What is the first thing you think of when you see the word “Coke Float”? Refreshing perhaps? Ice cold on a hot summer’s day? How about nectar of the gods? Maybe even what momma Unicorns give to their foals while nursing? (Yes it’s that damn magical people!) Well what if I told you that once upon a time, serving and consuming coke floats, or ice cream sodas, was considered illegal…wha???? Shocked, shocked and chagrined I’m so sure. See back in the olden days soda was sold and marketed as a “miracle cure” for the masses and not the obesity-inducing scrumptious syrupy concoction that it has been turned into now. So it was often considered a controlled substance and required oversight and control, much like alcohol. And just like alcohol, soda and thus ice cream soda drinks, could not be sold on Sundays in most “conservative areas.” Soda fountain owners needed to find a way to make some kind of money on Sundays, the day of rest for soda. Thus the ice cream sundae was born. The rest, as they say, is history…

And lo and behold both of these found on one dessert table! Hello My Sweet’s Ice Cream Social/soda dessert table dedicated to several members of our family. Heather and I have a ton of birthdays for our families in February, so to say that we are busy during that month is an understatement. From both of our daughters, to Heather’s mother, brother and uncle all of them have birthdays this month. That’s right! Heather’s momma, also known as Cynthia Robertson. She is the lady who kindly lets us ransack her home for some really neat antiques to use as props on our dessert spreads. Her affinity for that fizzy brew from the Coca-Cola Company borders on legendary. From carrying around her own in a cooler cup, to hiding stashes of it in her bedroom (family inside joke), this lady loves Coke. So it was with this devotion in mind that we came up with the idea of doing a “make your own” ice cream sundae & float dessert table, complete with all the fixins’, and consisting of what you would call the yin and yang ideological equivalent of the dessert world. But we didn’t gather to argue ideology, just to share some sweets, treats and good times with family. Oh and we did it for less than a hundred dollars! To quote my favorite Disney movie, “So why don’t you just ruminate, whilst I illuminate the possibilities…”

I can almost sum it up in one sentence. Dollar Tree is your friend. Seriously. I would say about 70% of the props and décor for this table came from our local Dollar Tree store. The rest of it from our local Wal-Mart and from previous tables we have done. The idea behind the printables was to reflect the look of the soda fountain shops of yore. I personally do not come from that generation, but soda/ice cream fountains and diners have always held a personal charm to me. Must be something to do with the vibrant, but complimentary, color palate and all the shiny chrome & glass. We were to have matched our awesomely retro printables with a straight outta the ‘50s red Formica and chrome kitchen table that Cindy owns. However, it needed a little TLC in the form of refinishing or refurbishing the Formica top. Due to our hectic schedules we were not able to get this done in time for the ice cream social. Totally sad face too, it would’ve been the perfect companion piece to everything else. Even with that little setback, I think the whole family had a blast with creating their own desserts or just enjoying a refreshing glass of Coca-Cola. Best part for me? Leaving several family kids behind that had just downed 2-3 glasses of NON caffeine free Coke AND ice cream. Laugh out loud indeed.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the exact costs for this table taken right off the store receipts where applicable;

Table Décor/Props:

Coke glasses w/handles - x3 @ $1.00 = $3.00
Green large Coke glasses - x3 @ $1.00 = $3.00
Green small Coke glasses - x5 @ .50c = $2.50
Clear 3 compartment tray - x2 @ $1.00 = $2.00
Sundae glasses - x5 @ $1.97 = $9.85
Small Coca Cola Classic glass bottles - x5 already had
Red & White striped paper straws - already had (Purchase them here.)
Red & White striped plastic straws - x2 packages @ $1.00 = $2.00
5 yds of cream colored pinstriped cloth - $2.00 (Wal-Mart clearance bin.)
Large teal party tub - $9.00
Red small napkins - $1.00
White large napkins - $1.00
“Fast food” red plastic basket - $1.00 (Dollar General)
Small silver beverage tub - $2.50 (Target)
Glass sugar pourer - $1.00 (top not used)
Small plastic tongs (pack of 4) - $1.00
Small plastic scoops (pack of 4) - $1.00
Plastic silver colored cutlery - already had (Kroger)
Vintage Coca-Cola ice cream scoop (purchased from Abandoned Treasure on Etsy) - $3.00
Printables - $9.19 (OfficeMax)

Total - $54.04

Food:

2 ltr. Coca Cola Classic - x3 @ $1.28 - $3.84
1 ltr. Coca Cola Classic - x2 @ 0.98c - $1.96
Spanish Coca Cola Classic glass bottled - x5 @ $1.25 - $6.25
Whipped topping - x2 @ $1.63 - $3.26
Maraschino cherries w/stems - $1.68
Jar of chocolate jimmies/sprinkles - $2.38
Jar of multi-colored sprinkles - already had
Hershey’s strawberry syrup - $1.98
Hershey’s caramel syrup - $1.98
Smucker’s hot fudge topping - $2.08
Smucker’s “wet pecans” topping - $2.38
Jar of dry roasted peanuts (chopped ourselves) - $2.88
Tub of vanilla ice cream - $5.97

Total - $36.64

Grand Total - $90.68

So you can see, this party is just under $100. We served 12 people easily and had plenty for more, up to at least 18. If you are on a tight budget, this is the party for you! You can never go wrong with ice-cream!