This past summer I read on several blogs and websites how to make ice cream in a bag. I really wanted to try it with my my cousin's kids but never had the chance for one reason or another. A few weeks ago, though, I was sitting for them over a long weekend and we tried it one night. OMG is it ever fun! It would be a hoot to make even if you have friends (adult friends that is) over for a casual dinner in the back yard, too. Sooo easy and really just good clean fun....in a bag.

Ice Cream In A Bag

Ingredients
-2 tablespoons sugar
-1 cup half and half
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup salt (The bigger the granules, the better. Kosher or rock salt works best, but table salt is fine.)
-Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)
-2 pint-size ziplock bag (I double bagged it after we had a leak the first time)
-1 gallon-size ziplock bag

Directions
1. Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.
2. Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done.
3. Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag. Easy cleanup too! Serves 1.

So I was wondering after I made it with the boys (and forgot to take a picture- sorry!), if it might be tasty with other flavorings. So of course when I went home that week I made it by myself (that's right, not a kid in sight!) with a dash of lemon extract. I made it this week once with a dash of almond extract. All are delish- the lemon is my favorite of the three. Oh, when I made it at home I used fat free half and half (don't get me started on how I think this product is misnamed. Half and half? It's fat free so I'm pretty sure "none and none" is a more fitting name. But I digress....). So not only is it super yummy, but fat free too!

Give it a try, friends. Try it with your kids or without and just feel like a kid.

Have you every made ice cream in a bag?  Would you ever consider doing it with your adult friends, even if kids aren't around?  Any fun flavor ideas that I should try this summer?