How to Make a DIY Ice Cream Bar

Lex Monson
Jul 30, 2014

Ice cream bars — they’re the new scotch bars at weddings. And lest you be left in the darkness, we’re here to enlighten you with the brrrr bar basics, then give you some eye-candy on overall looks you’re going to want to steal. Ready for it? Let’s raise the ice cream bar.

1. Cotton Candy Colored: Mason jars — there is nothing they can’t do. Pair them with another old standby — chalkboard paint — and you’ve got the perfect vessel for your cornucopia of toppings. (via Style Me Pretty)

2. DIY Ice Cream Holders: No matter if it’s a self-serve affair or if you have someone helping scoop up, an ice cream holder is essential. Holding that ice cream cone is tiring! (via Style Me Pretty)

3. Ice Cream Truck With Cups ($14): Put these little guys on your table and your party just got infinitely cuter.

4. Color Block Wooden Spoons ($10): Adorable wooden spoons with a little splash of color? Check.

5. Ice Cream Social: This blogger goes through ever single element that you need to throw an organized and epic ice cream social. Your shopping list should include waffle cones, assorted toppings, a scoop and bunting. (via Cooking Channel)

6. Vintage Ice Cream Parlor Engagement Party: There are so many things to love about this party, from customized monogram cone papers and ice-cream-cone-shaped cookies to vintage syrup pourers and pretty photos ops. (via Hostess with The Mostess)

7. Mint + Gold Shoot: Work of-the-moment colors into your par-tay, complete with gilded signage. Carry the hues through all the details, right down to a gold scoop, serving mint chip ice cream. (via Style Me Pretty)

8. Rustic Country Wedding: Ice cream can be a messy affair, and if you don’t want a potential clean-up disaster on your hands, it’s a good idea to either hire ice-cream bartenders or enlist your friends or family members to be in charge of the scooping. (via The Natural Wedding Company)

9. Ready to Roll: Don’t want to bother your friends with being in charge of slinging the sugar? The next best option is putting single servings in ready-to-go jars that your guests can just grab from a bucket of ice, pop open, add toppings and get licking. (via Style Me Pretty)

10. Vintage Outdoor Affair: If you’ve always been the go-big-or-go-home type, you’re going to want to custom make your ice cream both. It will probably end up doubling as a selfie backdrop. (via Wedding Chicks)

11. Make Your Own Sundaes Buffet: This might be the prettiest and girliest ice cream bar we’ve ever seen. Your partner might not be into going full fledged pretty in pink, but we can see this working for a bridal shower or a baby shower. (via Eat Drink Chic)

12. Lemonade Stand: Remember those lemonade stands you would piece together as a kid? Now’s the time to put those skills into good use and make your own little ice cream stand. (via Style Me Pretty)

13. Crazy Cute Summer Perfection: Mason jars, you’ve met your match. This heart-shaped tin might be the best way to offer toppings. (via Style Me Pretty)

14. Sprinkle Cones: Chocolate dip and sprinkle those cones prior to your shindig and your friends will love you FOR.EV.ER. (via Simply Charming)

15. Kraft Paper Table Cover: Lastly, may we present, the cheapest and most fuss-free way to DIY a ice cream bar. (via Bakers Royale)

Fan of the ice cream bar? Let us know when you’ll be doing your own in the comments below!

How To Enjoy 4th of July Ice Cream—3 Ways

Here at Brit+Co, we're suckers for a good pun. We mean, Fourth of Jul-ice cream is TOO GOOD. It also begs the question: What is Fourth of Jul-ice cream? The obvious answer is a cold red, white and blue milky, sugary slap in the face. In a good way. Keep reading for three ways to get your fix. We've got a classic cone, a layered milkshake and a childhood recipe for ice cream “soup" (you all know what that is).

Brit + Co

Ingredients:

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— coconut (or other white) ice cream

— red and blue gel food coloring

Instructions:

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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.

Brit + Co

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

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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.

Brit + Co

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.

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

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Ice cream: a true American patriot.

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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

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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.

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

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

Brit + Co

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"

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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.

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Meet your match, smoothie bowl.

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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.

Brit + Co

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

Follow us on Pinterest for more recipe ideas!

This post has been updated.

