Celebrating National Ice Cream Month

Summer is the time for lemonade, bonfires, and of course, ice cream sundaes. In Two Rivers, Wisconsin, 141 years ago, a soda fountain customer asked for his ice cream to be topped with chocolate sauce, an item that was traditionally reserved for cream sodas. The new combination was a hit and was later sold for a nickel a piece, only on Sundays, earning the title of an Ice Cream Sundae.

Sundaes and Wisconsin ice cream sure have come a long way since 1881. You can now, of course, buy it any day of the week, but there are also countless combinations of toppings and flavors you can enjoy on your ice cream. With help from our over 6,000 dairy farmers and 37 ice cream making dairy plants in the state, Wisconsinites can gobble up lots of the cool treat - we eat more than 21 million gallons each year!

While I travel the state of Wisconsin as the 75th Alice in Dairyland, I find myself stopping in at local ice cream shops and parlors every chance I get. There’s nothing better than a nice refreshing cone after a long summer day on the road. Those ice cream stops also make me feel a little closer to home from wherever I am. My family and I have a tradition of visiting local ice cream shops on summer nights. July, or really any time in the summer, is a great time to start your own family ice cream tradition!

When I am not able to visit a shop, I enjoy making my own ice cream at home using just one pint of heavy whipping cream and a 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk. The great thing about this recipe is it doesn’t require a mixer or an ice cream maker! You just combine and shake the ingredients in a jar and freeze overnight. This combination makes an amazing base for you to experiment with, adding in different toppings to customize it to what you and your family like to eat. You could even split up the mix into smaller jars so everyone can make their own! My favorite combo depends on the day, but I usually add in crushed Oreos, strawberries, or chocolate sauce. You can find some

more adventurous recipes at www.wisconsincheese.com/recipes/ice-cream!

Whether you’re heading out to the local ice cream parlor with your family, or making ice cream at home, celebrate National Ice Cream Month with Wisconsin ice cream!