Today marks my three year wedding anniversary. It’s crazy that it’s already been three years. Time has passed by pretty quickly. Although Paul and I have been married three years, we’ve been together for eight and a half years now. That’s a long time! We graduated college, got internships, moved in together, went through many job changes together, got married, and had a baby who is now almost two. Did I say time flies already?
I have been thinking about some of our past vacations, which have mostly all been California road trips. I’m not complaining about that. I love a good California road trip and I’m looking forward to the next one, whenever it may be.
A few years ago, Paul and I went to Coachella Valley for a few days. We had a non-refundable hotel stay during Coachella weekend, but no Coachella tickets because they sold out real quick. It was cool though. The hotel pool was empty after mid-morning, we had complimentary cocktails in a near empty lobby, and we got to see the sights while trying some local food favorites. Maybe it’s not a bad idea to go to have a vacation in a spot where a big event is happening. Just hopefully you don’t end up at the same hotel as a clown convention like my mom once did. Also, maybe don’t go to San Diego during Comic-Con unless you’re actually going to Comic-Con.
I might still do a travel guide to my favorite Coachella Valley spots sometime, but for now I’ll just tell you to try a date shake if you’re ever there. Or, you can easily make a delicious date shake at home.
We stopped for a date shake mainly because I wanted to find a bathroom, if I’m being honest. I don’t think I had heard of them before. We had been in the car for quite a while. We went from our hotel in La Quinta down to Salvation Mountain in the middle of nowhere, then back up the Salton Sea. Meanwhile, I was looking up places on Yelp for a pit stop as we passed by thousands of date trees.
Date shakes are the signature drink of the region because 95 percent of the country’s dates are said to be grown there. The shakes were invented in the late 1920s or early 30s by a date farmer.
This drink recipe is inspired by the Oasis Date Gardens date shake recipe shared on Saveur. Oasis Date Gardens has been in operation since 1912. I think that’s the farm where Paul and I got date shakes from back in 2015. Those shakes were so good. They were thick, sweet and had a strong date flavor.
I was looking to add some more nutrients with banana and reduce the calories a bit, so I combined it the Oasis Date Gardens recipe with this Dole Sunshine recipe.
Palm Springs date shake
2 1/2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) pitted dates, halved
1 medium frozen banana
1 cup milk
8 ounces (about 2 medium scoops) vanilla ice cream
Place dates in a bowl with 1/4 cup warm water. Let dates soften in water for 10 minutes. Add dates, their soaking liquid, and banana in blender or food processor. Cover; blend until dates are finely chopped.
Add milk and ice cream and blend until smooth. Divide shake between 3 glasses.
P.S. Try these coconut mango popsicles next.
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