Celebrate Ice Cream Soda day with recipes for the kids

Ice Cream Soda.

Today, June 30, is Ice Cream Soda Day!

And if you love ice cream as much as the average person, you'll be glad to know that the whole month of July is National Ice Cream Month.  There are many holidays devoted to ice cream. 

There are lots of favorites when it comes to combining the wonderful tastes of ice cream and the bubbly spirits of soda.  It's a dream-come-true combination for many kids of many ages.

The basics of an ice cream soda, also known as an ice cream float, is to take a glass of soda about 3/4 full and scoop in a nice ball of ice cream.  The fizzing begins and there is a great blend of creamy and cold.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Creamsicles:  Orange soda and vanilla ice cream.
2. Root Beer float:  Root Beer soda and vanilla ice cream.  This drink is also called a Brown Cow.
3. Boston Cooler:  Ginger Ale and vanilla ice cream.
4. Snow White: Sprite (or 7up) and vanilla ice cream.
5. Sherbet Float:  Sherbet and ginger ale.  This one is great at parties because you can dump the sherbet in the punch bowl and pour in two or three bottles of ginger ale for fun drink.  The sherbet seems to melt a bit differently than ice cream and offers a better party drink.  Plus it comes in great rainbow colors.

My own version is what I call, "Color Me a Holiday" ice cream floats: 

1. Forth of July:  Blue raspberry soda, vanilla ice cream and red maraschino cherries
2. Christmas:  Red strawberry soda and lime sherbet
3. Halloween:  Orange soda and chocolate chip ice cream
4. Valentine's Day:  Red strawberry soda and strawberry ice cream
5. St. Patrick's Day:  Green Sherbet and ginger ale.

You can even have lots of fun making your own ice cream with this great no-ice-cream-machine-needed recipe, Five Ingredient Ice Cream.

Cheers!

Love food?  Check out Dara Bunjon's articles about Baltimore Dining.  And Jessica Lemmo and Tamar Alexia Fleishman keep everyone informed of great Restaurant deals in the Baltimore area.