Shaking Up Some Ice Cream

Ellie's two-year old teacher first introduced us to making ice cream in a bag. When we did the project in her class I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But, I was shocked—shocked I say—at how yummy it was. I also couldn't believe that we could actually produce ice cream (in a manner of minutes) from shaking a few ingredients thrown in a Ziplock bag—who would have thought? So in commemoration of these dog days of summer and trying to curtail boredom during the last stretch before school starts, I'm passing along this deliciously cold culinary project for you and your little one to enjoy together.

But if you'd rather forgo the Ziplock bags and take the more traditional route, try out this yummy recipe from sunny Florida. It requires an ice cream maker, but it sounds divine.

Okay one last thing before we get started: I should take a minute to thank the writers over at Kids A Cookin' who have supplied this recipe. Alright, enough with all that. Let the ice cream making and eating begin....

What you'll need:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup rock salt or some water softener pellets
ice cubes
pint sized Ziplock bag
gallon sized Ziplock bag

1. Open a pint zip-type bag, add sugar and vanilla.. Seal bag tightly and mix well by squeezing with fingers.
2. Open bag and add milk. Squeeze out extra air, zip tightly and mix well.
3. Open a gallon zip-type bag, add rock salt and fill halfway with ice cubes.
4. Put pint bag inside gallon bag, seal well and shake bag for 5 to 10 minutes or until liquid has changed to ice cream.

Tips:
Wear gloves
Take turns shaking
Add fruit or cocoa powder for a flavor twist
Above all else—make sure you grab two spoons for sharing!