Not just "NATIONAL" but "INTERNATIONAL" Ice Cream Day!

Last night while I was tucking my youngest in, she informed me that her iCarly calendar told her that today was "International Ice Cream Day."  I am pretty sure if you google it, (and trust me, I am a googlemaniac) there is a national holiday for something every day...but an international one?  and for ICE CREAM?! Something had to be done about this!

When I was pregnant with our twins, I used to get cravings, like most pregnant women do.  One day I had an overwhelming desire to make and to eat homemade ice cream. I called my mom to see if she still had our old crank ice cream maker. What did I care if it was crank or not? I was pregnant, surely they would crank it for me right?? She laughed and said she gave it to the Goodwill years before that. So, off to Wally World  I went.  I bought a brand new electric one. (figured sooner or later I wouldn't have an excuse and they would make me crank it, and why would I want that?) So, home I went and we made the ice cream.  I remember the hardest part was leaving it in the freezer long enough for it to get hardened. We usually end up with a really soft serve cream, but it tastes amazing none the less. It was awesome.

Two more children for us made four, and that ice cream maker had been used one time since then.  (our twins are almost NINE.) It just sat up on the top shelf of my pantry where I always knew it would be if I needed it. Today I needed it.  I mean, for heaven's sake!

It's INTERNATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY!

We spent the better part of the 100+ degree day at a baseball game melting, I swear the thought of making that when we got home was what pulled us through!  We mixed it up, put the top on the maker, and plugged it in. Silence. After my husband smacked it swore a little and tore it apart and put it back together about 4 times, I suggested borrowing his sisters, who we are fortunate enough to have living at the top of our hill. So, my son goes to get their maker and brings home TWO!! Good thing I was prepared, I had enough for TWO BATCHES!! Yay! So we got both of them rolling and finished dinner. 

After dinner, I prepared toppings, and we waited.  Not so patiently. We waited. "Ah...just forget it! Let's eat it soft!" we declared. So, here it is, my dish, with fresh berries, soft but OH SO GOOD!!

homemade vanilla ice cream with berries

The best part (next to eating it of course) was that i got to use my cute new miniature trifle bowls I got for my birthday! :) I should have taken the picture more from the side, to show their cute little selves off!

Vanilla Ice Cream

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 cups cream

2 Tablespoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 cups milk

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar a little at a time until combined.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pour into your ice cream maker. Add ice half way, rock salt and then fill with ice. Blend until frozen. Put in freezer for a few hours to harden.

day two after it hardened, with butterfinger and chocolate syrup