Recently, my 89 year old Grandmother Hofheins passed away and with her passing I have been flooded with memories. My favorite ones surround an old ice cream freezer. As a family, we would gather in grandma’s kitchen and participate in the ritual of freezing the cream. It was fun as cousins by the dozens flocked to lend a helping hand knowing that there would be a big payoff.
The event of freezing the cream was not reserved for any traditional occasion just when ever there was a number of family members present to do the churning. I know the ice cream was incredibly delicious, but it is not so much the taste that has stayed with me, but more the making of the memory. Our taste buds have a way of creating the best memories. So with the awakening of summer comes the salute to ice cream. My grandfather Weaver always served us up an ice cream cone following lunch or dinner. He said it was perfect for sliding between the cracks.
For my son’s first birthday each guest was invited to shake their own cream in a Ziploc bag until the ice cream was formed. What fun it was to watch young ones and old ones create this rhythm as they salivated over what would soon be the tasty product.
Summer is fun and the ice cream shops are endless so go ahead and scream for ice cream. Perhaps, if you’re lucky your hands will find their way to an old fashioned freezer and with each turn the anticipation will grow and result will be absolutely delicious.
Ziploc Bag Ice Cream
recipe from Kaboose.com
What you’ll need:
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or half & half
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons rock salt
• 1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
• 1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
• Ice cubes
How to make it:
1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!
Tips:
A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don’t increase the proportions more that that — a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.
See the slideshow below for some of our favorite homemade icecream recipes including Grandma’s Old Fashioned Vanilla, Nutella Ice Cream and Banana Split Ice Cream.
Summer is fun and the ice cream shops are endless so go ahead and scream for ice cream. Perhaps, if you’re lucky your hands will find their way to an old fashioned freezer and with each turn the anticipation will grow and result will be absolutely delicious
Just in case you need immediate satisfaction make a trip to one of these treateries for a cold treat

RECIPES

Grandma’s Homemade Ice Cream

Scald 2 ½ quarts of milk (Scald means to put it in a large pan and almost bring it to a boil).
Mix 3 cups of sugar, 8 tablespoons flour and ¼ tsp of salt and stir in gradually into the scalded milk.
Add 4 slightly beaten eggs.
Turn heat to lowest setting and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and thickening slightly.
Turn off heat and let cool until ready to freeze.

When ready to freeze, pour above mixture into 1 gallon freezing container and add whipping cream (a quart and a pint) as well as a little vanilla for flavor. You might want to taste it to determine how much vanilla.

Note:  This is my grandmother's ice cream freezer.  She says it is mine.... when she is done using it....