July, a Month of Ice Cream

July, a Month of Ice Cream BY LISA S.T. DOSS

The combination of milk, cream, and sugar consistently tops the list of our favorite foods. Everyone has a particular favorite. Yours may be strawberry or vanilla, or two scoops, comprising chocolate and peanut butter cup. There’s a distinct reason ice cream and summer go hand-in-hand. It’s the most-consumed dessert in America, considered comfort food, and preferred because it’s simply delicious! Did you know vanilla continues to be the most-preferred flavor? And, chocolate syrup is the mostchosen topping?

Ice Cream has a long history.

Did you know?

• The first documented recipe was by an English woman in 1665, who flavored her “icy cream” with orange blossom water made with nutmeg.

• In 1784, George Washington purchased a cream machine for ice for one pound, thirteen shillings, and three pence. He also invested in utensils to prepare and serve it.

• Nancy Marie Donaldson Johnson patented in 1843 the first handcranked ice cream freezer similar to those still sold today, including a tub, cylinder, lid, dasher, and crank.

• In 1851, a Baltimore, Maryland, dairyman had a surplus of cream and decided to open the first commercial ice cream factory in Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania. Shipping his product by train back to Baltimore,

Jacob Fussell also started the wholesale ice cream industry.

• In the late 19th century, Naples, Italy, created the first three-flavored ice cream by putting pistachio (green), cherry, (red), and vanilla (white) together to represent the Italian flag.

In America, the term “Neapolitan” refers to a block of ice cream composed of three different flavors, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. • At the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, Ernest

E. Hamwi used his waffle iron to make cones, helping an ice cream vendor who had run out of bowls.

• In 1918, an American editorial writer criticized

European hospitals for not feeding injured soldiers ice cream. He claimed every medical hospital in

America used ice cream as a morale booster. a candy maker from Youngstown, Ohio, ready to expand his business. With the automotive industry booming and refrigeration available, he covered blocks of vanilla ice cream with cocoa butter and coconut oil, added a lollipop stick as a handle, and called it “Good Humor.”

• The flavor “Rocky Road” arrived during the Great

Depression, intended as a morale booster.

• “Beatlemania” was on its way to the United States.

Irv Robbins, a co-owner of a well-known ice cream shop, had seconds to respond. A Washington

Post reporter wondered what flavor Baskin-

Robbins was going to choose to honor the arrival of the international, renowned rock group. The answer: “Beatle Nut.” In five days, it was created, manufactured, and delivered.

• In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring July to be National Ice

Cream Month. The third Sunday of the month is officially National Ice Cream Day! • In 2017, a new world record for eating ice cream identified a new victor. Miki Sudo consumed 16.5 pints in six minutes!

• A staggering nine percent of all cows’ milk creates ice cream.

• Today’s ice cream can be served hand-rolled, charcoal-infused, or blasted with nitrogen!

• Air, comprising 50% of the volume in ice cream, increases its light texture.

• Health continues to be a priority among dessert lovers. Sugar-reduced ice cream products grew by 16% in 2020.

• The United States ice cream market expects to reach 75 billion units by 2024.

Select a Style

Before you delve into making a homemade batch of ice cream, consider one of two styles.

• A custard-style, termed “French,” begins with a base of egg yolks, sugar, and cream. It has a smooth, creamy texture and flavor. • “Philadelphia-style” omits eggs; therefore, it does not need a cooking base. The texture is lighter and more delicate than the French style and the ice cream easy to make; for example, the mixture is already cold before transitioning to a machine.

Without access to a machine, place your ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container and allow an hour to freeze. If you are using an electric handmixer, stir vigorously. Repeat every 30 minutes over two or three hours until the contents freeze. Voilà, homemade ice cream!

The History of Fireworks on July 4th

BY CAROLYN S. PETERSON

What would July 4th be without fireworks? Many of us found out last year when most Independence

Day celebrations were canceled.

It wasn’t too much fun. There’s something very special and patriotic about watching fireworks. But have you ever wondered why fireworks are so closely tied to July 4th?

As it turns out, setting off fireworks of all shapes and colors, particularly red, white, and blue, goes almost as far back as our independence as a country.

Fireworks have a long and colorful history, dating back to the summer of 1776. During the first months of the

Revolutionary War, on July 1st, delegates of the Continental Congress were in Philadelphia, PA, debating over whether the 13 original colonies should declare their independence from Britain’s Parliament, as well as King George III himself.

The night of July 1st, news arrived that British ships had sailed into New York Harbor, posing an immediate threat to the Continental troops commanded by George Washington. On July 2nd, delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies voted in favor of independence, followed on July 9th by New York, the initial hold-out colony. On July 3rd, even as Congress revised a draft of the Declaration composed by Thomas Jefferson, a very excited John Adams took pen to paper to write to his wife, Abigail.

