COLFAX, WISCONSIN — June is Dairy Month and what better way to celebrate than with homemade ice cream?

When I was growing up on our small family dairy farm in west central Wisconsin 40 years ago, my dad would make homemade ice cream using cream and milk from our very own cows and a hand-cranked ice cream freezer.

But you don't 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 the Dairy Cows Roam — True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm. Coming Soon — Fall 2004)

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pint heavy whipping 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 of milk and blend into the eggs. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Add egg/milk mixture to the sugar and cornstarch. Cook until thick (about 5 minutes) stirring constantly. Allow the custard mixture to cool to room temperature.

When the custard is cool, put into a freezer-safe bowl. Blend in cream and salt. Freeze for 2 hours or until slushy. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Whip for 5 to 10 minutes with an electric mixer. Return to freezer and finish freezing (several hours or overnight).

Variations:

After you have whipped the ice cream, fold in 1 to 2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit, nuts and/or chocolate before returning the ice cream to the 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
• Chopped walnuts
• Chopped pistachio nuts
• Diced bananas
• Coconut
• Chocolate chip cookie dough (drop into the ice cream by small spoonfuls and carefully fold in)
• Caramel or chocolate or fudge syrup (drop into the ice cream by small spoonfuls and carefully fold in)

©2004 LeAnn R. Ralph

About The Author LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books: "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories)" (e-book; 66 pages $7.95; http://www.booklocker.com/books/1545.html) and "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" (trade paperback; $13.95; August 2003). Her next book, "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam" will be available Fall 2004. To order "Christmas in Dairyland," call LeAnn at (715) 962-3368 or visit — http://ruralroute2.com. bigpines@ruralroute2.com