Favorite Coca-Cola Memories: Coke floats #FamilyClassics

Growing up, my parents weren't exactly what I'd call rich.  Not that we really noticed.  We had food in the fridge, clothes to wear (albeit hand-me-downs), and lots of love.  My mom was the grocery shopper and I remember that she did it every Friday night without fail.  After my dad came home, she'd take the paycheck that was cashed and go shopping with real money. 

I know, it sounds really odd to say that since I am a debit card kind of gal and rarely have cash in my purse.  My mom had a set amount that she was willing to spend on groceries, so we didn't always get things we wanted put into the cart.  We did get our treats, though.  And one of my favorite Coca-Cola memories from my childhood is Coke floats!  These would usually be served after dinner as a desert. 

I can still picture putting scoops of ice cream into my parents' antique aluminum cups.   The outside of the aluminum would frost up and be almost too cold to hold.  Next, the Coke would be poured in, which would head up with foam and cream from the vanilla ice cream would ascend to the top of the glass.   I can almost taste it now!

It's kind of silly to think back on it now, but my mom never let us have a whole can of soda to ourselves until we were teenagers.  Anytime she did allow us pop, we had to split one with a sibling!  So, we would race to drink down our float mixture so that we could add more Coke our glasses.  Kind of sneaky, huh?  Talk about a competitive set of siblings! 

My dad was a more inclined to give into begging for floats though, so while my mom was off enjoying her weekly Saturday night Bingo game, we would ask him for a float and he'd usually agree.  I can still picture myself having a float while watching the Muppet Show or Solid Gold on the TV (tell me that doesn't date me!)

Cooking with Coca-Cola...

If you're looking for dinner time recipes (which you can top off with a Coke float!), one site you can visit for inspiration is CookingWithCoke.com.  See others' family recipes and even build your own recipe book!  I know I can sometimes use some inspiration and I'm always on the look out for interesting recipes that I can adapt to be gluten free.  You can even upload one of your own favorite recipes to share with the world.  Perhaps you'll inspire someone like me to make your Great-Grandma's signature dish. 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Coca-Cola® blogging program. If I am one of the first 100 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 gift card. For more information on the program, click here.