We all scream!

Did you know this month is National Ice Cream month? Did you know there was such a thing? Thanks to President Reagan's declaration back in 1984, July is officially the month to celebrate this frozen concoction of deliciousness. The third Sunday of the month (or this past Sunday) is National Ice Cream day.

I don't know about you, but I usually don't need an occasion to enjoy a bowl of cookies n' cream or a pudding pop. But it's nice to know it's celebrated in our country.

I once heard that there is more ice cream consumed in winter months than in the summer. Has anyone else heard that? It's been so long since I learned that surprising fact that I'm starting to wonder if I made it up so I wouldn't fee so guilty digging into a dish of caramal cashew on a chilly February night.

Anyway, we like to make ice cream at our house, but we usually like to make it when it can all be eaten the same day as it's made, so we'll invite you over sometime to help us eat it! Re-frozen homemade ice cream just seems to lose a lot of the texture and flavor that it has when it's eaten right out of the ice cream maker. Here's a site with all the recipes you can imagine.

But for a "quick fix" I love a good Dilly bar or a soft serve cone too! It's worth all the brain freezes in the world!

Happy ice "screaming" this month! What's your favorite kind?

Summer!

Spring, Winter, or Fall, No matter when it is I love my Ice Cream!

Did you know that Consumer Reports tests ice cream? Really, how would you like that job! Awesome! Anyways, they did not test my favorite brand this year, so I am not sure how it would stack up, but in past years it has been in the top. It is the Safeway Select brand. Yummy! My favorite is their Home Style Vanilla. Delicious and creamy! Anyways, back to consumer reports, along with their report on ice cream brands, there was an article on ice cream features; Light, low fat, fat free, slow churned, etc. I found it interesting, so here is the link. Ice Cream Features, Talk the Talk. Oh, and they mention Blue Bunny too. Man, that is some good Ice Cream too. I have yet to find that here in Washington. We ate it all the time in Colorado. Yummy! I also like Snelgrove, sold in Idaho and Utah. Delicious! (Although I just read that Snelgrove ice cream is no longer made as of 2008. Have any of you Utahn's seen it recently?)

Here is the link to Consumer Reports Ice Cream Ratings. They appear in the July issue of Consumer Reports Magazine

What is your favorite brand and flavor of ice cream?

Dad's Favorite

My dad always said one of his very favorite desserts is one his mother, my grandmother, made when he was a kid - Frozen Lemon Pie. It's like rich ice cream resting between two simple layers of crushed vanilla cookies. Since Father's Day is coming up, I thought I'd share his favorite with you. I think my love of lemon comes from him. Oh, and coconut too (think German chocolate cake with Mom's homemade coconut pecan frosting). Thanks, Dad. I wish we lived close enough that I could make this for you. I don't think it would ship too well since it's probably best frozen and not runny and melted in a cardboard box.

Frozen Lemon Pie

*Note - Like many old-fashioned recipes, this one contains uncooked eggs.

3 eggs

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

5 tablespoons lemon juice

12 vanilla wafers, crushed

Separate the eggs. Beat whites until stiff. Stir in the sugar. Add in egg yolks one at a time while beating constantly. Beat in the lemon juice and then fold in the cream. Mix well. Sprinkle half of the crumbs in the bottom of a buttered pie plate. Pour in the lemon mixture. Spread remaining crumbs over top. Freeze until firm.

Here's another version I've tried with delicious success:

Pink Lemonade Pie

graham cracker crust

1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened

1/2 can (12-ounce size) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 container (4 ounces) Cool Whip

red food color, if desired

lemon or lime peel, if desired

Mix ice cream, lemonade concentrate, Cool Whip, and a few drops of food color in large bowl. Mound ice cream mixture in crust. Freeze about 4 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature a few minutes before cutting. Garnish with lemon peel.

We All Scream For Ice Cream

I would love to meet the genius who thought of ice cream. I have so many memories wrapped up in ice cream, it's impossible to sort them out. It was pretty much a staple in our house growing up ... I don't think we were ever without a carton of Tin Roof Sundae in the freezer.

In my town, we are lucky to have a little locally-owned ice cream shop, where they sell ice cream made right here in the northwest with flavors from lavender (my favorite - it tastes just like a summer day) all the way over to Jack Daniels (which I've never even wanted to try, but it's there for someone!) along with all the usual suspects, only better. We love to go as a family after dance recitals, or on one-on-one dates with our kids.

At home, we've been playing around with making our own, and I have to say it's so worth the effort! Here's the book we've been getting recipes from:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/

And I just have to tell you about this poem by Jack Prelutsky (seriously, go check out his website, it's really fun - also he's going to be performing in Seattle this summer, hooray!), and how Natalie Merchant made it into a song on her newest album, and it's really really good.

Here's "Bleezer's Ice Cream", and I dare you to read this out loud :)

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
there are flavors in my freezer
you have never seen before,
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
why not do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list:

COCOA MOCHA MACARONI
TAPIOCA SMOKED BALONEY
CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW
CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW
TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO
TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO
LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN
MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN
ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI
YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI
SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH
SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH
BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE
POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL
PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM
PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM
BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER
CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER
AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT
PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT
COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD
CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD
ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP
TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP
GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA
LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA
ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET
WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEAT

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,
taste a flavor from my freezer,
you will surely ask for more.

What's your favorite flavor? Would you try one of Ebenezer Bleezer's?