July 1: Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day and National Gingersnap Day

Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day

I've seen this also called National Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day, but I'm not sure if this is an officially recognized food observance, so I'm leaving of the "national."

What makes an ice cream flavor creative?  Obviously, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry wouldn't count in this day and age because you can find them everywhere, but once upon a time they must've been considered creative.  There was a time when I would've considered bacon ice cream to be a creative flavor, but it seems to be everywhere now.  Does it have to be a combination of flavors you don't find anywhere else?

Ben & Jerry's ice cream is the easiest way for many of us to experience creative ice cream flavors.  You can find them in all the major grocery stores.  Ben & Jerry's ice cream is on sale right now at Whole Foods, plus there's a coupon in the Whole Foods Whole Deals booklet, so the roomie and I bought some of our favorite flavors.  It's really tempting to go back and buy some more.  Ben & Jerry's ice creams are definitely worth using my Lactaid pills for.

Better Homes and Gardens lists 10 of the craziest ice cream flavors ever.  (I'm actually very tempted to try the sauerkraut ice cream and I wouldn't say no to the garlic ice cream.)  The HuffPo has a list of places in Los Angeles for creative ice cream flavors and the Examiner takes us to the other side of the nation with the best ice cream stands in New England for creative ice cream flavors.  Serious Eats suggests ten different ways to celebrate today's food observance.   

And as hot as it is today, this food observance seems perfectly timed.  Unlike the other food celebration for today...



National Gingersnap Day

With the raging heat most of the US is experiencing today, it seems very strange to celebrate a food that requires turning on the oven.  Yet, it's National Gingersnap Day.  If it were up to me, this food observance would be in December.  Gingersnaps are just so tied to the holidays for me- they just pair so well with hot chocolate. 

Gingersnaps are spiced cookies.  They pair well with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, making them perfect for ice cream sandwiches.  Alton Brown has a recipe that ranks a full five stars.  Smitten Kitchen's recipe results in darker cookies.  Wise Geek tells what exactly gingersnaps are, while eHow gives us the history of gingersnaps in colonial times.