Ice Cream

I've been thinking about ice cream a lot lately. Is that weird? In Jan-Feb.? Well, it WAS in the low 70's here for the past few days. But I think it has more to do with trying to eat healthier. It triggers some kind of craving every single time. So I was thinking about ice cream, and how the BEST ice cream I have ever eaten was the home made, hand churned kind my grandmother used to make every now and then in the hottest part of the summer. She had this huge front porch and it seems like everybody did most of their living out there when days were warm. She had lots of rocking chairs and a big sturdy porch swing. I think I'm getting nostalgic... I do remember the churn being loaded with ice and rock salt. And that hand churning was a long involved process. The churn got passed around so everybody had a turn, but once it started to set up and get thick, my Grandfather took over as it got harder and harder to turn the crank. Maybe one of the best parts was the anticipation...? It always felt like we waited an eternity for the churning to be done. But it was SO worth it. I remember vanilla, and occasionally chocolate. But my favorite was banana. I think it was the same basic vanilla recipe, but if there were a couple of ripe bananas going to waste, they got thrown in to the mix. So delicious. I have often thought about buying an ice cream churn. Probably an electric one. But fear always holds me back. For one thing, I am always afraid that the memory of that ice cream is better than the actual thing. How disappointing would that be? OR...what if it truly is as delicious as my memory says that it is? And I have a churn to make it whenever the mood strikes? I don't want my family to find me weighing over 500 pounds wallowing in sticky puddles of melted ice cream. For now, I think I'm better off thinking about it instead of eating it. Maybe this summer I will break down and buy one.