This No-Churn Spiced Pear Ice Cream in Gingerbread Bowls Recipe Is a Holiday Must

The summery dessert in question is the all-new Blood Orange Mochi Ice Cream, and it’s so dreamy. Featuring dollops of blood orange-flavored ice cream cased in sweet mochi dough, it’s the kind of sweet treat you can easily eat with your hands… and keep eating over and over and over again.

The mochi ice cream is also crafted without any artificial colors or flavors, so you really get the full effect of the rich citrus. Blood oranges are also typically sweeter than regular oranges, making them perfect for putting into desserts.

TJ’s fan account @traderjoesobsessed shared the new Blood Orange Mochi Ice Cream with their followers, saying the treat is “tart and creamy” and also “not too sweet.” One commenter that got a taste noted that each ice cream piece is like “a creamsicle's more worldly cousin.” Another person compared the flavor to a Flintstone's Push-Up popsicle.

Well-rounded and nostalgic? Now I have to try this!

The Trader Joe’s Blood Orange Mochi Ice Cream can be found on shelves for $4.99. Each box comes with 6 mochi ice cream bites, and what’s even more exciting is the nutrition label says a single serving size is 6 pieces – AKA the entire box. Woah!

Additionally, this sweet snack is kosher and gluten-free.

I’m definitely going to be grabbing several boxes to try – and hopefully manifest an early start to springtime!

Ingredients:

— coconut (or other white) ice cream

— red and blue gel food coloring

Instructions:

1. Scoop ice cream into a bowl.

2. Add food coloring and mix well.

For all three treats, you will need red, white and blue ice cream. There are red and blue flavors on the market, but we couldn't find any, so we used dye. Feel free to buy or dye.

You gotta be quick with the licks to keep this from melting on your hand. We didn’t go with classic Neapolitan flavors (strawberry, vanilla, chocolate), but you could easily do so by dyeing the strawberry a deeper red and using white chocolate for the blue. Our version is solid coconut, but follow your heart!

Red, White and Blue Neapolitan

Take note of the round container we used for this. It was a fail! We highly recommend you use a bread tin instead. To make your ice cream, scoop the more solid white ice cream into a strip down the middle of the tin. This will act as a barrier for the other two, which will be in a more soup-like form due to mixing in the food coloring. Add red to one side and blue to the other. Place it in the freezer for around two hours.

Here's where the fail happened. When we tried to scoop the ice cream, because it was in a round tin, the act of pulling the scoop towards me spun ALL of the ice cream around in a circle. Whoops! I managed to get some in the end, but it wasn't ideal.

The proper way to eat ice cream is two scoops on a cone.

Ice cream: a true American patriot.

It took us five stores to find dragon fruit and when we sliced it open, it was a vibrant magenta rather than the white we expected. Sweet surprise in our book and a perfect topping for a layered milkshake.

Fourth of July Layered Milkshake

Mix and pour, mix and pour, mix and pour. If you want a thinner shake, add a bit of milk to your ice cream before you pour it in the glass.

Top with dragon fruit and pocky or any other fruit/candy combo you love.

We couldn't stop staring at these. They're so pretty!

This one is a callback to childhood. When we were kids, we loved mixing my ice cream until it was liquid and then pretending it was soup. What is with that? Why would we want to turn DESSERT into something that would normally be dinner or a side?

Ice Cream “Soup"

All you need to do for this award-winning “recipe” is mix your ice cream until it is the perfect consistency. Then add toppings. This is a dessert soup, after all, so toppings can consist of candy, sprinkles and fruit.

Meet your match, smoothie bowl.

Other ideas for toppings include blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, mochi, chia seeds and white chocolate. Don’t be afraid to add all different shades of red, white and blue. Your toppings don’t all need to be bold primary colors.

We hope we've inspired you to get creative with your ice cream this year! Happy Fourth of July!

1. Soap Carving

Soap carving was once an accessible hobby that allowed people of all ages and skill levels to create intricate designs from simple bars of soap. Armed with basic carving tools like knives, you were able to transform an everyday object into a work of art, like a delicate flower or animal.

This pastime not only offered a creative outlet but also culminated in a functional home decor item. Yet, as new crafting materials like plastics became more widely available, soap carving faded from popularity.

2. Quilting Bees

These social gatherings brought women together and provided a chance for friends and neighbors to collaborate on large quilting projects. They turned an often solitary task into a communal experience filled with laughter and conversation.

So, the resulting quilts were viewed as deeply sentimental, not just due to the joint effort but also because they often incorporated fabrics from old clothing or keepsakes.

Then, the rise of industrialization and the availability of cheap, mass-produced bedding caused quilting bees to become much more rare.

3. Macrame

Another popular craft was macrame, which involved knotting ropes or cords into intricate, decorative patterns. You could use various knotting techniques to create unique pieces, from plant hangers to wall hangings.

This hobby helped add bohemian flair to homes and allowed for endless creative possibilities. It also became a symbol of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture.

4. Drive-In Movies

Long before the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, going to the drive-in movie theater was a favorite weekend tradition for many. It was a unique (and social) way to enjoy films under the stars.

People would pack into their cars, bring along snacks and drinks, and settle in to watch the latest movies on a big outdoor screen. Not only did this pastime force you to actually go somewhere to see a new film, as opposed to laying in your bed at home, but it also provided a lively and nostalgic atmosphere.

5. Rock Tumbling

This hands-on activity allowed people to turn their rough stones into shiny and smooth gems. Hobbyists would get outside, gather cool-looking rocks in nature, place them in a tumbler filled with abrasive grit, and allow the machine to rotate for a couple of weeks.

Over time, the friction and grinding would smooth the surfaces, revealing the natural beauty hidden beneath each stone's rough exterior. It was relaxing and rewarding and encouraged Boomers to have patience and appreciate the world around them.

6. Going Dancing

Walk into any major club today, and you probably won't see a lot of dancing (at least in the traditional sense). Modern venues feature mostly EDM shows now, with attendees bouncing or fist-bumping away. But back in the day, local ballrooms, sock hops, and even discos were really "happening."

Dance floors were filled with singles and couples swinging and jiving away to everything from jazz and rock 'n' roll to even pop hits. Going dancing got people out, moving, and enjoying each other's company. It's time to bring real dancing back to today's nightlife scene.

7. Model Rockets

During the 1960s, building and launching model rockets was a thrilling hobby that captured the attention of people, both young and old. Enthusiasts would carefully assemble small rockets using materials like molded plastic, cardboard, paper, and tubing, then laugh them into the sky.

Aside from being exciting, this activity was also educational, sparking interest in science and engineering.

8. Sand Art

Sand art was another go-to hobby in the '60s, with people layering or arranging colorful sand into intricate patterns inside glass containers.

You could really get creative with colors, textures, and shapes. Not to mention, sand art was pretty accessible and became a fun way to make decorative pieces for the home.

9. Plant Pressing

This timeless hobby involved collecting plants, flowers, and leaves before carefully pressing them between sheets of paper to preserve their form and color. It allowed people to explore nature and learn about the diverse plant life in their local area.

The best part? The pressed plants could be used for a range of creative purposes, from making beautiful flower arrangements to decorating cards.

10. Pinball Arcades

If you want to play a game with your friends today, you might turn on your PlayStation or Xbox, plop in front of your TV, and throw on a headset. However, boomers got to experience the excitement of playing in real life at pinball arcades.

By actually going to the arcade, they enjoyed face-to-face socialization in an interactive and immersive environment. There were bright lights, cool sounds, and competition to beat high scores that actually got adrenaline pumping.