My love of ice cream comes from my Grandpa and my Dad. My Grandpa used to do parts runs for the farm. Something would break on a tractor and Grandpa would volunteer to go fetch the part. Grandma would joke it took him an hour to do a 20 minute task. Grandpa normally came back with ice cream evidence on his bib overalls or a dirty container in his truck. He would visit ice cream places wherever they travelled. And I think every small town ice cream palace within an hour drive of the farm knew his name!
My Dad used to take my sister and I for ice cream. When we were doing chores as kids, we’d ride in the truck with him from farm to farm. Sometimes we got to take a detour for an ice cream cone. And on Sunday nights, my Mom didn’t cook supper. So we often had ice cream for supper. And I still think that is a perfectly fine meal!
I now take my kids out for ice cream alot. They have metabolisms like hummingbirds and hollow legs. I do use it as a treat, and not a meal replacement. My Panda has found my love of ice cream and would eat it for breakfast if I let her!
I have two favorite ice cream spots. East End in Peru, Indiana is one of those spots that is only open during the summer. In addition to their ice cream they also make pizzas. Their pizza is also my favorite. Thin crust with lots of fresh toppings and just the right amount of red sauce make this something I long for in the middle of winter when they are closed.
But back to the ice cream. I have two favorites. Lemon and Moose Tracks. Citrus tends to be one of my favorite flavors and their lemon ice cream is outstanding. It’s the perfect treat on a super hot Indiana day. Moose Tracks has lots of yummy flavors and tastes great on a cone!
My other favorite ice cream place is open year round. Ivanhoe’s is in Upland, Indiana near Taylor University.
Ivanhoe’s was a place I started visiting in High School. My church youth group used to make random Sunday night trips to this well loved establishment. And now anytime I am in the area, I will stop in. Ivanhoe’s is known for their 100 Club. They have a menu featuring 100 shakes and 100 sundae flavors. If you try all 100, you get your name on their wall and a t-shirt. Since it’s in a college town, I’m guessing that is interesting to some of their guests.
Two of my favorite on their menu fall in the shake category. Almond Joy and Coffee. Their coffee ice cream makes me hungry thinking about it. And the Almond Joy shake has just the right amount of coconut and almonds to make it a real treat.
Have I made you hungry yet? I’m wishing for some ice cream now. Or a road trip to discover a new ice cream spot. Indiana is also home to some major ice cream manufactures. So don’t be afraid to enjoy ice cream. Indiana is home to many dairy farms and ranks 2nd in the nation in ice cream production.
June is Dairy Month in Indiana and July is Ice Cream Month!! I intend to celebrate both months with a nice ice cream treat. Maybe the kids and I need a road trip soon to find another favorite ice cream spot.
Indiana’s Family of Farmers is compensating me for this post about June Dairy Month. Although my love of ice cream is my own. I mean, really, who doesn’t love ice cream?!
Nice story! In high school, I worked at the Dairy Barn in Bedford. Love the small town ice cream parlors where people could just come hang out for a bit and get a treat. Good times! -Mindy 🙂
I’m craving going to my favorite ice cream shop now! Too bad it is three hours away… but I was wanting to road trip with the kids sometime soon, so maybe we’ll have to go to Northeast Iowa next week, so we can go to the Whippy Dip in Decorah, Iowa!