The neighborhood ice cream truck driver loathes my family. I have that dreaded clan of children who love to chase down the truck but never buy a thing. They are the Big Tease. They are that posse of kids who would just die for a popsicle created in the image of Sponge Bob or Dora, with eyes made of miniature gumballs, yet they were born to a mother too neurotic about sugar to allow her children to eat "real ice cream" more than once a month, if not once in an entire summer. Not to mention my frugality. Why spend $6.00 on ice cream truck ice cream that will serve three children one time when you can buy an entire half gallon at the store for half of that?
But I don't want an entire half gallon of ice cream in my freezer. I don't want my children eating the junk inside that half gallon, namely the saturated fat and processed sugar.
But now, thanks to my homemade ice cream maker, my kids can have their ice cream and eat it too!
Last week, In the middle of the Run To The Finish Green Smoothie Challenge, my blender died, prompting me to make an emergency blender run to the local wholesale club store with my children. In the kitchen appliance aisle, nestled between toasters and mixers, and the Magic Bullet and something called the Ninja, sat an ice cream maker, whose mere existence beckoned the cries of three ice cream deprived children. "Mommy! Mommy! Can we get it? Can we get it?"
I paused, as I do before this frugal mama tosses anything into her shopping cart. The price wasn't bad. But would we use it?
During my moment of contemplation, I realized that with a homemade ice cream maker, I could control the ingredients in the ice cream, meaning my kids would get less of the bad stuff and more of the not-so-bad, or even good stuff.
It was a sale, and an easy one, at that!
That night, we made our first batch of ice cream.
This is my revision of the Cuisinart basic vanilla:
2 cups vanilla almond milk
1 cup soy coffee creamer (I used the Silk Creamer original flavor)
3/4 cups of Sugar in the Raw
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to combine all ingredients. Mix for 1 – 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of the ice cream maker and let it mix until thickened, about 25 – 30 minutes.
Here is what my daughter said to me about 3 spoonfuls into eating:
"Mom, this is the best ice cream I've ever eaten in my life!"
But I didn't need to tell you that. That picture said it all.
I am sure there will be more flavor experimentation with the ice cream maker as the summer unfolds.
Oh, and that brownie the ice cream sits upon? That's a sugarless, flourless work in progress. I promise to share the perfected recipe and more ice cream success stories with all of you as they happen!
Namaste, Divas!
©2012 Ilene Evans
{Melinda/Mothering From Scratch} I’ve wanted to get an ice cream maker for years, but figured it would probably gather dust somewhere after the novelty wore off (and I have enough of those appliances around my house!)
But I’ve heard so any people lately talk about how they’ve been able to make sure great ice cream with healthy ingredients, I may just have to take the plunge. After 10 plus years of smoothies, my kids might welcome a different frozen treat!
http://motheringfromscratch.com
We are loving it – and yes! You have total control over your ingredients. I ALMOST feel like I’m eating something healthy 🙂
The only time I recall making my own ice cream was in science class and I’m pretty sure it did NOT turn out well!
Oh, that would have been me, too. The trinity of motherhood, frugality, and nutrition neurosis has forced me to open doors I never thought I’d get open…
I love my ice cream maker… I need to use mine more.
And when I was a kid, the best ice cream off the truck was the WWF wrestler ones. If you got the one with Hulk Hogan, you were the coolest!
I think I am hooked for life on making my own.
I had no idea there was a Hulk Hogan ice cream!
That looks pretty fantastic. You’ve just reminded me that I have an ice cream maker sitting in the back corner of a cabinet in our kitchen. Maybe it’s time to dig it out. I think my boys would love making ice cream.
Yes! The ice cream making is a great family activity! And I LOVE having control over the ingredients.
Have you ever been to Elana’s Pantry? Gluten free/Paleo recipe website? She has some great and unusual ice cream maker recipes – one for vanilla ice cream you make with raw cashews! I have to try that one!
How exciting! Given all the ice cream my kids want to eat this summer, this would be a great addition to our clean eating appliance list.
Missy, I love it – and we are only a few weeks in! Have you been to the website http://www.elanaspantry.com/
She has an entire section on frozen desserts! Vanilla ice cream maker made from raw cashews! I HAVE TO try that one!
Oh that looks good! Now I want an ice cream maker!!
I highly recommend! So easy to use and you have total control over what youre eating!
Sent from my Droid Charge on Verizon 4GLTE
We LOVE ours! You can make sorbets with fruit as well. Also FYI the Ninja = the Bullet x10. I worshiped my Bullet and retired it for the all powerful Ninja.
I’m also the mom who loathes the ice cream truck. “Tell him never to come to our block again”. The kids aren’t sure if I’m serious or not. Nah, they know I am. Besides, the music creeps me out.
Oh, one more tip for frugal healthy eaters: You can often find ice cream makers in thrift stores. Pretty sure I saw one at Holy Family last week!
Oh that music is totally creepy!
Sorbets are next. Thanks for explaining the Ninja to me!