Youth, Independence, and Pop

I was one of the first of my friends to get a drivers license. And only because I got mine the day I turned sixteen and for some reason several of my friends chose to wait. The friend group I spent almost every weekend with during those horribly awkward adolescent years was made up of about ten girls. After we could drive we added about six guys to the club.

Shortly before getting licenses, at the age of fourteen and fifteen we would walk downtown in all of our independence and glory and hang out at the local coffee shop. I grew up in an uppity college town, The coffee shop we frequented was a posh college hang out and we certainly felt mature whenever we were there. A few of my friends were drinking coffee, mocha's and lattes and cappuccinos by that time but I certainly was not. My mom said it stunted growth and I thought it was repulsive. But I did have a paper route (a source of income) and I loved to order the Italian creme sodas from JP's (that was our coffee shop).

To this day I've only ever had an Italian creme soda from that coffee shop in my hometown (a neighboring town to where I live now). Maybe they made the thing up, who knows but I loved that drink. They'd take club soda and add any syrup you'd like. I always chose strawberry. They'd top it off with half and half which sounds weird but it foamed up a lot like whip cream and slowly fell to the bottom as you drank it and it was heavenly. I'm fairly certain that whipped cream was then added to the top of it all as well.

Rhubarb cordial use #2

Flavoring for a Rhubarb Italian Soda

Lemon lime soda (I just didn't want to buy club soda)

a good splash of Rhubarb Cordial

Topped off with half and half

Perfection!

I know it looks like an alcoholic beverage in a weird fancy glass at a picnic. It's pop in my backyard. This pink soda perfectly represents independence in my youth. A time when my friends and I were wild and free (or so we thought), when life was chaotic to say the least (adolescence always is) but simple. This is the first time I've ever tried or thought to make this beverage at home and it turned out fantastic!