Every June, the mouths of Meeting members and attenders begin to water as the weather heats up, signaling the beginning of summer. No, they’re not thirsty. In fact, some dream of the cool, smooth texture and deliciously sinful flavors of homemade ice cream, made that very day.

Our Meeting’s Ice Cream Social has become the culminating event in our annual social calendar. A combination family picnic and celebration, it occurs on the second Sunday in June. Also on that day, our Meeting honors the dedication and hard work of our First Day School Teachers by publicly thanking them for all that they do for our children throughout the school year, as well as honoring our graduating seniors by leaving them messages of hope and inspiration in notebooks created for that purpose.

While we have Eating Meetings the second Sunday of most months from September to June, this one is special. Everyone goes all out, bringing all sorts of delicious goodies to Meeting. It’s also when we break out the grill and cook hamburgers and hot dogs. The anticipation must really be great for both adults and children as the aroma of these traditional picnic meats wafts over towards our Meeting House during Meeting for Worship.

Our Ice Cream Social emphasizes the greater family we have at our Meeting as all sit around in the shade of the large maple trees eating cool cups of homemade heaven.

Here's a sample ice cream recipe:

Peppermint Cookie Ice Cream

Makes about 6 quarts

6 cups milk (see below*)
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp peppermint oil (see below**)
6 cups heavy cream (see below*)
1 box mint cookies (see below***)

* You can use 12 cups of Light Cream instead of the Milk and Heavy Cream.  You will get a slightly better texture but it will cost much more.

** You can get Peppermint Oil from a health food store.  Real mint fanatics might want to use ¾ of a teaspoon.  Do not use ‘Mint Extract’ unless you want your ice cream to taste like toothpaste. 

*** Some cookies that will work: Trader Joes Candy Cane Joe Joes, Girl Scout Thin Mints, Keebler Grasshopper Fudge Mint Cookies

Pour the Milk into a 4-quart container.  Add the Sugar and Salt while stirring.  You can keep stirring until everything has dissolved or just put it in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight.  Add the Heavy Cream and Peppermint Oil when the Sugar has dissolved.

Freeze the mixture in a 4-quart ice cream freezer.  You can use this time to chop each cookie into about 8 pieces.  When the mixture is frozen, remove it from the freezer canister and fold in the cookie pieces.  Allow it to harden in a refrigerator freezer – about 6 hours.

Click on each photo to see a larger picture.

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