The Scoop On Ice Cream Summer Entertaining

The scoop on ice cream is that it's an excellent choice for simple, delicious and, if desired, elegant entertaining. Whether it's a birthday, graduation, summer holiday or family celebration, ice cream and novelties can make any occasion special.

Sundaes, root beer floats, banana splits, milkshakes and ice cream cones are always popular favorites. Serve an ice cream cake for a birthday or holiday celebration and see your guests smile. Add a scoop of ice cream on warm apple pie and you will delight everyone at the table. Serving ideas for ice cream are only limited by your imagination.

Other popular entertaining ideas, particularly for children, are the many novelties selections in the frozen food aisle. Novelties are separately packaged single servings of a frozen dessert, such as ice cream sandwiches, fudge sticks and juice bars. Today's novelties offer fun, tasty, convenient dessert options for you, your family and guests.

June and July of each year mark the annual Ice Cream & Novelties Promotion, sponsored by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA). That's when you will find special promotions and prices on your favorite summer treats.

NFRA has these suggestions on storing and handling ice cream and novelties:

• Make the ice cream aisle your last stop.

• Put ice cream products in a separate section of the grocery cart or place on top of other groceries.

• When your groceries are packed, request a freezer bag or additional brown paper bag to insulate your ice cream for the ride home.

• At home, don't allow the ice cream to repeatedly soften and refreeze.

• Store ice cream in the main part of the freezer, not on the door, where it is subject to more fluctuating temperatures.

Here is an elegant yet simple dessert for your summertime entertaining.

Peaches & Cream Shake

16 oz Frozen Sliced Peaches

1 cup Frozen Non-Dairy Creamer, thawed

1 large scoop Vanilla Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Place all ingredients in a blender and process on high for 1-2 minutes, or until well-blended. Pour into serving glasses and garnish with a peach slice.

During June and July, you can play Family Freezer Pleasers Online Instant Win Game.

The Longest Day of Summer - Top Tips For Summer Entertaining

The Longest Day of Summer - Top Tips For Summer Entertaining

By Simon Sales

Having just passed the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, we are now into the "real" part of the summer. It's time to enjoy life; get out the barbeque, relax on a sun lounger, get the paddling pool out for the kids, enjoy days out at the seaside or a picnic in the country. The summer really helps conjure up all those nostalgic memories of endless days, happy smiling faces and enjoying the simplest pleasures in life.

The good weather also enables us to be more sociable, to involve ourselves with our neighbours and to be community spirited. In the summer it's easier to have friends and family around for lunch, we can chat in the street with our neighbours, the kids can play outside with their friends and it is easier to take time to exercise and get fitter.

The summer also provides us with a degree of optimism, perhaps misplaced, but one cannot help being happier when the sun is out. Even if that optimism is misplaced, at least it provides an opportunity to temporarily forget the grim economic issues that we are all currently facing - a chance to catch your breath, recharge your batteries and set yourself for the tough months ahead.

So how can we make the most of this time? What can we do to maximise the opportunity that the summer presents? My five tips for summer entertaining...

1. Invite people around. Take the time to get to know your neighbours, invite some work colleagues for a drink or have a family gathering. You can invite them for morning coffee, lunch, an afternoon drink, a barbeque or for dinner - its horses for courses. Don't feel under pressure to "entertain" just make sure people feel comfortable and relaxed.


2. Stock your fridge. Get plenty of food and drink for your guests. The food doesn't have to complicated; think simple salads, fresh bread & cold meats. Get plenty of soft drinks and thirst quenchers for the kids and designated drivers and also to prevent people from becoming dehydrated; home-made lemonade and elderflower cordial with ice are always popular. Chill some light beers, white and rosé wine for those that wish to partake and maybe some fizz or a big jug of Pimms for the adults.


3. Provide some shade. If it is a daytime event, then make sure there is some shade for your guests because not everyone likes sitting in full sun. Trees make the best dappled shade, but you can get a sun awning or parasol to do the same job.


4. Get comfortable. Make sure all your guests can sit in comfort. Chairs for older guests, loungers for informal events, scatter cushions around the terrace and a picnic blankets for kids. Don't forget to have some sun block on hand during the day and mosquito repellent for later in the evening.


5. Get a garden lighting system. Garden lighting will enable you to party well into the night with your friends and family. Whether that is simply sitting in a garden chatting into the wee small hours or dancing the night away: garden lights will extend the evening into the night and make your garden a magical place to be.

Follow these simple rules and you will have a summer to remember. Go on, enjoy it...

Simon Sales is the MD of Waterwell Limited which designs, installs and maintains garden irrigation & garden lighting systems in residential properties throughout London and the South East.

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