I scream, you scream, we all scream for...

Ice cream!

Temperatures are in the 90s already here in fabulous Austin, Texas, so J and I have already enjoyed several stops recently at Baskin Robbins. Yes, Austin readers, I know that BR is a big coporate national chain, and I'm *supposed* to eat nothing but local favorite Amy's, but here's the thing...I'm not really that crazy about Amy's. There. I said it. I like Baskin Robbins ice cream better AND they've been sending me coupons. It's a win-win. Now try to catch your breath and read on.

I *love* Blue Bell, the Texas ice cream made in Brenham and, to my mind, unsurpassed in creamy deliciousness. They have many, many fantastic flavors and you can get it in 1/2 gallon or pint sizes, depending on how many people are going to be dipping their spoons into your stash. I do find some fine flavors at Ben & Jerry's (another big chain), though they tend to get a little complicated for me. I don't really need 16 flavors in one scoop - just give me one or two really, really good ones and I'll be thrilled. I have also found an outstanding Haagen-Dazs flavor (pineapple-coconut) that I would pay exhorbitant amounts of cash money for.

But I'm thinkin' I might like to kick it up a notch this year. I'm thinking I might like to buy an ice cream maker and make my very own ice cream this summer. I know - crazy!! But it's been done.

When I was a kid, my parents had an ice cream maker and we used to make our own, and it was great! We used to invite people over, and we'd make it as kind of a social event. We'd pick our flavor and take our turns cranking and all hang out while it firmed up into something delicious and just a little softer than the mass-produced stuff at the store. And then, when it was finally ready, we all sat back and enjoyed the fruits (and cream) of our labor! I loved it.

I had this on the brain recently when I logged onto my friend Lauren's amazing food blog, tastytype, and lo and behold, she had just made homemade peach ice cream! Now, just reading Lauren's blog makes me want to quit my job and just cook all the time, but this was just too much. How can *I* make such ice cream??, I thought. Why, with an ice cream maker of course! And people, it gets better.

J and I went to a local shop to buy my nephew a birthday present, and there, right in the middle of the store were these soccer-ball looking things. They were ice cream makers! Supposedly, you put all the fixins in the ball and then kick it around and after 15 minutes or so, you've got ice cream. That's it, man - I gots to get me an ice cream maker!

Now, I'm not buying the soccer ball one. If I'm buying one, I'm buying a decent one, not something you put your feet on and roll around in the grass and then eat out of. But be prepared, friends, because I'm buyin' one, and we're gonna have some ice cream socials this summer! Oh. Yeah.