Okay, so I know that I am a mommy to an almost four year old, however, there are STILL things I am just recently learning that just make me think "WHY did I not know this before?!" Needless to say, this may not be something new for you. I just may in fact be the last person on the planet to have learned this. But if you are like me and had no clue you could do this then this recipe is just for you!! I found this scavenging the Internet for something quick and fun to do with my daughter outside today before her nap. It had to be quick, mess free (its sorta mess free.....), and I had to have everything needed to complete this task. This activity fit the bill!! Here is how simple it is to make homemade ice cream in a bag in just about 5 minutes!! No Joke!!
**Disclaimer! I was way to involved in the making of this activity to stop and photograph the process, which I wish I had, so the following pictures are not my own :-)
First you need to gather your ingredients!
Milk, Sugar, and Vanilla.
You can vary how much of each ingredient you use. Since Gracie and I each wanted our own little bit of ice cream, I made each recipe twice. For one person to have a small amount, I recommend using (per person) 1 cup of milk, 3 table spoons sugar (we like it sweet people!), and 1 table spoon of vanilla and just a tiny tiny pinch of salt.
Now, this is where you could talk to your kids about how we measure, let them poor the ingredients into the bag, talk to them about the flavors and what each one might taste like inside the ice cream. Ask them questions and get their brains movin!
In a small Ziploc bag, place your cup of milk, sugar and vanilla and use a spoon to mix gently. Seal the bag very tightly and try to get as much of the air out as you can so it doesn't pop later in the process.
In a Large zip lock back, place about 3 cups of ice. You want to fill the bag about half way of Ice. Next place about 6 tablespoons of rock salt into the Ice bag and give the bag a little shake to evenly distribute the salt into the ice. We were out of rock salt so I used a half and half mixture of kosher salt and table salt. This worked just fine! This is what you should have in front of you at this point.....
Now, just place your sealed bag of milk mixture into the ice bag and seal the ice bag very tightly.
I recommend going outside for this next part. Once your outside you want to shake the bag and move it around as much as you can for a few minutes. Basically moving the ice around the ice cream mixture as much as you can. Your child's hands will probably only be able to handle it for a few seconds because the bag gets VERY cold. After only a few minutes you will be able to feel the ice cream mixture and tell that it is now a soft ice cream texture. Once its firm enough its done! Just take it back in side, poor the ice cream in a bowl and enjoy!
