Don't forget the sprinkles!

I'd like to be pregnant again.

Only so I could eat what I wanted - another child right now would snap what thin threads of sanity I have left!

Ok, let me back up a bit. All I could eat during the first trimester with each of the boys was blueberry yogurt, raisin bran cereal, nectarines, apples and toast topped with peanut butter and fresh strawberries. I've been lactose intolerant for most of my adult life, probably my whole life.  One of the surprise changes in my body during pregnancy was the ability to consume dairy products pain-free. And boy oh boy did I enjoy it! Cheesecake - don't mind if I do! No agonizing pain and bloating afterwards. And ice cream ~ I ate a banana split every day for the last 3 months of Felix's pregnancy. So. freaking. good.

Sadly, these changes didn't last. Within 3 months post partum, the lactose intolerance came back. And I also developed an allergy to nickel, giving me itching rashes whenever my skin came into contact with belt buckles, snaps and rivets on jeans, my name tag at work.... so attractive.

Yesterday I got the results back from the Carrol Food Intolerance testing I had done on a whim a few weeks ago. Dairy is my #1 culprit, no surprises there. But what I didn't realize until now is that is apparently not just a "simple" inability to digest the lactose, the sugar in milk. My sensitivity has changed to - or perhaps has always been - an aversion to milk protein. So now I'm not supposed to have any dairy at all. Whatsoever. And sugar - well, I knew that one, but now there's a catch.

I picked up the tissue salt supplements today. And discovered they're in a base of lactose, so they'll be going back. Buggers.

Such fun. And guess what? These things are typically passed down and with the boys having such an awful string of lengthy ear infections and lingering colds, they also need to come off of dairy. Post haste. No more grilled cheese. No more mac & cheese (sorry, Elliot). No more Yop (sorry Felix*). No more ice cream...... no, WAIT!!!!! *Felix weaned from breast feeding to Yop yogurt drinks.

A few weeks ago, after a nasty bout of icy rain washed away all of our fluffy snow, I found a blog with a recipe for Snow Ice Cream. It intrigued me and I was antsy as all get out for it to snow again.  I certainly got my wish today! (Yes, ok, I admit it. All the blizzards this week are my fault. Blame me!)

Elliot cleans the slide...

Those poor groundhogs. Can they get frostbite? The good news is our local guy didn't see his shadow, so we're gonna get an early spring! The bad news is that I'm sure a lawn gnome could've popped out of that burrow and no one would have been the wiser, given the amount of white stuff flying around in the air!

Jay waits for Felix to catch up...

So, back to the important stuff. Snow ice cream. I went into the back yard and scooped up a bowlful (don't pack it down, just fluffy, fresh stuff) and crammed it in the freezer while I gathered the rest of the ingredients.

I goofed right off the bat and even though I was following the recipe, I added double the amount of sugar. So I had to double everything else. A bigger bowl would have made it easier. You should only start with about 8 cups of snow, 1/4 cup of milk (I used almond milk, given that we're all now supposed to stay away from traditional dairy), 1/2 cup sugar, and a splash of vanilla. (Just for fun, I put this all into an online calorie counter and came up with about 85 calories per serving!)

Mix and mix and mix, adding more milk if your snow is very dry, like ours is, until it's kinda runny, like porridge. Then add more snow, about 4 cups. Once it's firmed up to your preferred consistency, divide it and add food colouring, if you want. We wanted. Once you've reached your perfect hue, you can eat it right away or put it in the freezer to firm up a bit. Or add a wee bit more snow for some last minute chill before serving. (Something I'll do next time, as ours was a touch watery when it came out of the freezer.)

Don't forget the sprinkles!!

I found this to be very satisfying. It's sweet, so next time I won't add as much sugar. I think we'll make another batch tomorrow - one specifically for me, made with (decaf) coffee-laced milk. Mmmmmmmm. Yes please!

Ooooh, and I wonder if I can replicate that recipe we made as kids - you know, the one for snow taffy?? I remember boiling everything (while supervised, duh) in a large pot on the stove, then pouring it out into a fresh patch of snow to cool. Then pulling the bejeezus out of it to make taffy candy. Ours always turned out hard and glassy instead of soft and chewy. But I think that's because we were impatient and unwilling to pull it long enough.

The metal bowl may have been a bad idea. Or maybe a brilliant one?

Soooooooo..... how did you spend your snow day(s)?