On July 2, 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed into law what many may think is the greatest legislation of all time: designating July as National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day.
According to the International Dairy Food Association, the average American eats 20 pounds (about four gallons) of ice cream each year. Ice cream sales contribute just over $13 billion annually into the U.S. economy.
Unless there are health or dietary reasons preventing them from enjoying it, almost everyone loves ice cream. Many remember chasing the ice cream truck as a child or visiting the local ice cream shop after a fun summertime family activity. Others eat ice cream to soothe their souls after a bad day. Whatever the reason, this sweet treat is rarely turned away. And even with thousands of ice cream flavors in existence today, Vanilla remains the favorite.
When looking for people to share thoughts about and experiences with ice cream, one needs to look no further than their own circle of friends and coworkers – and that includes the team at My City.
You could say Managing Editor Sherron Barden has the inside scoop on ice cream, being a cousin of Dave and Todd (Durant), Co-owners of Uncle Ray’s Dairyland in Fenton. The multiple City’s Choice Award Winner is, of course, her favorite ice cream shop. “I worked there as a teen when they first opened and only served Chocolate, Vanilla and Twist,” she shared. “It was a challenge dipping a large, swirled soft-serve cone into the hot, hard-shell coating without it dropping off – PLUNK! Great times! When I was little, I had to have an ice cream sandwich from the ice cream truck,” Barden added. “Still love them and have some in my freezer right now!”
Describing it as “super basic,” Barden said her go-to frosty treat is a Vanilla malted milkshake. “Lots of malt, and I savor every sip. Once in a while, I go crazy and order a cup of Mint-Chocolate Chip.”
Uncle Ray’s is also the favorite of My City Publisher, Vince Lorraine, and he is a big fan of their homemade frozen yogurt. “I always order a large one with fresh blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, peaches and bananas – Dave calls it ‘Cousin Vinny’s Fruit Cocktail’. When I’m feeling under the weather, it is simply the best!” Fond childhood memories include watching his Grandpa Prince cranking the old-fashioned ice cream maker, and enjoying big bowls of Butter Pecan. “It was so good; but I eventually had to start opting for something healthier,” he added.
My City Account Executive Terese Allen says she prefers gelato or Italian ice for a frozen dessert. However, she often took her kids to get ice cream when they were young. “I would support the adorable, family-owned local ice cream shops in small towns,” she said.
Allen fondly recalls, “My siblings and I had the absolute best grandparents in the world. When my grandfather retired from Fisher Body, he kept busy working at the corner market which had an ice cream shop inside. My grandmother would take us on long walks to Jaycee Park in Pontiac and on the way back, we would stop at Sharp’s Party Store to see my grandpa. He would serve us the ice cream of our choice (always with an extra scoop) in the best waffle cones I’ve ever had. I was young, but do remember rotating my choices on our frequent visits between Blue Moon, Superman and Bubblegum.
“I also remember winning baseball games and the entire team would jump into the bed of the coach’s pickup truck as we sang and cheered victory chants all the way to town (a few miles) to Kessler’s Korner (Oxford) for our ice cream reward,” Allen shared.
Kim Davis, My City Controller/Circulation Director said Black Cherry with Chocolate is her favorite ice cream flavor. “I worked at an ice cream shop from the age of 14 until 17 and when business was slow, we got to experiment. My favorite experiment was a chocolate cone dipped in cherry coating. It tasted like the Queen Anne Cordials.”
Graphic Designer Hailey Carriger said, “I love ice cream. The best I’ve ever had was a hand-dipped Black Cherry ice cream atop a freshly-made Belgian waffle – with whipped cream, of course! The waffle was perfectly warm and buttery and the ice cream had chunks of real, fresh cherries. My go-to order is usually a hand-dipped, single scoop in a waffle cone and my first flavor of choice is Birthday Cake Batter, if it’s available. Sometimes, I have to settle for good, old-fashioned Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough. I’ve been teased for my childish taste in ice cream, but I like what I like!”
Carriger’s favorite ice cream place depends on the ice cream, itself. Is it made locally? Does it taste fresh? Are there a lot of flavor options? “Of course, a fun atmosphere is definitely a plus but honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been to an ice cream shop where everyone was sad or depressed; unless someone has dropped their cone on the floor, it’s usually a positive experience! If she’s in Genesee County, Carriger is a big fan of Uncle Ray’s. “Who could say ‘no’ to homemade ice cream, super-friendly service, mini-golf and the cute little candy eyes atop their sundaes? It’s ready-made childhood nostalgia.”
Carriger added, “When I was a kid, my family went to a restaurant on special occasions that served a ‘Monster Sundae’. It had a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup split in half for ears, Reese’s Pieces for eyes, a maraschino cherry nose and whipped cream all around it like a lion’s mane. I always ordered it with Cookie Dough ice cream as the treat that followed my special occasion dinner. Five-year-old me definitely had a stronger constitution.
“Ice cream is one of those treats you can eat to cure a bad day, as well as top off a good one,” Carriger stated. “There aren’t many holidays in my family without ice cream! I guess it makes me feel at home and happy.”
July is National Ice Cream Month!
Staff Writer Cheryl Dennison is a fan of the classics. “My favorite flavor is Vanilla because you can top it with anything – like the classic hot fudge and whipped cream with a cherry on top.”
Her favorite place for ice cream: you guessed it – Uncle Ray’s Dairyland. “I have taken my kids and grandkids there for years,” she said. They all loved the ice cream cones with the candy eyes.”
Dennison also recalls, “One of my fondest childhood memories is watching my dad make homemade ice cream during our summer barbecues. It was hand-cranked and made with strawberries from our garden or with fresh peaches. Nothing like it!”
As for me, I’m a choco-holic and my favorite ice cream, hands down, is Chocolate Moose Tracks. My favorite place to get it is anywhere that sells it!
I recall fondly being a child and playing Tiddlywinks with my little sister and our grandpa. He always told us that If we won, he would give us money to go down to the corner for ice cream. We never won, but he would just giggle and give us the money, anyway.
It seems that everyone has warm feelings for ice cream. Barden and Dennison summed it up best.
“Eating ice cream makes me feel like a kid again,” Dennison said.
Barden added, “There’s nothing like seeing a child enjoying an ice cream cone, sticky hands and face, carefree and living in the moment like it’s the best thing in the whole world.”
Well, it pretty much is!
