Sweet Facts About Ice Cream

By Jenni of Winners Drink Milk

July is National Ice Cream Month and Indiana has every right to celebrate. Ice Cream Month was designated by Ronald Reagan in 1984. The Hoosier State is ranked second in production of regular and low-fat ice cream.  Not only does that 'sweeten up' the state but that contributes a signficant about to the State's economy and provides jobs. Who doesn't love trivia? Lets celebrate Ice Cream Month with fun facts about America's favorite treat. 

Did you know....

• It takes about 50 licks to finish one scoop of ice cream.
• An average dairy cow can produce enough milk in her lifetime to make a little over 9,000 gallons of ice cream
•  America's favorite flavors are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, chocolate chip and butter pecan.
• It takes about 12 pounds of milk to make 1 gallon of ice cream.
• More than 90% of American families purchase ice cream.
• The U.S. enjoys an average of 48 pints of ice cream per person, per year, more than any other country.
• One of the most important ingredients in ice cream is air. Without it, ice cream would be as hard as a rock.

The skinny on the ice cream....

• In the U.S., all ice cream needs to have a minimum of 10% milk fat if it is to be labeled "ice cream". 
• This includes custard based (French Style) ice creams.
• Reduced fat, has at least 25% less total fat than regular ice cream.
• Light, has at least 50% less fat and 33% fewer calories than regular.
• Low-fat, can't have more than 3 grams of fat per serving.
• Nonfat, has less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.

Ice cream is good for you... Ice cream provides great nutrition. Its base ingredient is milk, which is loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals. It is a source of calcium that satisfies your sweet tooth and helps build strong bones. It is also great paired with nutrient rich foods such as strawberries, bananas and nuts.

Table Talk: Dairy Tips, Recipes and Activities

As we shift from June Dairy Month to National Ice Cream Month in July, a group of our Indiana Table Talk Contributors have been busy in their kitchens preparing all kinds of dairy goodness for their families to celebrate.

And there is a lot as Hoosiers to celebrate--our state is home to more than 1,500 dairy farms with an average of 102 cows, and all 7 major breeds of dairy cows are represented-- with 98% of Indiana dairy farms being family owned.

We asked our Table Talk Contributors to share us some tips, recipes or activities to celebrate Indiana dairy and they did not disappoint!

Ann-Marie over at Chaos is Bliss shared her tips on how to jazz up your milkshakes while beating the Indiana heat.

Kat over at Kat's Cafe whipped up some adorable infographics to share all kinds of cow and Indiana specific trivia.

Katie at Evoked by Light is very much anticipating this year's Indiana State Fair and the Year of the Dairy Cow. She made a kid-friendly Peanut Butter Fruit Dip with yogurt to celebrate in the meantime.

Crystal over on Moms 4 Less has been busy celebrating birthdays but made time to celebrate her favorite food group with these super yummy Cream Cheese Muffins.

Jen over on 4tunate whipped up some no-cook Homemade Triple Berry Ice Cream just perfect for the Fourth of July and to officially ring in National Ice Cream Month!

Speaking of ice cream...

An array of local personalities representing sports, business and media are flexing their wrists and perfecting their scooping techniques in preparation for Friday, July 13-- The 23rd annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle.

The annual salute to the nation’s favorite summertime treat is sponsored by the American Dairy Association of Indiana. The event takes place from 11 am to 2 pm on the southeast quadrant of Monument Circle, in front of IPL, Hilbert Circle Theatre and the Circle Tower.

Gigantic sundaes made from Edy’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream will be served up for $3 each. This year’s beneficiary is the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana, an organization that provides education and support to young people with Type 1 Diabetes.

Whether you celebrate with a tall glass of milk or a sundae for charity, we hope you too will enjoy some dairy this summer thanks to all the hard working men and women that care for the "ladies" that provide you nutritious and delicious dairy products everyday.

July Screams for Ice Cream!

By Michelle Plummer of Winners Drink Milk

July being National Ice Cream month is quite an honor, but do you know why we celebrate this great treat?

Proclamation 5219 -- National Ice Cream Month and National Ice Cream Day, 1984

July 9, 1984 By the President of the United State of America

A Proclamation

Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over ninety percent of the people in the United States. It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food. Over eight hundred and eighty-seven million gallons of ice cream were consumed in the United States in 1983.

The ice cream industry generates approximately $3.5 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands of citizens. Indeed, nearly ten percent of all the milk produced by the United States dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, thereby contributing substantially to the economic well-being of the Nation's dairy industry.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 298, has designated July 1984 as ``National Ice Cream Month,'' and July 15, 1984, as ``National Ice Cream Day,'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of these events.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 1984 as National Ice Cream Month and July 15, 1984, as National Ice Cream Day, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.

Ronald Reagan              [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:32 a.m., July 10, 1984]

….so now we know why and what and who about this day!  What else can we learn as we stroll down the sidewalk licking our cone, or enjoy a malted on a Sunday drive?

• It takes twelve gallons of milk to make one gallon of ice cream

• The United States has an average of 48 pints of ice cream per person, per year

• It takes an average of 50 licks to finish off a single scoop ice cream cone

• The invention of the ice cream cone goes back to 1904 in St. Louis at the world fair.

• Vanilla is the number one selling flavor of ice cream

• The top five ice cream producing states are California, Indiana, Ohio, Texas and New York

• Children age 2 through 12 and adults over 45 eat the most ice cream

• More ice cream is sold on Sundays than any other day

• Ice cream is an 11 billion dollar retail industry

• 98 percent of homes in the United States have ice cream in them

The largest ice cream manufacturer in the world is in Indiana.  Edy’s Grand Ice Cream is located in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  Edy’s is the owner of the largest ice cream maker in the world.

As I write this, I am wondering, did President Reagan have a bit of sweet tooth?  Wasn’t he also the President who kept jelly beans on his desk?  Just think if jelly beans brought down a wall, what can ice cream do?