How to Make the Best Mint Ice Cream in 5 Easy Minutes

Mint ice-cream is the most popular flavour in our house, but I'll admit I am not a fan. While my husband and kids opt for mint, or mint choc chip, virtually every time they have an ice-cream, it's never been a variety I've liked. Well, all that changed when I decided to muck around with a new recipe and came up with this beauty.

I am not really one for inventing recipes so this isn't rocket science. I have a basic formula I use for most ice-cream recipes (except the condensed milk one - yum!) but the combination of this week's sunshine and fresh mint makes it a winner for summer.

1 part double cream
1 part milk
0.5 parts sugar
pinch salt
teaspoon of good vanilla extract

Mix all this in a blender until the sugar has dissolved. This is a great base mix that makes a lovely vanilla ice cream on it's own, or one to which you can add pretty much whatever you like. In this case, I used a bunch of mint leaves (you could chop them finely, but I just chucked them in the blender and let it do the work) and some white chocolate chips. Et voila! No artificial colours or flavours, just pure unadulterated creamy yumminess.

I don't have an ice cream machine. I put a bowl or metal dish in the freezer while I'm doing all the mixing, then whisk it every two hours or so until it's frozen. This stops ice crystals from forming and giving the ice cream that nasty gritty texture. It also means that things like chocolate chips are evenly distributed.

School Holiday Planning

Some parents moan about the hassle of school days and look forward to the school holidays, when they can have a break. I am the opposite. School days = no problems. Everyone knows what they need to do, where, and by when. I'm not saying it always gets done without a bit of yelling, but everyone knows and knowledge, as they say, is power.

Come the summer holidays and 2 kids quickly find themselves bored without some sort of routine. The eldest at (nearly) 9 is not so much of a problem. He can disappear to a friend's house, or have them around here, and they can amuse themselves for days on end. The youngest, at barely 4, is another matter. He likes a bit of routine. Not so much to have every minute of every day filled with activity, but because he likes structure and to know what's going on. If we're having a do nothing day that's fine, as long as he knows in advance that's what's going on. Both my husband and I work from home so it's important for us to keep a bit of structure to our days as well, otherwise we end up entertaining them all day and working late into the night to get everything done. It doesn't make for a very fun 6 weeks for us and as we're decidedly ratty by mid August, for the kids either.

We've arranged some child care for the youngest but I've created a holiday planner so I know who is doing what, when and where. To be honest, it was partially to satisfy my lust for a good list. If there's anything that makes me feel more capable than a list, it's a list with multiple columns and colours. I've also written a separate list with ideas of things we can do and ordered them by price. I normally use an Organised Mum wall calendar, but I've created a separate spreadsheet just for this.

It's like my own special project. I think I need a hobby. A (large) part of my brain is telling me I'm overthinking this whole holiday thing. Behind it, ready to jump out in 3 weeks, is a smaller by very smug part ready to jump forward to receive accolades that I'm not left in charge of 2 recharged, bored, batteries looking for a bit of structure.