America Still Loves Ice Cream
August 12, 2015Here’s a big surprise (sarcasm alert): Americans still love ice cream. The folks over at Yahoo Food have done a little ice cream research this week. They came up with this sweet nugget: Americans ate $8 billion worth of ice cream last year. We have not done the conversion from dollars to gallons, but we think it’s safe to say that America went through a whole lot of gallons of ice cream last year. But do we love ice cream more than other desserts? Is ice cream more popular than cookies? Pie? Candy? Bundt cake? Let’s take a look at the results of the poll conducted by Yahoo Food to determine America’s favorite dessert. Ice cream was tops, finishing at 41%. Cake 20%. Cookies 11%. Pie 11%. Fruit 9%. Candy 7%. Bad news for the candy industry but, hey, are we really surprised by ice cream’s first-place finish? Of course…
Read MoreSocial Media & Our Favorite Ice Cream
August 5, 2015We learn so much from social media these days. Information comes fast and furious. It can shape our opinions. So what does this have to do with ice cream? A recent study by an analytics company took a close a look at ice cream flavors and social media activity over the course of three months. The goal was to determine which flavors, brands and retailers tied to ice cream gained the most attention. The study identified the top 100 terms associated with ice cream in conversations across social media platforms. So what was the most-mentioned ice cream flavor? Chocolate. Surprised? Maybe a little. Yet, chocolate ice cream has always been a favorite. Praline’s understands this and loves to deliver all different ways to enjoy chocolate and ice cream. Let’s start with Praline’s Chocolate ice cream. This ice cream is made with real Dutch Cocoa. How about Swiss Chocolate Almond ice…
Read MoreYouth is served in this Ice Cream Business
July 30, 2015Kids love the sound of the ice cream truck bell. And why not? That ice cream bell is the sound of summer vacation and outdoor fun. Yet, one youngster in Georgia is looking at the ice cream truck business from a businessman’s perspective. This 11-year-old owns his own ice cream truck. The boy’s parents say this ice cream truck actually started when the boy was eight. It was then that he told his parents he wanted an ice cream truck. The family could not afford an actual ice cream truck, so they had a family friend set up a freezer to a welded frame on wheels. Now, the young man and his family do about two to three events per week. They stop at weddings, festivals, fundraisers and other events where ice cream would be appreciated. The family says they donate some of the earnings to charity, things like fundraisers…
Read MoreDifferent Ways to Enjoy Ice Cream
July 22, 2015We are still in National Ice Cream Month so enjoy your ice cream in all your favorite ways. You can also get creative. There are lots of ways to enjoy ice cream that may never have crossed your mind. If you do get creative, you may come across some delicious discoveries. Sometimes getting funky means finding great flavor. • Make your own homemade Rocky Road ice cream. Start with homemade ice cream (or not) and then empty your supplies of marshmallow, nuts and chocolate syrup in the ice cream. It’s an ice cream taste explosion. • Cereal ice cream sandwiches. Take your favorite cereal, coat them top to bottom on a ball of your favorite ice cream, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes, remove and enjoy. • Waffle ice cream sandwich. Frozen waffles. Ice cream. Combine. That pretty much says it all. Try vanilla ice cream and…
Read MoreHandle Your Ice Cream with Care
July 16, 2015It’s National Ice Cream Month. That’s something worth celebrating. It’s also July, so it’s hot out. Maybe this is a good time to talk about handling and storing our ice cream. The good folks at the International Dairy Foods Association know a little something about storing and handling ice cream. They’ve got some thoughts on the subject. First of all, no one needs a science degree to understand that ice cream must be kept cold. Ice cream and frozen desserts can see changes in body, texture and flavor characteristics because of melting. Plus, ice cream gets sticky when it melts. Who needs that? So, let’s start with simple tips: • Ice cream should be the last thing you get at the grocery store before proceeding to the checkout. • Place at the top of the grocery cart. • Don’t buy soft ice cream. The freezer at the store should be…
Read MoreJust the Facts: It’s National Ice Cream Month
July 9, 2015We are in week two of National Ice Cream Month. How sweet it is. This national celebration of ice cream was the brainchild of President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan hated communists but loved ice cream. He also declared July 19th would be National Ice Cream Day. So we got that going for us, which is nice. In honor of National Ice Cream Month, let’s take a look at some fun ice cream facts: • About 10.3% of all milk produced by U.S. dairy farms is used to produce ice cream. • It takes about three gallons of milk to make one gallon of ice cream. • The origin of ice cream remains a bit of a mystery. There are lots of theories. • America really likes its ice cream. Most of us (Americans) eat, on average, 20 quarts of ice cream a year. • Vanilla remains the most popular flavor,…
Read MoreNational Ice Cream Month
July 1, 2015July is here. That means it’s officially National Ice Cream month. America will celebrate its birthday with ice cream. What could be better? National Ice Cream Month is also celebrating a birthday. 31 years ago, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day. (So remember to circle Sunday July 19th on your calendars). Apparently the President who came up with supply-side economics also enjoyed a little ice cream on the side. Here’s another fun fact about ice cream: About ten percent of all milk produced by dairy farmers in the U.S. is used to produce ice cream. This is also the time of year that is great for fruit. It’s prime seasonal time for many fruits. Praline’s is proud to deliver delicious ice cream highlighting fresh fruit Orange Pineapple ice cream is very refreshing. Try it some…
Read MoreBooks for Ice Cream
June 25, 2015This is prime ice cream season and there is a very cool program happening in Maine. A book drive program is underway, encouraging folks to fill up the bookmobile by offering the sweet treat of ice cream. It’s happening this week at a book and toy store in Bangor, Maine. An ice cream provider is lending an ice cream truck and teaming with a member of a volunteer literacy program in Bangor. The goal, beyond having a strong book drive, is to promote and improve education and literacy in the greater Bangor area. There is a track record of success for this program, which is now in its third year. Last year’s event raised more than 1,000 books for children and teens. New and gently used books are once again being accepted during this year’s drive. People who bring books to the ice cream truck/bookmobile will get ice cream in…
Read MoreImprove Your Ice Cream Flavor
June 18, 2015Ice cream is very good. Anyone want to argue that point? Didn’t think so. People love ice cream and lots of people love making homemade ice cream, especially during the summer season. Yet, can homemade ice cream be even better? Sure. Don’t slam the door on ice cream improvements. Try out some of the following suggestions. Get creative. After all, that creativity may result in deliciousness. Texture in ice cream is just so important. A bad feel can leave a bad taste in your mouth. There are ways to improve texture in homemade ice cream. Cocoa butter is not cheap, but it can add a more velvety texture to homemade ice cream without leaving behind a fatty coating. Get creative with your flavor profile. Add real chocolate flakes. Check out what local fruits are in season and incorporate those fresh fruits in your homemade ice cream. Fresh summer strawberries are…
Read MoreThe Kanye West Celebrity Birthday Ice Cream Tour
June 16, 2015Lots of us love to celebrate our birthdays with ice cream. A birthday can be a whole lot sweeter when it comes with a delicious ice cream cake or ice cream pie. Yet, for many of us common folks, those birthday treats are just enjoyed on the actual birthday. Celebrities operate on a different plateau. As such, they get to spread the birthday celebration out over an entire week. At least they do if their name is Kanye West. Many of you may not know this, but last week was Kanye West Ice Cream Week. The rapper turned 38 on Monday, June 8th. One New York-based ice cream parlor decided that was reason enough to celebrate with ice cream for a week. It was six days’ worth of Kayne-inspired ice cream. The ice cream parlor’s interior was transformed into what was called a “Kanye’s beautiful but darkly lit ice cream…
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