Tag: Ice Cream Socials

Why Ice Cream Is Important

Fewer food products have had such a wide range of appeal, and such a longstanding appeal, as ice cream. The popularity of ice cream has withstood the test of time, being a greatly-loved treat from generation to generation. The enjoyment of ice cream knows no barriers of age, class, gender, or any of the other factors which often divide and separate people. Ice cream is truly a universal delight almost everyone loves it!

Ice cream itself is not specifically designated as one of the Four Basic Food Groups. While some people, albeit humorously, believe that it should be, ice cream merely takes its place amongst the Dairy Group. The result is that it can then get lost amidst the more basic dairy products, such as plain milk and plain cheese, while there is nothing at all plain about ice cream!

Humor aside, ice cream’s place in the food groups is very important, for standard ice cream and its many variations is a very healthy food. Although there are a number of factors to consider in selecting and consuming ice cream, categorizing it along with the other food products in the Dairy Group is wise, for even just the factor of its high calcium content makes ice cream a product which is beneficial to most people’s everyday diets.

Ice cream also has a “community” aspect on a number of different levels. On one of the most personal and memorable ends of the scale, ice cream is a favorite addition to a family dinner. For the many whose meals are not complete without a dessert, family members will certainly state that ice cream is at or at least near the top of their list of favorites.

On the other end of the scale are the larger, community events which include ice cream. Some, for that matter, such as the ice cream socials which are popular in parts of the United States, place the sharing of ice cream as the main focus. Sharing ice cream and interacting with friends and neighbors thus becomes synonymous.

For children and adults alike, ice cream can be a special treat. Whether ice cream is a standard part of everyday life or not, it can also be more meaningful and memorable. Ice cream can be a major part of a party, it can be a reward to yourself or your child for a job or task done well, and in the excessive heat of summer weather it can be a delightful and refreshing way to cool off. There is something that is not exactly describable in terms other than “very good” about being able to walk into your favorite ice cream shop on a hot summer day and treat yourself to a double-scoop ice cream cone.

Many people also choose ice cream as a favorite “comfort food.” Ice cream is a great way to boost one’s mood when life is at less than its best. Whether one’s preference is to dig into a half-gallon container from one’s freezer, or to go to a local ice cream shop and order something “with everything on it,” there is no comparison to the mood-elevating effects of ice cream.

Ice cream is also one of the basics for simple relaxation. After a long, hard day at work, it is a very positive thing indeed to be able to enjoy a bowl of your favorite ice cream while relaxing in your own home in front of the television set or while reading a good book.

In all of these situations and others, ice cream adds to the enjoyment of everyday situations, and makes what would otherwise be ordinary, to be even better!

Celebrate National Ice Cream Day

If you are looking for an excuse to celebrate and eat ice cream, you’ve found it! Since 1984, National Ice Cream Day has been celebrated on the third Sunday in July. In fact, you can eat ice cream, guilt-free, every day during the month of July to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. (Your can start working on the resulting thickened waistline in August.)

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day. President Reagan recognized that over 90% of Americans enjoy ice cream. He encouraged Americans to celebrate ice cream’s nutritional values as well as the fun that families share while eating it. Many memorable occasions have been celebrated while enjoying ice cream treats.

When ice cream became popular in America in the 1930’s, the Laurel and Hardy movie “Come Clean” in 1931 included a little skit where Stan and Laurel Hardy go into an ice cream shop to order ice cream. Confusion results when Stan tries to pick what flavor of ice cream to order. The flavors he asks for, including chocolate, are not available. He ends up saying that he will take it without chocolate. The humorous skit became a favorite and long-remembered scene.

Besides being a subject for movies, ice cream has been the topic of many recipe books and children’s story books. Two examples of children’s story books about ice cream are “Simply Delicious” by Margaret Mahy and “Isaac the Ice Cream Truck” by Scott Santoro. Both are very colorful and fun books with ice cream being the central theme.

In “Isaac the Ice Cream Truck”, Isaac feels less important than other big trucks but finds out that when he is needed the most, he is important after all. In “Simply Delicious” Mr. Minky manages to carry an ice cream cone home to his son while riding his bicycle through a jungle full of very hungry creatures.

