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Call us at:

336-298-4375

Come check out our new dining area!

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Check out our new Rental Spaces!

Having a party and need a space to have it? Need a space to meet with your team, youth group, or even hold a fun business meeting off site? We now have the space right here in Oak Ridge. Come check them out and talk to us! We would be happy to host you and your group! Contact us for further details.

 GOURMET COOKIE CONES! 

E-Gift Cards!

Looking for a last minute gift for someone in our local area? Why not send an e-gift card!

Click Here!

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Welcome to The Moon and Back Frozen Treats!
Check out some of our flavors!

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The Full Story

What Sets Us Apart?

Tasty, and completely unique, To the Moon and Back Frozen Treats serves up delicious, authentic Italian Ice (and NOW homemade ice-cream!) to Oak Ridge/Greensboro-area residents who are sick and tired of the same old options. There are others that try and tempt you with sweet artificial treats, but we think we offer the best choice, an authentic Italian Ice (and custom flavors of ice-cream) that satisfies your finicky taste for true flavor.

 

The complete experience only happens when you actually show up, so go ahead and follow us online (Facebook and Instagram) for real-time truck location updates and special shop sales; we might be parked at a location near you soon or you can now come say "Hi!" at our location in Oak Ridge! Your taste buds will be glad you did!

Is it Ice Cream?

Short answer = no.

What Is Italian Ice?

Italian Ice is a frozen dessert made with water, sweetener and fruit, and fruit is optional. It may be fruit juices or concentrates or other similar flavorings instead. Depending on what part of the country you are in, Italian Ice can also be called water ice. However, whatever part of the country you are in, it is never to be referred to as shaved ice, although people that don’t know any better, often do.  In some places that is considered an insult. Wars have been fought over lesser things! Okay, that might be a stretch, but you get the idea. Shaved ice is just what is sounds like; ice shavings with a syrup poured over it. There is no art to it. No generational recipes. No skill or knowledge required. Just a rotating razor to shave the block of ice and a bottle of syrup. Shaved ice is most often compared to a snow cone.

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Italian Ice is made by freezing the ingredients while mixing them. which is similar to the way ice cream and sherbet is made, however they use dairy or egg products with air whipped into it and the Italian Ice uses neither. The absence of the whipped air is what makes the Italian Ice a denser and more flavorful frozen confection. Italian Ice is more often compared to sorbet because of it’s similar ingredients of water sugar and fruit. The biggest difference between the two is the texture. The sorbet will typically have a creamier, smoother texture whereas the Italian Ice may feel a little grainier for lack of a better word. Of course there are always exceptions to every rule. Depending on the quality, Italian Ice can have an extremely smooth texture. The smoothness is attributed to the ratio of sugar and fruit, or flavoring, to the ice.

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What makes the Italian Ice unique is the way it crushes the ice while the ingredients are freezing. The cheaper versions of Italian Ice just add flavoring or fruit concentrate to a shaved or crushed ice. This creates a grittier texture than the higher quality brands because it does not represent an accurate method of preparation that would differentiate authentic Italian Ice. 

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The modern day Italian Ice is thought to have come from a dessert in Sicily called granita, which is a semi-frozen concoction with a coarser, more crystalline texture. The story goes that just about 100 years ago, on a warm summer day, in a city in New Jersey, a woman grew nostalgic for her hometown in Italy. Her response was to try to recreate a frozen dessert from her childhood days. The result was a much smoother version of the Sicilian Granita. With a sweet/tart taste of sugar and fresh squeezed lemon, it became an immediate hit with friends and family. This tradition has carried on ever since, with many a company duplicating this process.  Some of the more mainstream flavors today include cherry, strawberry, blue raspberry, watermelon, orange, and lemon, with lemon being the true test of authenticity and quality.  Then add some tropical flavors such as coconut and mango, and designer flavors like cotton candy and sour apple and you have a treat that reaches beyond borders and appeals to everyone. So the next time you are at a festival or carnival or another similar event make sure to ask if they are serving “Real Italian Ice.”

What's the difference between Ice Cream and Creme Ice?

Italian Creme Ice is more like a sorbet. It is basically Italian Ice with trace amounts of dairy mixed in. Not as heavy as an Italian Gelato, or American Ice Cream, but still satisfyingly smooth! Most of our gourmet, non-fruity flavors are going to be Creme Ices.

Where will we be?

Come and see us!

Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day to prepare a delicious dessert without feeling rushed. That’s where To the Moon and Back comes in. You can preorder your Ice cream by calling ahead and we will have it available at our shop or when you know we'll be in your neighborhood, our mobile cart or truck. Catch us at one of our locations in and around the Greensboro area and experience what gourmet, hand-scooped ice cream or authentic Italian Ice tastes like.   Please Note: As a mobile food truck we cannot always guarantee our locations/hours of operation due to parking difficulties, weather, and/or other conditions beyond our control. Please check Facebook/Instagram, or call us (336) 298-4375 for the most up-to-date information.

Why did you name it that?

We are often asked about why we named our business "To the Moon and Back." The true origin of this name is related to what we told our boys when they came to live with us as foster children. We wanted to let them know just how much they were loved and adored even if they weren't with their birth parents. You see, all four of our handsome boys are adopted. They are now and forever will be loved to the moon and back! And of course, you will love our Italian ice and ice-cream just as much! 

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Contact Us

336-298-4375

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