We all scream for ice cream

July is my favorite month. My birthday is in July. So is my son's and my mother's was also. My ex husband was born in July. Two of my very good friends have children with July birthdays. And my anniversary would have been July 31st. Is there a name for your wedding anniversary after you are divorced? Or do you start marking the anniversary of your divorce? Maybe June 22 will become my new anniversary. 

The memories of last July have made me determined to make the most of this month. In January, Annie told me things would be better by my birthday. Not anywhere near totally better, but a little better. I didn't believe her then but I guess she was right. So today I want to write about something fun.

Last month Connecticut Magazine wrote an article about the best ice cream parlors in the state. I told Hilary I was going to visit all of them. Ice cream is my number one dessert. In fact I could go without dessert if not for ice cream. Wentworths, in Hamden, makes the best ice cream, in my opinion. So I have judged the others by them. Today Josh, Jocelyn and I went to Dr. Mikes in Bethel. We ate lunch at The Sycamore, an old fashioned diner with car hop service. We all had the Dagwood, a burger with all kinds of condiments, and their famous root beer in frosted mugs. Then off to my ice cream tasting.

Dr. Mikes is a tiny shop. You can not eat inside but they have benches outside. I had the chocolate lace, which is their best seller. It was delicious. Josh's coffee ice cream was flavorful but it had ice crystals. Jocelyn had a malted which was just ok. The selection of flavors was small so because of that and the icy texture of the coffee flavor we rated that a 7.5. Wentworths is to me a 9.5 (going on the theory that nothing is perfect).

A few weeks ago Hilary and I went to Walnut Beach Creamery. Their ice cream was great! Almost as good as Wentworths. In fact maybe as good. I will have to try it again to be sure! It was also a very tiny shop and I had my doubts when we arrived. But it was wonderful. The flavor selection was large and unusual. I had lavender fig in a pretzel cone. My daughter had cupcake. The pretzel cone alone is worth the trip back.

We have also tried A.C. Petersen in West Hartford. They are a full service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you go there you have to try the frips. A cross between french fries and chips. They also had lots of flavors but we were not that impressed with the ice cream. Not enough to go back there again unless its for the frips. Rating 5.

The UCONN Dairy Bar was also very good. Not as good as Walnut Beach or Wentworths but we rated them an 8.5. The ice cream was rich and creamy but not many exotic flavors. There was lots of
room to eat inside or out and they also sold eggs and milk from their livestock.

As you can see I am eating again. Life does indeed go on. I can still find pleasure in an ice cream cone.