My family has always eaten dinner in the backyard during summer. We still do. There's candles, mosquitoes, card games, wine and always a fresh salad.
I remember when we were kids my brother and I used to play a game where we'd have to feed each other icecream - but without looking. He'd hold his arms behind his back and I'd sit behind him with mine threaded through, pretending my arms were his. Then I'd try to feed him a bowl of icecream. The more we laughed, the messier it got, until eventually we'd both be covered in icecream. A few times we even got my parents to play.
My regular go-to icecream flavour is pistachio. It's not too sweet, so you don't get sick of it too fast and I've only once had a bad one. I don't think you can go wrong with a nut-based flavour.
But sometimes I like to get a little experimental . When I worked at Readings Bookstore in Melbourne there was an icecream shop next door that always changed their flavours. Every week there'd be six new options. I remember the craziest - but best - one I had there was honey, fig and parmesan. Yum. I can't wait to go back to see their new menu.
• Lucy Lovegrove plays triplet Sass Warner on Shortland Street, weeknights, 7pm, TVNZ2.
