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Fun Facts About Ice Cream
by: Alli Ross

To this day, the history of ice cream remains a mystery. However, many say that the first ice cream is credited to Emperor Nero of Rome. It was a mixture of snow, nectar, fruit pulp, and honey. Others proclaim that Marco Polo, a 13th century adventurer, brought ice cream to Europe from the Far East. However, regardless of where it came from, today's average American consumes 23.2 quarts of ice cream per year, with the first ice cream parlor in America opening in 1776 in New York City.

So, which countries like ice cream the most? The United States, New Zealand, Denmark, and Australia top the list. The favorite flavor is the classic vanilla. Then comes chocolate, strawberry, neapolitan, and chocolate chip.

How do these line up with your own list of favorites?

The most popular topping for ice cream --- chocolate syrup. Who would of thought ; )

Around 13% of men and 8% of women will admit to licking the bowl clean after eating ice cream.

Biggest ice cream sundae - 12 ft tall! This one was made with 4,667 gallons of ice cream in California in 1985.

The average single-scoop ice cream cone takes 50 licks to finish. Try it out with the following recipe.

Quick Strawberry Parfait:

Ingredients

1 quart of strawberry ice cream

1 pint of whipped cream

Instructions

Mix the strawberry ice cream with the whipped cream at serving time. Serve in a glass of your choice and top with whipped cream, with a strawberry on top. (Feel free to top your parfait with other fruits as well.)

This recipe will fill eight glasses.

For other parfait flavors, simply use a different flavored ice cream.



Unusual Baby Names - A Popular Trend


by: Alli Ross



Parents today seem to be favoring unusual baby names. At one point in history, over half of the children born were given popular names. No more. Today's trend is to break with the traditional. Your picking a name because you love it, not because of what everybody else thinks of it.

A name is central to a child's earliest sense of identity. It's often the first word he or she learns to read and write. Naming trends of today are defined by celebrities, literary classics, and even name brands. Look no further than your favorite book, car, or brand for baby name ideas. Names like "Armani", "Del Monte", "Infiniti", "Celica", "Chevy", and "Lexus" are increasing in popularity.

So, how do you go about finding an unusual baby name? Believe it or not, celebrities are a great source of unusual baby names. There has recently been a major trend amongst celebrities choosing unusual names for their children. Julia Roberts named her twins Hazel and Phinnaeus. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis are the parents of Rumer Glenn, Scout LaRue and Tallulah Belle. Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay singer Chris Martin recently named their child Apple. Sylvester Stallone has given his children the names Sage Moonblood and Sistine Rose. Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette are the proud parents of Coco and John Travolta and Kelly Preston named their boy Jett.

While you may not want to be quite this unusual, a creative name gives your child a unique identity and distinguishes them from all the James, John's, and Jacob's.

You can also get some great baby naming ideas from other countries. In Ireland, some of the most popular baby names are Cian, Dylan, and Conor. Germany likes the names Felix and Lucas while Norway prefers Andrian, Sander, and Tobias.

You could even make up your own baby names! Here are some tips on how to come up with original names.

Create a name from two names. You can combine two names that you really like. If you really like Sarah and Beth, you could combine them to form Sarah-Beth. If you like David and Daniel, you could form Daviel.

You could also start spelling names backward to come up with some unique combinations.

Another common technique that is being used is giving a traditional name a different spelling. So David might turn into Dayvid or Sierra could be Cyera.

You might also want to consider naming your child after cities, street names, or landmarks. Montanna, Everest, Shea, Austin, and Dakota all make for great baby names.

Whether you choose a name that expresses family loyalty and tradition or your own flare and originality, it is sure to be an exciting milestone. Take some time to choose a name that your child will enjoy for a lifetime. A name is forever.


Teen Drivers - Distractions and Other Risk Factors


by: Valerie Nay



Obviously, there are some pretty big differences in the danger factors between teen drivers and adults -- not the least of which are inexperience, risk taking, immaturity and greater risk exposure.

The good news is if we are paying attention, we can help kids stay more focused on safety as they navigate the teen driving years (and possibly reduce our own risks as fellow drivers).

The Facts:

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the crash rate per miles driven is four times higher for 15 to 20 year olds than for drivers over age 20. The National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration reports that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for younger drivers, and that distracted driving is a factor in one out of every four crashes.

What’s Behind It?

A recent policy statement “The Teen Driver” from the American Academy of Pediatrics cites these reasons teens are at greater risk:

* Lack of driver experience
* Young age at licensure
* Failure to use safety belts
* Inadequate hazard-perception skills
* Distraction (cellular phone, food, drink, music)
* Transporting teenaged passengers
* Nighttime driving
* Speeding and reckless driving
* Fatigue
* Unsafe vehicle choice
* Alcohol use
* Drug or medication use
* Inadequate parental limit setting
* Unlicensed or revoked license
* ADHD

The Distractor Factor!

The study also reports a direct correlation between the chances of being in a car crash to the number of teen passengers. 16- to 17-year olds have a 40 percent higher risk of crashing when they have one friend in the car, 50 percent higher with two friends, and four times higher with three or more teen passengers!

The IIHS & NHTSA recommend the following for parents:

* Don’t rely solely on drivers' education – it may be convenient but typically it doesn’t do as good a job as a parent can at focusing on safety attitudes and decision making.
* Know the law – Restrictions on beginning drivers vary by state.
* Restrict night driving – it requires more skill and is generally more recreational – creating distraction and more risk taking.
* Restrict passengers – especially multiple teens. Nights are worse than days but passengers are always distractions for a beginning driver.
* Supervise practice driving – spread it over six months, continue even after full licensure and include night driving and a variety of other driving situations.
* Remember that you are a role model – practice safe driving yourself to increase the odds your child will drive safely.
* Require safety belt use – don’t assume, but insist that your child wear a safety belt at all times.
* Prohibit drinking – adopt a no-tolerance policy. Even a small amount of alcohol is an impairment to a teen.
* Choose vehicles for safety, not image – select cars with the best protection in a crash and avoid cars that encourage speeding.
* Make sure your child has emergency contact information with him or her at all times -- especially in the car.

Some parents use a written driving agreement to outline their expectations, set penalties and establish graduated driving privileges in advance. The elements of a driving agreement can include obeying laws, practicing safe behaviors and even maintaining the car.