See you later summer treats

As the rain and cold weather returned to Vancouver last week I was offered a not so gentle reminder of how quickly summer can disappear without even a backward glance or a proper goodbye. Today, with the brief halting of rain, seemed like the perfect time to reflect on the refreshing treats that fleetingly occupied a summer’s afternoon or evening here and there. One might say I was a little bit spoilt for choice with the offerings at my fingertips. On more than one occasion I indulged in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s or Haagen-Dazs, with chocolate chip cookie dough being my real weakness. If I wanted to cap off a really nice day or go for a walk then my wanderings often took me to one of my local Marble Slab creameries. It was here that I was allowed to get creative, limited only by the ice-cream flavours and mix-ins on offer. Surprise, surprise, again my ice-cream choice usually centred on cookie dough as a mix-in, not very adventurous I know. For those who haven’t had their world brightened by the awesomeness that is Marble Slab creamery, you may be lucky to have a Cold Stone creamery or Cold Rock ice creamery instead. The basic concept is you pick your ice cream flavour/s and mix-in/s i.e. cookie dough, fruit, chocolate etc. and a staff member mixes them together on a very cold slab, stone or rock. The finished product is presented in a cone, cup or waffle bowl ready for consumption. On reflection, it seems I have been quite distracted by ice cream as a treat and haven’t paid any attention to frozen yoghurt, a situation I may be able to rectify sooner rather than later if we have more days like today in the coming weeks. Options that spring to mind in this area are Yogen Fruz and Pinkberry, a relative newcomer to Vancouver. Summer treats can also take the form of a blended beverage from the likes of Jugo Juice or Booster Juice. Of course I cannot neglect to mention Starbucks, where I have definitely consumed a frappucino and iced drink or ten throughout the summer. Well as the leaves turn and the days of prolonged rain become a reality, I will endeavour to consume a cool treat here or there. And now that summer seems to have finally left for the year I look forward to embracing it like an old friend upon its return.   

Marble Slab creamery in Victoria, BC