Summer + Snow= Yummy Goodness

I'm addicted to snow cones. Always have been, always will be. I even owned one of these when I was a little girl:

That's why I get so excited when summer finally rolls around and the snow shacks are setting up shop in every parking lot throughout the city. Shaved ice, snow cones, cup o snow, call it what you will- I call it delicious :)

Thank goodness Michael has a habit of always throwing his left over change in the console of his car. I only pack plastic so it isn't any wonder that every night this week Michael and I have savagely ransacked his stash of quarters, nickels, dimes and anything silver that could go towards the purchase of paradise in a styrofoam cup. His shiny silver stash enables me, a declared snow cone-aholic, to purchase my nightly fix. Even KeeLee looks forward to this daily "treat" as she and Michael have a craving for the same flavor: Blue Cotton Candy.

However, this icy goodness doesn't come cheap. Prices have gone up over the summers, from a mere 75 cents to what is now $2.50 for a 16 oz cup. Kind of ridiculous considering it's ice and syrup. Don't try to tell me I'm paying for the cup. No STYROFOAM cup is $2.50. But an addiction is an addiction, and I don't plan to attend snow cone anonymous any time soon (I'm already thinking about what flavor I'm getting tonight).

Last night we had to break into the large plastic jar that Michael collects change in, because we had emptied out the console in his car. He wasn't at all happy about this as he refers to this as our "vacation money" which makes me laugh considering there's not enough in there to even purchase a full tank of gas for a mere road trip. Michael seems to disagree with me and threatened to "count it" tonight to prove to me that this snow cone addiction could empty us of our vacation dreams. Highly unlikely if you ask me.

Now there is an art to purchasing a good snow cone as Michael and I quickly discovered on Tuesday night. We ventured away from our staple snow cone supplier as we had an errand to run on the other side of town. It was then that we saw another snow cone vendor and decided to give it a go. Although tasty, it just wasn't the same. The ice wasn't as fluffy (yes, there is such thing as fluffy ice). Michael says the blade on their snow cone machine must be wearing out because the shave wasn't as good as our regular place. To make up for this, we stuck to what we knew and visited our regular supplier last night. And you can bet I'll be scrounging up some change and will be in line again tonight.

On another note- I have to mention what Michael and I saw last night while in line at Cup-O-Snow. This mother pulls up in her red convertable sports car, decked out to the nines and weighing in at probably exactly 100 lbs. You know the type: 50 but trying to look 15. And lucky for us she had her 15 year old daughter with her sporting a mini skirt she couldn't sit down in, heels, jewelry on every extremity, and too much make-up. You know the type: 15 trying to look 25. Funny how Mom is trying to look younger than her age (and failing miserably) and Daughter is trying to look older than her age (also failing). I'm not a mom yet, and who is to say if I'll have a girl when I am a mom, but if and when I do- she will NOT dress like a prostitute. Not at the age of 5 OR 25. And someone should tell mommy skinny pants that there's actually SUGAR in snow cones. DUH!

UPDATE:

Last night I tried a new flavor- Rio Grande and it was DE-LISH. And if you can get cream on top for free (just another yummy added bonus at Cup-o-Snow) DO IT! It makes the icy sin so much sweeter :)