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'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 3 Will Have 3 Extra Episodes

What's your favorite The Summer I Turned Pretty episode? The series (which stars Lola Tung as Belly, Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah, and Christopher Briney as Conrad) has had standout moments since its premiere in 2022. And so far, my favorite scenes in both seasons 1 and 2 happened during episode 6.

Belly and Conrad's heartbreaking conversation on the dock against Billie Eilish's "When The Party's Over" instantly became my favorite scene of the show, only to be topped by their fight on the beach & the house party while Taylor Swift's "Snow on the Beach" plays during season 2. And it looks like every episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is going to be a favorite based on Jenny Han's latest update.

Here's what Jenny Han had to say about the new The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episodes.

Every moment in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' season 3 will matter.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

After revealing season 3 will have 11 episodes, as opposed to 7 or 8 like the first two seasons, Jenny Han recently wrote on Instagram (via US Weekly), “One thing I’ll say about season 3 of [The Summer I Turned Pretty] … there are no filler episodes.”

The last decade of streaming has seen television seasons drop from around 22 episodes to 10 or under, resulting in the loss of those filler episodes. You know, where the characters are just hanging out and the audience gets to know more about their personalities. Do these episodes move the plot along? No. Are they valuable in helping to understand the characters? Absolutely!

However, there is something to be said for the idea that every moment should matter. One lesson I took away from my creative writing classes in college is that if you can remove a detail from a story and nothing changes, then it didn't need to be there! And it definitely sounds like every moment in the upcoming The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episodes will have a purpose.

"I'm just very excited to be back with everyone and to be able to step back into Belly's shoes, I'm super excited," Lola Tung told Brit + Co in February.

'The Summer I Turned Pretty' season 3 might not be the final chapter.

We haven't gotten word on whether The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is going to be the final season of the Amazon Prime show (there are only three books), but it looks like we could be seeing more of our favorite characters either way!

“This show is going to continue to be a huge centerpiece for us," Vernon Sanders, Amazon and MGM Studios' head of television, told Deadline in September 2023. "We absolutely have plans to continue building it. Jenny’s got great vision for where she wants to go with all of it, but we’re already hard at work developing complementary pieces."

I would love to see a spinoff, whether it's about Belly after the third book ends, or about Taylor and Steven! "Jenny’s got some exciting surprises. So we’re thrilled about a Season 3, and she’s got a vision for more."

Vernon also spoke about how the show has become a intertwined with Taylor Swift's music, and even debuted a few unreleased Taylor Swift songs! "We have been so delighted and humbled by having had this relationship over the course of the last two seasons, and they have been incredibly lovely — and, believe it or not, incredibly easy to work with," he says. "Jenny credits Taylor Swift as the music she was listening to as she was writing these books. It’s just always been infused in how she’s thinking and feeling and what is authored into the show itself. So, to have Taylor’s music, and as you said, unreleased music in the show, I think is beyond incredible."

Check out 5 Details From The Summer I Turned Pretty Ending That Reveal Who Belly Ends Up With In Season 3 👀.

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My Dog Tried This Ice Cream For Pups And Here's What She Thought

Lucy, my three-year-old schnauzer mix, has a major sweet tooth, or really any kind of tooth. She loves food and will literally bite the hand that feeds her for the tiniest nibble. She’ll do just about anything for food. And she especially loves yogurt and ice cream until we discovered that she’s lactose-intolerant. This isn't uncommon — according to the AKC (American Kennel Club), lots of dogs are lactose intolerant, so they struggle with some of the foods they (and we) love most like cheeses, yogurts, and ice creams.

Photo via Ollie x Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Lucky for her, we discovered Ollie x Van Leeuwen Ice Cream’s nondairy ice cream for dogs. You can shop it at Van Leeuwen scoop shops across the country, as well as at most Petco locations and online. Ollie subscribers can add it to their orders, or join Ollie by June 13 for a free pint with purchase!

Puppy Love

Lucy's POV: First off, the smell! The scent of peanut butter, my fave, caused my tail to start wagging furiously. Then came the taste. The non-dairy ice cream is sweet and salty, with swirls of delicious peanut butter. One word: Drool! No belly aches here. Every lick = pure bliss. Paws-up from me!

