Homemade Ice Cream....A Simple Pleasure for Our American Soldiers

What is more American than homemade ice cream? I love the fact that some of our soldiers in Iraq were able to enjoy homemade ice cream over the 4th weekend, especially considering their EXTREMELY HOT temperatures! We sent this thermometer to Richie for his birthday (something he requested) and here's the temperature he recorded for the other day:



It's traditional in our family to make homemade ice cream sometime during the summer, at least once, and we usually do so at our 4th of July celebration and/or at our family reunion celebration. Butterfinger is my personal favorite!


Okay, I hope he didn't REALLY lick this...because I know he loves Eagle Brand Milk!


I wonder just how many of these tiny milk cartons it actually took?

My sister-in-law, Missy (Richie's wife), mailed all the ingredients plus the ice cream freezer to Richie, so he wouldn't miss out! Isn't that a good wife? The soldiers were able to collect enough cartons of milk and get some ice so they could make themselves some homemade ice cream. I asked Richie if he would take pictures so I could share them with you! And he did, so these are pictures of these guys treating themselves to an all American simple pleasure!


All ingredients in...time to put the lid on and add the ice!


Now to add the ice...and get the machine going....then waiting...the hardest part!

I'm sure that homemade "icy" ice cream hit the spot over there in those triple digit temperatures too. They even have enough ingredients left to make several more batches during the summer.


Ahhh.....worth the wait....cool, refreshing, homemade AMERICAN ice cream!

I know it's a simple American pleasure, one so simple that it's easy to take for granted. But....I'm really happy that Richie and his fellow soldiers were able to enjoy it in Iraq. He plans on leaving the ice cream freezer for the next crew that comes in on tour to enjoy.

Here's the simple recipe for Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream:

1 small box french vanilla instant pudding (or chocolate or any flavor you prefer)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 can condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
milk to the "fill" line on the freezer
1 box rock salt
Bag of ice (approx)

Mix the first four ingredients and pour into the freezer container. Then add the milk to the fill line mixing it all together.

Turn the freezer on before adding the ice. Then put ice half way around in the freezer. Add about 1/2 the box of rock salt distributed with the ice. Then fill rest of the way with ice followed by the rest of the rock salt.

It usually takes approximately 20 minutes to make doing it this way.

If you want to add your favorite candy bars to the mix, put (about) 2 candy bars between wax paper. Beat it into pieces and add into the mixture with the first four ingredients. (Did I mention butterfinger is REALLY good?)

Enjoy!