Today I celebrate three years of being sober. I remember not so long ago I would be itching toward the door to leave work and have a drink. I still do that same thing, just alcohol-free. With my sobriety, I thought I’d eat a little more kale, make those healthy smoothies, and generally eat better. Sadly, that was not the reality. Becoming sober, my body craved all the sugar it became accustomed to and depended on getting from the alcohol. As a result, I became addicted to … drum roll … milkshakes! I mix all sorts of ice creams, and mix-ins, with milk, heavy cream, or even Nesquik, and suck it down with a large straw.
For the celebration of three years, I chose to make my favorite, a birthday cake milkshake. Vanilla ice cream, milk, and Funfetti cake batter mix. Sometimes I use the blender; most of the time I don’t. I leave the ice cream on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes, then vigorously mix it with a fork in a plastic tumbler, and pour it into my glass. It gets the job done, and absolutely satisfies my milkshake cravings. An added bonus is there is no blender to wash at the end of the night.
The best milkshakes to make without a blender are shakes using mix-ins that don’t need to be blended, like syrups, extracts, or candy or cookies that can be chopped or smashed by hand.
Some of my other milkshake combinations that are worth trying are:
Vanilla ice cream, milk, with chocolate syrup (This mimics the Wendy’s Frosty.)
Strawberry ice cream with strawberry Nesquik
Vanilla ice cream with butterscotch sundae syrup and a shake of salt
Black raspberry ice cream with milk, and crushed graham crackers
Chocolate ice cream with crushed Nutter Butter cookies
Vanilla ice cream with milk and Chips Ahoy! cookies