What better way to cool off on a hot day than with homemade ice cream. When we are at our float cabin, ice can be hard to come by. We have a propane refrigerator, but the small freezer is usually full. Towards the end of the week there's finally enough space to make a bag of ice. I researched to find a small manual ice cream maker. What I purchased was the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker by Industrial Revolution (www.icecreamrevolution.com). I got mine at REI. You can get it online or at a store near you. I have the pint size. There's also a quart version.

Ice cube trays filled half way work best. After I have a one quart plastic bag filled I'm ready to go. Directions for making ice cream are simple. Fill the ball with as much ice as it will hold. Add 1/2 cup rock salt to the ice to increase its freezing power.

Here is the recipe I use.

1 pint of half and half

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

Cream makes a smoother ice cream. When I am at the cabin, I use a can of Carnation Thick Cream (but it's getting hard to find) mixed with enough canned milk to make the one pint of liquid. Mix your ice cream ingredients and place them in the other end of the ball.

Now shake or roll the ball to make ice cream. I've found it takes longer than advertised. I open the container at 10 minutes and scrape the sides with a plastic spoon. Otherwise, it freezes hard on the outside and remains liquid in the middle. I check it every 5 minutes and repeat as necessary. I also add more ice if room permits.

I pre-chill an aluminum bowl. When the ice cream is of soft serve consistency, I transfer it to the aluminim bowl and put it in the freezer to harden. At this point I might add chocolate chips, coconut or frozen berries to make a custom flavor. The possibilities are endless. I've even put it in a graham cracker crust to make an ice cream pie. The possibilities are limitless.

Want to create an ice cream maker of your own? Click here for directions using baggies or coffee cans. No matter how you make it, ice cream makes a yummy treat. -- Margy