Summertime brings me fond memories of summers spent with my grandma, climbing the giant tree in her front yard and baking sweets in her kitchen. Warm evenings at her house were magical. While the sun was setting and the day drew to a close, we’d sit on her front porch swing eating ice cream that dripped down our hands while chatting away about anything and everything.

These are the memories I cherish and want to make with my little girls today. Life is a blur most days. I seek so strongly to capture moments, slow down our lives, walk away from technology and just listen to the world from their point of view. In all honesty, this is chaotic and often filled with a combination of tender moments interjected with whining or fighting – but all too soon our girls will become young women and our conversations will change.

Part of my love for food is that it draws people together. We engage with one another over meals someone has lovingly prepared – be it prepackaged or homemade.

I will remember making this ice cream with my oldest for the rest of my life. On a muggy summer day while our youngest napped, I was begged to make strawberry ice cream. Her version, be it sweet and well-intended was mushed strawberries mixed with water, then frozen. Instead, we made this version which couldn’t be simpler. Pure ingredients + an eager five-year-old made the best combo, and I loved watching my family enjoying the spoils of her hard work that evening. It brought me back to my childhood nights at grandma’s. May it do the same for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic whole milk
• 1 cup organic half + half
• ¾ pint of organic strawberries, lightly pureed
• 1/3 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Wash + hull the strawberries, then pulse them a few times in your food processor. The main point for us was to remove any large chunks to ensure the little ones didn’t chomp into a sizeable frozen strawberry. The benefit also was a beautiful coloring to the ice cream.
2. Combine all ingredients into a large mixing cup or bowl + stir.
3. Add the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Transfer to the freezer to harden slightly + enjoy!