Sunday, May 20, 2012

Day 10: Homemade Ice Cream

Late last summer, Husband found himself a new hobby, one that the whole family appreciates. He makes ice cream. He doesn't just make chocolate and vanilla (although he does, and they are delicious), he makes fancy flavors, like watermelon/lemonade sorbet or banana with carmelized white chocolate. I just finished a bowl full of the banana/white chocolate. A mouth full of joy!

Husband's ice cream is more than a delicious dessert -- it's a bond within our family or with our friends. The whole family gets involved in choosing and rating the flavors or suggesting ingredients to add (Sally prefers M&Ms). The kids help mix ingredients and, of course, sample not-quite-frozen batches. We like to share our ice cream with guests and bring it to friends. In fact, Husband made a flavor specifically for sharing with people ill with colds or flu. But the flavor wasn't that good, so we didn't burden any sick friends with it. However, guests who have tried the good, sharable flavors shared our ice cream and our joy. Although I didn't make it, I feel a pride in how delicious it tastes and how wonderful it is to share something we love.

I love how humans have always bonded over food. That's where great events take place and strong connections are forged. Every culture has its prescribed food-related manners and traditions. That's a grandiose thought compared to our homemade ice cream. But the concept is the same: it brings us together and creates a commonality.

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