Global warming, cooling or whatever, the snow makes good ice cream

Fresh snow is ideal for making snow ice cream.

Blame it on global warming. Blame it on global cooling. Blame it the Mayans. Whatever, we have had snow this early winter. Depending on your perspective, it can be good or bad.

There’s an old saying, “When life gives you lemons. make lemonade.” I’d suggest, when life gives you snow, make snow ice cream.

When I was a youngster growing up in eastern Illinois. and that first measurable snow arrived, Mom would make a bowl of snow cream. It tasted great, and as I grew to grade school age, I was able to help make the tasty stuff. However, my duties usually related to gathering the white stuff. 

Someone often chuckled and added, “Don’t get any of the yellow snow.” I may not have been very old, but knew they were telling me to get clean snow and avoid any area the dogs used as an outdoor restroom.

Later, when we were fortunate enough to have a refrigerator that had a freezer,but it still was fun to make snow ice cream.

Most of the recipes for snow ice cream are quite simple, but there are a few variations.

The simplest, and the way I recall making it, requires only four ingredients. That is one cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar and four or five cups of clean snow.

Mix together the milk, vanilla, and the sugar. Stir this mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly add the snow to your mixture, stirring constantly, until it is as thick as the ice cream. Enjoy.

Some recipes add one beaten egg. That makes it a bit richer. Some call for separating the white and yellow of the egg, beating, and then adding together. Others even call for cooking the egg mixture a bit. And some add a dash of salt.

On the internet, I just read a simple recipe from Paula Deen, the well-known southern TV chef.. Her ingredients are eight cups of snow, one 14-ounce can of sweetened condense milk, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Simply place snow into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and add vanilla. Mix to combine. Serve immediately in bowls.

My cousin, Janet wasn’t big on white milk, so she would add other flavorings to the ice cream.

Keeping it simple seems fine to me. 

One of the good things about freezers these days is you can even save some of your snow ice cream and eat it later.

The EPA or some environmental groups probably today say the snow is full of all sorts of toxins, but go for it. Enjoy it. You won’t be eating that much anyway.

Guess, I’m still a kid at heart. I like snow, and would love a bowl of snow ice cream, although today it would have to be with artificial sweetener.