The Cultured Girl

Something about the taste and texture of homemade ice cream conjures up summertime perfectly. Making your own is actually quite easy, and a great way to keep the bored kids (or intoxicated adults) occupied at at your Fourth of July barbecue. I’ve heard great things about this Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker, a soccer ball-like device that sells for around $40. You just put ice and rock salt in the outer shell, then fill the middle with ice cream ingredients, including heavy cream and whatever flavors you desire. (Recipes abound on the Web.) Then you just roll the ball back and forth until the dessert is ready (about 20 minutes).

For a DIY project, you can achieve the same effect using coffee cans. Just fill a smaller coffee can with ingredients, place it inside a larger can, fill the space in between with ice and rock salt, and roll away. I’ve tried this, and it actually works very well.