Life in Balance: Have fun making homemade ice cream in a tin can

Whenever I have made ice cream in two tin cans it has been a real hit.

One of the most fun times I ever had with my nieces and nephews was the day that I gave them the project to make ice cream in a tin can. I gave them an ice cream freezer, which was made with a 1-pound size coffee metal can, and a No. 10 can. In a cooler, I put a quart of heavy whipping cream and three kinds of milk — chocolate, strawberry and plain. They went into the backyard on the cement patio and made batch after batch of ice cream. To this day, I am sure that every one of them remember the afternoon that they made every kind of ice cream they could imagine.

Kick The Can Ice Cream

1 cup of milk (flavor of ice cream that you want)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ to 1/3 cup of sugar

bag of ice

½ cup rock salt

1 pound size coffee can (I have only found it with coffee or sometimes nuts)

No. 10 can

Note: Do not buy a can that is made of cardboard. Also try to get it so that you will cut the lid off with a can opener. That will make it easy for you to take a knife and scrape the ice cream off the sides.

Fill the 1-pound can with the milk, cream and sugar. The mix should fill the can half full. Once the mix is in the can and the plastic lid is on the top shake the can to mix the mixture. Then put it into a No. 10 can, which is the size of a typical food storage can. Place ice and ½ cup rock salt in the ice. Once you have the ice packed place the lid on and begin rolling the ice cream back and forth to someone. It is fun to sit down with about 5 feet separating you and the person you are rolling it to. Roll the can back and forth for 10 to 15 minutes. Open up the can and make sure to wipe off the lid of the middle can. With a knife scrap of the frozen ice cream and mix it with the ice cream that is not frozen in the middle. If you need a little more rolling put the lid back on and pack with ice and rock salt and roll another 5 minutes.

TV personality and author Dian Thomas shares her journey of weight loss, exercise and life on the run every other Wednesday in the Deseret News and at www.DianThomas.com. She also takes tour groups to China. Contact her at www.www.dianthomas.com/travel.htm.