Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Photo: The Skinny Chef

When I was a kid, ice cream was synonymous with summer. I had a trained ear and could pick out the perky chimes of the ice cream truck from miles away. Ice cream is a cool, satisfying summer treat, but a scoop a day can keep the bikini away.

Most people don't know that one pint of many commercial ice creams contains more fat than you should eat in a whole day. That doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy this calcium-rich treat. Making your own is immensely satisfying, and without having to worry about loading up on fat and calories while avoiding crazy preservatives that no one can pronounce.

Get Jennifer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe after the jump.

Cherries Jublie is one of those foods that I've heard of but never had, like Baked Alaska or Pig's Feet or Mutton. Is Cherries Jubilee something that you set on fire, or is it the name of a stripper from some movie or TV show I once saw?

It's something you set on fire! Flambeed, to be exact. A cherries and liqueur dessert that is often served over vanilla ice cream. Here's a recipe from WhatsCookingInAmerica.net, and here's another variation from CooksRecipes.com.

I was obsessed with ice cream sandwiches when I was a kid. What a great idea: an ice cream/chocolate sandwich treat you can eat with your hands! My mom usually bought Hood brand, and I'd eat them by the box.

Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, and since it's probably warm where you are (in the U.S. anyway), go to the store right now and buy a box of them. Go ahead. I'll wait.

[whistling]

You back? Great. If they didn't have any at the store, maybe you can make your own with the help of Sesame Street! Of course, you can't forget the history of the ice cream sandwich. They were invented in New York in the summer of 1900.

Vanilla is the best selling ice cream flavor in the US. Not only is it popular as a stand-alone flavor, but it goes perfectly with so many other foods: brownies for brownie sundaes, apple pie for apple pie a la mode, root beer for root beer floats, etc. In this month's issue, Real Simple magazine did a taste test of vanillas and picked out their favorites in six categories, thoughtfully including some options for those who don't eat regular, full-fat ice cream:

• Best old-fashioned: Ben & Jerry's Vanilla
• Best organic: Stonyfield Organic Gotta Have Vanilla Ice Cream
• Best gelato: Ciao Bella Vanilla Gelato
• Best low-fat: Breyers Double Churned Light Creamy Vanilla
• Best low-sugar: Breyers Double Churned No Sugar Added Vanilla
• Best nondairy: Whole Soy $ Co. Organic Vanilla Bean

Unfortunately, they didn't list all the brands of ice cream that they taste-tested. It would have been interesting to see what the runners up in each category were, but the list can still be used to stock the fridge with everyone's favorites.

Breyers is known for its all natural ice creams, but they are now branching out into the organic market, joining in on a trend that has largely been followed by specialty or premium brands until now. The flavors they will offer include Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla Fudge Swirl, with more flavors to be added depending upon consumer response. The organic ice cream market is facing ever greater demand from consumers, increasing by 50% since 1997. Production has been able to increase due in large part to the fact that more dairy farmers are changing to organic because of the demand for organic milk. The ice creams should be on store shelves this fall.

Along with their organic offerings, Breyers will also be debuting Lactose-Free Vanilla for consumers who are lactose intolerant, which is good news to the millions of people who prefer the taste of dairy ice cream to rice or soy-based frozen desserts but were unable to enjoy it for medical reasons.

Root beer floats are fantastic, even if not all the products associated with them are. The combination of slightly peppery soda and creamy vanilla ice cream is hard to resist, so when I saw that Edy's/Dreyer's released a Root Beer Float ice cream, my initial reaction was "it's about time!" Then I saw that Breyer's has a Root Beer Float ice cream flavor out this summer, too. The difference between the two is that Dreyer's - which is limited edition - has vanilla ice cream with root beer flavored ice cream swirls, while Breyer's has vanilla with root beer sorbet swirls. Get them while you can - and try making a real root beer float with the ice creams for a double delicious summer treat.