Silently it floats against the night. Mounting. Soft as cotton. Light as down. A crystal ballet suspended in the air. I blow tiny swirls into the darkness... as a feathery dandelion gone to seed. Bare toes sink into its frosty carpet. Like a child on Christmas Eve... I peek.
Sled. Check. Mittens, boots, hats... check.
A full jug of cider waits to simmer in winter spices. Chili beans for stewing. Cornmeal for rising. Cocoa for mixing, marshmallows for roasting... and a large, empty bowl for collecting. There shall be snow ice cream tomorrow.
If the snow is still fluttering by your windowpane... slip a bowl outside with me. If you have never made snow ice cream, you are about to make a childhood memory, cherished in the hearts of your little people... or simply make your own inner child smile!
Recipes vary. Some call for evaporated milk. Some add cocoa. Apparently some folks just don't possess a culinary appreciation for the consumption of snow and have developed recipes relegating the snow to simply chilling conventional ice cream recipes. Ah, set that inner child free! At our house, we shall eat snow!
Last winter was the first time my little men made our wintry confection! After a long day of snowball fights, sledding, snowman building and picture snapping... we brought in our bowl, mounded over.
To make sure our snow is completely clean, we prefer to gather flakes as they fall in a clean bowl perched on our deck rail. With a large mixing bowl heaping full, carve a small well in the center. Add one cup of whole milk or half and half... or dare I say, cream! Begin stirring slowly as you sprinkle in one cup of sugar. Add a splash of vanilla. Mix thoroughly... but quickly and gently! That's it!
Snow ice cream... happy children of all ages... and a memory to pass along the next time snow begins to dance against the night.
Meet you by the fire,
Susan
P.S. Thanks, Dad and Lu. Would have never known about snow ice cream without you kids. :)
