According to The Complete Practical Confectioner of 1881, "Ices" were first introduced into England in 1842 by the Italians. The Italians apparently acquired the knack of "solidifying their frigid niceties" in the middle of the seventeenth century. Granted they did not have Ben and Jerry's back then, but I would be willing to bet it was still a sought after treat. The authors shared recipes like this with us in 1842:

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 1/4 gallons double cream
1 1/2 pounds best pounded sugar
Seeds of 3 or 4 vanilla seeds

Mix cream and sugar; sift into the freezer and add the vanilla seed; freeze smooth. After being frozen, repack into a churn or glass freezer. The cream should stand 5 or 6 hours in a cool room before being used.

We now have plain and fancy ice cream machines that can be used at home with ease, however there is still something memorable about our mouths watering as we wait for our bowl of "Ice". Give these more contemporary recipes a try this year and be sure to invite family and friends of all ages.

Milky Way Ice Cream

Ingredients:
16 ounces Milky Way candy bars
1 quart whipping cream
4 eggs
1 1/2 quarts milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix

In a double boiler, melt candy bars with half the cream.  Beat eggs in remaining cream. Whisk into melted chocolate mixture. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Cool. Beat milk and pudding mixes. Fold into chocolate mixture. Chill several hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to instructions. Makes 3 quarts.

Brown Sugar Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients:
4 large peaches, pureed or chopped fine
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

To peaches, add 1/2 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice. Set aside. In medium saucepan combine milk, eggs, and remaining sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and vanilla. Chill. Stir peaches in cream mixture and freeze in ice cream maker.

Citrus Ice

Ingredients:
Juice of 6 lemons
Juice of 7 oranges
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 quart whole milk

In a large bowl, combine juices, sugar, cream and milk.  Mix well. Pour mixture into an ice cream freezer and freeze according to instructions. Serve immediately for a soft consistency or place in freezer. 2 quarts.

Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup flavored honey; raspberry or citrus
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, 1 cup cream, and honey. Stir over medium-low heat until dissolved. Keep warm over very low heat. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar at high speed until pale in color, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Slowly beat in warm milk mixture at medium speed. Return to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickly coats a wooden spoon. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Pour into bowl. Add 1 cup heavy cream and mix well. Cool in ice water bath, stirring, until cold. Pour into ice cream machine Freeze in machine for about 20-25 minutes following instructions. Cover and place in freezer when finished for at least 4 hours. Makes 5 1/2 cups.

Mango Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 large mangos
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Scoop out mango flesh and chop. Discard peel and seed. Place mango, sugar and juice in food processor until smooth and thick. Pour puree and cream into ice cream canister and freeze according to machine directions. Serves 6.

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 quart milk
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
dash salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla

Heat milk until small bubbles begin to appear; stir in sugar and salt. Stir in some of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs and mix well. Slowly stir eggs into pan and cook over low heat, stirring for about 2 minutes. Do not boil. Stir in cream and let mixture cool; stir in vanilla. Freeze in ice cream machine according to directions. Serves 8.

Back to School Breakfast Breads
Cereal was the standard breakfast when I was growing up. We ate a bowl a cereal called "Oat Flakes" every morning. We ate quickly too, before the flakes turned into mush before our very eyes.

Jazzed Up Bag Lunches - 13 Ways to Turn 
HUM-DRUM into YUM!
If the thought of making packed lunches has you dreading the Back to School season, try using some of these quick and inexpensive ideas to perk them up.