But seriously, she LOVED it. She followed me back to the freezer hoping to catch another lick. She even rang her "bells" to go outside again, hoping there'd still be more there, lol

I’ve never seen her so excited for a treat – and she LOVES treats. I'm smitten with the idea of serving it for her birthday! BTW, yes, I also took a taste and it was really tasty and not super sweet! Exactly as Lucy describes.;)

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Header image via Shutterstock; Lucy images provided by author

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Where Is The "Gilmore Girls" Cast Now? Here's Where You Can Watch Your Favorite Stars.

Considering we talk about Lorelai and Rory Gilmore at least once a week — and constantly argue why Dave is the right answer for who's the best Gilmore GirlsTV boyfriend (although we'll also accept Logan) — we're always thinking about Gilmore Girls. Even though the show ended in 2007, the success of Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life proves that it still has a life of its own. And the actors do too! Here's what your favorite members of the cast of Gilmore Girls have been up to since the end of the series.

Alexis Bledel

Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

As one of the two Gilmore Girls mentioned in the title, we watched Alexis Bledel (Rory) grow over the years, both inside Stars Hollow and outside of it. She's starred in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Sin City, and The Handmaid's Tale. But Alexis is also a mother and shares a son with her ex-husband Vincent Kartheiser.

Lauren Graham

Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Lauren Graham played Lorelai Gilmore, and has also played a mom in titles like Parenthood and Evan Almighty. You can also read her books Someday, Someday, Maybe, Talking as Fast as I Can: from Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between), and Don't Worry About It.

Chad Michael Murray

Image via Freemantle

Chad Michael Murray, who played Tristan Dugray, has been in a slew of shows since he left Gilmore Girls in season two. He booked the lead role of Lucas Scott in One Tree Hill, and has played Jake in Freaky Friday and Edgar on Riverdale. He's also a published author! You can read his book American Drifter: An Exhilarating Tale of Love and Murder. Right now, he stars as Cal in Sullivan's Crossing.

Scott Patterson

Image via WB

Chad isn't the only one you can watch on the CW! Scott Patterson (Luke Danes) stars as Sully on Sullivan's Crossing. He was also in Aliens in America as Gary and in Saw IV and Saw V as Agent Strahm. In addition to acting, he launched Scotty P's Big Mug Coffee *and* the Gilmore Girls rewatch podcast I Am All In!

Milo Ventimiglia

Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Milo Ventimiglia played snarky, book-loving Jess Mariano, but gained even more recognition for playing Jack Pearson on This Is Us (a role that got him an Emmy nom for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series). He's also been in series like Heroes and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Jared Padalecki

Image via Neil Jacobs/Netflix

Jared Padalecki (Dean Forester) went on to star as Sam in Supernatural, a show which ran for 15 seasons. You can also see him in New York Minute and in Cheaper by the Dozen (but just for a moment)! In addition to his acting, he launched the Always Keep Fighting campaign after revealing his struggles with depression.

Melissa McCarthy

Image via Disney

Melissa McCarthy's Sookie St. James is one of the most lovable members of the Gilmore Girls cast, and went on to do even more hilarious roles during, and after, the show. You can see her in films like The Little Mermaid, Bridesmaids, Mike & Molly, and Spy, but she also received critical acclaim for her role in Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Matt Czuchry

Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Matt Czuchry, who played the fan favorite Logan Huntzberger on Gilmore Girls, also starred in some other long-running shows like The Good Wife as Cary and The Resident as Conrad. He also stars as Dexter in this year's American Horror Story: Delicate.

Liza Weil

Image via Neil Jacobs/Netflix

Liza Weil's Paris Geller is driven and hardworking (we love her for that), and Liza works just as hard! She appeared on Bunheads, and had a main role on How to Get Away with Murder. Just like Milo Ventimiglia, you can see her on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, too!

Keiko Agena

Image via Neil Jacobs/Netflix

Keiko Agena portrayed Lane Kim, but was in a variety of nostalgic TV shows like Sister, Sister, Felicity, and Beverly Hills, 90210 before Gilmore Girls premiered. You can also see her in13 Reasons Why on Netflix. Keiko married Shin Kawasaki in 2005 — in a helicopter!

Adam Brody

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Adam Brody was a member of the cast of Gilmore Girls for a short time, but his character Dave Rygalski is one of the best parts of the show. He left the series to star as Seth in the teen dramaThe OC, and has also appeared in Jennifer's Body, Promising Young Woman, Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. He married Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester, and the couple has two kids.

