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Health & Fitness

Ice Cream, the homemade way

When I was a little girl, my father made homemade vanilla ice cream on holidays, and especially on 4th of July.  He had a hand crank ice cream maker and we always knew he was going to make some when he'd ask us where the cork was. 

To this day, I never understood why we didn't put the cork inside the metal cylinder where the ice cream ingredients were poured. That way, it would be with the ice cream maker. I believe I even asked this logical question a few times. But I now think part of the ritual was the hunt for the cork, and really wonder if it was ever "lost" to begin with.

Searching through all the drawers and cupboards must have meant to heighten our expectation for the tasty treat. Because as I'm wrifing this blog, it suddenly strikes me as odd that it would turn up in very strange places. Like in the sewing box, or the butter keeper part of the refrigerator.  The cork was the last thing my father needed when making the ice cream. But it was the first thing he made us look for, and wouldn't start until we found it.  After the ice cream was frozen, the cork was inserted in the cap when the paddle was removed. The paddle was the part inside the metal container that churned the liquid into ice cream. Our biggest treat was to eat the ice cream from this paddle--much like licking frosting from the bowl--the treat before the treat! It would be hours until we actually got to have bowls of the creamy homemade goodness.

When the ice cream became so hard the crank couldn't be turned anymore, that was the signal it was done and the paddle was taken out, the cork placed in the cap where the paddle went and all the remaining ice was poured around the top to bury both the cylinder and cap, with any remaining ice left in the brown bag plopped on top of it all, with a brick placed on top of that. The cylinder of ice cream had to "sit" for several hours before we could eat it.

But I have gotten ahead of my story.  After the finding of the cork, came the big trip to the "Ice House"...  to be continued.....


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