REAL® Seal Challenge: Creamsicle Float

Isn't it funny how sometimes things from your childhood which loom so large as the best thing ever don't live up to your expectations as an adult? Take creamsicles for example -- orange popsicles filled with ice cream (or perhaps an ice cream-like substance?!) just aren't the same as they used to be.

So when REAL® Seal asked me to participate in a recipe challenge using REAL® Seal ingredients, and offered me a gift card to pay for them, and then Lucas suggested ice cream floats, I wondered if I could recreate -- and perhaps even improve on -- my fond memories of creamsicles.

And oh my goodness, I sure did!

These creamsicle floats have been the begged-for dessert in our house over the past week. They are delicious and the perfect treat for the oppressive heat wave we've been experiencing in Maryland.

I bought a six-pack of those adorable mini cans of soda, in orange flavor, of course. Then I scoured the ice cream section for a brand with the REAL® Seal.

Here's the quick and easy recipe:

Smiling Mama's Creamsicle Floats

Scoop one scoop of ice cream into a glass.

Add a few ounces of orange soda.

Top with another small scoop of ice cream.

Add straw and spoon and enjoy!

We eat a lot of dairy in our house. Our milk is delivered fresh from a local farm in throw-back glass bottles. But we buy our yogurt, cheese and ice cream from the grocery store. I know my kids are getting delicious, healthy milk and I want to make sure that the rest of their dairy is high quality as well. When Lucas was a toddler, I used to think that he subsided on cheese and yogurt alone. Now Nathaniel is the picky one who eats yogurt daily -- and often multiple times a day.

I never knew that the REAL® Seal is a really easy way for me to know that products we buy are from 100% US cow milk. Products bearing the seal must must meet specific guidelines and be certified by their dairy processing or food manufacturing companies.

And I'll be honest, as a full-time work-outside-the-home mama to two crazy boys, uber-involved community member and blogger, I don't have a lot of time to put together fancy, complicated desserts. I mean, we're lucky to get a well-rounded dinner on the table every night. And because dairy is such a huge part of our diet, I'm grateful to know that the REAL® Seal gives me assurance at a quick glance in the grocery store.

So, here are a few things I love about these creamsicle floats:

• I can feel good about the quality of the REAL® Seal ice cream.
• Even though I just used a few ounces of orange soda, the boys feel like it's the most exciting thing ever because they are getting soda.
• They can be put together in just a few minutes.
• They're amazingly refreshing and, of course, delicious.
• Any excuse to use jelly jars and paper straws to make them feel extra-special is a WIN for me!
• And, finally, it's such a treat to see my kids enjoy something similar to such a strong childhood memory for me.

This is one satisfied customer!

Thanks, REAL® Seal for helping this busy mama feel good about our family's dairy choices and for funding this recipe challenge which was a fun trip down memory lane for me and hopefully is helping to build some fun childhood memories for my kiddos, too.

Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!