Kelly Bishop

Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Before Kelly Bishop played Emily Gilmore, she was in Dirty Dancing, but she also won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Sheila in A Chorus Line. You can see her in Bunheads and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Sean Gunn

Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Sean Gunn's Kirk Gleason is my favorite Gilmore Girls cast member, and has Sean has continued to play funny but lovable roles. He starred as Kraglin in the MCU and Weasel in Suicide Squad (his brother is director James Gunn). Sean is married to actress and director Natasha Halevi.

Which member of the cast of Gilmore Girls have you followed throughout the years? Let us know on Facebook and check out our Gilmore Girls page for the latest news on your favorite show!

Lead image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

This post has been updated.

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10 Gilmore Girls Moments That Prove Anyone Who Isn’t #TeamJess Is Seriously Delusional

We're still thinking about the end of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life(and the fact we might finally get season 2?!). There were so many questions left unanswered when the series and its spinoff finished, like how exactly do the Gilmore Girls eat so many donuts and pizza? More importantly, which guy is Rory finally going to end up with? Even if you’re #TeamLogan or #TeamDean, you can’t deny the appeal of stereotypical bad guy Jess. He turned into a major success story in the end, not to mention became a huge advocate for Rory getting her life back on track. Here are 10 moments that prove that anyone who isn’t #TeamJess is seriously delusional.

1. 22.8 Miles

After Rory makes the big decision to go to Yale, Jess actually looks up the distance from Stars Hallow to campus on Yahoo Maps (how very early ’00s of him!). This might be a small gesture, but it shows just how much he was thinking about their future — even if he wasn't ready to admit it — proving once and for all, he does care about her.

Image via Saeed Adyani/Netflix

2. The Swan

When Jess shows up at Friday night dinner with a black eye, we all thought our worst suspicions about him had come true, that he’d gotten into a bad fight with Dean. Actually, he just got beat up by a swan (duh) and was too proud to admit it. We. Can’t. Even. (This is also one of our favorite Luke and Jess episodes!)

3. The Bjork Snow Woman

Jess always seems to know what’s in Rory’s heart best, like the little comments he leaves for her in the books they share and the jokes they're constantly cracking. And when he recognizes that Lorelai and Rory have dressed their “snow woman” up like Bjork, it’s like he just gets it.

Image via The CW/The WB/YouTube

4. This Isn’t You

Rory stealing a boat, dropping out of Yale and joining the D.A.R. was possibly the worst or most frustrating plot line in the history of plot lines. Jess is the one who lets her know she needs to get back on track because the whole rebel rouser thing so isn’t her.

5. When He Publishes a Book

It’s understandable if you weren’t so into Jess in high school. He was sarcastic and rough around the edges and could be harsh. Grown-up Jess, on the other hand, has grown into someone who's mature, thoughtful, and grounded. He's got a good head on his shoulders and totally grounds his scenes in the Season 6 episode "Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out."

6. When He Leaves It All on the Line

That time Jess actually shows up at Rory’s dorm room and tells her to come away to New York with him was so sweet. Even if it was never going to happen in a million years, you’ve got to give the guy some credit for leaving it all out there.

Image via Neil Jacobs/Netflix

7. When He Says “I Love You”

Everyone knows Jess isn’t the warm and fuzzy type. At the start of his time on Gilmore Girls, Jess has a hard time communicating and forming connections with the people around him. So when he finally drops the bad boy front, and comes out and says he does love Rory, we can’t help but get all the feels.

Image via WB

8. The Sprinklers

Early on in the show, Rory can’t get the sprinklers off and her neighbors lawn is going to be ruined. Jess comes running to help, no questions asked. Even if this was still the period in their early friendship when they consistently got on each other's nerves (and Jess was actively trying to convince everyone he didn't care about Rory), it's *clear* he cares more than he lets on.

9. When He Borrows Luke’s Love Advice Tapes

At one point in the show, Luke goes through a mushy phase where he expresses his commitment to Lorelai by buying some goofy relationship tapes/books. Jess totally gets in on it and Lorelai even finds one of the books in Jess’s backpack. Busted!

10. When He Tells Her She’s Still a Contender

If you haven’t seen Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life yet, 1. What the heck are you waiting for? And 2. When Rory is down and out on her luck, who is the guy who tells her she’s still got it? Jess, obvs.

Are you Team Jess, Dean or Logan?Tell us @BritandCo!

Lead image via The CW/The WB/YouTube

This post has been updated.

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