Let’s Celebrate With Ice Cream!

People love celebrations, and people love ice cream. What better of a combination than a celebration with ice cream? All it takes is a little imagination and planning to design an event which everyone present will enjoy. Allow yourself to be creative, and the results should be memorable.

In planning a celebration, one of the first factors is to take into consideration the preferences of your guests. You can decide whether you wish to present a variety of ice cream, or one basic creation which will appeal to everybody. While the former is in general much simpler, the latter does not need to be difficult and can generate a very positive effect on your guests. The key is in having an idea about coordinating your treats to your guests’ tastes.

If your celebration consists of sophisticated guests, you may not think that ice cream would be a suitable dish. But as most people do love ice cream, it is the presentation which matters the most and will lead to the best response from your guests. One absolutely delightful ice cream dish which will appeal to both the taste buds and sophistication of your guests is Baked Alaska. Baked Alaska is not nearly as difficult to make as one might think; and the time and effort put into this famous ice cream creation will be well worth the effort. Hidden under the savory meringue can be any flavors of ice cream that you and your guests desire. This traditional ice cream dish will certainly be the focus of admiration at your next dinner party.

For celebrations of a more casual nature, many people like ice cream pies. Ice cream pie is easy and quick to make, requiring very little preparation. Most styles of ice cream pie can be made by simply placing the ice cream in a pie shell, topping it with your favorite prepared pudding mixture, and adding whipped cream. Of course there are more detailed recipes, but this is by far the easiest and quickest to prepare.

For special events, most ice cream shops sell ice cream cakes which can be custom-decorated to your specifications. These cakes are always well-received at celebrations such as birthday parties. Dairy Queen, Carvel, and Baskin-Robbins are at the top of the list of ice cream shops which make these delightful cakes. Many grocery stores also sell smaller, ready-made ice cream cakes.

When celebrations include small children, for them to gain the most enjoyment from the occasion it should be taken into consideration that their preferences are quite varied. Some children naturally prefer simplicity, and will get more enjoyment from ice cream products which fall into the category of quick and easy and portable. These are the youngsters who would most like hand-held ice cream products such as ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, fruit bars and popsicles. Other children are drawn toward anything which is creative. These are the children who would most like ice cream treats that contain all sorts of extras that are colorful and tasty. They tend to like their ice cream with anything from chocolate coating shells to jellybeans mixed in.

When planning a celebration around ice cream, don’t forget that many people enjoy being a part of the process. While it is an individual preference, you will even find senior citizens who get as much enjoyment from making their own ice cream as little children do. In making the celebration a success it is a good idea to know in advance whether your guests will want to participate in ice cream making. If you choose this activity for your next special event, be sure to have enough ingredients on hand, and allow time for preparation and clean-up!

Ice Cream For Children

When eaten in moderation, ice cream is a very healthy food for children. Most children, however, would not be impressed by hearing about the health benefits, calorie content, or ingredients of ice cream, so it is up to the adults to present this food in manners which will interest them the most. This is not to say that many children need much encouragement to eat ice cream, for it is generally a favored treat without requiring any explanations!

First, and above all, children will automatically be drawn to ice cream simply because it tastes good. As a treat which has withstood the test of time, being popular to children of every generation, today’s youngsters have many more varieties and forms of ice cream to enjoy than children did in generations of the past. With ice cream, a child can select his favorites from such forms as ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars, sundaes, cones, and the ever-popular scoops. All of these forms fit nicely into a child’s active lifestyle, as they are easily portable. Children who might dislike taking the time to sit at the table to eat a snack appreciate being able to take a hand-held ice cream bar or ice cream sandwich along to wherever they are going.

Children also like the fact that there are so many flavors of ice cream to choose from. Although it is a rare child who does not have one particular favorite, the elements of variety and of choice have an important appeal to most youngsters. While he may love chocolate, and, likewise, choose chocolate ninety-nine percent of the time, having thirty other flavors from which he can choose if he so desires is a factor which children like. Having choices is something which all children appreciate; and ice cream certainly fits that category!

Anything which is presented as a learning experience, when presented in an interesting manner, is something which most children enjoy. Considering the fact that ice cream has been a popular part of American life for more than two hundred years, there is plenty of information that children will like to learn about. As each youngster has his own particular field of interest, you have the opportunity to present the subject in the range which most interests your child. For example, one child will be greatly interested in hearing that Dolly Madison served ice cream at the President’s inauguration dinner; another child would like to hear about what types of ice cream his favorite celebrities prefer; and other children will be more interested in learning the details of how, when, and where ice cream was originally invented.

Most children love that which is familiar, and also that which is unique. With ice cream, they can have the best of both. Ice cream can be a source of delight at their special occasions, and can also be presented in ways which make for good, lasting memories. While ice cream on or with cake has been a standard at birthday parties and other family gatherings for generations, there are ways to make it even more enjoyable for the children. In addition to birthday parties and other expected events, you can host a “getting out of school for the summer” celebration, or a party for a specific holiday, and make ice cream a focused part of the festivities by assisting the children in making their own.

Whether you use a hand-cranked ice cream maker, or make the ice cream in plastic bags, children will greatly enjoy this experience which is not time-consuming, complicated or messy as one might think. Youngsters will love the unique taste of homemade ice cream, as it is decidedly different from the boxed type found in grocery stores, and they will enjoy being an active part of its production.

Although ice cream is a healthy part of a child’s diet, most youngsters prefer to eat it simply because it tastes good and it can be given to them in ways which will even increase their enjoyment!