Family Camping: Homemade Ice Cream

Most of the time, camping involves a wide variety of temperatures from very chilly at nights to incredibly warm during the days. Trust me when I tell you, I have staying warm down to an art! I hate being cold. But cooling down is not something that I typically try to do, so I have had to be more creative than usual. This recipe however, made my job a breeze!

Here's what you'll need:
(Per Person)

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup whole milk or half & half (2% will work too, just not as well. Half & Half is your best bet)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
Ice cubes
Newspaper or brown paper bag
Duct Tape

In the pint size bag, mix Milk, Sugar & Vanilla. Seal tightly and place inside the gallon Ziploc bag. To the gallon bag add ice and rock salt in layers until full, but still able to zip closed tightly. Wrap tightly with newspaper and secure with duct tape. ( I will usually wrap with 4 or 5 layers of newspaper and then cover completely with duct tape, but my husband says that is just wasting duct tape.) Then shake, shake and shake some more. Shake and shimmy it around for 5 to 10 minutes. (My kids really enjoy rolling it down hills or kicking it around. Whatever gets the job done. Just don't kick it so hard that either bag breaks open. Be kind of gentle with it.)
Makes = 1 Scoop of Ice Cream

When opening your bags, take the ice cream out of the ice & salt mixture first and then wipe down or rinse the Ziploc opening before opening it to prevent the salt/ice mixture from getting into your ice cream and making it taste salty.