used to LOVE Rootbeer floats as a kid. I was a rootbeer fanatic. Somewhere along the way I lost my taste for it, now I can’t stand more than a sip or rootbeer… Weird.
you call my eating habits odd? you would pass on the divineness of chocolate molten lava cake? that’s just crazy talk, pure and simple.
YES! I can’t believe you’ve waited that long to have a root beer float
My mom used to make them all the time when I was younger, and now I’ll probably have one every few months.
Have you ever had an orange raft? Orange sherbet and Sprite… it’s freaking amazing!
I must admit I’ve always despised root beer but find root beer floats to be divine. I haven’t had one in probably 25 years (beat you!)
but do have fond memories. And I love that you brought up our homemade malts! HOW did I not drop dead as a child? Me and Dad ate homemade malts EVERY NIGHT. This is not an exaggeration. A malt a night?? And this was after eating either Giordanos pizza or KFC for dinner. How times have changed! (tear)
My all time favorite float is 7-Up and vanilla ice cream.
(root beer is good, too)
I discovered an improvement, but first the method.
Ice cream and soda should be very cold. Pour only a little soda to start – under the foam, this produces soda-pop-ice-crystals.
The improvement? Add fresh lemon and or lime first to the ice cream. Now you get tart frozen juice – yum.