By Dorothy Johnson, Reflections from Dorothy’s Ridge

I must admit I have several guilty pleasures. There’s eating more Dove Dark Chocolate at one time than prescribed by those wonderful people who declared it heart-healthy. And, of course, that shoe thing.

However, lately my biggest indulgence involves a childhood treat: The Frosted Coke (aka Coke Float.) I’m not sure what got me started, but this summer, it became my comfort food of choice.

It’s not as if I consume one every day—more like weekly. (Except when we’re at the beach.) I must admit that I looked forward to fixing one to photograph for this post. And once I made it, I couldn’t let it go to waste.

I don’t really remember the first time I tasted the sweet, fizzy concoction, but it goes way back to when I was growing up in Searcy. We always had Coca-Cola in those little bottles in the fridge and Yarnell’s Vanilla Ice Cream in the freezer. (I know that dates me, but I am a grandmother.)

These days I drink more iced tea than colas, and when I do indulge, I choose Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi (who knows what’s in it). Consequently, that’s what goes in my Frosted Coke. Edy’s Slow Churned one-half-the-calories ice cream is in my freezer at the moment. It’s not quite as tasty as Yarnell’s, but it’s good enough. Both of those lower calorie substitutions salve my conscience enough to allow me to indulge occasionally.

I feel especially decadent when I enjoy a Frosted Coke while watching my favorite television show, NCIS. Mark Harmon is still a cutie, plus I like the entire cast. They have good chemistry and the writing is good. We record it every week.

In the past couple of years, Terry and I have watched more NCIS reruns than I care to tell you, which made me especially glad to see the new season roll around. The next thing on my agenda—after I finish this post—is to watch this week’s show.

Maybe I’ll celebrate with a Frosted Coke.