Sweet Memories: Grandpa’s Homemade Ice Cream

Do you ever travel down memory lane and just wish you could go back and relive the moment? (… just one more time!)

Recently, in preparation for the 4th of July, we dug out the White Mountain ice cream freezer, and made a batch of this smooth, sweet treat! It triggered many memories of Mike’s Dad. For those of you who knew Dad Bahler, he was the master of homemade ice cream. Vanilla, of course. He was well known around Wolcott for his ice cream and shared it liberally with others.

When Dad and Mom moved to town the year we were married (1993!), Dad realized how ideal their back yard was for watching Wolcott’s annual fireworks show off to the north east! The vast sky opened up between two large trees and made a perfect backdrop for those who watched the display of lights, cracks and booms! Friends and family have gathered in this same back yard for years and years to watch fireworks, but even more so, to enjoy the large selection of homemade ice cream! Dad always made his vanilla, and others brought in other colorful and flavorful varieties. It wasn’t unusual to see 6-8 ice cream freezers lined up on the counter. Dad was there to dip and dish, and it brought him much delight to see young and old mingling under the star-studded sky- holding their mounded bowl of ice cream! Time moves on, and life brings change. This year, Dad wasn’t with us to enjoy the 4th. It was Mom’s desire to continue this tradition in honor of Dad, and we know that up there in those starry skies, he was watching and smiling as each freezer was churned into ice cream and enjoyed once again!

Following are a few pictures from the 4th of July this year, for your enjoyment! It was, as always, a wonderful evening filled with delicious ice cream, friends, family, and fireworks.