Shirley Temple Float

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• Add ice cream to a Shirley Temple kiddie cocktail and you've got fun! As a kid, word from my mother was gospel. So, I grew up believing that Shirley Temple was “the most talented little girl who ever lived.” I grew up on Shirley Temple videotapes, slept in little pink curlers so my hair would look like hers, and gathered my little sisters together to recreate scenes like "Good Ship Lollipop" and the party in The Little Princess. When I was 8 years old and sitting in a fancy restaurant with my parents one Friday night, my mom started ordering and asked the waiter to bring me a “Shirley Temple”. I’d never heard of such a thing, but when the waiter came carrying a sparkly pink drink with maraschino cherries, placing it on my plate like a crown for a queen, I nearly fainted with delight. So last weekend, when everyone was craving ice cream floats, we decided to do it with a little twist. We started them off Shirley Temple style, then added heaping scoops of ice cream. This fun little float idea is so easy and absurdly delicious. My 6th grader had a friend over, both of whom took one sip and squealed, “Theeeeese are deeeeelicious!!!” And though they were wary of the name, even her twin brother and his super macho 'tween guy pal declared them to be "Whoa, yum". And so, Shirley Temple lives on. Not in the form of rollicking plays and pink curls, but in big, sparkly glasses of ice cream, sprinkles, and pink straws. My kids may not have been raised on "Good Ship Lollipop" videos, but they’ll enjoy a little taste of goodness inspired by the most talented little girl who ever lived. Or so my mama once said. ;)