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Friday, August 22, 2008

Fun Facts About Icecream

A first-century Roman emperor is said to have sent runners into the mountains for snow to be flavored with juices. In the 13th century, Marco Polo brought back from China descriptions of a sherbetlike dessert. Ice cream as we know it seems to have emerged in 17th-century France. The cone didn't appear until 1904, when a Syrian waffle maker at the St. Louis World's Fair began rolling his pastries into horns to help an ice cream vendor who had run out of dishes. Today the average American eats about 20 quarts of ice cream a year — the world's highest per capita consumption, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. Top-selling flavor is vanilla, with 33 percent of the market, and chocolate, with 19 percent!I don't think I've ever ordered plain vanilla icecream! There are so many luscious flavors to try! I think my favorite is a very dark chocolate, with praline pecan and peach coming in as 2nd and 3rd. I have a Krups maker which does a very nice job. But my fondest memories are at Grandpa's house with the old hand crank machine with rock salt and crushed ice. All the kids would take turns cranking that handle!

22 comments:

  1. Your post reminds me of that story "Hot as Summer and Cold as Winter"! Do you remember it?

    These pix are making me hungry!

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  2. Willow ~ no, I don't remember it!
    You'll have to jog my memory...got a copy? I've eaten well over my share of icecream this summer! yum! :) As soon as it gets cold, I stop until it's hot again!

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  3. What I would do for some Graeter's ice cream right now. Boy, sometimes I miss Ohio. Toffee chip is hands down my favorite while raspberry chip is a close second!

    The professor and I were always amazed when we lived in Columbus... Graeter's would be packed with people even in the winter time -- like when it was COLD outside! Oh, it is the best ice cream I've ever, ever had!

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  4. I scream you scream we all scream for icecream! yay!!!!!! Now here's a sweet post I can sink my teeth into!

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  5. My favorite is vanilla. I have to say my favorite brand is Edy's Vanilla Bean... yummy!

    Or slow churned.. so rich and creamy... yummy again...

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  6. Ice Cream is my favorite dessert and my favorite flavors are Rocky Road and Butter Pecan. But I will eat any flavor, any time! I don't ever buy it though. That is because I am one of those people who can not be trusted with ice cream in the house.

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  7. MG ~ yes, Graeter's is awesome! Next time I'm there I'll have a toffee chip waffle cone in your honor! :) Hope the boys improve a lot over the weekend. You must be exhausted! There's nothing worse than sick kids. You deserve Graeters right now! :)

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  8. Miss Nelson ~ see, there's a vanilla fan! I do like vanilla...with hot fudge on top! But never buy it just to eat plain! But it is the most popular! I was surprised to read that! Actually any flavor is yummy!

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  9. Stevie ~ Rocky Road ~ yummy! I love it! Or HagenDas Turtle...had it every day for a week in a waffle cone on vacation from a vendor beside our bed and breakfast. Dark chocolate with carmel ripples....it was to die for! If I lived alone, I'd eat icecream right out of the carton every night....good thing I have to have manners and share! ha!

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  10. Ice cream is part of my basic food groups, peach ice cream especially. In fact I'll have some now. Yummy!

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  11. Ces ~ Hi and welcome! Peach icecream...one of the best!

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  12. Mmmmmm! I love 'em all, and I do like plain vanilla. And Maple Walnut!

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  13. Rosevilla ~ You know, I've never had maple walnut!

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  14. I'm like Steviewren -- I can't have ice cream in the house -- I have absolutely no will power -- lol!
    My favorite flavors are coffee and mint chocolate chip.

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  15. I'm like Steviewren -- I can't have ice cream in the house -- I have absolutely no will power -- lol!
    My favorite flavors are coffee and mint chocolate chip.

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  16. Pat ~ I love coffee and mint chocolate chip, too!

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  17. Mmmmmmm, Betsy - sweet torture. Between the ice cream post on your site and the plum crumble on Willow's I am having a meltdown! My two favourite flavours are pralines and cream and dark mousse chocolate. Here's a quote I like.

    Describing a Sundae “...I shall remember that sundae all my life. In a sumptuous confectioner’s shop, light, airy, full of fragrance, we were served with a mountain of coffee ice cream, sprinkled with cream and scattered with walnuts, honey, peanuts, and various fruits. When I carried the first spoonful to my mouth... my taste buds experienced a violent ecstasy. A whole opera of sensation rolled off my tongue...”

    ~Henri Troyat, French writer, biographer – "La Case de l’oncle Sam"

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  18. Suza ~ your favorites are like mine! Yum. And I just love that quote about the sundae....what a beautiful, perfect description of that wonderful combination of flavors! I'll take a big one right now!

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  19. So the first ice cream is linked with running? Kris will love this!

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  20. Marcia ~ yes, isn't that interesting? They would have had to run back really fast before it melted so he could enjoy his slushy or snowcone! :)

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  21. I have a small dish of ice cream almost every night. If I have my teeth out I have ice cream. If I still have my teeth in I have popcorn.

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  22. Abe ~ you are a hoot! Enjoy your icecream...or popcorn tonight...whichever it may be! :)

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