John Adams wrote, “The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch, in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shews (sic), games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other from this time forward forevermore.” Although Adams was off by a couple of days (July 4th, not July 2nd), you get the idea.

So on July 4th, after making 86, mostly small, changes, to Jefferson’s draft, Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence, though most delegates didn’t even sign the document until August 2nd, 1776. Some spur-of-the-moment celebrations greeted the Declaration’s first public readings on July 8th, in front of local militia troops in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; however, the first organized celebration of Independence Day would occur in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1777.

The Pennsylvania Evening Post wrote on July 5th, 1777, “Yesterday the 4th of July, being the anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America, was celebrated in this city with demonstrations of joy and festivity. About noon all the armed ships and rallies in the river were drawn up before the city, dressed in the gayest manner, with colors of the United States and streamers displayed.”

The armed ships on the river fired a 13gun salute in honor of the 13 colonies with festivities, including an elegant dinner (no hot dogs at this shindig), a military demonstration, and a performance by a Hessian band. The evening’s activities closed with a grand exhibition of fireworks, which began and concluded with 13 rockets, illuminating the city of Philadelphia.

John Adams’ hometown of Boston, MA, had its own display of fireworks that July 4th, as Colonel Thomas Crafts of the Sons of Liberty took the opportunity to set off fireworks and shells over Boston Common. In the years to come, various cities continued the tradition of celebrating independence, holding picnics, parades, speeches, and shooting off fireworks. Boston was the first city to designate July 4th as an official holiday in 1783. Adams lived to celebrate 50 years of America’s independence. Oddly, on July 4th, 1826, the 50th anniversary of Congress’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence, he died at his home in Quincy, MA, just 5 hours after Thomas Jefferson’s death in Virginia.

Independence Day celebrations really became a staple in America after the War of 1812. Fireworks were more widely available by that time, but due to public safety concerns, cannon and gunfire were gradually phased out over the years.

In 1870, Congress established Independence Day as an official holiday. This year, as you celebrate our country’s independence, remember the simple beginnings of the 4th of July and appreciate what makes the day so very special.

Plan Ahead for Summer Travel

Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, illustrated just how eager Americans are to start getting out again. With about half the country at least partially protected with vaccines, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said that 7.1 million people were screened at U.S. airport checkpoints during Memorial Day weekend. In 2020, only 1.3 million were screened at U.S. airports during Memorial Day weekend. As you look toward fall travel plans, Christmas and even next summer, it’s important to plan ahead, get COVID-19 updates for your destination – and try to build flexibility into your schedule.

Planning

While planning usually leads to lower fares and better hotel rates, in 2021 and 2022 making early reservations may be the difference between successfully booking a trip and coming up empty. It’s simple math. Demand for planes, trains, rental cars and hotel rooms is spiking following severe capacity limitations during the past year. The ability of companies to meet this pent-up demand remains to be seen. For a variety of reasons, many travel and entertainment businesses are having difficulty hiring employees. In all likelihood, reservations of all types will be tight and in high demand throughout 2021 and into the summer of 2022.

International travel

The first step when considering any international destination is to have the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about COVID in that country, at the CDC’s COVID-19 Travel Recommendations at cdc.gov/travel. The risk levels are split into categories: Very High, High, Moderate, Low and Unknown. For each country there are specific recommendations and whether there are entry requirements: a negative COVID test and/ or quarantining. This information is in constant flux, so check often right up to your point of departure.

Domestic and regional travel

With the risks and complications that are involved in international travel, domestic travel destinations will be the top choice for many families, especially road trips. A trip by car is easier to plan, and itineraries are easier to adjust. Nevertheless, complications will still exist at destinations in the U.S. For instance, national parks have varying policies. At Glacier National Park in Montana there are ticketed-entry reservations required for all visitors through Sept. 6, according to the National Park Service. And at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado entry reservations extend through Oct. 11. But the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Grand Canyon National Park do not currently require timed-entry tickets. If national parks are on your travel plans, check their websites early and often to see if they add or subtract from their entry requirements.

Flexible cancellation policies

During the summer of 2020, airlines, tour operators, cruises and hotels had to completely change their cancellation policies and become more consumer friendly, eliminating cancellation charges and extra fees. What these policies look like as we move into a time of fewer COVID complications will vary. The important thing for travelers is to check with each company about their policies related to changes and cancellations.

Travel insurance

Depending on where you plan to go and the types of reservations that you are making, you may want to consider travel insurance. Prior to COVID, most insurance policies did not cover pandemics, but that’s no longer the case. But new policies that cover pandemics tend to be pricey. But your best bet may be to forgo travel insurance and make reservations that have generous and flexible cancellation policies.

Finally….

Don’t toss your mask, continue to wash your hands and keep in mind physical distancing when in a crowd. Many countries still have low vaccination rates. Vacations are possible again, but it will pay to plan, do research and protect you and your family with sensible precautions.

Truliant