Cherry Vanilla Milkshake

It’s not cherry season. It’s not milkshake season. Frankly, in North Dakota right now it’s not anything season, so if I want a cherry milkshake while there is still snow on the ground, I’m not going to apologize for it.

I don’t know what I’d do without a freezer. Well, actually I do know what I’d do: just keep all the frozen stuff outside my back door, since it is cold enough there for six months out of the year at least. We’d have a feast every spring when the snow started to melt. You’d all be invited. I hope you like venison.

Knowing how tough it can be to get decent fruit from grocery stores here in the winter months (you think someone would have figured out how to transport a crisp apple by now), I stock up on bags of frozen fruit. Some of it is locally grown produce that I’ve stored away, but I also get frozen organic fruit on sale now and then at the grocery store. The quality of frozen organic fruit is usually excellent, and maybe it’s just my imagination, but I think the organic stuff packs a bigger flavor punch (smaller size, more condensed flavor). They’re great for smoothies, oatmeal, muffins, pancakes…and milkshakes.

Sometimes I get very specific food cravings, and lately, a cherry vanilla milkshake has been calling out to me. I don’t even know that I’ve ever had a cherry vanilla milkshake, it just sounded really really good.

So I whipped one up. Yum. Craving satisfied. Meanwhile, in mid sip I noticed that Ben managed to bite off the tip of his only baby bottle.


I'm just glad it was the bottle nipple he bit off and not some other nearer/dearer nip. Here child. Go play in the pots and pans.


If you really want to get crazy (and I know you do), add a swirl of chocolate syrup to your cherry milkshake. And speaking of fun, crazy things (although it has little to do with milkshakes), you need to watch the new OK Go video. Click here. It’s one of the best things I’ve seen on YouTube in a long time. You can watch it while drinking your cherry vanilla milkshake. Double joy.

Cherry Vanilla Milkshake
3/4 c. vanilla ice cream
3/4 c. frozen sweet cherries
1/2 c. milk

Blend until smooth.