Friday 25 April 2014

ICE-CREAM

During the 20th Century there was a change, a huge change, an important change.  There was an increase in the availability of ice-cream.  As technology advanced and cheap refrigeration became common, ice-cream became more available, more affordable and more popular.

A good friend of mine, someone that I have now known for quite a long time, recently commented: "There are two things in life I just couldn't do without - good friends and ice-cream."

Yes, that about sums it up.  I know a couple of weeks ago in my HAPPY BLOG I posted the photo that explained that 'Happiness is regular sex and potatoes' and a photo that comments that you 'can't buy happiness but you can buy tea, and that is kind of the same thing'... and yes, there are probably other things too that do constitute happiness or that do contribute towards happiness or that make you happy.  Of course there are, in an ideal world.  But actually; 'good friends and ice-cream', yep, they are probably the two things in life, the two really important things.  Well they are a good starting point, a very good starting point anyway.  For me, I'm really not sure how I'd cope for very long without tea and probably chocolate too - so that is the three main food groups Tea, Ice-Cream, Chocolate.  But for the moment I shall concentrate my thoughts on friends and ice-cream.


Ice-Cream has kind of got 'all fancy' in recent times.  You can buy tubs of really quite exotic flavored ice-cream.  Baskin-Robbins is one of the largest chains and suppliers of 'luxury' ice-cream.  It was founded in 1945 by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins and the company is known for its '31 flavors' slogan, with the idea that a customer could have a different flavor every day of any month.  The company now boasts that it has developed over 1000 varieties.  Blimey.  And then there is Ben & Jerry's which began in 1978 and of course Haagan Daaz which started in 1921.  All providers of quality indulgent ice-creams of the more extravagant type.


So I thought, now is probably a good time to expand my ice-cream knowledge and sample a few of the wide range of different decadent flavors available.  And indulge - All in the name of research.  And as I am researching ice-cream, I thought best to research it with good friends.  I didn't even have to ask them twice, that is how good friends they are, we juggled the diaries, husbands and children (their husbands and children) a bit, and it was all sorted.  That sort of friendship really is invaluable, it really means a great deal.  That my friends are prepared to support me.


These are my 'Book Group' friends.  We were a 'Cinema Group' but we didn't go to the Cinema.  So, we decided we would change and be a 'Book Group', but to be honest we don't read that many books either.  We read Wine Labels!   We are just a group.  A group of friends.   We might not be a very good group, but we are enthusiastic, and enthusiasm counts for a great deal I think.  We were up for the research challenge.


The ice-cream flavours we had to consider were:
  • Haagan Daaz: Praline and Cream
  • Ben & Jerry's: Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Greek Style Frozen Yoghurt
  • Sainsbury's: Salted Peanut and Caramel
  • Sainsbury's: Chocolate Brownie
  • Sainsbury's: Cookie Dough
The evening also involved:
  • Bailey's Coffee
  • 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' DVD
  • Terry's Chocolate Orange
  • Wine
  • Chatting
  • Laughing
  • Planning Future Meetings
Our conclusions:
We had a jolly lovely evening.


So, all that is left for me to say, is: 'Thank You Ladies'.  Thank You Elise, Vicky, Donna and Lynsay.  What WONDERFUL friends I have.  It has to be acknowledged that right from the outset their commitment to the cause really was admirable.  I think that some future research meetings will absolutely need to be arranged and held.  I really do definitely think we have demonstrated the determination and the commitment, and that we can resolve some of the other important pressing issues of our age.  Such as:
Wine: Red, White or Rose?
Men: Benedict CUMBERBATCH, Tom HIDDLESTONE or Hugh JACKMAN?


But, I think we have demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that 'good friends and ice-cream' really are two of the things, two of the things that really do count in life. 

10 comments:

  1. oh boo yuo left me off your man list, (boo hoo, sulks with a tub of caramel sutra)

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    1. Would happily undertake some research with you x

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  2. Another good blog, your very lucky to have people around you that you can have fun with.

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  3. Hanya, this is such FUN! I had never thought about research into ice cream and knew nothing about the history of the ice cream makers. You know there is definitely a PhD topic here - testing ingredients, national identity (why are Americans so good at ice cream?), industrial versus hand made, marketing, ice cream featuring in films/literature, a feminist /Freudian analysis, etc etc . You and your research team have hit upon a rich, fruity, salty topic..... Need a PhD tutor...?? When are we next meeting for..yes, an ice cream?/

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    1. Going to supervise my PhD Professor Spenser? We'd need to find out 'Does Benedict CUMBERBATCH like Ice-Cream'? x

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  4. Considering all the medical research out there that gets you all excited and then either gets contradicted or comes to nothing, this is the kind of scientific endeavor I can wholeheartedly get behind!

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  5. Which ice cream came out on top? Pralines and cream surely! Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Greek Style Frozen Yoghurt would be the last I'd try.... xxx

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    1. We liked them ALL. Yes, it is a tough call but Pralines and Cream is always my favourite, but don't underestimate Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Greek Style Frozen Yoghurt x

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