I've taken a number of Allrecipes trips since, but this was the first- and my anxiety was high.
Now don't get me wrong- I was excited about all of the fun stuff they had planned for us.
They flew their Allstars out to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Allrecipes.com, put us up in a very nice hotel, wined and dined us at their headquarters...it was all quite exciting. At that point in my life I was one year into being a stay-at-home mom and life really revolved around all things children and homelife. This blog was in it's infancy, and I was just...you know, a mom.
Have I mentioned I have just *ahem* a touch of social anxiety too?
So I was flying cross-country into a totally new situation to meet up with people whom I had only interacted with online. I hadn't lost any of the weight I'd gained during my pregnancy so I was even more self-conscious than normal- which is saying a lot.
I seriously almost passed on even taking this incredible, free trip!
I got on that plane and literally flew into the unknown.
And, despite a great deal of internal freaking out, had an absolute blast.
I've known that fine group of ladies (and sprinkling of men) for 5+ years now and get-togethers like that first one are far less stressful and far more fun since I already know them in person and I can just kick back and enjoy myself!
One of the hallmarks of any Allrecipes event is the color orange.
"Allrecipes orange," the trademark color. There tends to be a lot of it.
Especially on that first trip when most of us didn't really know each other and wanted to make sure we could spot each other at the airport and hotel!
So, that's how I found myself five years ago on a layover at the Charlotte airport with an orange shirt, orange nail polish, and an orange ribbon tied to my carry on bag. Which is how a kind and vivacious red-headed stranger (who I'd later learn was SuperHotMama on Allrecipes AKA Angela of Dancing With May Father) tapped me on the shoulder and asked if by any chance I too was with Allrecipes and headed to Seattle like she was.
I *may* have latched on to the kindness of the first stranger I met lol.
Thank goodness Angela is a very kind stranger.
I ended up tagging along with her for the first day or so of the trip- which is when I first tried affogato. Or at least a *take* on affogato.
We were walking down Pine Street in Seattle after a cocktail party at Allrecipes HQ that first evening and stopped in at Cupcake Royale. I got "Salted Caramel Cupcake Espresso ala Mode."
So essentially a cupcake with ice cream and chocolate sauce with espresso poured over the top.
At this moment I can't imagine eating that concoction...I just went back and looked at a picture I took of it at the time. SO SWEET. Like a cavity in a bowl lol.
That being said, the ice cream/espresso combo is pretty magical.
The cupcake and chocolate syrup might just be a little over the top for my taste buds at this point in life. My daughter likes to make fun of my quickly disappearing sweet tooth these days- but that vanilla ice cream has just enough sweet and is perfectly balanced with that coffee!
This month for Allrecipes I get to work with Gevalia to try out some recipes using their Cold Brew Concentrate, and when I saw the recipe for the Simple Summer Java Float I knew I had to make it- because it's essentially affogato without the fancy name.
Ok, are you ready to hear how simple this one is?
Scoop some vanilla ice cream. Top with Gevalia Cold Brew Concentrate.
Enjoy.
Seriously. That easy!
And so satisfying.
I even used Halo Top Vanilla Bean to make this a fairly low-guilt treat and it was amazingly delicious on a hot July day.
Gevalia's Cold Brew Concentrate comes in three flavors (House Blend, Vanilla, and Caramel), and when my husband picked it up at the store for me he got them all so I've been playing around with them a little. They're all delicious- and we've both really enjoyed the House Blend with a little milk and a tiny bit of sweetener over ice in the mornings on these hot days lately. We're both definitely hooked- and it's sooooo much cheaper than going to a coffee shop!
2 scoops vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
1/2 C Gevalia® Cold Brew Concentrate, any flavor
1 maraschino cherry (optional)
1. Place ice cream in a cup. Pour cold brew concentrate over ice cream.
2. Garnish with a cherry. Use a straw for stirring and drinking.
Disclaimer
I am an AllrecipesAllstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. Products received from advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews my personal blog. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are all my own.
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