Frozen assets

Indulge your next craving for something creamy with one of these probiotic-packed treats.

(140 CALORIES, 2.5G FAT EACH)So if you have decided to get a hand powered ice cream machine, what is the best way to use it. Well the best way is unquestionably with family. My White Mountain ice cream maker is a 6 quart unit. That's a gallon and a half of ice cream, which of course takes a big crew to consume. But more importantly than that, all those eaters can help out cranking the ice cream. When I was a kid, usually my grandma would make the ice cream mix, and my cousins and I would do the churning. My little brother would sit on a folded towel on top of the ice cream freezer. This helps to keep the ice cream freezer from moving around while cranking. And because these ice cream machines aren't water tight, as the ice melts, some of it will leak out so my grandmother would also put the ice cream maker in an old wash bin. You'll also want to wash the ice cream machinethoroughly when your done with it. Anyone, who lives in America's rust belt can attest, rock salt and metals don't get along.First, I understand that many people might have reasons for choosing an automatic rather than hand cranked--problems like disability, or just too busy but if you really enjoy ice cream, the hand cranked freezer will do a better job. The way an ice cream maker works is that an ice cream mixture is brought to freezing. If this took place in your refigerator's freezer, you'd get a block of frozen ice cream mix not ice cream. What the maker does is work air into the ice cream mix instead of letting the mixture become a solid mass. This is the first advantage over an automatic model because as a you turn the lever, you can feel the resistance of the ice cream and as you feel the resistance increasing, you can work a little harder to get more air into the mix.(90 CALORIES, 1G FAT PER 1/2 CUP)(80-120 CALORIES, 0-2G FAT PER 1/2 CUP)In conclusion, the best thing about the White Mountain ice cream machine, in addition to the really great ice cream, is how when I was a kid, it always brought the family together. I grew up in the southern part of the U.S. and hand-cranked ice cream maker were everywhere at social events, be it, family get togethers or out camping during the summer.LIFEWAY FROZEN KEFIRAfter you choose which type of ice cream maker is right for you, you will need to find the perfect ice cream recipe. Remember that the faster the ice cream freezes, the better it will taste and the smoother the texture will be. It will be best to pre-mix all your ingredients and let them chill for several hours before placing them in the ice cream maker. When your ice cream is done, it will resemble soft-serve ice cream. You can place the canister in the freezer for a few hours and you will be much happier with the results. If your canister is plastic, consider removing the ice cream as soon as it is done, and placing it in a metal bowl covered with foil. The metal will allow the ice cream to freeze faster and become firmer more quickly than in a plastic container.

Kefir is a tangy drink made from fermented milk; this 99-percent-lactose-free iced version is a good bet for those who typically dodge dairy.

Author: Amy Schlinger