June is Dairy Month and what better way to celebrate than with homemade ice cream? When I was growing up in our small family dairy farm in west central Wisconsin 40 years ago, my dad makes homemade ice cream using cream and milk from our cows very own hand-cranked ice cream. But you do not need an ice cream freezer to make your own homemade ice cream. You can make ice cream with your refrigerator. Here’s how: Dad’s Favorite Recipe (From the book: Give me a home where cows roam – Stories from a Wisconsin farm. Coming Soon – Fall 2004) 2 eggs 3 / 4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup milk 1 pint heavy cream Pinch of salt 2 teaspoons vanilla Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs for several minutes until thick and lemon colored. Add 1 cup milk and mix in eggs. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a large pot. Add egg / milk mixture to sugar and cornstarch.

Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Allow the cream mixture to cool to room temperature. When the cream is cold, place in a suitable container for the freezer. Mix cream and salt. Freeze for 2 hours or until slushy. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla.

Whip 5-10 minutes with an electric mixer. Return to freezer and finish freezing (several hours or overnight). Variations: After you have whipped the cream, fold in 1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit, nuts and / or chocolate before returning the ice cream freezer to finish freezing. Here are some ideas for additions to your ice cream: Strawberries Blackberries Raspberries Peaches Cherries (or maraschino cherries) chocolate chips Butterscotch chips Crushed Heath bars crushed Peppermint Candy Pistachio nuts chopped, diced, chopped bananas Coconut Chocolate chip cookie dough (drop in ice cream by small spoonfuls and carefully times) or sweet candy or chocolate syrup (drop into ice cream by small spoonfuls and carefully times).