Get a bowl full of clean snow.  Add milk (or cream or half-n-half) until it’s wet enough, sugar until it’s sweet enough, and vanilla.  I always have the economy-sized imitation vanilla for wintertime.  We don’t do exact measurements–it’s a lot of dumping and stirring, really.   So it’s a good kid activity.  Usually by the time you’ve got it perfect it’s more like snow ice cream soup, but my kids and I love it.  J will say in July, “I can’t wait until we can make snow ice cream again.”

This morning we got some new snow that’s perfect for snowballs & snowmen!

Or snowgirls!  Note the eyelashes.

So I had to run out of the house this morning, and I felt pretty guilty when someone called my house because I had not yet posted where to go sledding. (Jeez!  Who would do that?  I mean, really?  What a freak!  And yes, I’m kidding.  About the freakishness.  Someone actually did call me.)

Anyway, I’ve been meaning to share what I know on sledding hills, but I have two problems:  1) I don’t know all that much, especially beyond my neighborhood, and 2) it’s hard to judge a sledding hill unless you’ve been there when there’s snow and people sledding.

But I’m going to operate under the assumption that a little bit of information, including much that is secondhand, is better than none.  Please, by all means, add suggestions in comments.  Okay?

Some suggestions:

• The Albany Times Union lists reader-voted best sledding hills, an the consistent winners are Frear Park in Troy, Capital Hills Golf Course in Albany, and Sand Creek Middle School in Colonie. See votes for 2008 and 2009.
• Lincoln Park, near the DMV in downtown Albany–park on Morton Avenue across from the Stewarts Shop on the left.  Lincoln Park and hill are located right there above the city pool.  Also, the tee-bird golf course in Moreau, north or south . The south, hole #4, has the best two sledding hills of them all. This is located off of Reynolds Rd.  Both of these suggestions are from this cool sledding site.
• www.Saratoga.com has a list of best sledding hills
• www.Albany.com includes sledding hills in their “best of” lists—you have to scroll down a bit
• Rosendale Elementary School in Niskayuna—bear left and go behind the school
• The Schenectady Municipal Golf Course—take Golf Road away from Central Park and park near the clubhouse
• Blatnick Park in Niskayuna
• Collins Park in Scotia has a small hill good for little kids, with the added bonus of the library to warm up and a Dunkin’ Donuts for cocoas both in walking distance

Okay, I made this whole entire list and then I accidentally deleted it and cursed repeatedly and meanwhile my children are clamoring to make snow ice cream.  I was going to give the recipe here, but they’re about to flip out.  So, I know it’s getting warmer–grab a big bowl of ice cream and stick it in your freezer and I’ll tell you later–okay?