Sweet treats all summer long? Yes, please!
I've tasked my second born with "popsicle duty" this year. Every morning he keeps track of how many we have in the freezer and he makes more as needed. This is perfect for guests or just a daily treat we can feel good about.
But what about ice cream? That you can eat in a bowl or plop on a cone? I've got you covered there, too!
Why Make Your Own Ice Cream
I have found that our family does best with whole foods, which includes raw dairy. That doesn't mean we don't have the occasional store-bought treat. I let my kids decide on having the occasional treat from DQ in town and as they get older they have realized on their own that the fun treat may not be worth how they feel later on.
They are old enough, that my oldest two also analyzed the cost of buying ice cream out, versus what we have figured our milk to be worth a gallon (we kept track of feed costs and milk production this past winter!) and our whole family can enjoy a large bowl of ice cream for $4 whereas going out for ice cream...$25+!
I have come up with several ice cream recipes that are no-cook, meaning you get to keep the amazing properties of raw milk in your treats. And because they don't need to cook, you can get going a lot faster! No need to cool that back down before churning when you're only working with cold ingredients!
The Best Ice Cream Makers
Yes, making ice cream instead of popsicles does require a bit more money and you must have an ice cream maker for most of these recipes. But I seriously have found this to be a great investment for our family because when you have the right equipment you can make healthy (ish) treats and even think about going to the store. In the end it saves us money and saves our tummies.
The best budget option I've found is the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, 2-Quart. It still costs a fair bit but we have used it SO much it has entirely paid for itself.
A super splurge is the Whynter 2-Quart. I got it for my birthday and it is so fun to have something fancy that we truly use. The reason it costs more is you don't have to store the bowl in the freezer since it has its own compressor. Paying for the convenience.
Making your own ice cream is something a lot of people try and then give up on, so it's definitely worth checking out your thrift stores or asking around in a buy nothing group. Many people want to try making ice cream and then get tired of storing the bowl in the freezer or remembering to have ingredients on hand. Their loss will be your gain!
Whole Food Ingredient Ice Cream
Get yourself an ice cream maker because these will be worth the startup cost!
Not ready to get a machine just yet? These simple recipes only require a mixer or food processor, which are more likely to be in your kitchen already.
What are you waiting for? Start churning!
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