Even as a little kid I found two scoops of something to be very self-indulgent:  two scoops of ice cream, two scoops of mashed potatoes from the cafeteria, or even two scoops of molded butter at a fancy restaurant.  I seem to remember a cereal which boasted “two scoops” of raisins in every box.  (I do not care for raisins so honestly I never ate it.)  One can scoop up newly fallen snow, clear water from a spring, or freshly plowed dirt.  I think of candy scoops, scooping up ingredients from a salad bar, and scoops of “gravy.”  I have delighted in scooping up newly mown grass and hay to inhale their fresh scent, autumn leaves, and seashells.  So my little one and I were recently celebrating and found ourselves in the coffee shop we love.  They have new drinks out for summer, and one of them is called the “Dragon Drink.”  The name alone made it cool but with the dragonfruit turning it electric pink?!  My unleaded (decaffeinated) child was SOLD!  The barista very solemnly looked down at her over the counter and asked if she was aware of what she was undertaking by ordering such a drink.  Wide eyed, my nine-year-old stood transfixed as he told her “it had been known to cause scaly skin and possibly fire-breathing.”  She giggled.  It is people like that man who make the world great.  Assuming they were from China, I was surprised to learn when I searched it up that they are the fruit of several cactus species indigenous to the Americas!  I believe I can recall having Prickly Pear margaritas in both San Antonio and Santa Fe and marveling at their startling hot pink color.  Recently I was at a birthday party for one of my little girl’s friends.  They did not know she was gluten intolerant and both parents were genuinely concerned seeing all the pizza they’d ordered, the big beautiful unicorn cake, and then realizing my little girl could not have any of it.  I told them not to worry; I should have thought to bring snacks which I almost always do.  Such caring parents, they began scanning their kitchen with renewed eyes.  “Well, I have an avocado.  Do you like those?”  Asking a Texan if they like avocados is akin to asking if a wolf likes meat.  I could tell my girl was trying to be polite while trying not to attack this mom.  As she was slicing it open she said what she liked to do was to add hot sauce in the middle of each scoop (made by the indentation from the seed) and even I felt my eyes widen.  “CHOLULA?!” we exclaimed in unison.  Opening up her fridge, she produced a bottle.  All that was needed now was a spoon to scoop it all up.  I thought it was the coolest idea ever and my little one kept thanking her in between shakes of the bottle.  That was only about a month ago and it has already become a staple for my daughter and me.  We have a faux set of tree trunk table and chairs by our koi pond.  My little one and I like to snack out there after the sun has gone down, and we also feed the fish.  We named it The Koi Pond Cafe.  The Indian composer of music and film known as Ilaiyaraaja said, “Life is not what you expect:  it is made up of the most unexpected twists and turns.”  So that is the story of how The Koi Pond Cafe pictured above developed its signature drink and appetizer … and for once it’s not a bad thing to enjoy two scoops.