America celebrates ice cream in many other ways. There are ice cream socials and there are even internet blogs devoted to the topic of ice cream. Ice cream has even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1988, in Alberta, Canada, the largest ice cream sundae in the world weighed 55,000 pounds. (Calorie count was not given.) Then, also in 1988, the largest ice cream sandwich was made in Dubuque, Iowa. It was 2,500 pounds. Baskin-Robbins got in on the fun by making a 9,000 pound ice cream cake!

While some may celebrate ice cream in the public forum, many celebrate in the privacy of their own homes . . . in the middle of the night. Dipping into the ice cream tub as a midnight snack is done by one of every five ice cream eaters, mostly ages 18 – 24; and, those midnight snack ice cream bandits are more men than women.

Those middle-of-the-night ice cream-eating men are also the ones who are licking their ice cream bowls clean. Only 8% of women admit to licking ice cream bowls clean and 13% of men admit to licking ice cream bowls clean. Elvis Presley may have been an ice cream bowl licker because some of his favorite snack times were drinking chocolate milkshakes and eating peach ice cream.

Ice cream has been evolving for over 2000 years from the simplest form of ice topped by fruit to its current creamy textures, many forms and flavors… and to think ice cream even has its own special day as well as an entire month to celebrate!

Celebrate Ice Cream – National Ice Cream Month

If you are looking for an excuse to celebrate and eat ice cream, you’ve found it! You can eat ice cream, guilt-free, every day during the month of July to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. National Ice Cream Day is always celebrated on the third Sunday in July.

President Ronald Reagan, in 1984, proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month. President Reagan recognized that over 90% of Americans enjoy ice cream. He encouraged Americans to celebrate ice cream’s nutritional values as well as the fun that families share while eating it. Many memorable occasions have been celebrated while enjoying ice cream treats.

When ice cream became popular in America in the 1930’s, a Laurel and Hardy movie in 1931 called “Come Clean” included a little skit in an ice cream parlor. Stan and Laurel go into the shop to order ice cream and confusion results when Stan tries to pick what flavor to order. The flavors (including chocolate) he asks for are unavailable. He ends up saying that he will take it without chocolate. The humorous skit became a favorite and long-remembered scene.

Besides being a subject for movies, ice cream has been the topic of many recipe books and children’s story books. Two examples of children’s story books about ice cream are “Simply Delicious” by Margaret Mahy and “Isaac the Ice Cream Truck” by Scott Santoro. Both are very colorful and fun books with ice cream being the central theme.

In “Isaac the Ice Cream Truck”, Isaac feels less important than other big trucks but finds out that he is important after all. In “Simply Delicious” Mr. Minky manages to carry an ice cream cone home to his son while riding his bicycle through a jungle full of very hungry creatures.

America celebrates ice cream in many other ways. There are ice cream socials and there are even internet blogs devoted to the topic of ice cream. Ice cream has even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1988, in Alberta, Canada, the largest ice cream sundae in the world weighed 55,000 pounds. (Calorie count was not given.) Then, also in 1988, the largest ice cream sandwich was made in Dubuque, Iowa. It was 2,500 pounds. Baskin-Robbins got in on the fun by making a 9,000 pound ice cream cake.

While some may celebrate ice cream in the public forum, many celebrate in the privacy of their own homes . . . in the middle of the night. Dipping into the ice cream tub as a midnight snack is done by one of every five ice cream eaters, mostly ages 18 – 24; and, those midnight snack ice cream bandits are more men than women.

Those middle-of-the-night ice cream-eating men are also the ones who are licking their ice cream bowls clean. Only 8% of women admit to licking ice cream bowls clean and 13% of men admit to licking ice cream bowls clean. Elvis Presley may have been an ice cream bowl licker because some of his favorite snack times were drinking chocolate milkshakes and eating peach ice cream.

Celebrating ice cream is not left only to humans. 5% of people who eat ice cream share the tasty treat with their dogs, cats, birds and other pets.

Ice cream has been evolving for over 2000 years from the simplest form of ice topped by fruit to its current creamy textures, many forms and flavors . . . and to think ice cream even has its own special day as well as an entire month to celebrate!