National Ice Cream Day Archives - View from the Front Porch

22 07, 2024

America’s Favorite Dessert – Ice Cream

By judythemorgan|2024-07-19T12:11:40-05:00July 22nd, 2024|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Here in the United States, we celebrate National Ice Cream Month each year in July, and National Ice Cream on the third Sunday.

We can thank President Reagan for the celebration.

In 1984, he signed a proclamation that declared July to be National Ice Cream Month. He adored ice cream along with 90% of Americans who consume over twenty gallons per person annually.

No wonder. Ice cream is rich, creamy, and filled with summer flavors while the chill cools us down from the heat of summer.

Flavors range from Neapolitan to chocolate chip cookie dough to Banana Pudding to Pistachio Almond. Check out all the Texas Blue Bell Creameries flavors.

Plain old vanilla is still the top flavor according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

Our love for ice cream goes way, way back.

Ancient Chinese were the first to discover cold + sweet created a delicious treat that resembles what we enjoy today. Most famous leaders from Roman Emperor Nero to Alexander the Great enjoyed cold treats. By the 1500s ice cream had spread throughout Europe, though only wealthy aristocrats could afford the expensive treat.

No one knows for sure when ice cream made its way to the US, but at least two early presidents were fans. Thomas Jefferson wrote the first known American ice cream recipe and George Washington reportedly spent $200 in a single summer for ice cream.

If you missed National Ice Cream Day, no worries. July’s not over.

Grab a dish or a cone and dig in today.

22 08, 2022

Ice Cream Day and Waffles Cones

By judythemorgan|2022-08-21T15:39:11-05:00August 22nd, 2022|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Last month was National Ice Cream Month. Did you know?

Me either. But it’s okay.

National Ice Cream Day has been happening every July 17^th since President Reagan’s 1984 proclamation. We’ll have another chance to celebrate next year.

I was researching ice cream-related memorabilia for an estate sale when I uncovered Ice Cream Day.

I regularly read Kovels’ Newsletter for current pricing and learn lots of great trivia. One of the newsletters discussed the origins of ice cream cones.

One story claims an 1896 New York City ice cream pushcart vendor named Italo Marchiony wanted to stop customers from carrying away with his serving dishes and invented the edible cone. In 1903 he patented the special mold for waffle cups with sloping sides.

A different account claims a 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair ice cream vendor W.W. Turnbull ran out of paper dishes. He made a deal with a neighboring vendor of zalabia to put his ice cream inside the waffle-like pastry. The rolled-up waffles to hold ice cream were a big hit with fairgoers.

Three years later, Trumbull invented an ice cream cone vending machine.

The Turnbull Cone’s motto: “Eat a cone every day. You’ll feel better in every way.”

I would agree! Wouldn’t you?

A light bulb on the inside keeps cones warm and crispy. Pushing the levers on the outside releases the bottom cone down the chute. One of the vintage machines sold for $800 in 2014.

The idea of edible cones exploded in popularity after the St. Louis World’s Fair and somewhere along the way ice cream businesses like Dairy Queen entered the picture for all ice cream lovers.

Texans call the distinctive Dairy Queen sign the Texas stop sign. I can promise that my vehicle certainly stops far too often.

But only to confirm Mr. Turnbull’s motto, of course.