Madness. Upsets. And an Ice Cream Float

I am very happy to be working with and compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertisers on this post featuring Coca-Cola Zero™ and OREO to bring you the awesome Coke Zero Ice Cream Float!  All opinions are mine alone. #GreatTasteTourney #CollectiveBias

March is crazy around here. There are brackets to fill out, statistics to brush up on, pools to buy into, and multiple flat screen TVs carrying all of the best games – the month of The Big Tournament! Woo hoo! Basketball is a long standing favorite past time in our household, and it doesn’t get much better than the madness that March brings.

It’s all pretty calm in the beginning – very civilized. But then something happens. Things get competitive. We’ve got people in the family who went to college in Arizona, South Bend, Texas, Tennessee, California, and Illinois. We’ve got parents from the Carolinas and the northwest. So as you might imagine, things can get a bit tense by mid-March. But there’s one thing we all agree on – no matter which team wins or loses or gets upset, everyone loves great tournament time snacks. And nothing is more soothing after a tournament upset than a Coke Zero Ice Cream Float piled high with whipped cream and topped with OREO Cookies.

But it’s the upsets that keep it all interesting. Predictability is boring. And this year is no exception. It’s why we all gather around yelling and screaming at the TVs (all three or four or five of them that may be on at any given time). As each of us holds our breath, crosses our fingers, hopes (and prays?) that our team makes that last minute three pointer, we’re desperately wanting to be the team that holds up to its ranking. Or the team that pulls off the greatest upset of the tourney. And one of those things happens with each game – the favorite walks away with it, or the underdog pulls off the upset. Whether it’s the notorious #12 seeds upsetting the #5 seeds, or a complete outlier taking down the top dog, upsets are a fun yet infuriating part of the tournament.

When the upsets do happen, first there’s yelling and screaming at the TV, then there’s a sense of shock and disbelief that fills the room, then there’s silence plus a hint of depression (except for those who were pulling for that outlier), and finally everyone heads for the kitchen for snacks. And that’s what brings everyone back – awesome tournament time snacks. So this year, I’m prepared. After a quick trip to Safeway, I’ve got the fridge stocked with Coke Zero and whipped cream, the pantry full of a variety of OREO cookies (my hubby’s fave!), and the freezer stocked with ice cream (vanilla for me). I like opting for Coke Zero because, well… it’s cool. Plus it has no calories, so we can pretty much have as many as we want! Am I right, or what? When the end is near (and I sense an upset in the making), I set up the perfect Ice Cream Float bar… Frosty mugs, tubs of creamy ice cream, loads of ice cold Coke Zero, cans of sweet whipped cream (I prefer homemade, but there’s something about spraying it out of a can that makes people happy), and a wide selection of OREOs – crushed and whole (the ultimate Ice Cream Float topper!)

And just watch what happens as people build their own Ice Cream Float creations – people start smiling, talking, joking, and laughing again. It isn’t long until the upset is a thing of the past and everyone moves on to the next game, brackets back in hands, new hopes and dreams for the next win or the next upset. (Looks like we’ll need a lot of Coke Zero Ice Cream Floats this year!)

[bctt tweet=”Make someone happy by making this Ice Cream Float! “]

And if you’re into the tourney as much as we are, you might want to try your chance at winning tickets to next year’s final! Here’s the info: Visit cokeplaytowin.com/tastethemadness for a chance to win NCAA prizes.

Also, please note:

• Mondelēz International and Coca-Cola are Corporate Champion and Partners of the NCAA.
• NCAA and Taste the Madness are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
• © Mondelēz International group © Coca-Cola Zero is a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola Company.

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Madness. Upsets. And an Ice Cream Float

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

There's nothing that soothes the soul like an Ice Cream Float - especially if it's made with no calorie Coke Zero and topped with OREOs!

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Ingredients

• 1 Pint ice cream
• 16 Ounces Coke Zero, Or other favorite Coca-Cola Product
• 1/2 Pound OREO Cookies, Whole and crushed for toppings
• 1 Can whipped cream, For Topping

Instructions

1. Set out large mugs or glasses. Pour 8 oz Coke Zero into each glass, plop two scoops of ice cream into each glass. Top with whipped cream and crushed or whole OREOs. Serve with spoons and straws and watch the smiles come back to everyone's faces!