Snow Day

My stories of childhood snow icecream are legendary for the children.

Especially when I really only have limited memories of making it. Back in the early 70's we got a few decent snows in Central Oklahoma. One of those snowy days I remember being at our friend's, the Hamburgers' house. Christi Hamburger was my very best childhood friend. Her sister, Michelle, was like a big sister to me. Her mom and dad, Keith and Kathy were, and still are like a second set of parents. Keith and Daddy were firefighters in Oklahoma City who decided to move to the country and live off the land, commuting to the City on work days and working the farm like crazy on off days.

Maybe the drive from outside of Prague to outside of Paden was only 10 miles or so, but it felt like a hundred as we would bounce down those graded, rough, washboard red clay back roads. Never mind. I guess our parents liked each other (still do!) as we sure did spend a lot of time at each others homes.

I will never forget the snowy day Kathy sent us out for a big bowl of clean fluffy snow. I figure my own mother must have done the same, countless times, but something about being in the Hamburger house with my best friend making snow icecream made that memory glow.

She mixed in milk and sugar and vanilla and we thought that was the best icecream we had ever consumed in our life! And we kids grew up eating icecream all summer long. That was back in the day of church icecream socials which will have to be another post come July...

All winter the children have heard tale of the snow icecream. No powder sugar three quarter inch dusting will do for snow icecream. For obvious reasons one must harvest the deep, spotlessly clean stuff.

Yesterday was the day.

The snow was too powdery for making great snowmen, but it made DELICIOUS icecream. First, Maggie snagged some heavy cream (thank you, Coco). She mixed in some succanat, which is unrefined sweetener, and some vanilla. Then she found a nice supply of perfectly clean, deep snow and filled up the mixing bowl. They stirred in the sweetened cream and those girls were quite pleased with themselves!

"It tastes like real icecream!" I heard them exclaim, and smiled.

Our friend Stewart sent the boys home with some amazing boiled custard. Maggie used part of that to make dessert BEFORE supper. Of course you can guess what that would be: more snow icecream.

It did taste delicious. And it did bring back such sweet memories of friends, our community and such deep relationships that somehow span time and distance.

Today is another snow day. I hope we will get to spend it with some friends! And make some more memories.