Driving Notes

Summer is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a staple summer treat! That’s right! The ice cream sandwich!
Here are some fun facts about the amazing summer snack…

• Although ice cream sandwiches were made by hand and distributed by New York street vendors in the early 1940s, it wasn’t until 1945 that the first ice cream sandwiches were mass produced.
• The current version was invented in 1945 by Jerry Newberg when he was selling ice cream at Forbes Field, in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Pictures from the Jersey Shore circa 1905 “On the beach, Atlantic City”, show Ice Cream sandwiches were popular at 1c each.
• August 2nd is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.
• The Coolhaus food truck empire has taken ice cream sandwiches to a new level. You can buy one of their pre-packaged ice cream sandwiches, pints of ice cream, or hand-dipped ice cream bars at one of 4,000+ markets ranging from Whole Foods to Kroger and Safeway, in all 50 states
• The ice cream sandwich ranks as the second best-selling ice cream novelty in America.
• The average number of ice cream sandwiches eaten per second nationally is 48.
• If all the ice cream sandwiches made last year were placed end to end, they would circle Earth 3 1/2 times.
• The 30-44 age group buys the most ice cream sandwiches.
• The eastern seaboard consumes almost 50 percent of all ice cream sandwiches.
• The ice cream sandwich is so American it is sold at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

  Here’s a recipe for ice cream sandwiches from the Food Network…

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (1-pint) containers ice cream (any flavor)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. With a spoon, stir in the flour mixture, stirring just until you have a smooth dough.
  3. Using a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop, drop 6 mounds of dough on each baking sheet, leaving a couple inches between each cookie. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges and soft in the middle, about 15 minutes. (For even baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.) Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
  4. Meanwhile, turn the ice cream pints on their sides and use a serrated knife to slice through the containers, cutting each into 3 even rounds. Place the ice cream disks on a baking sheet and freeze until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
  5. To assemble, peel the cardboard from the ice cream disks and sandwich each disk between 2 cookies. Serve the sandwiches immediately, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze up to 1 week.

  
  Cut your pints like this, getting perfect portions for ice cream sandwiches!

  Also, we’re celebrating August First Friday here in downtown Mt. Vernon THIS FRIDAY! Be sure to stop by and see us, and register for our prize basket!
  Our special Clean Up, Dress Up and Checkup” prize basket for the family features
  · An entire house cleaning from Carefree Cleaning Company. Amy Kessler gives you 4 hours of house cleaning! (Valued at $100)!
  · A certificate for 1 individual comprehensive eye exam with Amazing Eyes Family Vision! (Valued at $135)
  · Two $15.00 gift certificates for Premier Designs Jewelry with Amberly Frye (one for you and one for a friend)
  · Plus WNZR goodies including chip clips, hand fans, cups, Frisbees, guitar flyswatters and more! The prize package is valued at over $265.00!

  First Friday events are from 6 to 9pm in downtown Mount Vernon. The family-friendly activities include magician Jimmy Burcham, corn hole, a classic car cruise-in and music from Project Round Table on the public square stage.
  Other activities include:
  – TaVaci Select Performers followed by the Uncorrections will provide music at the South Stage – MVNU’s Buchwald Plaza Gazebo.
  – A presentation for the winner of the local Guns vs. Hoses Blood Drive for the American Red Cross. This competition is between our local police and fire departments.
  – The American Red Cross will host a bloodmobile at City Hall.
  – A Hidden in Plain Sight event with KSAAT (Knox Substance Abuse Action Team) will take place at the Elks Lodge.
  – “Outside” – an exhibition by the Creative Art of Women (CAW) will be at MVNU’s Schnormeier Gallery. In this exhibition, CAW explores the external forces and exterior surfaces that make up the world- whether structural, anatomical, or metaphysical. Each artist wrestled with the theme of “OUTSIDE” through her own lens resulting in a diverse view of what makes up the world outside ourselves.
  – Food vendors on the square

  Thanks for listening!
  -Lilly