Easy Idea for 4th of July Entertaining: Ice Cream Bar Bonanza

Looking for a quick, no-fail dessert idea for the 4^th of July or any other entertaining occasion this summer?  Consider an ice cream bar bonanza.

I was introduced to the ice cream bar bonanza at a book club that I was in years ago.  At one of the meetings, for dessert, the hostess opened a bunch (and I mean bunch!) of ice cream bar boxes, dumped them on the table and let the group go at it.  We all felt like kids again, almost as if we were gathered around the ice cream truck, money in-hand, waiting to get our favorite treat.

We had a barbeque last summer and it turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year. It called for an ice cream bar bonanza so I got a big cooler, dumped in a bunch of ice and a large assortment of popsicles, ice cream bars, you name it!

Here are some tips for your own ice cream bar bonanza:

·        Go for variety and quantity

·        Go for a mix of retro (Otter Pops anyone?), favorites (for me that’s Its Its and drumsticks) and something new that you have been wanting to try

·        Get a mix of full-size and fun-size treats

·        Get more than you think you need

·        Store and serve in a big cooler with LOTS of ice

Then, just step back and let your guests dig in.
 

Ice Cream Bar Bonanza

I love to bake and my parties usually feature some sort of baked creation or perhaps homemade ice cream in the summer.  But there are occasions when I am planning  a party and I am short on time or there are too many other moving parts to that particular party and making a homemade dessert just is not going to work. My summer fall back for those situations is the ice cream bar bonanza.

I was introduced to the ice cream bar bonanza at a book club that I was in years ago.  At one of the meetings, for dessert, the hostess opened a bunch (and I mean bunch!) of ice cream bar boxes, dumped them on the table and let the group go at it.  We all felt like kids again, almost as if we were gathered around the ice cream man’s truck, money in-hand, waiting to get our favorite treat.

We recently had a barbeque and it was one of those “fall back dessert situations.” It also turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year thus far.  I got a big cooler and dumped in a bunch of ice and a big assortment of popsicles, ice cream bars, you name it! The key is to go for variety and quantity.  Go for a mix of retro (Otter Pops anyone?), favorites (for me that’s Its Its and drumsticks) and something new that you have been wanting to try.  Get more than you think you need, step back and let your guests dig in.