I miss my Dad. The hugs. The “hello sweetheart.” Everything. So when Father’s Day rolls around every year it’s always sad. Until we start to talk about how he tried so hard to fix various mechanical things around the house and was so bad at it that it makes us all laugh.
Even he laughed.
Like the time when he tried in vain to fix the family milk shake machine that had been around our house from before I was even born. It was yellowed and chipped but worked like a real soda fountain milk shake maker and then one day it died. My father opened the top, took out various parts and I am sure he had no idea what those parts were for. And then he tried patiently to put the thing back together. Without new parts.
It was almost like a cartoon. He actually did leave out 2 or 3 screws.
We had to get another milk shake machine of course (actually a blender). Because milk shakes were one of Dad’s specialties. Like this chocolate shake, which you can make into a mocha shake by adding 1 teaspoon dissolved instant coffee powder, or spike with 2 tablespoons coffee flavored brandy.
Chocolate Milk Shake (Mocha, Spiked)
3/4 cup chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder, dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water, optional
2 tablespoons coffee flavored brandy, optional
Place ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed for about one minute or until ingredients are thoroughly blended and the drink is thick and frothy.
Makes 1