The month of July is National Ice Cream Month, and July 18th is National Ice Cream Day! I am not sure I can think of a better food item to celebrate for an entire month! Back in 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and on average, Americans consume approximately 23 gallons of ice cream per year. There are tons of ways to celebrate this fun month-long event – going to your favorite ice cream shoppe, trying different flavors or brands of ice cream, or even hosting an ice cream social within your community or neighborhood.
Since we probably don’t need any ideas for just how to celebrate, let’s look at some FUN FACTS about ice cream! You can share these with your friends and family, or even turn your next ice cream event into a trivia game.
Fun Facts About Ice Cream:
- In 1904, the waffle cone reportedly made its debut at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.
- In 1929, Rocky Road became the first widely available ice cream flavor other than vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
- New Zealand is the top ice cream consuming country in the world, consuming 7.5 gallons per capita, per year.
- The world’s tallest ice cream cone was over 9 feet tall, scooped in Italy!
- Chocolate syrup is the world’s most popular ice cream topping.
- 87% of Americans have ice cream in their freezer at any given time.
- The average number of ice cream pints an American enjoys each year is 48.
- It takes approximately 50 licks to finish a single scoop ice cream cone.
- It takes 3 gallons of milk to make 1 gallon of ice cream.
We all have our favorite ice cream flavor and way to eat it (sundae, cone, or slightly melted in a bowl), but if you are looking for a fun activity to do and a way to make your ice cream a tad healthier, here is a fun recipe to try!
Healthy Strawberry Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients
4 bananas, large and very ripe
1 pound fresh strawberries, ripe
Instructions
- Peel bananas and cut them into slices. Destem the strawberries and slice.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the fruits in a single layer. Place in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours, or until fully frozen.
- When fruit is frozen, place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. It may take a while to reach the right consistency – keep at it!
- Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency. If you prefer a harder, more ice-cream like consistency, freeze for 3-4 hours.
Enjoy!
https://www.icecream.com/icecreaminfo
https://www.notenoughcinnamon.com/strawberry-banana-ice-cream/