Snow Cream!

I was craving ice cream the night before last, and while we didn't have any in the freezer, we sure had a lot of snow outside!  I knew I had read about people making snow cream, and a quick Google search turned up the basic recipe: simply milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and, of course, fresh clean snow!

 

Since Wednesday night was the night after our second January blizzard, there was plenty of fresh snow!  I just opened the back door and scooped some off our deck.  (Disclaimer: I would definitely only have done this with fresh snow.  But my girls eat snow anyway, fresh or not.  You have to eat a pound of dirt before you die, right?)

For my mixing bowl full of snow I probably used about a cup of milk and 3/4 cup of sugar, adding gradually and mixing until it seemed the right consistency.  I also added at least a teaspoon of vanilla.

 

We all enjoyed the finished product, which was sweet, milky, and very cold!  My husband compared the consistency to Italian ice.  

This was definitely a frugal way to make ice cream -- no need for an ice cream maker or even for heavy cream!  And my girls were thrilled; it will definitely be a fun memory for them.  My husband said it was the sort of thing that no kids on the playground would believe that their mom really did.  I considered that a high complement.  

Making snow cream was a Finer Thing in Life.