When Life Gives You Snow.....Make Snow Icecream!

It's snowing!  It's snowing!!  I'm not sure who is more excited-the kids or me!   I just adore snow days....they are a great excuse to get nothing done AND be a big kid for the day....does it get any better??  Yes, in my house it takes a full 40 minutes to get everyone bundled up and 2 hours to get them undressed and the snow cleaned off my floor, but it is soooo worth it!  There is just something magical about sledding and snow angels :)  And when we are lucky enough to get that perfect snow for snowmen, it makes snow days all that much better!  

After we they have wore ourselves  me completely out from all the fun and  we  I am thoroughly froze, we have what I call "The Great Snow Harvest" where we collect our bowls of snow to take inside with us.  Our favorite snow day activity is definitely the making of snow icecream :)   It really is so good!  Now, my husband is completely repulsed by this, but we set our bowls out to collect the falling snow or are very careful about skimming it from the top of a very clean site.  It tastes like custard-base homemade icecream and takes 5 minutes!  We have made chocolate, strawberry, strawberry-banana, and raspberry and they were all super-yum!  (recipe below)  I also whip up a batch of quick, easy muffins or cookies and, of course, some hot coccoa while the troops are devouring their snow icecream so we can (eventually) warm up.  While everything is finishing baking,  it's time to engage in a lively game of go-fish or connect four, which usually ends in someone angry that they did not win, no matter how many times we play (what can I say....all 4 of my kids are very competitive & have never played a game "just for fun").  To placate the losing party, turning our living room into a tent city (read-every blanket & chair in your house) usually helps....especially if we all pile in & watch a movie with some of our yummy baked goods :)

There is nothing better than a glimpse of being a kid again~other than sharing the moment with your own kids!   Snow days allow us one of those opprotunities; to be there in a real way, sharing the joy with our kids.

Snow Icecream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

8 c snow (if it's really fluffy snow, you may need more....or use less of the sweetened milk)

1 tsp. vanilla

mix together & enjoy immediately.   If you want to try flavors, just mix in any add-ins to to suit your taste.

 OR if you don't have sweetened condensed milk....

1 gallon snow
1 c sugar
1T. vanilla
2 c. milk

mix & enjoy :)