We just had our first substantial snow here in the Midwest. The girls have waited all season for this snow. There is just something magical about snow; to adults and children alike.
The girls couldn’t wait to put on their snow gear and frolic in the wintery wonderland. I grew up outside of Chicago and I have enough memories of walking to school freezing in the cold winter snow, sledding and building snowmen to last a lifetime.
As much as I now detest the cold, I want all those memories for my girls. So, like a dutiful mommy, I doubled up my layers, dug out my snow boots, pulled on my wonder woman big girl panties and bundled up my kids and husband and we walked in the 22 degree weather to the neighborhood park.
It’s called Rocket Park because there is a huge hill with a steep path on it; during the summer, the kids use it to ride their bikes down. But during the winter, the path is compacted and iced and children from all over the district walk to the park with their toboggans in hand.
One by one they fly down the hill, squealing with delight and scaring the shit out of their parents. It’s definitely the stuff memories are made of.
My 7-year-old made the trek to the top of the hill with her father, but once at the top, she decided perhaps Rocket hill was something she’d do next year.
It was only the fact that there were so many children waiting patiently in line that the Big Guy decided not to fling himself down the side of the hill.
I suspect that one morning I will find him at Rocket Park sliding joyfully down the steep hill by himself while all the neighborhood children are at school. I imagine it to be much like that scene in Christmas Vacation when Clark Griswold is flying down the hill with flames coming from the bottom of his sled.
The girls opted for a somewhat smaller, but equally as steep, hill on the golf course and they loved, and they didn’t have to share it with anyone else, except their daddy.
An hour later; 27 snow angels, a couple head-over-heel wipe-outs, a few unsolicited failed snowball fight attempts and a lifetime of memories later, we headed back home with rosy cheeks and runny noses. But the girls wanted more, as little people are known for doing every thing in excess, especially coming off the Christmas of excess high.
They begged for wintery fun and so we decided, what’s better than homemade snow cream?
Ingredients needed:
- 
8 cups of fresh snow (caught in a bowl, not drudged from below your feet or having touched the ground and never, never, never yellow snow)
-  
1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
- When it starts to snow, place a large, clean bowl outside to collect the flakes. In another large bowl, combine condensed milk and vanilla extract, for about 4 minutes.
- Stir in snow, a cup at a time, until ice cream begins to form.
- You can serve at once to your excited children (yields about 4 servings) or freeze for 20 minutes to let it become firmer.
- My girls love mint chocolate chip ice cream so if you want to be adventurous, to get mint chocolate chip snow cream add 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract and ¾ cup of mini chocolate chips to the mixture.
What is your favorite winter memory with your children?
Photo Source: The TRUTH about Motherhood
