Ice Cream Social with Real California Milk

Though June is National Dairy Month, July is even better. Why? Next month it will be National Ice Cream Month! My daughter and I connected with the California Milk Advisory Board at an event in San Francisco last week for an informative, and tasty, ice cream social. Despite my sore throat, we were ready to scream for real California Ice Cream!

For this event, the few invited were encouraged to bring their children. As we walked in, several tables were set up so the little (or not so little) ones could work on a few ice cream related crafts. My daughter immediately told me that the crafts were ‘too easy’ for her but she ended up spending most of her time here making new projects. Typical tweener…

There was also a table packed full of toppings with strawberries, pie crust, peanut brittle, coconut shreds, bacon (yes, bacon), caramel, and so much more. We had to wait to dig in to that, though. After being lead into an amazing kitchen, a representative from the California Milk Advisory Board shared some interesting facts. Did you know California is the largest producer of dairy and therefore ice cream? Don’t forget to look for that Real California Milk badge the next time you search the ice cream section.

Next, we were treated to a fun demonstration by Kristina Vänni of Better Recipes Blog – The Daily Dish, where you can find all the recipes that were demonstrated for us. We got a chance to see how to make a gelato cannoli, a peanut butter and brittle ice cream pop, and a cobbler float. Did you know gelato needs less cream and, in theory, has less fat than traditional ice cream? I was so interested in the demonstration that I kind of got to my samples a bit late. Note to self, when receiving ice cream based desserts, eat them before they are melted by the beaming studio lights…

Then it came time to make our own creations. Many flavors were available as a base – vanilla, peach, strawberry, and lemon meringue. I thought I’d be wild and add all kinds of unique ingredients that I normally wouldn’t choose. It was NASTY! Lemon meringue, caramel, toffee-covered nuts, and bacon do not mix. Period. After starting again and actually thinking about what might taste good together, it was much better. My daughter loved her concoction after, of course, she took a lactate-supplement to counteract her lactose intolerance.

All-in-all it was a great event. We learned to see ice cream as an ingredient versus just a dish to scoop out and to think ‘outside the box’ when coming up with ways to use ice cream. So get playful with your frozen yummies this summer and have a happy Ice Cream Month in July!