Welcome to August! It's almost the end of summer already, and it seems like summer slows down into a hot, lazy, sleepy month of moving as slowly as possible. To cool you off and make the end of the summer a little sweeter, we are escaping with ice cream all month here at The Kitchn! What does that mean? Well, read on...

Our sister home sites are blogging escapes and getaways all month - vacation living, retreats from the city, and ways to relax and get away at home. We're following along with a series of posts on food from all over the world, and tips on breaking out of your daily cooking routine. We'll also talk about eating while on vacation and traveling.

But there is one key and cool way we're focusing on getting away: ice cream! August is also Ice Cream Month here at The Kitchn, and we're going to be doing a big contest, with details to follow on Monday.

So kick back and relax with us as we take a serious escape through ice cream!

• Image above: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from The Kitchn. Sounds very getaway-ish to us, in a backyard sort of way!

Related: July is Grilling Month!

(Image: Faith Hopler)